Lucie looks up at me and says, “I want to be a tattoo artist with a flower shop right inside the studio.”
I blink, stunned—but not because it’s wild. It’s because it’ssoLucie. Quirky, soft, bold, creative—everything she’s always been.
“That’s honestly kind of perfect,” I say after a moment. “Like you’d ink someone up and then send them off with a bouquet. Soft and fierce, just like you.”
Lucie grins, eyes shining in a way that makes me tear up a little. She’s finally said it. Out loud.
The rest of the week before opening day flies by. All the inspections are complete—now, all that’s left is to open the doors.
The night before the grand opening, I hardly sleep a minute. I am so excited to be making my dream a reality. The entire town has been so supportive of me since I first began renovations, and it will be surreal to see the people of Cherry Falls in my cafe bakery.
I give in to my restfulness and decide to wake up at the earlytime of 3 in the morning.Gosh, this is gonna be a crazy day. But I couldn’t be more ready.
I get in my car and head to the cafe to set up all the decor I ordered specifically for opening day. Once the banner is hung and the balloons are in place, I take a moment to soak in the café one last time—only to be interrupted by my phone buzzing with a new message.
Gabby
Happy opening day, Bumper. You’re gonna do great.
I smile at my phone. Of course, he’s thinking of me. His message gives me an extra boost of confidence I didn’t even know I needed.
I tuck my phone into my apron pocket and take one last look around the café. The scent of fresh pastries, warm espresso, and sugar fills the air. The glass displays sparkle under the morning light. It’s exactly how I imagined it—and somehow, even better.
My family is the first to arrive before the doors open, all in their Beanstalk shirts. Our employee designs all have a beanstalk with butterflies and fairies on the back with their names on the front left pocket.
I love my family something fierce, and they're showing up on such a big day means the world to me. However, I have no time to get sentimental, so I simply say, “Alright, let’s get this show on the road!”
By the fourth hour after opening, we have completely sold out of 80 percent of our baked goods and breakfast items.
But I can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing. Someone’s missing. I’m halfway through serving a latte to a customer when I look up and see him.
Gabriel walks into the café, looking impossibly handsome. I freeze for a moment, but then I see the glint in his eyes as he spots me.
“Hey Bumper,” he says with a smirk, “So I’ve never been here before. What do you recommend?”
I roll my eyes, playing along. “Are you serious? You’ve probably tried every drink on the menu already.”
Just as I am about to make a sarcastic comeback, my mom swoops in, completely oblivious to the tension between Gabriel and me.
“Millie, darling, we are out of cinnamon rolls,” she says. “Do you want me to… Oh, I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?”
I feel my face flush as Gabriel laughs and introduces himself to my mother.
“Nope,” he says, “You weren’t interrupting anything, Mrs. Feely. Millie was just about to recommend a drink.”
I can feel my stomach flip as I watch them interact. How am I going to survive the rest of this opening day when I know Gabriel is here, looking at me like that?
Trying to push the feelings aside, I walk behind the counter, instructing one of my baristas to handle Gabriel’s order—and, just for fun, I put it on the house.
Just a little spite, because he’s definitely messing with my head.
But when I glance over and see him sitting by the window, baby Aura in his arms, sunlight casting a soft halo around them—I know I’m screwed.
Because no matter how much I try to act cool or pretend I’m in control of this situation… my heart has already decided.
And it’s him.
The Waterpark Promise
