“What does this have to do with me?” She drew away as much as she could while still in his arms.
“Well, I bought this hole in the wall diner and I have no one to run it. It’s been closed down for a month and the townspeople are up in arms about it. Before I open it, I need to do a few repairs, hire a staff, make a new menu. Kind of revamp the place. Give it a fresh start.”
“You bought the Black Fly Diner?” To say she was shocked would be an understatement. “Why? You can’t even cook toast.”
“True, but I know someone who has a degree in culinary arts. In fact, she specializes in delicious home-cooked meals that appeal to the food connoisseur as well as the picky toddler.”
“Are you serious?” She covered her mouth with her hand and choked back another onslaught of tears. “Why would you do that?”
“Because I love you, and I want you to be with me. With us.” He brushed at the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Say you’ll come back. Take over the diner. Move in with me and Liv.”
She answered him with a kiss. One that didn’t end until Gina knocked on the door.
“Is it safe to enter? There isn’t a tie or anything hanging on the doorknob.” She stepped inside, her hand covering her eyes. “Tell me it’s safe.”
“It’s safe,” Owen said, still trailing kisses across her cheek.
“Looks like I won,” Gina said.
Owen kept one arm around Charlie’s waist and with his free hand, reached behind, pulling out his wallet. He took out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to Gina. “Best bet I ever lost.”
“What’s going on?” Charlie squinted in confusion at the two who’d obviously schemed up something.
“I bet your boyfriend here you’d say yes tonight. He thought it would take a few more tries to convince you.”
“You knew?” Gina grinned. “And you didn’t think I’d say yes? But you bought the diner over a month ago. What if I said no?” she asked Owen.
“You’re a stubborn one. I didn’t think I’d win you over so easily.” He stroked her hair and spoke softer. “I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way I did, but I was willing to fight for you. To do whatever I needed to win you over.”
“I love you. Like, crazy amounts of love. So much love I don’t know if you’ll be able to handle me.”
“I think I handle you pretty well.” He tugged her closer into his embrace.
“This was an easy win. I should have bet a hundred.” Gina chuckled and went into the kitchen.
The tiny apartment didn’t provide any space for privacy.
“Now what? Are you driving back tonight? It’s late.”
“Plan A was, after getting my twenty from Gina, to drive home in misery. Plan B was to rent a hotel room and bring you back with me.”
“Plan B sounds like a winner to me. I’ll even chip in the twenty you lost. Let me pack a bag really quick.” She stepped away and he held onto her wrist snagging her back.
“You don’t need clothes for what I have planned.”
“Oh. I like the sound of that.”
“Me too, beautiful.” He kissed her again. “Me too.”
EPILOGUE
Owen loved laying like this with Charlie on the couch, snuggled together with the lights from the Christmas tree twinkling in the background.
“Thank you for the most amazing Christmas ever,” she sighed into his neck.
“I couldn’t imagine today without you.” He kissed her temple and stroked his hand down her arm.
“I wish Gina had someone to share the day with.”
“What do you mean? She seemed to have a great time with Drew’s niece and nephew, and with Liv.”
“You know how you complained about Olivia having too many adult friends and not enough friends her age? Well, Gina’s in the same boat.”
“She has you and Brooke, and now Drew and me. From what I’ve gathered, she and Skylar talk a lot.”
“I guess what I mean is, I wish she had what Brooke and I have. It’s not fair we found love first. Gina’s the one who always wanted to settle down and have a family.” Charlie hoisted herself on an elbow and ran her finger across his lips.
He’d never tire of having her in his arms. Owen nipped at her finger and wrapped his arm tighter around her waist. “Love comes when we’re not looking. You and I are proof of that.”
“Brooke and I were talking tonight.” She bit lower lip and lifted a brow. There was something percolating in that beautiful brain of hers. “Any chance there’s a cute guy or two at the gym you think might be a good fit for her?”
A chuckle rolled through his body. “No offense, sweetheart, but you and Brooke have terrible track records when it comes to matchmaking.”
“You don’t.”
“I don’t matchmake.”
“You knew Gina wasn’t the right one for you, and Drew knew I wasn’t right for him. The way I see it, if you and Drew find Gina a guy, he’s gotta be perfect. Right?” She snuggled in closer and dropped a kiss to his lips.
“I don’t usually check out guys when I’m at the gym.”
“I worry about her.” Charlie sighed and nestled her head in the crook of his neck again.
“You’re a good friend. A good sister. When she’s ready to settle down, the right one will come around.”
“You’ll help me set her up on a blind date if you think of anyone, right?”
“Sure.” He kissed the top of her head.
Now that his life had some semblance of a schedule, he’d found time to drop by the gym a couple days a week before work. It had been amazing how much stress left his shoulders knowing Charlie was there to get Liv on the bus in the morning and was at home waiting for Liv when she got off in the afternoon.
She’d adjusted the diner hours to accommodate Liv’s and his schedule and had helped turn his house into a home. From the fat spruce tree strung with what had to be a million lights in his living room to the snowmen and Santa Clause decorations she’d scattered throughout the downstairs, this year Christmas truly felt special.
“I wish Olivia still believed in Santa, that’s part of the fun of the holidays.”
“First Gina, now Olivia. What’s with the sadness tonight?”
He couldn’t remember how old he was when Roger told him there was no Santa. Young. Liv was barely out of diapers when their mom ruined it for her by not filling her stocking or having any presents from Santa. Had Owen known she was going to ruin Christmas he would’ve had Liv spend the night at his place.
Those days were over, thankfully. No more looking back at any of them. The past two months were hectic and crazy but coming home to his two girls at night made it all worthwhile.
“I’m not sad. Not sad at all. I’m over the moon happy and only want everyone else to be as content and in love as I am.”
This was one of the million reasons why he loved Charlie so much. She didn’t use her parents’ abandonment or her brother’s death as an excuse for a permanent reason to be negative. He may have provided her with a job and a roof over her head, but they were nothing fancy. A rundown diner barely making money, and a home in need of repairs in every room but Liv’s. It shocked the hell out of him to learn she came from money.
Charlie was grateful for the simple things in life. He had so much to learn from her. She’d taken her job as the new diner owner with pride and opened it back up in early November keeping to the original menu and recipes but adding her own flair in the weekly specials. Business picked up again and she’d even hired two single moms since June could only work part time and Al wasn’t ready to come back yet.
They’d made a plan to close after the snow-bunnies left and work on renovations in March and April, with the hopes of a grand opening in late spring. In the meantime, Charlie worked her butt off around the house sanding down the trim around the doors and windows, priming and repainting the house. Already it was more welcoming.
He’d wait to do the floors until the spring when he could open up the
windows to air out the dust and smell from the stains.
The kitchen took longer than he hoped, but Charlie hadn’t complained once. Making the cabinets himself was a huge undertaking, but they both agreed it would be worth it in the long run. He had the bottom cabinets done and they’d picked out granite countertops. The walls were bare and ugly without the top cabinets done, but by summer they house would be halfway decent.
Their plans for the upstairs bedrooms would have to wait. In the meantime, they were fine with Olivia having the master bedroom. Sharing a full-size bed in a tiny bedroom worked perfectly fine for them. Eventually, they’d want more space, but for now, it was perfect.
The lights she’d insisted they hang outside, the fat Christmas tree, the garland draped over the railings, Charlie by his side. It was all perfect.
“Someday we’ll get to play the Santa role.” He threaded his fingers through hers and lifted their joined hands. Her left hand was still bare. It was too soon to put a ring on her finger but they’d both hinted at the long term. Marriage. A family.
“I love that you still fill Olivia’s stocking and had presents from Santa.”
“Hey, just because she doesn’t believe in the magic doesn’t mean I’m going to admit it’s not true.”
“Oh, but the magic of Christmas is true. You made today, this whole season, one I’ll remember for my entire life.” She propped herself up on her elbow and stared down into his face, her hair cascading across his chest. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”
“A thousand sunsets, and all of your dreams, beautiful. It holds all of them.”
“Mmm.” She snuggled back into his arms. “I’m holding them right here.”
THE END
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And here’s a snippet from At First Blush, the first book in Marianne’s Well Paired series.
CHAPTER ONE
Alexis Le Blanc’s temper was as red as the blood that covered her hands.
“You can’t be serious, Dad. Coastal Vines has been in our family for three generations. Do you really want to be the one to ruin its reputation? All the work Grumpy put into the vineyard?” Alexis blotted the blood from Hemsworth’s giant paw, inspecting his gash. It didn’t look too deep. Her giant Bernese Mountain dog got up on all fours and shook out his thick coat, hair flying every which way of the tasting room floor. He’d always been a tough dog.
Her mother furrowed her brow at Hemmy—or possibly her—and handed Alexis a dry towel. “You’re being a tad dramatic, Alexis. Your father and I have done a great deal of research and aren’t going into this blind. If we want to keep up with our competitors, it’s time for a change.”
“Doesn’t tradition mean anything to you?” Alexis rubbed Hemmy’s fur and gave him a body hug. When he hobbled over and curled up on his dog bed in the corner of the room, she figured he was no worse for wear. It wasn’t the first time he’d walked through the thorny raspberry bushes. Alexis stood, tossing the soiled rags in the trash.
She paced the tasting room, the wide-planked floorboards creaking under her heavy boots as she stomped around in a fury. “If we expand Coastal Vines, we’ll need to hire more staff. You’ve heard the horror stories from the other wineries in the area. Good help is hard to find. And if we expand, we won’t be rural any more, which is what makes us who we are.”
“Honey.” Shane Le Blanc’s French-Canadian accent came out when he was angry or tired. She hoped for the latter as being on the receiving end of a Le Blanc’s temper was not a pretty sight. “We would never make any decisions we didn’t think were best for you girls, or for the winery.”
Alexis rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. “Really? And you think Grace strolling through Europe for the past six years is best for her? She needs to come home and help out around the fields. Or at least in production. She can stick labels on bottles, can’t she? Or didn’t her fancy liberal arts degree in Paris teach her that?”
“Alexis Marie,” her mother scolded, making Alexis feel like a teenager again. When Claudia used their middle names, the girls knew it was time to find another tactic, or to shut up.
Other than parental genes, the sisters had nothing in common. Knowing Grace, she’d put her parents up to the hare-brained idea of expanding the winery into a local circus instead of keeping it quaint and welcoming. They didn’t need to turn their family-run business into something commercial to earn more money.
There would always be something bigger, better, and more advanced out there. It’s what drove the weak away. Friends. Sisters. Potential boyfriends. Only the strong stayed in Crystal Cove and made a life for themselves. The devoted stayed loyal to their roots.
Alexis enjoyed meeting the tourists during summer and fall months; they brought in a lot of the family’s income, and being just north of Rockland, Maine, summer was the winery’s busiest time of year. Most visitors were friendly enough, but every now and then they’d get a group of rowdies looking for a free tasting. It was part of the business, offering free samples and not banking in on the sales.
The story of her life. Fine for a temporary thrill, but not good enough for the long haul. People who were caught up in the newest, hottest, trendiest wine—or woman or fashion or whatever—weren’t of quality. They weren’t worth the investment. If people couldn’t appreciate their quaint winery—that focused on quality over quantity—they weren’t worth her time. Or the winery’s.
Alexis wasn’t girly enough for the men. Coastal Vines wasn’t cool enough for her sister. And now her parents were saying their wine wasn’t good enough to make a living?
Taking another minute to cool her temper, she squatted by Hemmy’s bed and rubbed behind his ears. He was the only loyal one in her life. The only one who wasn’t fazed by the shiny gold dollar. Hemmy licked her hand and rolled to his side, an obvious invitation for her to rub his belly.
If only everyone could live so simply. Could be pleased so easily.
After her great grandfather retired from his job as a superintendent of the local schools, he went on his first vacation to Europe. He fell in love with the wineries in Italy and France and invested in fifty cold climate vines and planted them, never dreaming his hobby would be a future career for his son.
Grumpy believed his life experiences were reflected in his winemaking style. He didn’t give a care about anyone else’s opinion, which had earned him the nickname Grumpy. He was dedicated to his father’s hobby, and loved and nurtured the vines, turning the grapes into a semi-profitable business.
It was no secret Alexis had been his favorite grandchild, following him around the fields like a puppy since she started walking at ten months. They did everything together. Peas and carrots. Bacon and eggs. Peanut butter and jelly. His death had been hard on her.
Grumpy had scoffed at those who succumbed to the spawn of Satan...technology. It wasn’t until he passed away that Coastal Vines put up a website. Alexis was only a junior in high school, and she remembered not talking to her parents or Grace for weeks. They’d disgraced Grumpy the second he was buried, turning to the Internet.
It was also no secret that her father resented taking over the winery when Grumpy died. Shane had hoped to sell and start a new career—carpentry, woodworking—he liked to have his hands on wood. But Alexis put up a stink and promised to work her tail off, even offering to quit playing high school sports so she’d have more time to devote to the winery.
Her parents supported h
er and let her be part of most of the decision-making involving Coastal Vines. It was the ultimate sacrifice from her father who put his desire to be a woodworker aside to support Alexis and her dream of eventually taking over the winery.
Which was why their hiring outside help without talking to her first made absolutely no sense.
Alexis gave Hemmy one last pat and counted to ten, giving herself more time to ease off the attitude. This was about the winery. It wasn’t anything personal. But it sure the heck felt like it.
The promise of the upcoming January freeze meant more time for inside production, bottling, rotating the oak barrels, checking the stainless-steel drums, and bottling last year’s crop. It was not a time to start renovations. More customers would be good, but she had a feeling what her parents were thinking of would change the integrity of Coastal Vines. Alexis pulled off her winter hat and slapped it on the hickory counter where they doled out samples of wine in the warmer months.
“Okay. Show me the business plan. What are you thinking?” She’d take a look, explain why it was wrong for their winery, and then go back to business as usual.
“When your mother and I visited Napa Valley in November we met a wonderful family who runs a successful vineyard.”
“Dad. We’re not Napa. We’re Maine. Our grapes and wine are different, our growing season is totally not the same, and we barely qualify as a vineyard. Three acres of vines is nothing compared to the hundreds they have out west.”
“We know that, honey. After Napa, we stopped in the Finger Lakes area in New York. Their weather is more similar to ours.”
“I know this already. You made me go through the five thousand pictures you and Mom took on your vacation.”
“Don’t interrupt your father, Alexis.”
Alexis slumped on the rustic wooden barstool her father built years ago from old maple trees and puffed out an aggressive sigh. “Sorry, Dad. Please continue your idea on how to turn Coastal Vines into a five-star vineyard that will attract millions of tourists every year and ruin the integrity of our family-run winery.” Why couldn’t they leave everything as is?
A Thousand Sunsets (Band of Sisters) Page 24