Charlie scowled and walked over to them. “I will keep an eye on you, Matthew. You keep messing with my emotions.”
“Your emotions?”
“Yes, one day you are bad, then you are good, then bad, and then I just don’t know. I like to live in a peaceful town, not one with a roller coaster called Matt Law.”
Steph laughed at Charlie’s description. “I think that the roller coaster’s just a part of life, Charlie. And we all owe Matt an apology. I got it wrong about Heat Wave. We’re just looking over plans for the new wellness retreat that the three of us are going to work on together.”
Charlie smiled. “That is excellent news. Will you offer silent meditation retreats?”
“I imagine we’ll offer all sorts of services, Charlie.”
“Will you still call it Heat Wave?” Asha asked, joining the group.
“Steph’s Place has a nice ring to it,” Matt said.
Steph shook her head. She looked from Buster to Matt. “I have the perfect name. It’s one that means a lot to both of you. How would you feel about simply calling the retreat Holly’s?”
Buster’s eyes filled with tears. “Really? I’d love that. But why would that mean anything to Matt?”
All eyes turned to Matt, whose eyes had also filled. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “Because Holly was my mom’s name, too.”
15
Steph stopped in the entrance to the function hall, awed by the extravagant display in front of her. A smile played on her lips as Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” burst from the speakers. There would be no doubt in anyone’s mind of what they were celebrating tonight. Jenna’s engagement party appeared to be every bit as extravagant as she’d promised. Her eyes flitted to the enormous floral centerpieces on the exquisitely dressed tables. The white tablecloths and silver ribbons adorning the backs of the chairs with their giant bows screamed wedding. Steph’s eyes traveled to the ceiling, which was a sea of silver balloons. She had to hand it to Jenna, it was extravagant but tasteful.
It was amazing for Steph to realize how different she felt compared to only a few weeks ago. She had energy she hadn’t experienced since before the accident. Energy brought back to her through love and plenty of sleep. In the last month, she’d only woken a handful of times in the middle of the night. Holly still appeared in her dreams, but she was smiling and happy, not scared and asking for help. It seemed Steph’s subconscious was rewriting the dream, while Buster was rewriting her fear of being in a car. Each weekend they’d driven somewhere, a little farther each time. She found her fear lessening with each trip and hadn’t dreaded the long drive to the city for the party, as she would have only a month earlier. According to Buster, she’d be driving herself by the time Holly’s officially opened.
“Steph, Buster!” Jenna appeared in front of them dressed in a white lace maxi dress with a plummeting neckline and a split up one leg. Her usually straight honey-gold hair had been styled with loose waves, which gave it more volume and a beautiful soft look.
Steph immediately leaned forward to hug the bride to be. “You look amazing.”
“You do too!” Jenna pulled out of the hug and looked Steph’s midnight-blue cocktail dress up and down. Her eyes returned to Steph’s face and she grinned. “You’re also glowing. I assume this gorgeous man has something to do with that?”
Buster wrapped an arm around Steph. “She was glowing long before I met her; radiating health and beauty. I’m just hoping it’s going to rub off on me. Congratulations, by the way.” He leaned forward to kiss her cheek. “And where’s this fiancé of yours?”
Jenna grinned and pointed across the room to where Brad was talking to a group of people. Steph had met him briefly twice before. All she knew about him was what she’d heard from Asha and Zane, and none of it was particularly complimentary. She hoped for Jenna’s sake their summing up of him was wrong.
Asha appeared by Jenna’s side with two glasses of champagne. She handed one to Jenna.
“Where’s Zane?” Steph asked.
“Mingling.” Asha rolled her eyes. “Jenna invited every person the family’s ever associated with, and Zane’s dad’s insisting he does the rounds and chat with all of them.”
Jenna laughed. “The wedding will be worse. I’m planning on inviting at least four hundred to that.”
Buster gave a low whistle. “Four hundred! If I invited every person I’d ever met, I doubt I’d reach that number.”
“Jenna’s inviting all of them plus strangers she’s hoping she’ll see one day,” Asha joked.
Jenna slapped her arm playfully. “Enough out of you. When’s that brother of mine going to make things official with you, that’s more what we should be focusing on tonight.”
“No,” Asha said. “This is your night, so let’s concentrate on you. Look, there’s Matt.” She waved as Matt appeared in the doorway of the function room, his broad, athletic body filling the doorframe.
“He looks pretty good when he scrubs up,” Jenna said.
“Should you be noticing other men tonight?” A smile played on Steph’s lips as she asked the question.
Jenna laughed. “I can notice, I just can’t touch. And anyway, it’s Matt. I’m glad to hear he’s turned over a new leaf, but I can’t imagine any woman in her right mind going near him. She’d be crazy.”
“Oh?” Steph asked. “What have you heard?”
Jenna raised her eyebrows. “A lot. He’s a friend of Brad’s, and Brad has plenty of stories about him.”
“Time to change the subject,” Asha murmured, as Matt made a beeline for them.
“Congratulations.” Matt leaned in to kiss Jenna. “You’re stunning. Brad’s a lucky guy.”
Jenna looked surprised at Matt’s kind words. “Thanks, Matt, that’s very kind of you.”
“Not kind, it’s the truth. I’m amazed Zane’s letting you anywhere near Brad, to be honest.”
“Zane hardly knows him.”
“Ah, that explains it then.” He winked. “I’m only fooling around. As I said, Brad’s a lucky man.”
“He is, and he looks like he might need rescuing,” Jenna said. “My nosy aunt is giving him the third degree by the looks of it. Excuse me.” She smiled and made her way over to where a group of women in their fifties and sixties surrounded Brad. The relief on his face when she arrived confirmed he needed rescuing.
“I wasn’t joking,” Matt said quietly. “I can’t believe she’s marrying that guy. Jenna’s a smart girl. How can she not see what he’s like?”
“What do you mean?” Asha asked. Steph could see the concern in her sister’s eyes. “That’s my best friend you’re talking about.”
“I know,” Matt said. “I spoke to Zane about him a while ago, but Zane said Jenna won’t listen. She’s infatuated with him and no one’s going to convince her otherwise.”
“Everyone sees people through different lenses, Matt. It might be that Jenna sees the good in him and chooses to overlook things that we might consider less than desirable,” Steph said.
A flush crept across Matt’s cheeks, and Steph realized he thought she was comparing him to Brad. She wasn’t. “I’m not suggesting anything by that. I just like to think most people are good at heart and sometimes it takes someone special to see that.”
Matt nodded. “You’re right. Let’s hope that’s the case with Jenna and Brad.”
“He certainly looks like he’s in love with her,” Buster said. “He couldn’t look prouder.”
They all turned their gazes to the engaged couple. Steph had to agree with Buster. Brad looked as enamored with Jenna as she did with him.
“I stopped in at the food truck this morning,” Matt said. “The pavillion area is amazing. I love those counters you’ve used on the sides, Asha. I’d love to talk to Zane about doing something similar to the rooftop bar at the Sandstone Cafe. It’s an amazing touch.”
Matt was right. Steph had been blown away when the finishing touch, the counters, had been installed. The wooden s
tructure had been done tastefully and blended in well with the surrounding trees and area, but it was the counters and other carvings that made it special. Zane had presented Asha with two beautifully carved doves to add to the structure.
“They represent peace and love,” he’d told her when she unwrapped the gift. “My love for you and the hope that your business continues to operate in a peaceful way moving forward.”
There had been plenty of laughter when Matt had called out, “That means no throwing rocks, Asha!” The carvings were beautiful, and Steph knew her sister was incredibly touched that Zane had gone to the effort of creating them. He also gave her a carved four-leaf clover to hang in the doorway for eternal luck.
Steph smiled as Ryan and Margie entered the function room with Travis and Jodi close behind. Steph thought it was lovely of Jenna to have invited all of them. She’d wanted to include most of the town, but her father had eventually drawn a line and said no more, pointing out that if Jenna wanted him to pay for a wedding, there would be no money left at this rate.
“How’s Holly’s coming along?” Margie asked after they’d all greeted one another.
“Fabulously,” Buster said. “We’ve finished the design and the plans are with the township. They’ll take a few weeks to go through the approval process, but we’re hoping to get started on the buildings in a couple of months.”
“We’re going to start on some of the landscaping now,” Steph added. It had been fantastic working with Buster and Matt to turn a vision into real plans. Steph had been brought to tears several times listening to Matt’s stories of why he wanted certain features included. It went beyond the facilities such as ramps for wheelchairs and the practical elements a person with a disability might require. It included a variety of pastel-colored water lilies for the lake. “Mom loved them,” Matt had said. “She made me help her dig out a small pond in our yard when I was about six so that she could fill it with them. She’d sit beside it and sing to me. They were her absolute favorite.” He’d also insisted on planting a hedge to surround the entire retreat and had chosen Dragon Lady Holly for this. Steph was moved by the number of touches he added that held such meaning.
She was so glad she’d gone on this journey with him and Buster. She knew deep in her gut that what they were building was more than a business. It was going to provide a lifeline to many people and be incredibly rewarding for all who worked there. Steph had also realized that it was going to create quite a lot of employment. They were looking at a range of specialty offerings that they would need experts to run. They were still months away from being operational, if not longer, but she would need to start contacting people to see what might be possible.
“What about you?” Steph asked Ryan. “Any news about getting some classes up and running at the cafe?”
Ryan shook his head. “To be honest, Margie and I have only just pushed our heads above water since we started running the cafe.” He laughed. “It’s a lot more work than I imagined. Mind you, Margie’s doing most of it.”
“And loving it,” Margie said. “Which we should be thanking you for, Matt.”
“Don’t thank me. You bringing your skills to Hope’s Ridge is something we’re all incredibly grateful for.” He looked across at Asha. “I’m pretty sure I saw you there the other day, Ash, buying a slice of cake, if my spies have the correct information.”
Asha laughed. “I would like to say it was to check out the competition, but I just love Margie’s butterscotch pie. It’s to die for.”
Matt chuckled. “I agree. And my spies have told me that both Margie and Ryan sit at Irresistables enjoying coffee pretty often. It appears we are all supporting our respective enemies.”
“You’re hardly in town at the moment, Matt, so how do you know all of this?” Steph asked.
“Like I said. My spies.”
“That wouldn’t be a spy in the form of a ninety-six-year-old man of Chinese ancestry by any chance?” Buster asked.
Matt raised an eyebrow. “I’d have to kill you if I told you.”
They all laughed.
“You’ve given Charlie a new lease on life with that development, Matt,” Buster said.
“You sure have,” Zane said, joining the group. “He’s incredible. The construction guys are complaining about the pace he’s pushing them to work at. Those apartments will be finished ahead of schedule, the way he’s going.”
Matt nodded. “They are ahead of schedule. I gave him a raise yesterday.”
“What, he accepts money from you?” Asha said. “My rent is paid in coffee and muffins.”
Matt laughed. “No, he won’t take any money. He brings his neighbors into the cafe twice a week for lunch, and the raise he wanted was two massage vouchers a week. He’s going to accumulate them and come for a daily massage once we get that up and running at Holly’s. I said I was happy to make his raise a daily massage for the rest of his life, that he didn’t need to accumulate vouchers, but he refused. He said, ‘If you offer me the world now, Matthew, what reason will I have to do better?’”
The group laughed.
“He’ll be the most chilled out resident in Hope’s Ridge with a daily massage,” Zane said.
“I think he already is,” Steph said. “And I think it’s the secret to a long and happy life. He keeps fit, healthy, and uses his brain daily. There’s no getting old for Charlie.”
Jenna’s dad tapped his wine glass, silencing the room, and invited everyone to find their places for the sit-down dinner. Steph and Buster found themselves at a table with their group of friends from Hope’s Ridge. The only one without a partner, she realized, was Matt. Zane noticed too and commented, “We need to find you a girlfriend, Matt.”
Matt blushed. “You wouldn’t want to inflict that pain on anyone.”
They all laughed, but Steph saw sadness flicker in Matt’s eyes. She did a mental check on the women she knew in Hope’s Ridge. There were a few single ones, but she didn’t see any of them as a match for Matt. He needed someone strong, ready to stand up for herself, and not afraid to speak her mind. Holly’s, once it was open and they had employees, would bring new people into the area. Maybe Matt would find his perfect match then.
The evening passed quickly with a wonderful dinner, speeches, and finally dancing. Steph had been looking forward to this part all evening. To being wrapped in Buster’s arms, just the two of them together in a sea of people. She melted into him as the band started playing Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”.
“This is one of my favorites,” Buster said.
“Me too.” Steph moved with Buster in time to the music.
“I can’t believe we’re here, Steph. I feel like the luckiest man alive.”
“At the party?”
“No, here.” He touched his hand to his heart and then to hers. “I absolutely adore you. You’ve brought a light into my life I was sure had been extinguished. With everything that happened with Eve, I never expected to have an opportunity like this.”
Tears pricked the back of Steph’s eyes. She knew precisely what Buster meant because she felt it too. “Let’s pray things will work out for Eve too,” she said. “That she’ll find her own opportunity.” Eve’s appeal was scheduled to take place the following month. Hopefully, she would be released and given the opportunity to start again.
“I hope so,” Buster said. “I’m sure she wishes the process would speed up. She’s missed out on a lot.”
“She’s gained a lot too, though. She’s had help to understand what happened to her and to cope with her alcoholism. There’s no rushing those things. If you’re patient, life will unfold as it’s meant to.”
Buster gave a little laugh. “Yet neither of us took that advice following our first date. If anything, we rushed as quickly as we could into ending this before it started.”
“We did, but that’s because we were scared. I was scared. I know that. And do you know what’s good about being scared?”
Buster brushed h
is hand against her cheek. “No, tell me.”
“It’s a sure sign that something is so important to you, you can’t even face it because the thought of losing it is too painful. Sometimes you’ll push it away before giving it a chance to hurt you. For me, my fear was because I had feelings for you I couldn’t handle. They were so strong and full of love, and to be honest, they hit me with an intensity I’ve never felt before. Rather than feel that and be excited by it, I did exactly the opposite and pushed you away.”
“But that also made us stronger,” Buster said. “In a short space of time, we’ve learned so much about each other, Steph, and we continue to learn.”
Steph nodded and smiled.
“What’s that look for?”
“I’m just thinking about one important thing I’ve learned about you, that’s all.”
Buster raised an eyebrow.
“That I love you with all of my heart, and nothing else, other than you feeling the same, matters.”
Tears welled in Buster’s eyes as he pulled Steph against his chest. He lowered his mouth to her ear, his words a whisper.
“And I do, Steph. I absolutely do.”
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