Chapter 35 Dave
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
DAVE
It’s a gorgeous, brisk morning in Sycamore Mountain.
The air is crisp, there’s a dusting of snow on the pines, and a peace transcending over me I don’t think I’ve ever truly experienced before.
I used to think peace was something you found on the job running fire calls or climbing a quiet mountain trail.
Turns out, it’s the sound of Char humming in the shower each day.
Lifting my girl’s hand to my lips, I give her knuckles a tender kiss. She’s agreed to stay here with me. With all of us. And I’ve never been happier. It’s not merely because I have her here with me. But that she’s trusting someone to enter her world.
To build a new life with me here.
Walking down the sidewalk, hand in hand, we reach Elliot’s Hot Chicken and venture inside.
Ellie’s finally taking some much-needed time off in preparation of the twins’ arrival.
And low and behold, Char’s fairy godmother, Betty, has volunteered to come and run the restaurant temporarily.
At least until they can find someone to help out on a more permanent basis.
“Hey, doll. Find a table and sit your sweet ass down.”
“Good grief.” I chuckle. “She knows this is a small town with families, right?”
“She’s a work in progress. I’ll talk to her.” Char giggles. “I’m just thrilled she’s here.”
I pull her into me for a hug before we slide into a booth. It doesn’t take long before Betty brings coffee cups and a full carafe. “Your usual?”
“What’s that?” I ask.
“Whatever I bring ya.” Betty pats me on the shoulder with an eye roll. “You have a lot of work ahead of you with this one,” she tells Char.
“What does that mean?” I huff out a laugh.
Charlene pats me on my hand, like a mother reassuring a wayward child. “Don’t you worry about it. It’s only girl talk.”
Pouring a cup of coffee for each of us, I place the carafe back down and decide to share my recent conversation with her foster mother. “I may have run something by Liz about helping you get your salon moved here,” I admit carefully.
Her face scrunches. “Without asking me first? Have you learned nothing, sir?” She crosses her arms over her chest in indignation, but she can’t hide that one corner of her mouth is still curled up in a grin.
“No, no,” I say quickly. “It wasn’t like that. And I’d never think of doing anything without talking to you first. I just floated an idea by her. I was trying to figure out logistics. So I asked her if she thought anyone in Candy Cane Key would be a good match to take over your original location.”
Her brows shoot up to her hairline. “My original location?”
“Yeah. Wanted to consider all of the options. Like, instead of closing down To Dye For and having all of your equipment shipped here, wondered if maybe Norma Jean might run your Florida place while we opened a second location here.”
“I’d be a chain!” she squeals, eyes wide.
I blink. “What?”
Char rolls her eyes. “It’s a line from Steel Magnolias.” She snickers. “Remind me to educate you on southern cinematic classics.”
I shake my head at her crazy antics. “Yes. I guess you’d technically be a chain.” I chuckle. “I’ll add that to my list of movies to survive for your sake.”
Her laughter lingers in the air, warm and easy, and I reach for her hand again, unable to stop touching her. There are honestly days I roll over and can’t believe she’s really here. How incredibly lucky I am.
“Liz is fairly certain Norma Jean would be willing to take over operations there. She just started dating a new guy, and while the jury is out on him, she’s getting more serious about wanting to move out of her apartment and into a house.”
Char looks shocked. “Wow. I can’t believe it. This is really happening.”
Betty returns, depositing two plates of scrambled eggs, hash browns, and biscuits and gravy on our table. “Enjoy.”
The food looks amazing, but… “So, how long is Ellie going to be gone?”
“Oh, hush and enjoy your breakfast.” Char laughs.
We tuck into our food, holding hands across the table. “So, since we’re talking about the future, I thought I’d share something I’d been thinking about. You know, I’ve always wanted to start something for kids up here. Like a youth program, maybe.”
“Oh?” Char puts down her fork. “Is your biological clock ticking?”
“No,” I tease, poking her hand with my fork.
“I just want to create somewhere they can get excited about. Somewhere they feel they belong.” I take a bite of my food.
“I was blessed to be able to participate in any activity I wanted growing up. But all kids aren’t that fortunate.
I want to use the money my grandfather left me for good. ”
“That sounds incredible,” she says, her voice soft.
“Maybe one day we can do it together. Pay it forward a little.”
Char’s hand finds mine. “I’d like that. Might even be cathartic for me.”
“For both of us.”
Betty barely stops as she deposits two glasses of orange juice at our table, a small portion of each sloshing over the side onto the table.
“This town doesn’t know what it’s in for,” I grouse.
Char reaches for a napkin, dabbing the spilled juice.
“There’s something else I need to tell you.” I hesitate, hoping she’ll be okay with this. “My mom’s finally agreed to move up here.”
Her eyes widen, then soften into a grin. “Dave, that’s amazing.”
“Yeah, but it affects both of us,” I say, rubbing my neck. “I love my mom, but—”
“Are you kidding? Considering my mother figures are a foster mom in Candy Cane Key and an unhinged fairy godmother who might manage to piss off the whole town, having a real one here sounds amazing.”
“You sure, babe? We’ve only started living together. Now you’re going to have to welcome your boyfriend’s mom into the equation.”
“I love your mother. And I know how long you’ve wanted this. For a girl who would’ve given anything to have a mom like yours growing up, I’m not turning down the chance now.”
“God, I love you.”
“Keep that up, brown eyes,” Betty says, slapping the check down on the table. “You might just make it after all.” She winks.
“What the—”
“Oh, relax. She’s just looking out for me.”
This makes my tense shoulders relax. Because there’s no way I can fault anyone who wants the best for my girl.
The next few months pass in a soft rhythm of paint fumes and laughter.
By the time my mom’s scheduled to arrive, the guest room smells like fresh linen, and the kitchen is tricked out with everything we need for cooking Sunday dinners together.
I have to admit, having my mother here with Char when I’m working twenty-four-hour shifts at the firehouse makes me feel a sense of relief I hadn’t realized I needed.
I wake up early to make breakfast, my famous “grumpy snowman” pancakes. I tell her it’s tradition, but the truth is, I can barely keep my hands from shaking.
When Char walks in, her hair loose and her eyes still heavy with sleep, she stops mid-step. The pancakes on her plate aren’t snowmen at all. They’re hearts.
I watch as she tries to push the sleep from her eyes and focus.
Spelled out in chocolate chips on the two heart pancakes in front of her are two words that nearly undo her.
Marry Me?
For a heartbeat, she just stares. Then she gasps, tears spilling over as she rounds the counter, flinging herself into my arms.
“Yes, yes, yes!” she squeals into my chest.
I laugh, relief and joy twisting together until I can barely breathe. “Don’t you even want to see the ring?”
She leans back, eyes bright with happy tears. They’re the only ones I ever want to see shining there. “Ha! Sure. But it could be made of licorice for all I care.”
I slip the ring onto her finger anyway. The round solitaire glitters in the morning light, but not half as much as she does.
She looks down at it, then up at me, voice trembling. “I can’t believe you did this.”
“Well, I had a little help,” I murmur, brushing my thumb along her cheek.
“You did?”
“Yeah, between your bestie and your fairy godmother, I felt pretty comfortable I picked the right one.”
She laughs, wrapping her arms around my neck.
Char stares out at the big white flakes falling outside the glass windows onto the trees below.
“I guess I’ll get to look forward to a lot of years, living inside this snow globe with you.
” She shakes her head in awe at the picture-perfect sight. “Beautiful.”
Staring at my future wife, I answer, “Yes. Beautiful.”