Page 104 of Meet Me at the Fudge Shop

Frowning, he took it.

Grandma spoke again. “Here’s what I’ve learned in my long life, though. God keeps no accounting of our wrongs. If God keeps no accounting, then who are we to keep one?” She turned her face toward Declan. “You may not agree with your father, but I don’t want to see you running off to Chicago before you’ve talked through your issues.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “But what if he won’t listen? He’s kind of stubborn.”

Dad coughed. Didn’t say anything.

And Grandma laughed. “Yes. You’re a lot like him in that way.” Then she turned to Dad. “And you. You may be fifty-seven years old, but I’m still your mother, and you still have to listen to me.” Her mouth twitched with the announcement. “Your son is not a fool to be in love. If I recall, you were once young and in love. Try to remember what that was like.”

“But—”

“But nothing.” Grandma tutted. “Get past the fact that he’s fallen for a Hart, and ask yourself if your unnecessary hatred of another family outweighs the love you have for your son.”

Dad slumped. Mom did too.

Maybe with a little forgiveness and understanding, they reallycouldget past this…even if—no,when—Declan enacted his plan.

Isaac stood. “Well, this has been fun?—”

“And then there’s you, young man.”

Declan nearly laughed at the way Isaac zipped his lips and plopped back down on the edge of the couch while he listened to Grandma stick it to him straight.

And it wasn’t lost on Declan that perhaps Arnie was right—that his being here hadn’t been a coincidence after all. That there was a bigger purpose to it all.

He might have lost his chance to be with Lily, but he’d still be leaving a changed man.

One who did what was right in God’s eyes, even if everyone else called him a fool.

* * *

Her parents’ kitchen wasn’t as spacious as the fudge shop, but it would have to do.

With hands on her hips, Lily surveyed her working space. Mom’s ice cream maker—which had appeared two nights ago on her doorstep, with a note from Declan that Lily had yet to open—took up nearly one third of the small kitchen island, and her ingredients, bowls, and kitchen tools crowded out the other two.

She flicked open the curtains on the kitchen window to find a bright Saturday morning shining its hope straight into her soul. A breeze rustled the treetops of the tall oaks in Mom and Dad’s backyard, and Lily smiled as she pulled her hair into a ponytail.

Yep. Her heart might still be sore, and there would be hard days ahead, but she had everything she needed right here.

“Morning.” Mom stepped through the front door dressed in her jogging pants and sweatshirt, a baseball cap pulled low over her head. Her cheeks were wind-chapped and red.

“Hi. Did you have a nice walk with Elise?”

“We did.” Mom tugged off her cap and smoothed down a few flyaways. “She told me all about her cruise, and then she talked non-stop about Finn and Maggie, and I told her how much I wish Cody and Mia would hurry up and get married so I’d have grandkids.” Mom froze and blinked at Lily. “Goodness, I’m sorry, honey. That was really insensitive of me.”

“It’s okay, Mom.” Lily grabbed her mixing bowl and started to measure milk into it. “If I can’t have my happy ending, then I’m glad someone else gets theirs. And I also can’t wait to be an auntie. Those kids are awesome.”

“They are that.” Mom approached and kissed Lily’s head, then she turned and tapped the yellow envelope held on the fridge with a years-old Hart Fishing Company magnet. “Have you read it yet?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Shrugging, Lily measured out the sugar. “I don’t know.”

“Okay.” Mom grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, cracking it open and taking a drink. “But you know, maybe it’s an apology.”

“And maybe it’s a goodbye. Maybe it’s a lot of things.” Lily set the measuring cup down, sighing. “It’s dumb, I know, but opening that letter feels like an ending.”

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