Today was the big day.
It had been a long time coming, or it felt like it. Honestly, things had moved pretty fast since my truck had been burned to a crisp and Victor's demise.
Shortly after Teddy and I agreed to go into business together, my insurance came through and we were lucky that one of the businesses in the center of town went up for sale. From there, everything snowballed quickly.
From payout to escrow, it hadn't been more than two months, and we'd been working on fixing up the building ever since. But today was the day. Today we'd be opening our doors to the public for the very first time. And my stomach was tied up in knots, but they were knots of excitement. Okay and a little trepidation, but mainly excitement.
I'd never imagined myself owning an actual brick and mortar cafe and whenever I allowed myself to imagine it, it had been quickly dismissed as nothing but a dream.
If I was honest, I still couldn't believe it was happening and I'd spent months inside, knocking down walls, decorating, and painting. One would think it didn't get more real than that, and yet...
I drove to the pier and parked my car. I couldn't help but look at the building—my cafe—and smile. It looked so pretty there, on the waterfront, a few feet away from where the Wandering Bundt used to be. The emerald-green canopies, and the stained wooden furniture underneath them made the place look both elegant and cozy and Wesley's curated selection of outdoor plants made the cafe look inviting.
I sat back in my seat and breathed a sigh of relief.
I'd missed this. Having a place to call my own. Baking for others. Seeing the smile on a stranger as they bit into one of my pastries or took a sip of one of my coffees. It had been so long. Too long. It had been amazing living with Dare and spending a lot of quality time with him, trying new recipes, testing new flavors, enjoying his company and feedback, savoring his affection for me and my creations.
But just as he needed to look after his farm and grow his blueberries, I needed to work to satisfy people. We made a good pair. We were both workaholics and passionate about what we were good at, but we also loved each other deeply.
I had to pinch myself every now and again, because...how on earth had I gotten everything I ever wanted and more? How was it possible that all my dreams had come to life? I had a partnerwho I couldn't imagine life without. I had a great business that was the talk of the island. And I had a group of friends and family that took care of one another—and how could we not after everything we'd been through, collectively?
All that was missing now were the details. The fine-tuning, the cherry on top of the cake. But I couldn't complain. The cake was yummy as it was.
Someone passed by outside my car, and I shook myself out of my daydreaming and got out of the car, staring at the back of the person. It was funny how things had changed since Victor. I didn't jump at sudden noises and didn't have full blown panic attacks when there was someone at the door. I was at peace.
And yeah, I was even at peace with what I'd done. It might have been cruel or dark, but it had brought serenity into my life and that of so many others. It had been an evil that needed exterminating. If anything, it had helped me feel like I had taken back control of my life and that was perhaps why I didn't feel guilty. Why I wasn't haunted by the past in my sleep or otherwise.
My therapist agreed. Of course he would—my therapist was me. It wasn't as if I could go and talk to a professional and tell them I'd killed someone. Although Wyatt had told me he had a guy who I could tell everything to, I'd chosen not to. It was good to know they were there if I ever needed them though. I imagined Watt did, after what Salieri had put him through, but at least it was all over now and he was well and truly out of all our lives.
The person in front of me turned a corner and continued straight on, straight for the cafe. It was then I noticed the sign was covered with a sheet and so were the windows.
I frowned.
Had something happened? Had something gone wrong?
I rushed inside and found Teddy, his boyfriend Wesley, and Dare all standing around in a circle. The minute I stepped in they stopped talking and they all turned to face me, creepy smiles on their faces.
"What's going on? What happened?" I could feel my heart start to race the longer I was left in the dark and I tried to remember to breathe.
"Everything is okay," Dare walked up to me and put his arms around me.
Immediately I felt my body relax against him. He was my rock. My support system. My whole world.
"Okay, that's good. You scared the crap out of me." As I tilted my head to kiss him I glanced at the covered windows and paused. "What's that? And why is the sign covered by a sheet?"
"Ah, that," Dare said and let me go but offered me his hand.
"We have a surprise," Teddy added and I was guided outside to stand under the canopy facing the cafe.
"What kind of surprise?" I narrowed my eyes.
I looked at both my partners—one in business and one in life—and waited for an answer, but all they did was grin from ear to ear instead of telling me.
"We decided we didn’t like the name of the cafe," Teddy said.
"We did? Where was I?" I raised an eyebrow at Teddy and wondered for a fleeting second if that was why they said to nevergo into business with your friends, but quickly dismissed the worry.
"We made an executive decision," Dare said.
