“The new owners?” Rick asked. The kitchen door opened, and Rick gasped as Carla and Molly stepped out of the kitchen.
“Hey, Rick.” Carla giggled and walked past him to an empty table, where she pulled out her phone.
Molly stepped forward and greeted Rick with a kiss on the cheek. “Surprise.”
“Did you really buy this place?” he asked in disbelief as he attempted to swallow his heart in his throat.
“We still need to sign papers, but Carla is behind it and is going to make some phone calls to get things moving along.”
Feeling his knees weaken, Rick placed a hand on the counter to steady himself. This was why she discouraged him from visiting the city? She was here. In Lemon Grove. “What does this mean?” he asked.
“What do you think it means? I think it's pretty clear.” Molly smiled and held his hand. “I want to buy the café and live here, in Lemon Grove.”
“You're moving here?”
“Unless you don't want me to.”
“I want you to,” he said with an eagerness that carried to any listening ears. He didn’t even care. “That’s all I ever wanted.”
“This must be the young lady I've heard about.” Robert's smile disappeared. Having overheard their exchange, Rick knew Robert could guess what he was about to say.
“Yes. This is Molly, and I think I won't be looking to make additional changes after all.”
“Moments ago, you said you were considering making additional changes,” Robert said, glancing at his realtor, who nodded his head. “That might as well be a verbal agreement.”
“We didn’t discuss anything,” Rick said, with a smile. “Besides, I believe I have found myself a better deal.”
Rick led Molly out of the café to their picnic table, where Hudson gradually rose to his feet to greet them with loud whines. The dog nudged Molly’s hand and beat his tail against the ground as she scratched his back.
“It's good to see you, too, Hudson. Have you been a good boy?”
“I think he's missed you. I've found him at your empty site many times this week.”
Molly knelt beside Hudson and rubbed behind his ears as Hudson licked her cheek. “I get kisses? I'm a lucky girl.” She rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around Rick's waist. “I know I could have told you we were coming to look at the café, but I didn't want to get you excited about it if Carla didn't like it.”
“But she does like it?”
“She loves it and she loves Patsy. Rick, I am so excited that I'm here, I can barely contain myself.”
“Then that makes two of us. I was a little worried when you didn't want me to come see you today.” He squeezed her tight. “Now I understand why, and I couldn't be happier.”
She eyed him with a mischievous grin. “You mean, it wouldn't make you even happier if I moved here?”
“I am happy just imagining it. I can't wait for the day you call Lemon Grove your home.”
Molly’s smile broadened and she leaned closer. “I've felt like it was from the day I arrived.”
Rick ran his hand against her cheek and held her close as he kissed her lips. He couldn't wait for their lives to begin in Lemon Grove. His heart had found the perfect house, the perfect canine companion, and now the perfect woman for him. At last, he was complete.
Epilogue
Molly loved her new home only a few steps from the café. It was much more spacious than her city apartment, and she preferred the view of the trees surrounding the town to her view of the city skyline. She had a backyard with a small vegetable garden, and she decorated the front yard with flower beds. The first few weeks she had spent injecting her personality into the space by painting room after room. Rick came by to do some minor repairs, showing off his skills.
Since Molly had moved to town, Hudson no longer hung out at the campground. Instead, he had found a new path, walking from Rick’s cabin to Molly's home. If she wasn’t there when he arrived, he would carry on to the café, where he would wait by the picnic table for Molly to check on him and give him a treat. Rick would arrive at lunch and they would visit together. Hudson had grown accustomed to the routine, and Molly relaxed, knowing Hudson slept nearby instead of wandering alone in the campground. Rick also appreciated the new routine, not having to drive to pick up Hudson every morning. Hudson seemed content, especially when presented with a daily treat at the café.
The businesses were doing well with steady customers in Lemon Grove and in the city. Thankfully, the local business had not lagged with the change of ownership, when they realized that Molly had no plans to change the menu or the atmosphere. The slower pace of the café and the company that Patsy provided thrilled Molly. Even though Patsy had passed on the ownership of the business, she continued to work there as an employee, sharing her knowledge and recipes while engaging with the customers she grew to love over the years. The two had become close in the months Molly had lived in Lemon Grove, with Molly spending many afternoons playing board games and piecing together puzzles with Patsy in her kitchen.
Carla walked through the door of the café, making Molly squeal at the sight of her friend.
“You didn't tell me you were coming,” Molly said, giving her friend a hug.
“I don't have to tell you everything. Besides, I wanted to surprise you.”
“I'm definitely surprised.”
The moment was disrupted when Patsy called Molly to join her at a freshly wiped table in front of the window. She pointed outside and smiled. “I think there is a customer who wants to talk to you.”
Molly followed Patsy’s gaze and spotted Rick standing outside with Hudson. Molly waved and untied her apron, handing it to Patsy.
“I’ll be right back,” she said. Molly rushed outside to the handsome man waiting for her. She would never grow tired of his daily visits.
Rick exhaled and held out his hand to stop her before she threw herself into his arms, as usual. “There you are. I was wondering when you'd come out.”
She looked at him quizzically. “Were you waiting long?”
“I've been waiting forever.” Molly noticed Rick's hand shaking faintly and she gasped as he dropped to one knee. “Molly, since the day we first met, I realized you were the one. Even Hudson knew.” The dog tilted his head and Molly held a hand to her lips. “Will you make me the happiest man in Lemon Grove? Will you marry me?”
Molly's thoughts swirled. Her mind flashed through the months before, having met Rick and how she had happily uprooted her life to be with him. Now, she was the owner of a café in a small town, and a growing business. Her life had only been better with Rick and Hudson in it. Molly looked at the window, where Carla and Patsy hugged each other and wiped tears from their eyes in anticipation of Molly's answer.
She stared deeply into Rick's eyes, and her heart soared. There was no doubt in her mind -- this was the man she would spend the rest of her life with. “Yes,” she said. “I will.”
Rick pulled a small box from his pocket and lifted the lid to reveal a three-stone diamonds set in a white gold band. He held her hand and gently slid the ring onto her finger. Rising, he pulled her against him, allowing her joy-filled tears to dampen his shoulder.
“I love you, Molly,” he whispered. “I can’t wait for you to become my wife.”
He lifted her chin and wrapped his arms around her waist as he pressed his lips to hers. Molly’s heart raced and thumped as Hudson’s tail beat against the ground beside them. A little plume of dust rose behind him, and a gentle breeze caught it as the bright sky smiled down from above.
Leave a Review
Reviews go a long way to help authors. They help other readers find books they may want to read.
Help spread the word about this book by leaving an online review and by telling your friends.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to bringing you more great stories in the near future.
About the Author
HEATHER PINE grew up on the West Coast of Canada, surr
ounded by mountains, lakes, and forests. She enjoys reading books as much as she enjoys writing them. Her fondest childhood memory is reading the family tent during a thunderstorm.
www.heatherpine.com
Mountain Getaway Page 25