“I think so.” He grinned at Irene’s expression of incredulity as Peggy Sue waddled through the crowd, pausing obediently by her side, her curly tail wiggling in excitement as if she knew what came next.
Irene bent and unfastened something tied to Peggy Sue’s collar, and at her audible gasp, Rhett could guess what she found.
Donna reached for his hand, her eyes wide and shimmering, and his heart warmed at her obvious delight for her newfound friend. One day, it would be their turn. He had no doubt.
When the song concluded, Bill stuffed the whistle in his back pocket and stepped off the stage. He strode toward Irene with purpose, never taking his eyes off her face, and dropped to one knee. With a flourish, he whipped off his cowboy hat and pressed it to his chest.
A hush of anticipation swept over the square as enraptured onlookers held a collective breath.
Bill’s tanned, ruddy face reddened even deeper. He clearly wasn’t used to an audience when it came to more private matters. “I’m not good with words, like some folks, so I’m just gonna say what’s in my heart, if that’s okay.” He cleared his throat, grounding himself in Irene’s gaze. “Irene, before we met, I didn’t think I’d ever find love again. And that was all right with me. I’d had my fair share. I could be happy on my farm, keeping the critters company, counting down to my final days. Then I met you, an angel who could talk to the animals, and something in my heart changed. I didn’t want to be alone anymore. Because everything in my life was better when you were there. Even doing nothing, I wanted you there by my side to do nothing with me.” He cleared his throat again, flustered. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, what do you think about tying your reins to this old hitching post?”
“I think,” Irene said, smiling through her tears, “that I’ve never heard a better idea. I’d love to marry you, Bill Tucker.” She handed him the ring, and amid a swell of cheers and applause, he slid it onto her finger before leaning forward to kiss her, creating a semblance of privacy with the wide brim of his cowboy hat.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a sweeter, more heartfelt proposal in all my life.” Donna beamed at the newly engaged couple as friends and family crowded around to offer congratulations.
“You don’t mind that it’s simple?”
“I think the proposal should fit the couple. For some people, big and flashy is perfect. Personally, I love when they’re intimate and from the heart.”
“Noted,” he said out loud, without thinking.
His face heated when she looked up at him in surprise, but he shrugged away the momentary embarrassment. Why hide his feelings? Turning toward her, he took both of her hands in his. “I’m not saying I’ll follow Bill’s lead tomorrow, but I do want to tell you this.” Time stood still, pressing pause on the world around them, and Rhett savored the sensation of complete and utter peace. “I’ve fallen in love with you, Donna Hayward. With your courage, compassion, and tenacity, even against overwhelming odds. Borrowing a line from Bill, I didn’t think I’d ever find love again. Or that I even wanted to. But now that I have, it’s deeper, richer, and more soul-satisfying than I ever thought possible. And in some ways, this is only the beginning.” He hesitated, wrangling his thoughts as he added, “I know you’re not sure how long you’ll stay in Poppy Creek, but I want you to know that, when it comes to us, I’m not going anywhere. I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”
Donna laughed softly—the sweetest sound he’d ever heard. “You’re stuck with me, too, Rhett Douglas. And so is Poppy Creek. Despite my best self-sabotaging attempts to resist, I’ve fallen in love with this town. And with you.” She rocked onto her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his, stealing every thought from his mind save one.
He couldn’t wait to see what the future held.
CHAPTER36
DONNA
“What are we doing here?” Still buckled in the passenger seat of her daughter’s Prius, Donna gazed at the cottage in confusion. A fresh spring wreath of greenery and lilacs hung on the door. Had Cassie rented the house to someone new?
“I thought we’d make a quick pitstop.” Cassie unbuckled her seat belt and slid from the driver’s seat, smiling at Donna to follow.
Donna hesitated, one hand on the push-button release. They were supposed to be heading to the town square for Cassie’s official inauguration ceremony. What could be so important they’d stopped here first?
As Donna climbed out of the car, she expected to feel the familiar knot in the pit of her stomach that surfaced whenever she revisited her childhood home. And yet, she experienced a surprising sense of calm instead, as if she no longer viewed the memories through the eyes of a lost, wounded teenager.
So much had changed in the last few days since the dance. Stephanie’s so-called friend finally called, begging Donna to come get Stephanie, whose drinking had become a burden rather than an amusement. With Kat’s permission, Donna brought Steph to stay with her at the inn. She was currently two days sober, and still experiencing withdrawals, but Donna felt hopeful. She hadn’t left her side in the past forty-eight hours, but Frida, of all people, showed up this morning and insisted on sitting by Stephanie’s bedside so Donna could watch Cassie be sworn in as Poppy Creek’s new mayor.
“Shouldn’t you be at the town square getting ready for your speech?” Donna asked, standing beside her daughter in the middle of the gravel driveway.
“We still have a few minutes. And I have something to give you.” Cassie reached into the pocket of her bright red blazer—that she’d paired with a pretty floral skirt and silk blouse for the special occasion—and retrieved a small brass key. “I want you to have this.” She placed the key in Donna’s palm. “And I think Grandma Edith would want you to have it, too.” Cassie’s lips quirked into a lopsided smile as she added, “To be honest, I think she wanted you to have it all along, and somehow, she knew this was the best way.”
Donna’s throat closed around a wellspring of emotions as her fingers curled over the cool metal in her hand. Was it possible that after all this time, she couldliterallycome back home? Her gaze flitted to the window at the top of the turret. The lamplight no longer glimmered against the glass. But now, going forward, it could burn bright again, like a lighthouse for other lost souls like her.
For a moment, she stood still, turning the key over in her hand. She could envision making a life here. Brewing enough coffee to be shared around the butcher block island—the same island she’d accidentally nicked at age nine while her father taught her how to filet a freshly caught trout. She could bake scones served with sweet lemon curd every Sunday before church, just like her mother had.
In her visions of the future, Stephanie sat at the table beside her, taking the time she needed to recover, tucked away from temptation, surrounded by people who cared about her well-being. And maybe Stephanie was only the beginning? Other women needed a refuge, too. A beacon of hope when the darkness of their addiction blocked out the light. What if she could help others find the same gift she’d found in Poppy Creek—the gift of hope and second chances?
Rhett also featured prominently in these visions, as did Luke, Cassie, and her future grandchild, plus countless others she’d come to know and love. She’d gone from isolation in a one-bedroom apartment in the city to an abundance of blessings too numerous to count.
“Thank you,” she whispered, pressing the key to her heart. How could she ever express to her daughter how much this meant to her?
“There’s something else.” Cassie slid her hand into her pocket once more. This time, she lifted a delicate silver necklace.
Donna’s breath caught as sunlight glinted off the silhouette of a sparrow. “You kept it?”
