Cooper and the two dogs scampered out the front door, and Charley said to Chloe, “Thank you so much, Chloe. I don’t know how I would have made it through today without you and Derek and the kids.”
“That’s what family is for, Charley. We were so relieved to hear the good news about Sully from Owen earlier,” Chloe said as they stood in the foyer near the arched bridge over the pretty fishpond. How calm Charley felt now opposed to the anxiety that had enveloped her the previous night when standing near this spot. “Sully is stable but they’re keeping him overnight?”
“Yes,” Charley said and repeated what the doctor had told them earlier. “Sully hopes to be moved out of ICU tonight and discharged tomorrow. I said I’d check on him and take him home when his doctor releases him.”
“Good,” Chloe said. “Are you hungry?”
“I’m suddenly starved.”
“Wonderful. I have dinner for you,” Chloe said as Cooper, Wyatt, and Spike trotted back inside the house.
“Cooper, thank you so much for taking charge of Wyatt,” Charley said.
“You’re welcome,” Cooper said politely, picking up Wyatt and scratching his furry head. “It was fun. He’s a nice puppy.”
“Hi Charley,” Derek said, walking into the hallway from the family room. “Great news about Sully.”
“Yes, the best, Derek,” Charley replied, smiling.
“Let’s go, Cooper,” Derek said. “It’s your turn to read the story tonight.”
“Can Wyatt sleep with Spike and me?”
“Up to Charley,” Chloe said.
“Sure,” she said and watched as Derek, Spike, and Cooper, carrying Wyatt, started up the staircase to the second-floor bedrooms.
“Since the master bedroom suite is downstairs, Spike likes to sleep upstairs to be near the kids,” Chloe said and motioned for Charley to follow her to the kitchen. There they were joined by Scarlett, waving her fluffy black tail. Charley petted Scarlett as Chloe walked into the pantry. Chloe came back out with a bottle of red wine and lifted it into the air. “A glass of wine?”
“Yes. A glass of wine would be fantastic,” Charley said as Scarlett jumped onto a windowsill in the breakfast nook and groomed herself. Chloe opened the wine and poured two glasses. They touched their glasses and Charley suggested, “To Sully?”
“To Sully,” Chloe agreed. They each took a drink and then Chloe set her glass down and removed a dish covered with tinfoil out of the oven. With the tinfoil off the delicious smells of baked steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, and a corn muffin wafted Charley’s way. When they were sitting opposite each other at the table, Charley ate, and after a moment Chloe said, “Charley, if it’s none of my business, just say so. But what are you going to do about your flower shop, and more importantly about Sully?”
“I don’t know if I want to reopen my shop in the same location or sell the property and move. Sully and I joked about him being my business manager, so I guess I should consult him.”
“I bet he’ll say to move your shop to the country. I would second that.”
“What I do know for sure is how I feel about Sully,” Charley admitted.
Chloe smiled and said, “You’ve fallen hard for him, haven’t you?”
“Yes,” Charley hesitated and then said quietly, “I haven’t told Sully yet, but I’m in love with him, Chloe.”
“Tell him. Don’t play games or waste time. By the way, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. I think he feels the same,” Chloe said, but Charley wasn’t convinced Sully’s feelings about her were nearly as strong as her own and shrugged. “When he realized you had left the party, he was worried about you and determined to find out what happened.”
“I told him I should have stood my ground and listened to his side.”
Now Chloe shrugged. “We live and learn. I can tell you that my life changed forever for the better after I listened to Derek’s side of things back in the day.”
Chloe told her more about that time in her life as Charley finished every bite of her dinner. Chloe carried Charley’s empty plate to the sink and loaded it into the dishwasher as Derek entered the kitchen. The three of them spoke for a few minutes, and then Charley yawned.
“Sorry,” Charley said with a laugh. “I’m exhausted.”
“Let’s get you settled in upstairs,” Chloe said.
Charley left the kitchen and walked down the hall. In the foyer, she paused to wait for Chloe. Over her shoulder, she saw Derek pull Chloe into his arms. Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck, and as she stood on tiptoes to kiss him, he patted her fanny. Oh, how Charley wanted that with Sully and so much more. She looked away and moved forward to the bottom of the staircase. Chloe joined her a moment later with a peaceful smile on her lovely face.
Yes, what a perfectly wonderful life.
