Page 110 of Meet Me at the Fudge Shop

“It’s as ready as it’ll ever be.” And there was nothing like cutting it so close. He pulled a phone from his pocket, dialed Asher’s number, told him they were ready, then hung up. “All right, let’s get the ice cream loaded in.”

“Unfortunately, there are quite a few of Lily’s recipes that I don’t know,” Nancy said. “But I was able to sneak some copies of the ones she’d written down.”

“I’m sure it’ll be great,” Mom said.

Nancy smiled at her tentatively. Mom smiled back.

Declan rubbed the spot over his heart, then set to work loading the ice cream containers inside the freezer drawer they’d custom fit for the truck. Finally, it was ready. Nancy and Cody slipped out and headed for the festival. Meanwhile, Asher arrived and started hitching up the horses to the van—a sanctioned way to get the vehicle from one place to the other.

“It looks great, honey.” Mom patted his back. “She’s going to love it.”

“Yeah?” He slipped an arm around her shoulder. “Thanks, Mom. I just wish Dad…”

“Give him time. He’s trying. Just this morning, he saw Randy Hart outside the fudge shop and didn’t outright glare at him. That’s real progress.”

Groaning, Declan shook his head. “A little slow if you ask me.”

“Nobody said change happened quickly. It takes longer than a few weeks for old habits to die. But Lily’s willingness to give Grandma her house went a long way in healing old wounds.” She paused. “Besides, I have a feeling once there’s a wedding on the horizon, he’ll get on board pretty quickly.”

Declan’s eyes widened “How did you know?”

“Oh, don’t insult my intelligence.” Mom tapped her nose. “I can smell these things.”

“These thingsbeing gossip?”

“Now I’m really insulted,” Mom teased. “All right, I’d better get to my booth. I’ll see you over there?”

“Yep, we’ll be there shortly.”

Mom headed out, and then it was just Declan and Asher. The other man stayed mostly silent except when speaking in low murmurs to the horses. Finally, he turned. “Ready?”

Was he? Declan rubbed his hands together. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Declan opened up the livery doors and Asher whistled and flicked the reins from his place on the cart behind the horses. The horses trotted slowly out onto the road, pulling the food truck behind it. The yellow and purple glittery swirls of the wordsLily’s Ice Creamshone and sparkled.

After shutting the livery doors again, Declan jumped on board with Asher and they made their way slowly up the street toward the park, where a banner swept across the entrance welcoming visitors to the Jonathon Island Labor Day Celebration. The clip clop of the horses’ hooves was soon drowned out by the din of voices and upbeat tunes of Coldplay resounding from speakers someone had set up.

Children squealed at the sight of the horses, which Asher expertly maneuvered onto the park’s pathway. Declan hopped off, politely ushering people off the sidewalk so they could make their way toward the opening beside the fudge shop booth—the one Dani had arranged for in advance.

She appeared from the crowd, grinning at him. “Just a little more that way, around the curve, toward the playground. That’s where you’ll find her.” Leaning closer, she grabbed Declan’s arm. “It looks amazing. She’s going to flip.”

“In a good way, I hope.”

“Definitely.”

Asher and Declan slowly led the horses toward the end of the line of booths. They passed Mia’s artwork booth, where she and Cody both flashed huge grins and thumbs-up. When gliding past Patrick’s booth, Declan took in the delicious smells of burgers and nachos—and ignored his uncle’s stare. Yet another family member who needed to come around.

Finally, the booth—and the woman—he’d been looking for came into view as they rounded a corner.

Dressed in that same yellow dress she’d worn to the wedding when he’d first started to fall in love with her again, Lily spoke to a mom and young daughter, handing them samples of fudge and laughing at something they’d said.

She was beautiful. Radiant.

As the mom and daughter skipped happily away, Lily glanced up, and even from here, he could hear her gasp. Then she was rounding the booth, sprinting toward him, meeting them halfway. She grabbed Declan’s hand. “What is this?”

“It’s a food truck.”

Asher halted the horses right there in the middle of the path, in front of Jemma’s glassblowing and Grace’s maritime booths.

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