Page 29 of Wilde Ride

“Wow, this is a great space!” Levi enthused as he walked into the large room. It held rows of tables and was decorated in the same speakeasy theme as the perfumery. “And she rents this space out?”

Clearing my throat, I nodded. “Yes, for private parties and such. I hosted a girls’ night when Lilibeth first opened to introduce everyone to the place and help promote her business. It’s been a hit since. Lilibeth said she even has people from surrounding towns book for birthday and bachelorette parties.”

Levi smiled. “With the store below and this space above, I can see why she’s doing good. She didn’t limit it just to perfumery and candle-making. She made the store a home-goods type business with a little bit of something for everyone. Smart decision.”

I smiled. “Did you go to vet school or business school?”

Laughing, he shook his head. “How did you and Lilibeth meet?”

“My mother knows her mom. She helped her get settled here in River Falls, along with your mom and our dads. My father told me about Lilibeth opening Wonderland Whimsy, and I was curious. We met and hit it off. She actually met Ensley first.”

“Really?” Levi said as he walked over to the windows that looked out over Main Street. “This is a great spot for the store.”

Nodding, I replied, “She’s always busy.”

“I’m not surprised,” he said, leaning against the windowsill and folding his arms across his chest. “Brooke would have loved this, especially the Alice in Wonderland theme.”

“She liked Alice in Wonderland?” I asked as I sat on one of the chairs.

“It was one of her favorites.”

I didn’t say anything, mostly because I didn’t know what to say. I chewed on my lower lip and gazed around the room. When Levi finally spoke, I jumped a little.

“I should probably get you back to the ranch. I’ve taken up way too much of your time.”

I stood, then pushed the chair back into place. “Yeah, I should check on Aurora. I’m sorry you didn’t get to talk to Lilibeth.”

Levi’s brow furrowed before he said, “I just wanted to see the store, not talk to Lilibeth again.”

“Oh, okay, well…did you want to walk around the store a little more before we leave?”

He shook his head before he motioned for me to go down the steps first, then followed.

Moreen walked up and smiled. “I’d say Lilibeth won’t be long, but she’s booked for an hour.”

“It’s okay, we saw her over at the café. Just let her know we stopped by so I could show Levi the store. I’ll see her later tonight.”

“Tonight? Do you guys have plans?” Moreen asked, a hint of surprise in her voice.

“It’s mainly just a business meeting to talk about when she’s going to come teach the classes for camp.”

“Ah, that makes sense.” The bell above the door rang, and Moreen quickly excused herself and greeted the customers.

“I see you two are still the bestest of friends,” Levi mused.

“We are. Moreen is my ride-or-die.”

“What about Kate? Is she still in River Falls?”

“No, she moved to New York. She’s done a few Broadway shows there.”

Levi’s brows rose. “Wow! That is impressive.”

I nodded. “Yeah. She’s really happy.”

“I thought Moreen wanted to open up a coffee shop or something like that.”

“Bakery. I think it’s still one of her dreams.”