Epilogue
TILLIE
The next morning the door of my shop flew open and in burst Gladys. I knew it wouldn’t take long for her to catch wind of last night’s excitement. And apparently, I was right.
“Tillie. I was so excited to hear the news, I rushed over as soon as I could. Tell me everything.” Gladys could hardly catch her breath.
I led her to the back of my shop and made us both a cup of tea. “Well, Gladys, you know I’m not one for gossip.”
“It’s not gossip if it’s true. Just tell me how it all happened last night. Did Raven cry? I can’t imagine it, but with a man like Nash offering you the world. Well, that could break the toughest of women.”
I sighed blissfully as the scene replayed in my mind. “It was incredibly romantic. And more than one of us was moved to tears watching. I’m not afraid to admit it. I’m so happy those two finally got out of their own way and realized what was right in front of them all along. I knew they’d need a nudge, but that almost wasn’t enough.”
“You are a master matchmaker, Tillie. When you told me you were trying to get those two together, I thought you’d lost your marbles. They’ve been fighting like cats and dogs for years.”
It took seeing what was behind the anger and frustration to understand what was really going on. It was plain as day, but most people didn’t take the time to look.
I handed Gladys her steaming cup. “It wouldn’t have worked without your help. Those letters you found when you were cleaning the cabin were exactly the nudge they needed.”
“Even that wouldn’t have worked if they hadn’t been stranded there alone all that time. You can’t take credit for making it rain, Tillie.”
“Let me put it to you this way, Gladys. We weren’t the only ones working to get those two together.” I winked and took a sip of my tea. “It all worked out as it was meant to. And that makes me happy.”
“So, who are you setting your matchmaking eye on next?”
I tapped my finger on my lip as I thought. “I’m not sure. Let’s pick a card to find out.”
I shuffled my oracle cards and asked for guidance on the next match. A card jumped out while I was mid-shuffle and landed on the table. I turned it over.
“A golden retriever.” I paused as I looked at the card then brought my hands to my heart in joy. “Jasper. Of course.”
“What?” Gladys asked. “That’s a dog. How can that be your answer?”
“Look at the happy dog on that card and tell me you don’t see Jasper smiling back at you. It’s him. No doubt in my mind.”
“Okay. I’ll take your word for it, Tillie.”
“Like a playful pup, Jasper is easy to be around, and oh, so lovable. But I have a sense this isn’t going to be a walk in the park. He can be just as stubborn as the rest of them. I expect he’ll need a bit of a push.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Let me know if you need any help.” Gladys looked back at the card and a wide grin lit up her face. “You know, Tillie. Watching your matches come together is better than Netflix. Just need some popcorn. I can’t wait to see what happens in this next season.”
We both giggled like schoolgirls. The thought of another love match filled me with such joy. “Oh, how I love a challenge. Especially when they end with true love.”