Epilogue
The bell over the front door rings, and Millie barges in holding a teetering tower of boxes.
“Hey, neighbor!” Millie says. “I know you’re busy, but I come bearing gifts.”
“You know I’m never too busy for you or presents.” I slide the book I was filing into its spot and climb off the ladder to greet my friend and fellow business owner. “What’d you bring this time?”
“More of the same.” She sets the boxes on the ground and starts to flip them open. “More pillows for your reading chairs, a few embroidery hoops to hang on the wall, and…” She pauses for added effect before pulling something out of the box. “Your bookish quilt!”
If my house is maximalist chic, then the Ethereal Shelf is cozy calmness at its very best. Twinkle lights hang from the ceiling, and chestnut bookshelves and tables filled with books cover the intimate space.
Lush, cozy chairs are nuzzled in the back of the store for readers to sit and relax or for book clubs to laugh as they discuss their latest read.
I open next week, and now, with this quilt to hang on the wall over the reading nook, it feels more real than ever before.
“Oh my god.” I take it from her and spread it across the checkout counter. My eyes gloss over as I absorb the intricate details of the book spines on the quilted shelves. “I don’t care what you say—you’re going to have to let me pay you for this.”
She holds her hands in the air and takes a step away. “That’s sounds like a problem for you to solve,” she says. “This is a gift from knitting circle, and if you want to argue about it, you’re going to have to take that up with Miss Margaret and Esther.”
“It’s probably best you just say thank you then.
” Tate comes out of the stock room and Duke runs across the room to say hello to Millie.
“The last time you tried to go against those two, they made you feel so guilty that you ended up getting roped into making three pies and a cake for the elementary school bake sale.”
That did happen. I spent a week obsessively testing recipes until I had four that I thought would meet Esther and Miss Margaret’s standards.
They did and they sold out so fast that I am now on speed dial for every charity bake sale in town, which, considering how small Celestial is, is a surprisingly high number.
“You’re not wrong.” I look at the beautiful quilt one more time. I can only imagine how much time and energy went into creating such a masterpiece. “It just doesn’t feel right to take something like this and not pay them back somehow.”
Tate wraps his hand around mine and pulls me into his hard chest.
“What makes you think they want you to pay them back?” His onyx eyes are soft, and the smile that’s almost always on his face these days is gentle. “You’re one of us now, and in Celestial, we show up for one another. You being here, opening this store, is more than enough.”
“Remember when you were grumpy all the time, Tate?” Millie says as she rubs Duke’s belly. “I’m still not used to this lovey-dovey version of you.”
“You’ll get there one day,” he says to her, but looks to me. “I don’t plan on it changing anytime soon.”
Lucky for me, neither do I.
“Speaking of changing”—I remember the text I got from Ciara earlier—“your mom wants to know if we can go over for dinner tomorrow instead of tonight. I guess your dad is forcing Silas to ride up north for some kind of cow convention.”
Where things with Tate and Silas are better than ever, tensions between Silas and Calvin are higher than ever.
Things have gotten so intense that Pamela has started coming over to my house during the day to get away from them.
I’m still hoping things will change, but I’m taking Tate’s lead and sitting this one out.
“I don’t think cow conventions are a thing.” Tate’s smile widens just like I hoped it would. “But as long as you’re free, so am I. Unless you want to stay home and—”
“Lalalala!” Millie sticks her fingers in her ears and turns to leave. “You two are disgusting. I’ll be next door if you need me when this love fest ends.”
“Sucker,” Tate whispers as the bell above the front door rings again. “She makes it so easy.”
“So easy to what?” I ask.
He doesn’t answer…at least not with words.
He leans down, and when his full lips touch mine, the store filled with love stories disappears as my happily ever after sharpens into focus. And as I lose myself under his touch, I can’t help but think how lucky I am that this isn’t a perfect ending, but the most beautiful beginning.