“Okay.” We grab a few of the barrels, losing sight of what room we have left just as Lamar comes back.
“That was my buddy at the news station. I told him about Rudder’s, and Renley’s story, and they love it. They want to do a piece on it forWake Up Boston, the morning show.”
“Seriously?” I ask, feeling my eyes nearly bug out of my head.
Lamar nods. “Yup. So we better hurry up, because the shop needs to be done in three days before they come out.”
I grip Lamar by the shoulders, pull him in, and kiss his cheek. “You are amazing.”
He blinks a few times and then wipes at his face. “Shit, dude, save the affection for Renley.”
Chapter Fifty-Two
RENLEY
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Tilly asks as she walks next to me.
“Sure,” I say, feeling the weight of failure resting on my shoulders. I can’t muster up a smile, nor do I want to participate in conversation, but Tilly was adamant about getting me out of the house. And because she’s letting me stay there for a bit, I thought I should at least take a walk with her.
“Do you mind if we walk by the candy shop real quick? I think I left my favorite brush in there and I can’t function without it.”
“What brush?” I ask as we head down the main street.
“My detail brush.”
“What did you need the detail brush for?”
“When I was painting the window.”
“You didn’t paint the window.”
“Yes, I did.”
“When?” I ask, completely confused, as we round the corner and the store comes into view. A red-and-white-striped valance hangs in the windows while the Rudder’s logo is painted on the glass, framed in gold paint, just like I talked about.
Seeing it makes my heart full, but also…sad.
“Tilly. Why…why did you do that?”
“Because.” She takes me by the hand and pulls me toward the store. “There’s something you need to see.”
“Tilly, I don’t want to go in there. There’s no use.”
“Just come on.”
She drags me across the street to the front door and knocks three times.
“What are you doing?” I ask just as the door opens, and standing in front of me, with the most handsome smile on his face, is Theo. My heart soars with happiness just at the mere sight of him. “Oh my God, Theo,” I say as I quickly wrap my arms around him and bury my head into his chest.
“Hey, Gossy,” he says softly while kissing the top of my head. “This is quite the welcoming.” I look up at him, tears welling in my eyes. “And here I thought for a moment that you were trying to find some distance.”
I shake my head. “Just…just haven’t been able to find the words to tell you that…” I get choked up as the reality of the situation comes to the forefront. “That I failed. I’m embarrassed and just…I’m sorry.”
He tilts my chin up. “Why are you sorry?”
“Because after everything you helped me with, everything you’ve done, I won’t be able to open the candy shop, and it just seems like I wasted your time.”
“What are you talking about, not being able to open the candy shop?” He spins me around and faces me toward the shop, where there are stacks upon stacks of candy boxes filling every single shelf and all the counter space. From gummies, to lollipops, to chocolate bars, to gum, to jelly beans. It’s all there, everything I’ve envisioned, even rolls of stickers. “The way I see it,” he says, whispering in my ear, “we have some unpacking to do.”
