Page 113 of The Light We Lost

I’d assumed as much from what she’d said to Heath when she arrived. What I didn’t understand was why. “You used your half of the money Dad left?” She nodded, and my throat swelled. “Please tell me you didn’t buy it for me—”

“I bought it for us.” The determination in her voice was enough to close my mouth. She slipped her wrists out of my hold and wrapped her hands with mine,bringing them to our sides. “I know I promised I’d use it for me . . . but honestly, all I could think of doing with it was putting it in savings or toward my student loans.” That didn’t shock me. Indy had never cared about money—even when I’d told her I’d split the money with her, she hadn’t seemed overly enticed. “Yeah, it would’ve been the smart thing to do, but I don’t want to play it safe. I want to take risks. In a way, it feels like your dad left this money for us . . . and I’d rather do something together.”

My chest tightened, gratitude pulsing through me. She was the most considerate person I knew, and I was so grateful Dad had stolen our divorce papers and saved me from myself. Without him, I wouldn’t have fought my way back to Indy. She was the type of love you fought for.

I pressed my lips to the top of her head, breathing her in. “I’m in. Let’s do it.”

“Yeah?” She smiled wide, beaming. “I don’t have any set plans yet. I was thinking we could keep it similar to how it is now, but instead of a bar we could turn it into a soda shop or something. We could get a few more pool tables. And of course there’d be dancing. Hell, maybe we could do karaoke nights.” Fingers holding mine, she led us away from the counter and glanced around the empty bar room, as though she was envisioning what could take place. “But then I sort of like the idea of starting something completely new—like a flower shop. It would be a lot of work, but I think it would make me happy. And you could sell your carvings here too. Maybe we could host gardening or woodworking classes?” she said, seeming to think through her thoughts aloud. “Or we could get really wacky and teach yoga here. Minus the goats.”

Chuckling, I tipped my chin in agreement to whatever she ultimately decided. I’d do anything she wanted. If she asked me to move across the country tomorrow, I’d make it happen. I didn’t care where we were or what we were doing if it was with her. I was so grateful to see her dreaming again, to see her imaging a life she wanted tolive. But for the time being, living in Wallowpine and running Dad’s shop while planning the rest of our lives together sounded pretty good.

I could already see the dreams taking form in those warm brown eyes. I couldn’t wait to hear what she had planned for us. What she wanted to transform the bar into. But first things first.

My lips twitched. “I’d need something in return though.”

“I already agreed to getting another cat.”

I laughed and leaned down, pressing my forehead to hers. “You owe me a dance, Indy.”

Heat crawled up her neck, her lips parting. I couldn’t help but think of our time in New York, when I’d begged for one last dance. I’d been frantic, desperate. And she’d been determined to not give in. But all of that fear and hesitation between us was gone, replaced with a calm confidence.

With a coy look in her eye, Indy hopped on the counter and connected her phone to the speakers. She climbed off the bar counter and stood before me, the sound of a guitar beginning to play through the building. I curled my hand around her hip, pulling her against me. She raised our joined hands to our side, placing her other atop my shoulder. I brushed my lips across her temple and whispered, “I love you.”

She smiled, and as “Hardwood Floors” by Charles Wesley Godwin played on the speakers, we stepped into the song. Her eyes on me, we moved across the floor in a two-step, finding our rhythm again. Quick, quick. Slow, slow. We stepped together, again and again. The song sped up, and as Indy’s smile grew, I could sense she was wanting more. Pulling her in, I spun her toward me, her back brushing my chest. I dropped my hand from her hip, and pride pulsed through me as her hand automatically found mine. Still moving, I guided her to walk beside me before I dropped one hand and spun her out, holding the other. Her hand was behind her back, finding mine as I turned toward her and rotated her around my back.

I spun her again and again, and each time, we’d find our way together, our hold never breaking. Following the beat, I swung her body away from mine before bringing her back in. Hooking my arm around her waist, I leaned forward, smiling to myself at the ease in her frame as I lifted her and dipped her over my thigh. She kicked her legs up, one curled in and the other extended to the sky.Her hair was wild, pooling against the floor as I held her there before pulling her up and setting her feet on the floor. Her body was pliant and easy in my hands, moving exactly where I led her. Her cheeks were flushed, her smile wide, and there was so much damn life in her eyes, it was obvious who was leading who.

And I’d follow her anywhere.

Epilogue

Indy—Six months later

Ithrummed my fingers against the front counter, eyeing Patty as she strolled down the aisle. She grabbed a bundle of carnations, and I perked up, only to deflate when she set them back down. She did this several times, as though none of the bouquets and potted plants were up to par. Biting my lip, I glanced at the clock on the register. I didn’t have time for this.

Just when I was ready to tell Patty that, she was in front of the counter. She scooted a vase of yellow roses across it, and I gave her a tight smile as I rang her up. “You know,” Patty started, eyeing the white cat, Ollie, sprawled across the counter. “If I were a new business owner, I’d be grateful for every customer. I wouldn’t run them out the door.”

My eye twitched. “I wasn’t trying to run you out the door.” I waved a hand toward the sign on the front window, reminding everyone I’d be closing a few hours early today. “But I closed twenty minutes ago.”

She pushed her wide-framed glasses up her nose. “Do you have somewhere to be or something?”

I sputtered a laugh. “Yes. And based on the RSVP you sent me, I’m assuming you do too.”

She sighed and grabbed the roses off the counter, making her way to the front door. “I hope whatever you have going on was worth losing a customer.” I shookmy head, smiling as Patty opened the door and stepped outside. She was so full of it. Since I’d opened Everything Under The Sun a month ago, Patty had proven to be one of my loyal customers. But she still loved to be a thorn in my side.

I walked to the front door and locked it, then let my gaze sweep over the flower shop. It was bright and open. The walls were white shiplap, and a mason jar chandelier hung in the center of the room. There were two aisles, a mixture of flowers and plants, and in the far corner was a glass fridge, displaying flower arrangements I’d made. Save for the wood flooring, there was no sign of the bar once here.

I’d spent many mornings and nights here, working hard to transform the bar into a flower shop. I’d bleached every inch in hopes of washing away the stench of beer, and I’d never forget the look on Brooks’s face when he’d walked in on Shay and me taking a sledgehammer to the bar counter. Thankfully, I wasfriendlywith a local woodworker, and he’d built me a new counter. He hadn’t even complained when I’d asked for floating shelves, as well as the large U-shaped table I’d envisioned for the former game room, now turned classroom.

When I’d bought Ye Olde Trusty Tavern, I didn’t know what to do with it. I was overwhelmed by the possibilities, and I struggled to commit. I’d been the same way growing up. I wanted to try it all. I loved flowers and the idea of bringing more color to Wallowpine, so I’d decided on a flower shop, but I didn’t want to limit myself to one thing.

I crossed the shop and stepped into the classroom, making sure I’d cleaned up from my previous class. Because I loved trying new things, I’d committed to hosting a class once a month at Everything Under The Sun, a chance for anyone to attend and learn a new hobby. I already had requests for a sourdough class, and a vendor was coming down next month for us to make charm bracelets. Since it was the beginning of spring, we’d painted flowerpots today. Thirty people had shown up, and I’d had so much fun, I would’ve let the class go on longer if I didn’t have something alittlemore exciting happening this evening.

Aware I was on a time crunch, and that the sound of bickering coming from my office was growing, I hurried to finish closing up. After switching off thelights, I scooped Ollie off the counter, and he let out a little meow as I carried him into my office.

Mom and Auburn were gathered around the table, arranging baby’s breath into vases, and Shay sat on the floor, cutting ribbon. “I told you we should’ve finished the centerpieces last night,” Mom muttered, and my sister rolled her eyes. “There’s no way we’re going to be ready in time.”

“I don’t know why you’re getting fussy with me.” Auburn flicked one of the rollers in Mom’s hair, and I smiled at the sight of four gowns hanging safely against the wall, trunks of makeup and hair tools on the floor. I guess to save time, Mom had decided we were getting ready here. “I’m not the one who insisted she had to work on her wedding day.”

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