The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls
Page 29
“Ready?” He nodded at Tara as his boots hit the floor in that syncopated rhythm Annie would never tire of.
She reached into the fridge behind the counter for the plastic container she’d packed earlier and then grabbed forks, paper plates, and napkins and dropped them into a Quinn’s bag.
“Have fun.” Tara waved, and Annie waved back as the door jingled again and shut behind her and Seth.
“So, what’s your surprise?” Seth glanced at the lively street decorated with pumpkins, fall wreaths, hay bales and a smiling trio of inflatable ghosts, and then at the sun that shone as warm as it had in August.
“Follow me.” Annie took his hand in hers as they walked around the bakery toward Irish Falls. She gestured him to the picnic table by the wishing tree. “Take a seat.”
Seth did as she asked and eyed the bag she set on the table.
“Today’s a special day.” She sat beside him and bumped his shoulder.
He quirked an eyebrow. “Every day with you is special for me.”
She smiled and tried to focus. “Today is extra special because it’s exactly six months ago you came to Irish Falls.” She opened the bag and took out the plastic container. “That day, you overheard me say my Nanaimo Bar Cheesecake was better than sex. I was so embarrassed I haven’t made that cheesecake since, but this morning I did because it was the best way I could think of to show you how much I love you and what you’ve brought to my life.” She popped the lid on the box and set out two plates, forks, and napkins.
Seth’s eyes darkened. “Last night in our bed wasn’t enough?”
“This isn’t only about sex.” Annie’s face heated.
“Says the woman who thinks her cheesecake is better than sex.” Seth took a mouthful of cake, chewed it, and swallowed. “Good, but never better than sex, at least not with you.” He set down the fork and reached for her hand. Along with the teasing glint in his eyes, there was something more serious, and Annie caught her breath.
“I remember everything about you from the first day I walked into Quinn’s until now.” His voice got husky. “And I also remembered today was a special day. You already know I’m not going to sell the station, and now I’ve cleared my name and got my reputation back, if things work out how I plan, I can do my songwriting and some music talent scouting with Pete and Rick while being based here. I don’t want to go back to LA to stay so we have to keep figuring out a way of life that works for both of us.”
“And Hannah and Dylan.” Annie twined her fingers with his.
Although there’d been a few bumps along the way, Seth’s son and her daughter were at the heart of the new family they were building. Hannah had a big brother to look out for her, and Dylan had a little sister he cherished.
“That’s why I talked to both of them before I talked to you.” Seth took his hand away from hers and dug in the front pocket of his jeans. “Even your cats have stopped hissing at Dolly. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.”
He cradled a small blue velvet box in the palm of his hand, and Annie’s heart got stuck in her throat. “I found this in Jake’s safety deposit box at the bank a while ago. There was a note with it in my mom’s writing.” He moved closer to her on the narrow picnic bench and flipped open the box to reveal a ruby and diamond ring in the shape of a flower. “Jake gave this ring to my mom before I was born. I remember Mom wearing it sometimes, but I didn’t know it was from him. When Mom died, my grandmother must have given the ring back to him.”
Annie sucked in a breath as emotion surged through her.
Seth took her left hand in his. “Despite everything, Jake loved my mom, like I love you, and I’d be honored if you’d wear this ring and marry me. It’s not a traditional engagement ring, and if you don’t like it, I’ll get you something else, but I still want you to have it.”
“Of course I’ll marry you, and I don’t want any ring but this one. I love it.” Annie’s vision blurred, and the ring blurred along with it. She swallowed and sniffed. “And I love you more than any ring.”
“I love you too, Annie-Bella, and Jake loved both of us.” Seth handed her a napkin, and she patted her eyes. “Somewhere, I’m sure he knows about us and is glad. From a few papers I found at the bank, he had an even rougher life before he came here than I thought. Maybe it was better he didn’t try to get custody of me back then. He probably wouldn’t have been able to be a dad and who knows what might have happened to me.”
Annie glanced at the wishing tree. Its branches were partly leafless now, but the little papers and trinkets tied to them whispered in the light breeze—a promise of another spring and new wishes to come. “Although Jake never told me what he wished for on this tree, I think it must have had something to do with you.”
“And you.” Seth slipped the ring on her fourth finger. “Look at that, it’s a perfect fit.”
“Like it was meant to be.” Annie held out her hand, and the ring sparkled in the sun. “I once told you I didn’t believe in wishes. I gave up wishing on this tree because none of my wishes ever came true. It turns out I wished for the wrong things.” She looked at Seth and the love in his eyes for her. “A wish is only a wish, but you helped me figure out what I really wanted and how to make it a reality.”
Seth’s chuckle was low and sexy. “Always, Annie-Bella.” He pulled her close for a hug.
Above them, the branches of the wishing tree sighed. Annie glanced up and, for a moment, it was as if the faint outlines of Jake, Nana Gerry, and her dad flickered between the tree and the sky. “I love him,” she whispered, “and he loves me, and we’ll take good care of each other and our family.”
“And your family to come.” The faint words echoed on the wind.
“Did you say something?” Seth looked up, a question in his eyes.
“No.” It must have been a trick of her mind. She was as fanciful as the older women who came to Quinn’s to drink tea and chat around the small tables Tara had added and who clung to old Irish superstitions, even though most of them had never set foot on Irish soil. “We’d better head back. The wind is picking up and there’s a cloud coming over the mountain. Fall is finally here. We can finish the cheesecake at home.”
“No offense to your cheesecake, but I’d rather do something else at home.” In a heartbeat, Seth’s smile went from sweet to sensual.
Annie laughed. “You would, would you?” She got to her feet and packed up the little picnic.
“You bet.” He stood beside her.
She gave him a teasing grin and looked at the tree one last time. “Thank you,” she mouthed.
Although she’d temporarily lost her faith in wishes and the wishing tree, with Seth, her greatest wish of all—the one she couldn’t let herself make—had come true.
Jen Gilroy:
Jen Gilroy worked in higher education and international marketing and business development before trading the corporate 9-5 to write contemporary romance and women’s fiction with heart, home, and hope.
After many years living and working in England, she returned to where her roots run deep and lives in a small town in Eastern Ontario, Canada with her husband, teen daughter and a floppy-eared hound. When she’s not writing, Jen enjoys reading, travel, singing, and ballet. She’s also known for her love of ice cream, shoes, and vintage finds.
Jen’s first book, The Cottage at Firefly Lake (and first book in her Firefly Lake series), was a finalist for Romance Writers of America’s (RWA) Golden Heart® award in 2015. It was also shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) Joan Hessayon Award 2017.
She’s a member of RWA, RNA, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA).
Website: www.jengilroy.com
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