Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“I guess there was never any chance of news not getting out immediately,” Levi joked to Tyler Meadows when Tyler called to give him the final headcount for that night’s dinner at Riverstone Kitchen.
It was not going to be a small party.
"Oh, yeah, no,” Tyler said with a laugh. He and Levi had become fast friends. Levi enjoyed being with the group of guys, and they had welcomed him kindly, especially since that first hike had been consumed with Levi gushing, at length, how wonderful June was.
Fortunately, the others were of a similar mindset about each of their own women. Anthony had shared the triumphant story of his surprise proposal to his new fiancée, and Garrett had bragged about Eleanor’s bookstore.
Eventually, Jeremy, the only one of them who wasn’t comfortably settled into an adult relationship, made them all stop.
“Enough, guys!” he protested with a laugh. “Have some pity for those of us who don’t have perfect lives yet. Sheesh.”
At that, they had pivoted to talking about baseball and the upcoming spring training session, which had turned into a debate between the native New Englanders, who all supported the Red Sox, and the transplants, who rooted for various teams closer to their cities of origin.
A few nights later, Levi had met up with Shane and Jeremy to have a drink at a local sports bar, where they’d taken the opportunity to good-naturedly tease all the Red Sox fans who weren’t there with them…
until Tyler had arrived to pick up some takeout and totally caught them all in the act.
This was when Levi had let slip the news about his and June’s plan to write an entire album together. By his reckoning, it had taken about forty-five minutes before the entire town knew.
And maybe the entire town wasn’t going to meet them for dinner that evening, but it seemed close enough.
The Meadowses would all be there, as would Diana, Anthony, and Eloise.
Miriam, Eleanor, and Garrett were carpooling, and Shane and Winnie were giving Jeremy a ride, as uncle and nephew, avid outdoorsmen, had gone for another hike that day.
Well, the more the merrier, as far as Levi was concerned.
He was ready to shout their relationship, both professional and personal, from the rooftops.
He could hardly wait for the official announcement from the label, even though that wouldn’t happen until after the full album was finished recording.
“Okay, well, we’ll meet everybody there at seven,” Levi told Tyler on the phone now. The dinner itself isn’t a surprise, but June and Benjamin don’t know it won’t just be the three of us, so make sure everybody is there by six forty-five if they want to be in on the big surprise.”
“I will get everybody wrangled if it’s the last thing I do,” Tyler promised jokingly.
“With this group, it might be,” Levi replied with a laugh.
They hung up so Levi could get ready, but the warm feeling of community lasted through the whole time that he grabbed a quick shower, put on a suit, and tidied and dried his hair.
He hadn’t owned a blow dryer before moving to Magnolia Shore, but he’d learn to be a winter guy eventually.
He figured that his wet hair freezing on his head would slow down that progress, though.
Levi knew he was getting ahead of himself as he drove to June’s house and imagined a future where he wouldn’t have to go anywhere to find her and Benjamin…
a future where they would all be together, as a family.
He might feel in a rush for the album and everything that brought them closer together, but he knew he couldn’t rush that part.
He intended to honor June’s past, including her loss, as all of that made her part of who she was today.
And he loved who she was today.
So, he would let her take the lead when it came to moving forward. But he was allowed to daydream.
Happy musings on his hopeful future brought him all the way to June’s house, where he checked the lay of his tie before exiting the car and knocking.
June opened the door a few moments later, and Levi had to admit that having to drive to pick her up did have its merits, if he got to open the door to her looking like this.
She was wearing a deep blue dress that sat wide on her shoulders before delving into a vee in the middle.
The dress was fitted, nipping down into her waist before skimming over her hips down to about knee length.
With her high heels, she looked a little old-fashioned, but in a way that was very, very appealing.
“Wow,” he said. “I make my living writing more eloquent things, but all I’ve got is… wow.”
June teasingly fluffed her hair, which was curled around her ears, but the blush that crossed her cheeks revealed her genuine pleasure at the compliment.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she said. “Very nice, actually.”
“I’m dressed up too!”
Benjamin came skidding into the foyer wearing a navy suit that made him look so grown up that Levi felt a little choked up about it.
He was, he knew, a total goner. He’d only known Benjamin for a few months, and he was already feeling emotional about how quickly the kid was growing.
He could only hope that he got to see him turn into a young man.
“You look very dapper,” Levi praised Benjamin, pushing aside his swell of feeling.
“He chose the outfit himself,” June interjected. “He wanted to be fully dressed up, just like the rest of us.”
“And the effect is smashing,” Levi assured the boy. “But, there’s one thing missing…” He pulled the cowboy hat from his head. “Do you want to wear this?”
Benjamin couldn’t have looked more excited if Levi had offered him a hat made of pure gold.
“Yeah!” he exclaimed, presenting his head for Levi to put on the hat.
Levi and June exchanged a look that could only be described as sappy.
“Okay, fashionistas,” June joked. “Let’s get going so we don’t miss our reservation.”
Levi took her hand and thought about how he would go anywhere, just as long as the two of them were here with him.
* * *
“Congratulations!”
June’s hands flew to her cheeks as she saw that the evening wasn’t just going to be a small dinner between her, Levi, and Benjamin but rather a party with all her friends.
“Did you plan this?” she asked Levi, who was grinning at her from where he stood at her side.
He shook his head. “Word travels fast in this town.”
He sounded extremely delighted by the fact.
And, indeed, the whole evening was delightful.
Benjamin was happy to sit with Izzy and Eloise, who were duly impressed with his cowboy hat.
Miriam looked as proud of June as if it had been her own accomplishment, and she kept patting June’s hand fondly.
Cadence kept teasing that she was now friends with a celebrity.
“I don’t know about celebrity,” Levi said modestly.
“Oh, Levi.” Cadence shook her head at him. “I didn’t mean you. I meant our Juney.”
The company was so wonderful, in fact, that June barely even paid attention to her delicious cassoulet, although she did focus easily on the divine German chocolate cake that she and Levi shared after dinner.
When every last morsel of the food was gone and the kids were starting to look heavy-eyed over at their end of the table, Levi stood, lifting his drink in the clear signal for a toast.
“Hey, y’all,” he said as the group of friends quieted down. “I just wanted to say a few words about how much it means to me to have been welcomed into this town, this community… this family.”
He was looking out at the whole group, and though he squeezed lightly against June’s shoulder, she knew that he didn’t just mean the Caldwell family. He meant all of them.
“When I left Nashville, I thought I was taking a vacation to clear my head,” he explained. “I never thought it possible that I would find a home. That I would find love. And that’s down to everybody at this table.”
“Hear, hear!” Tyler encouraged.
Levi shot them all a crooked grin. “Although I can’t lie. I like June and Benjamin the best.”
Everyone laughed at that.
“Give us something, June,” Miriam prodded before anyone could drink.
“Oh!” June stood up beside Levi, dashing away the tears that had sprung up at Levi’s loving words.
“Um, okay, I didn’t make a plan, but… I love you all.
You know that. And I wouldn’t have gotten through my hard times without you.
And now, things are looking so bright. I’m chasing my dreams, and…
” She paused to sniff. Diana blew her a kiss from further down the table.
“And I just love you guys, even when you make me make a speech without any warning.”
Everyone laughed again.
“You did great, Mommy!” Benjamin called, which didn’t do much when it came to helping June hold back her tears.
“All right, everybody, let’s drink before poor June really loses it,” Cadence said.
They clinked their glasses and took a drink. When June looked over at Levi, she saw him looking back at her, and knew that they were both thinking the same thing.
They weren’t just drinking to their professional success. They were drinking to the beginning of a beautiful new future together.
Thank you so much for reading!
Spend more time with Eleanor and all of the book club ladies in Windward Hearts, the next book in the Magnolia Shore series.