Chapter 24
NEW YEAR’S EVE
Harper
The kitchen had been a blur of activity for the last few days.
When Kevin came to me with the idea of creating a New Year’s feast, I’d been hesitant at first. But only because of the short timeline.
Could I pull together impressive dishes in only a few days?
Even with Kevin’s talented help, it would be tough.
And if we could do it, could we sell the tickets to make it worthwhile?
It turned out that the answer to both questions was—yes.
I’d pushed myself harder than I had in a long time, coming up with just the right dishes that would be accessible to locals and tourists alike, but still impress. Kevin was an incredible help, and it turned out we made an amazing team.
Once word got out, every plate and every table was sold out within hours. And after long days and even longer nights, every customer walked away raving about the food and stuffed full.
For the first time, I didn’t feel like I was borrowing Grandma’s dream. I was building my own.
And it felt good.
Really good.
But with dinner service over, and our customers all heading out into the cold night to join in the New Year’s Eve celebrations in the plaza, my stomach was once more in knots.
I’d managed to focus on the feast and making sure every detail turned out perfectly, but that didn’t mean that thoughts of Grayson still didn’t sneak into the quiet moments.
And even the loud ones.
The truth was, thoughts of Grayson were never far away, and that wasn’t likely to change anytime soon. Which meant I needed to find him and talk to him, no matter what the outcome was.
I left Kevin and our part-time staff to handle the cleanup and stepped out into the bustle of the plaza.
Our fight, and his words, still hurt. Every time I closed my eyes, I could see the look on his face and how closed-off he was before hearing anything I had to say. If he didn’t want me, I knew it would sting. But I’d survive.
And the one thing I knew for sure: I couldn’t let another year roll over without saying exactly what I should have said years ago.
The plaza was alive with music and laughter. People were everywhere: gathered around the fire pits, surrounding the vendor stalls, or dancing in front of the stage to the live band. I had to admit, Trickle Creek really did know how to throw a party.
I scanned the crowd as best I could, standing on my tiptoes in an effort to see above the throngs of people. I spotted a handful of people I recognized, including Reid, Avery, Brody, and Lauren, gathered in front of Ethan’s beer booth. Grayson had to be around somewhere.
He’d been in charge of building the stage, and there was no doubt in my mind that Tilley had him doing all kinds of other things, too. He was always around, fixing something or helping in some way. Of course he’d be there. But every time I caught a glimpse of him, it turned out to be someone else.
I’d worked my way all the way to the edge of the stage, and there was still no sign of him.
“Harper!”
I turned to see Tilley bustling toward me, her clipboard clutched tight to her chest, and sparkly gold star earrings swinging.
“I’ve been looking for Grayson everywhere,” she said. “It’s almost midnight, and I need someone to make the announcements before the countdown.”
My heart twisted. “Sorry, Tilley. I’m looking for him, too.”
“Well, as soon as you—”
“No.” I stopped her, the words tumbling out before I could second-guess them. “Grayson’s done enough for you. I need him more than you tonight.”
The older woman’s brows shot up, surprise flicking across her face. Then, just as quickly, her expression softened and a smile curved her lips.
“Fine.” She shoved the clipboard toward me. “Then you can make the announcements.”
“Excuse me?” I backed away, shaking my head.
“You heard me.”
“No. I don’t do public speaking. And I need to—”
“You’ll be fine.” She gave me a gentle push toward the stage. “Besides, just like you said, he’s already done enough for me. It’s about time you helped out, too.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. “Besides, you’ll have a better view of the crowd from up there.”
It was annoying. But she wasn’t wrong.
Besides, it didn’t look like I had much choice.
Tilley was remarkably strong for a woman her age. With another shove, I stumbled halfway onto the stage, catching myself right before interrupting the band.
I glanced backward one more time, but Tilley simply gave me a thumbs-up and grinned.
A moment later, the band finished their song. A roar of appreciation went up from the crowd, and Tilley urged me on from the wings. “Go,” she said. “You don’t have much time.”
I blew out a breath, and with my hands shaking, I stepped out on stage, the lights momentarily blinding me. There were some shouts from the crowd, and I heard my name a few times, but I focused on the microphone that the band leader held out for me.
“Thank you,” I mouthed and gave the singer a nod before turning toward the crowd.
“Uh…hi,” I started, my voice sounding too thin over the speakers, echoing back at me.
A ripple of polite laughter moved through the crowd.
My eyes focused on the clipboard in front of me.
I worked hard to ignore the fact that everyone’s eyes were on me.
I preferred to be behind the scenes. I always had.
Public speaking had never come easily to me.
“Okay…so…um…I have a few things to say.” I blew out a breath that made a loud, obnoxious noise through the microphone.
I squeezed my eyes closed for a second, and when I reopened them, I had fresh determination.
“A big thank-you to the band,” I said, reading off Tilley’s list. “They have another set still, right after the New Year countdown, but before we get to that…don’t forget to visit our vendor booths.
” I waved in the direction of the booths.
“And of course, a big thank-you to all our volunteers who help make these events possible.”
There was another cheer from the crowd.
I stuttered through the rest of my bullet points, my throat dry and my nerves completely shredded. And then I glanced up—
Grayson.
He stood at the back of the crowd, his dark gaze locked on me like I was the only one there.
Something in me steadied.
My fingers loosened a little on the clipboard, and I let it fall to my side. The rest of the words I was supposed to say evaporated. What came out instead was the truth.
“In case you didn’t know…” My voice trembled. “I’m not leaving.”
The crowd erupted into more cheers and whistles, no doubt thinking it was part of the announcements. I swallowed hard and pressed on, my eyes never leaving Grayson.
“I came back to Trickle Creek for my grandma, but somewhere along the way, I realized that my being here was about more than just her. It was about me. This town…this place…” My throat tightened, but I forced the words out.
“It’s a part of me. It always has been. I know that now, more than ever. And you, Grayson Lyons…”
The plaza went still. The cheers faded into a stunned hush, but I only half noticed.
I drew in a shaky breath, my voice dropping lower, meant only for him despite the fact that I still held the microphone and the entire town could hear me clearly. “I love you. I never stopped.”
Grayson
“I love you. I never stopped.”
Her voice carried across the plaza, soft but sure, slicing straight through the buzz of the crowd and directly to my heart.
For a second, I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. All I could do was stand frozen in place for what felt like forever, but was probably only seconds.
Even from a distance, I could see her close her eyes for a moment and drop her head, like she wasn’t sure I’d come to her or turn away. Like maybe she was bracing herself for me to do what I’d done before: run.
But not this time.
Not again.
I’d let her go. More than once. Hell, I’d pushed her away. And now, she was on the stage, with the entire town watching, telling me what I’d been waiting years to hear.
Exactly what I should have told her years ago.
My legs finally obeyed, carrying me forward into the crowd that magically parted as I moved past. I vaguely noticed as neighbors and friends slapped me on the shoulder, wished me well and called words of encouragement as I moved across the plaza to my girl.
My girl.
Harper.
She always had been, and she always would be, my girl.
My love.
My life.
She’d stopped talking and simply held the microphone, her eyes locked on mine as I reached the edge of the small stage. I didn’t bother with the stairs. I hauled myself up onto the structure, breathless, with the entire town roaring their encouragement behind me.
“I’ve been looking for you all night,” I said, my voice raw and low, just for her, but carrying over the speakers anyway. I reached for her free hand, pulling her close.
“You found me.”
I certainly did. “You beat me to it.”
“To what?”
“You think you’re the only one with something to say tonight?”
Shouts of encouragement rang out from the crowd behind us. Harper tensed. I squeezed her hand to keep her focus on me, where it belonged, not on the crowd hanging on our every word. I remembered how she never liked to be the center of attention. Too late for that now.
“Harper Bennett,” I continued, “I love you.” Such simple words, but they meant everything. “In fact, I can’t remember a time in my life when you weren’t the first thing I think about in the morning, and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep. You have all the minutes in between, too.”
Her eyes softened and glistened with unshed tears.
“Losing you once almost destroyed me, and while I might be a slow learner sometimes, I’m not going to make that mistake again. I can’t. Because, no matter where in the world you are, or where you want to be, I want to be there with you. Forever.”