Page 87 of Tattered and Torn

John smiles at the little boy. “No, buddy. It doesn’t hurt. Not anymore.”

When John makes eye contact with me, we both smile. We haven’t had a conversation about kids yet, so I don’t even know if he wants them. I do.

“You’d make a great dad,” I tell him.

He grins. “You think so?”

“I know so.” I wonder if he’s ever given it much thought. The look on his face, though, makes me think he’d be open to the idea.

Beth comes to give me a hug. She looks stunning in a pale blue linen dress, her long blonde hair pulled up into a loose top knot. I peer down into the stroller at a sleeping Ava. Her little tuffs of soft brown hair are starting to fill in. “She’s got more hair now.”

Beth nods. “She’s growing like a weed.”

Shane joins us, and immediately Luke reaches for his daddy.

It’s five now, and the party is officially underway. A small crowd of guests starts lining up at the podium. Jackie and Steve, our new hosts, start seating people. One of the new servers is organizing platters on the buffet table.

When I spot our parents in line, I pull them aside and seat them at a table for four. Our parents met yesterday, and they seem to have hit it off.

Garrett Burke looks so much like his son. They’re the same height and have the same dark brown hair and dark eyes. John’s mom, Brenda, is a wiry little thing with blonde hair and blue eyes. She seems to possess boundless energy. She’s already invited me to come visit their horse ranch.

My parents have both taken to John.

“Good evening, Dr. Hunter,” John says as he shakes my father’s hand.

“Call me Rick, please,” my dad says to him. “There’s no need for us to stand on formality.”

As he’s greeting my mom, a server comes to the table to take their orders.

“We’ll let you get on with your dinner,” I say, and we leave to mingle with the guests.

Sheriff Nelson comes in dressed in casual clothes. It looks like he’s off duty for a change.

“Hey, guys,” Chris says as he greets us. He shakes hands with John. “Congratulations, you two. You make a great couple. I’m very happy for you.”

“Thanks, Chris,” John says.

I’m glad there’s no bad blood between them.

The dining room fills quickly. John sits with our parents while I go into the kitchen to help with the preparations. Both of our new cooks are working tonight, as well as Nelle and Betty. We have someone doing food prep now, as well as someone to wash the dishes. I mostly supervise and pitch in where I can.

When I leave the kitchen, I make my rounds through the dining room, greeting lodge guests and townsfolk. When I arrive at Shane and Beth’s table, Beth smiles up at me with tears in her eyes.

“I’m so happy for you,” Beth says. “The restaurant is fantastic. I know Hannah and Killian are thrilled with it. They can’t stop singing your praises.” Then she nods in John’s direction. “I like him a lot, too.”

My cheeks grow warm. “So do I.”

“So, things are going well between you?”

I nod. “I don’t want to jinx it, but I think he’s the one.”

“Maybe the next time we come out here will be for a wedding,” Shane says as he cuts up Luke’s food.

For the rest of the evening, I mingle with guests, checking to make sure everyone’s enjoying their meals. I refill water glasses and coffee cups. I monitor everything to ensure the restaurant is running smoothly.

Hannah comes up and puts her arm around my waist. “You did it. This restaurant is everything Killian and I hoped for. We can’t thank you enough, Gabrielle.”

“I can’t thank you enough,” I say. “You gave me the opportunity I’d been dreaming of.” John smiles at me when he catches my eye from across the room. “And, you introduced me to the love of my life. I can never repay you for that.”

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