Chapter 23
Melody all but forced me to take a long weekend for Viktor and Maggie’s wedding.
She shoved me out of my office when I arrived on Thursday morning, a stern look on her face.
“Your brother is getting married. Go! Have fun! You need a vacation anyway,” she said while slipping my purse strap onto my shoulder and steering me toward the employee entrance.
So here I am, on a Friday afternoon, strolling Main Street in Maple Ridge Hollow with Maggie and Lily. Floppy hat and dark sunglasses firmly in place to protect my skin from the midmorning sun.
I suppose it’s a good trial run for if—no, when I move away from the city full time.
A sigh sneaks out before I take a sip of my smoothie. Mmm, banana mango.
There’s just one hang-up slowing my inevitable move away from the hustle and bustle of the big city: every property I’ve looked at here has been a bust.
Poor Luc. He’s been in the local realtor’s office almost every week, asking if she has any new listings. No luck.
Annie showed me a few more places in the city, but my heart isn’t there anymore.
It’s here.
With my grumpy minotaur.
And after that weird letter from Annabelle last month, my suspicions were confirmed. Luc’s fallen just as hard as I have.
This is the real deal.
Blissful happiness.
Not wanting to spend a second apart.
Savoring slow mornings together and late nights tangled in the sheets.
Putting up with his fur clogging the shower drain.
Love.
My lips automatically tip up at the word.
For the first time in my life, I’m not terrified of spending forever with someone. On the contrary, I look forward to all the messy and chaotic moments that the future holds. In fact, I crave them.
There’s no going back now, and I want my life to be here.
“Last stop is the floral shop.” Maggie points to the other end of Main Street.
Lily walks between us, clutching my hand and licking an ice cream cone. The early April weather has shaped up beautifully for the wedding tomorrow. A pleasant sixty-five degrees and partly sunny.
I don’t think Maggie could have made a deal with a demon for a better forecast.
A large red For Sale sign in the window catches my eye as we pass the empty storefront.
My feet turn to cement. Lily stumbles at my sudden halt, fingers still wrapped in mine.
Her ice cream cone tips in her other hand. Drops of sticky, sugary pink roll over her fingers and puddle on the ground. Luckily, Maggie’s mom instincts kick in, and she grabs the cone before it falls to the cement.
Distracted by the vacant store, Lily’s hand slips from mine, and I step closer to the fingerprint-smudged glass. I remove my sunglasses as I say, “This wasn’t for sale last time I was here.”
“Oh, rumor in town is that the owner had to move for personal reasons. It was sort of sudden, I guess.” Maggie dabs her daughter’s face and hands with a napkin before returning the ice cream cone to her.
Like a siren’s call, the empty storefront draws my gaze again. Is this my sign? It’s in the center of Main Street, so there are lots of passersby, both on foot and by car.
And the view… I place my back against the glass, imagining I’m inside, and peer across the street.
My ears perk up to the water trickling from the beautiful fountain in the town’s central square.
Vibrant flowers in nearly every color of the rainbow fill the gardens around the fountain. Their fragrant aroma permeates the air.
The quaint small-town atmosphere… It’s perfect.
Spinning, the brim of my hat bends upward when I press my face to the cool glass, and a shiver rushes through me as I scope out the inside. A main reception area decorated in a minimal and modern style. A hallway in the middle leads to the back of the area. I wonder what’s down there.
Maggie sidles up next to me, taking a drink of her iced coffee. “It used to be a tanning salon, but I don’t think there was a lot of demand.” She shrugs.
So it already has individual rooms, which would be perfect for massages, facials, and any other private services.
Handyman Luc can knock down a few walls to create a station for mani/pedis and hair. Maybe I can bribe him into working in his tool belt and birthday suit. I chuckle at the nefarious idea.
“What are you looking at?” Rocking onto her tiptoes next to me, Lily smooshes her face to the glass and derails my dirty thought train.
“Plotting. Planning. All in a day’s work as a boss babe, Lily girl. Just ask your momma.” I smile over my shoulder at Maggie, who steps behind her daughter, stroking a hand over the little girl’s blonde curls.
One station each would be enough for a boutique. And I could paint the reception area a more calming color. Maybe sage green or lavender. Add a wall-length waterfall. Maybe transplant some of the greenery from Urban Oasis—
“Your wheels are spinning, aren’t they?”
Slipping my phone from my pocket, I snap a picture of the contact information posted in the window. “I’ve been playing with the idea of expanding Urban Oasis, but none of the properties I toured were right… until now.”
Maggie’s green eyes spring wide. She grins and claps her hands, excitement bursting from her in thick waves. “You mean, a location here? Are you moving in with Jean-Luc?”
“I haven’t brought it up yet. So, shush.” I press a finger to my lips and giggle. Sobering, I add, “But I hate long distance. I miss him the second we’re apart. The phone calls and texts… it’s not enough anymore.”
Maggie squeezes my shoulder, and I lean into her touch. I didn’t grow up with a sister, but we’ve become close since she started dating Viktor.
…Or whatever you call banging your nanny in secret.
Bending my knees to accommodate our extreme height difference, I wrap my arm around her shoulders in a side hug. “And then I could be close to you and Viktor.”
There’s a tug on my skirt. I tip my chin to find a beaming Lily. “And me!” she chirps.
“And you, Miss Lily.” I bop her nose with my finger.
Pulling out of my embrace, Maggie paces the sidewalk, her hand waving in the air as she speaks. “A lot of our bed-and-breakfast guests ask if we offer any sort of relaxation services. So I think you’d have some clients there. And my workers could use a massage or two during harvest season.”
There’s an email listed on the sale sign. No time like the present. Pulling up a new message, I draft an inquiry about the property and ask about meeting as soon as possible.
This is really happening.
My heart careens, but it’s not from nerves. Rather, excitement about what’s to come fills my veins.
The life I never dreamed of is right at my fingertips, and I’m not about to let it slip away.
I can’t wipe the wide smile off my face as we continue down the sidewalk. “So… are you ready for tomorrow?”
As we stroll to the florist, Maggie talks my ear off about the wedding. It’s going to be beautiful; I can feel it in my gut.
And, who knows? If things go according to my plan, there could be another wedding next spring.