Page 90 of Falling For You

We had won.

“He didn’t sign?” I repeated, my voice shaking with a mix of disbelief and relief. “Are you sure?”

Dad nodded, draping his arm over my mom’s shoulders. “He called to tell us first. He said he couldn’t go through with it after seeing how the town came together. He realized it wasn’t just about him.”

I blinked, still trying to process the news.

“And there’s more,” Dad added. His smile only grew. “He wants to sell the land to us. At market value.”

We fell silent again.

The weight of his words hung in the air like a gift we hadn’t dared to hope for.

“He’s offering us the land?” Liam asked, his voice filled with awe.

Dad nodded. “He said it’s only right. He knows we won’t be able to offer as much as the developers, but he wants to ensure it stays in the community. He wants it to be part of the lodge’s future.”

Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as the enormity of what had just unfolded finally hit me.

The land was ours.

We wouldn’t lose Honey Leaf Lodge—the legacy my family had worked so hard to preserve—and it was safe.

Not just at this moment, but also four or five years from now.

The nightmare was over.

“We did it,” I whispered, a shaky smile spreading across my face. “We really did it.”

“No,” my mom said, smiling. “You did it, Vi.”

Fifi rushed over to me, pulling me into a tight hug as tears of joy streamed down her face. “I can’t believe it! We’re going to get the land!”

I nodded, feeling the relief spread through us all, but a little seed sprouted inside me, and I realized there was more to the story.

And I intended to find out…

Chapter Twenty-Four

Owen

I stared out the window of my hotel room, but I wasn’t taking any of it in today. The view of Buttercup Lake that once felt calming was now lost on me. I knew what I had to do.

Wait.

I had already made the offer to Vern late last night.

The wheels were in motion, but now I just had to wait for it all to play out.

Seeing the town rally last night and this morning to support Violet’s family made me even prouder of the woman I’d fallen so hard for.

I’d contacted the local news station anonymously last night. Seeing them show up this morning felt like a silent victory, and watching Violet take control was even better.

I may leave Buttercup Lake without Violet, but at least she led me back to who I was, and for that, I would be forever grateful.

“Owen, you’ve completely destroyed this deal!” Martin’s voice barked through the speakerphone. His tone was sharp and filled with fury.

I practically pictured his face, red with anger, and it felt a little gratifying.

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