Abe's eyes twinkled with mischief. “I believe, my dear, that someone is trying to tell you something rather important.”
???
Emery paced the length of the bookshop, nerves making her clumsy as she nearly toppled a carefully arranged tower of books that had taken Mrs. Hampton and Ollie over an hour to construct into a heart shape.
“Careful,” Mrs. Hampton said, steadying the display with surprisingly quick reflexes.
“Sorry,” Emery mumbled, running her hands through her curls for the dozenth time that hour, making them stand up inall directions like a startled hedgehog. Around her, the entire Romance Book Club bustled about, putting finishing touches on the transformed space. The shop was barely recognizable.
Flowers covered every surface, roses in every shade from deepest crimson to palest pink, lilies, daisies, peonies, their combined scent almost overwhelming in the enclosed space. Maya had ordered them all, insisting that nothing less than a botanical garden's worth would suffice for a proper grand gesture. Fairy lights had been strung across the ceiling, twinkling like stars despite the daylight streaming through the windows, and a small podium had been erected near the front of the shop, facing rows of chairs where the book club members would soon sit.
The bell over the door jangled, and Jax burst in, slightly breathless, her tattooed arms glistening with a light sheen of sweat. “Zara's flash mob’s almost done,” she panted, peering out the front window with the intensity of a military scout. “They're on the final chorus. Eveline looks completely stunned, in a good way, I think. Abe's playing his part perfectly, the crafty old coot.”
“Oh god,” Emery groaned, stomach churning so violently she was afraid she might throw up on Mrs. Hampton's sensible shoes. “This is really happening.”
“Too late to back out now,” Domi said briskly, adjusting the microphone on the podium and testing it with a tap that made everyone wince. “The permits for those fireworks cost a fortune. And the noise violation fine we'll probably get will cost even more.”
“Right,” Emery said, squaring her shoulders and trying to channel some of the confidence she wrote into her heroines. “Umbrella. I need the umbrella.”
“Here,” Maya handed her a large black umbrella, practically shoving it into her trembling hands. “And don't worry, Ollie's truck is in position. He’s quite excited about his role, wouldn'tstop talking about 'cinematic rain sequences' when he was setting up the water tank.”
Emery gripped the umbrella's handle, took a deep breath that did nothing to calm her racing heart, and headed for the door. “Wish me luck.”
“You don't need luck,” Jax said, giving her a gentle push between the shoulder blades. “You've got love and an extremely elaborate plan that absolutely cannot go wrong in any way!”
The flash mob was reaching its finale as Emery slipped out the front door, umbrella clutched to her chest like a shield. She spotted Eveline immediately, standing on the pavement with Abe, looking bewildered and beautiful, her dark hair catching the late afternoon light.
Emery's heart hammered against her ribs so hard she was sure it would bruise. There was no turning back now.
As the dancers struck their final pose, Ollie's delivery truck rumbled into view, right on cue. Emery dashed forward, almost tripping in her haste, snapping open the umbrella and thrusting it into Eveline's hands before she could even register what was happening.
“Wha—Emery?” Eveline's eyes widened in shock.
Before she could say more, Ollie flipped a switch inside the truck cab, and water sprayed from a contraption attached to the truck's roof, cascading down around them like artificial rain, catching the sunlight in countless tiny rainbows.
Emery stood before Eveline, already getting soaked as the water fell, deliberately positioning herself just outside the umbrella's protection. Her carefully chosen white shirt was rapidly becoming transparent, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that particular oversight in her planning.
“I know this is completely insane,” she began, raising her voice to be heard over the spray of water and the murmurs of thegathering crowd. “But you deserve insane. You deserve epic. You deserve every grand gesture I could think of, all at once.”
Water plastered her curls to her forehead, ran down her face in rivulets, soaked through her shirt until she could feel the chill against her skin, but Emery barely noticed. All she could see was Eveline, standing dry beneath the umbrella, dark eyes wide with astonishment, lips slightly parted in a way that made Emery want to kiss her more than anything.
“I lied to you, and I hurt you, and I'm so, so sorry,” Emery continued, her voice catching on the words. “I was afraid to tell you who I was because I thought you'd reject me, and then I fell in love with you, and telling you the truth became even scarier because I couldn't bear the thought of losing you.”
Water dripped from her chin, her fingers, the hem of her now-transparent shirt. Around them, a small crowd had collected, watching the spectacle with fascination. Someone was filming with their phone. Emery vaguely registered Zara trying to block them.
“But not telling you was worse,” Emery said. “Because deception has no place in love. You taught me that. And I love you, Eveline. I love your passion for books, your skepticism, your reluctant smiles, the way you tuck your hair behind your ear when you're anxious. I love you.”
Right on cue, Abe suddenly clutched at his chest and staggered dramatically, leaning heavily on his cane.
“Oh dear,” he gasped, wobbling on his feet with theatrical unsteadiness. “I feel quite faint. Must be the excitement. Or perhaps the water on my old bones.”
Eveline turned immediately, concern replacing shock on her face. “Abe, we need to get you inside. Now.”
She gripped his arm, guiding him toward the bookshop, the umbrella forgotten as her protective instincts took over. Emery scrambled to follow. Abe winked at her behind Eveline's back,looking far too pleased with himself for someone supposedly on the verge of collapse.
As Eveline pushed open the door to The Turned Page, she froze on the threshold. The shop had been transformed into something out of a fairy tale or the climactic scene of every romantic movie ever made. Flowers everywhere, twinkling lights, and the entire Romance Book Club seated in neat rows, all turning to look at them as they entered. Maya stood at the back, holding a tray of heart-shaped pastries that seemed to be steaming slightly.
“Surprise!” Emery said weakly, water pooling around her feet on the hardwood floor, making a puddle that would probably warp the wood. Another detail she hadn't considered.
