‘Regret it? I can’t stop thinking about it.’ Her smile was shy. ‘It was beyond amazing.’
‘But Jake? He’s back?’
‘Jake and I were over long before I came back to Honey Springs. He knows that as well as I do,’ Willow replied. ‘I spoke to him before I came here. He’s not sticking around. He already has bigger plans.’
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, he’s going to head to the Ridge, get a place there so he can do his mountain rescue work. He’ll still be close enough to visit Eric occasionally, but he won’t be here all the time.’ Her eyes sparkled. ‘He didn’t love me, Luc. Not really. Jake just liked the idea of being with someone. That’s all.’
‘And you?’
‘I love it here. I love Honey Springs. I love my matcha wagon and I love being with you,’ she said sweetly. ‘I have everything I want here. It just took me a little time to realize it.’
‘You’re telling me,’ Lucas groaned.
‘I’m not on a rebound, Luc,’ she insisted. ‘I promise you. I’ve just come to realize what I really need.’
‘It’s about damn time!’
She giggled softly and then came over to him, planting herself gently on his lap. Her arms whipped around hisbody. Her lips met his. Warm, soft lips that seemed to blend perfectly against his.
He pulled away. ‘I love you, Willow Davis. Even though you made me wait for far too long.’
‘Some things are worth waiting for,’ she whispered. ‘Now, I don’t know about you – but I need a little warming up. How discreet is this place anyway?’
‘Oh, discreet enough,’ he assured her, pulling her back towards him.
The roar of the waterfall echoed in the distance as their bodies pressed together once again and Lucas, finally, felt what he longed for all these years. Peace.
Part 3
After the Storm
One Year Later
Chapter 35
Willow
Willow stood next to the matcha wagon, the bright spring sunshine warming her bare arms. The line was a particularly long one and she wanted to get a good shot for her socials. Tommy waved at her as he served another new customer. They were getting so busy, on weekends especially; she was able to pay him a decent wage, which was helping him save for college.
Willow studied the photo she had just taken. It was a pretty good one and showed off the bunting that Lucas had looped over the wagon and linked across to The Diner. Strung up on the decorations was a brightly painted sign made by Rachel.
Matcha Mel Day
Because that was what this day was now. A double celebration for Lucas’s mom and the matcha van’s success. They had decided to make a day of it together, or actually, Lucas had.
‘I want our businesses to be more connected,’ he explained. ‘And I think Mom would have loved the matcha wagon and what it represented.’
And he was right. It had worked out so well; the whole town had come out to support them, alongside so many people she didn’t recognize. It was so nice to see Ava and Alice sitting with Eric and giving him time, now that he was in recovery. On another table, Macguire sat with Rachel, deep in conversation as they both studied his laptop. He was helping her try to find an agent apparently. Macguire was always boasting about the contacts he had.
In The Diner, Janice and Lucas were busy serving double helpings of blueberry cheesecake. It complemented Willow’s blueberry bomb iced matchas perfectly.
Willow walked over to the nearest table. Esmae and Sapphire were sitting together quietly talking. Esmae had come here on three vacations with her boyfriend and was already smitten with the place, and Sapphire seemed to be spending most of her weekends visiting the town.
‘What are you two plotting?’ Willow asked with a grin.
Esmae flapped her hand dismissively. ‘Oh, it’s nothing …’
