Together, they hurried to greet the women. There was a flurry of activity—coats removed and hung up, snowy boots left to dry on the mat in the mudroom and hugs passed around.
Willow led Rina and Mia, the women who worked at the bookshop, into the living room, and Honor, Felicity and Stella from the coffeeshop trailed behind.
Within minutes, the rest of the group filtered in, exclaiming over the touches that Willow went to so much trouble to add.
She waved at the blankets. “Everybody gets to take home a cashmere throw as a gift!”
Oohsandahhsrippled through the group. They all claimed a blanket and a place to sit, and Willow rushed to the kitchen to fetch the trays of snacks. Then she forgot Navy’s sippy cup and Layne’s cider and had to make another trip.
“Willow.” Layne patted a seat beside her on the sofa. “Sit down. Enjoy your party. Rhae will be here in a minute.”
“It’s not my party, it’s Rhae’s!” She glanced around to see if she was missing anything. Just then, Rhae rushed in and threw her arms around Willow.
“There’s our bride-to-be!” Layne called, and the room erupted in cheers and applause.
Willow watched Rhae’s face light up as she took in the transformed living room, the gathering of women, the obvious care that had gone into making this night special. The smile that spread across her features was worth every minute Willow had spent fussing over the details.
Rhae’s eyes glistened as she took in the cozy space and the ladies here to celebrate her future. She shook her head and sniffled. “Everything is so perfect, Willow. You’re so talented with these things!”
Touched by Rhae’s emotional response, Willow couldn’t resist hugging her a second time. “You’re so welcome. You’ve always been part of the family—you and Navy. Soon it’s going to be official!”
When they broke apart, Rhae’s eyes were suspiciously bright. “How on earth did you achieve all this?”
“We all did it,” Willow deflected, though she’d been the one coordinating everything, from the food to the movie selection to the perfect pillows. “Come sit. Your throne awaits.”
She’d arranged the largest pile of pillows directly in front of the fireplace, creating a spot where Rhae could hold court while surrounded by the women who’d become her chosen family.
Navy’s giggles filled the room as she made a game of hopping across the floor pillows and doing belly flops.
As everyone settled in with wine and snacks, chattering about the movies they’d picked, Willow finally allowed herself to relax into a corner of the couch. The nervous energy that had been driving her all day slowly eased as she saw the contentment on Rhae’s face.
This was what she lived for—creating moments like this, bringing people together, making sure everyone felt loved and celebrated. Maybe she didn’t always know what she wanted for herself, but she knew how to give other people what they needed.
And tonight, surrounded by the warm laughter of women who’d become sisters and watching romantic comedies by firelight, felt pretty close to perfect.
Layne shifted her small plate of snacks to one hand to position herself better on the sofa. Willow grabbed a pillow to stuff behind Layne’s back, easing the weight of her belly.
“Thanks, Willow.” She smiled and settled in. “Finally, we get to watch all the romantic movies we can’t watch with your brothers.”
Honor nodded from her nest in the armchair. “I like action movies, but that’sallthey watch.”
Willow shot another look around, making sure everyone had what they needed, then finally focused on the movie that Aspen queued up. Every now and then, her mind drifted to Decker and the inescapable lists in her head.
She also couldn’t quit thinking about the call she missed from that person who needed therapy. She’d called back the number but the phone was no longer in service. She propped her chin on her palm and sighed. There were far too many people without help.
Three movies in, the living room had devolved into comfortable chaos. Felicity was sprawled across two cushions, half asleep with an empty wine glass dangling from her fingers. Layne had claimed the entire couch, pregnancy pillow tucked behind her back, while Honor and Rina shared a blanket near the fireplace, debating the merits of the latest romantic comedy hero.
The credits rolled on their third film, and Willow stretched, giving a yawn that wasn’t entirely fake. “I think I’m going to call it a night.” She gathered a few empty bowls from the side table. “I’m exhausted.”
“Already?” Rhae looked up from her nest of pillows, cheeks flushed from wine and laughter. “We were going to start the next one.”
“You girls keep going.” She waved them off. “This is your night, Rhae.”
Several protests followed her, but she parried them with promises to clean up in the morning. The truth was, Decker and her brothers weren’t home from the bachelor party yet. If she hurried, she could surprise him.
She quickly slipped on a coat and boots and crossed the snowy yard to the lodge. The sound of a TV drifted from the rec room as she quietly made her way to Decker’s room.
She felt a little bad about entering his private space without his permission, but that quickly faded as she shed her winter garments and settled on the edge of his bed. She glanced around—same simple walls and furniture that every room had. Some of the guys kept photos pinned to the walls, but Decker just had books.
