When her birthday cake made its appearance—complete with sixty-six candles that Eddie had insisted on counting twice—Kathleen felt overwhelmed by the thoughtfulness of it all.
“Make a wish, Mom,” Natalie said softly.
Kathleen closed her eyes, surrounded by the voices of the people she loved most. For a moment, she tried to think of something to wish for, but realized she already had everything she’d ever wanted. Instead, she wished for the wisdom to appreciate what she had and the courage to embrace whatever came next.
When she opened her eyes and blew out the candles, everyone cheered. Eddie immediately began campaigning for the first piece of cake, while the adults opened Patrick’s champagne with lots of laughter.
“To Kathleen,” Patrick said, raising his glass. “For bringing us together and showing us what it means to create a real home.”
“To friendship,” Isabel added.
“To family,” Lynda continued.
“To new beginnings,” Natalie concluded, her hand unconsciously resting on her still-flat stomach.
As they sat together, Kathleen realized that Patrick had somehow orchestrated the day around the things that mattered the most to her. He’d understood that she didn’t want a big party or elaborate gifts. What she wanted was time with the people she loved, good food shared in a beautiful setting, and the sense that she was truly seen and valued.
As the afternoon wore on and the others began the reluctant process of cleaning up, Patrick caught her hand. “Come for a walk with me. Gabe and Natalie said they’d clean up everything.”
Isabel shooed her away. “Go with Patrick. We can all help.”
For the first time in a long while, Kathleen was happy to let everyone else tidy up. As she strolled along the shoreline with Patrick, she looked across the lake. It stretched endlessly before them, its surface now calm and reflective as the day began to cool. In the distance, the mountains stood sentinel against the clear blue sky.
“Thank you, Patrick,” Kathleen said. “For today and for everything. I don’t think I’ve ever had a more perfect birthday.”
Patrick stopped walking and turned to face her. “You deserve to have a wonderful birthday, Kathleen. Everyone wanted to show you how much you mean to them.”
Something in his voice made her heart race. They were alone now, away from the loving but watchful eyes of her family. The intimacy of the moment felt different from their usual conversations over coffee or working side by side on her house.
“Patrick,” she began, but he shook his head gently.
“Let me say this,” he said softly. “I’ve been thinking about it the entire time I was in New York. Being away from you made me realize something I should have acknowledged months ago.”
Kathleen felt her breath catch. They’d been circling around this conversation for weeks, both of them too cautious to be the first to voice what was growing between them.
“I’m falling in love with you,” Patrick said simply. “I think I have been since the first time I saw you. You make me want to be the best version of myself. You make me want to build something lasting and beautiful, not just with wood and nails, but with our lives.”
The words hung in the air between them, honest and vulnerable and perfect. “I love you too,” she whispered. “I’ve been afraid to say it, afraid to risk what we already have. But I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”
Patrick’s smile was radiant. He reached up to cup her face gently in his hands, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had spilled onto her cheeks.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I’m not going anywhere, Kathleen. If we do this, I want it to be forever.”
“I’m sure,” she said, her voice stronger now. “I’m sixty-six years old, Patrick. I don’t have time for anything that isn’t real.”
With infinite tenderness, Patrick leaned down and kissed her. It was soft and sweet and full of promise—the kind of kiss that marked the beginning of something beautiful rather than something fleeting. Kathleen melted into it, into Patrick, and into the possibility of a love she thought she’d never find.
When they finally broke apart, Patrick rested his forehead against hers. “Happy birthday, sweetheart,” he murmured.
Kathleen laughed, the sound bubbling up from deep in her chest. “It certainly has been happy,” she said. “It’s the best one I’ve had in years.”
Chapter 24
The morning rush at The Lakeside Café had settled into its familiar rhythm when Kathleen noticed the tall, lanky figure of Theo Olson approaching the entrance. Her stomach tightened as she watched him pause outside and adjust the worn leather satchel slung across his shoulder. Through the large front windows, she could see him scanning the interior of the café, his journalist’s eyes taking in every detail.
“Incoming,” Chloe murmured from behind the espresso machine, following Kathleen’s gaze. “Looks like our friendly neighborhood radio host is paying us a visit.”
Kathleen’s hands stilled on the muffin she’d been arranging in the display case. Percy had invited her to last night’s preservation society meeting. Since then, she’d been dreading this moment. Someone had mentioned a “significant discovery” during the discussion about Victorian-era architecture in Sapphire Bay, carefully avoiding specifics but generating enough curiosity to set tongues wagging. She’d tried to redirect the conversation, but Percy’s knowing glances in her direction hadn’t gone unnoticed.
