Page 98 of Patio Lanterns

“I think Mrs. C knew it was her time,” Robin said. “When we talked about the party yesterday, she refused to promise that she’d come. And before I left the store, she made sure I’d be back here to finish what I’d started.”

“You may be right,” Rick told her. “She did have that way about her.”

“I swear she could read my mind,” she said, lifting her head. “Do you think somehow she knew I’d be coming back to Lake Whippoorwill before I even got here? Or does that sound completely crazy?”

Rick’s mouth formed a pensive frown. “Anything’s possible. It did seem a bit strange that you were listed as her emergency contact after only a few days,” he said. “Then again, you’ve managed to change my life in less than a week. Now here I am, in the arms of my official girlfriend, which I guess also makes you my official emergency contact.”

“Please, please promise me that you’re not going anywhere.”

“Cross my heart,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Not for a long, long time.”

Smiling, she squeezed him tighter, then loosened her grip and pulled back. “Then I guess this just leaves us to figure out what to do today. Maybe I should open the store for business as usual. You know, at least until people hear about Mrs. C.”

“And what about tomorrow, and the day after that? Crawley’s was open six days a week during peak season.”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead. To be honest, I’ve only been trying to get through this morning,” she said with a sigh. “I wish I knew what I’m supposed to do.”

Rick smiled. “You know, Robin, I really think you could run this place.”

“Me?”

“Why not? You said yourself that the old cash register could be replaced with a POS system. And you have experience in ordering, managing sales and inventory, and working with vendors,” he said. “I mean, you are the Merch Queen.”

“Yeah, but only online and at concert pop-ups. I’ve never actually managed a brick-and-mortar store before.”

“Maybe not, but I’ll bet you already know more than you realize,” he said. “And it isn’t like you’d be doing it alone. Mutt and I will be here with you every single day until we get it figured out, and even then, we’ll stick around as long as you’ll have us. Besides, one of us works for kibble and pepperoni sticks, and the other works for kisses, so you really won’t find cheaper labour this side of Mirror Bay.”

“Really? You’d do that?”

“You know there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said, assuring her with his smile. “Thankfully, you’ve shown me that there’s more to life than chopping wood and cutting grass.”

How did she ever luck into meeting such an amazing guy? Rick was so caring and considerate. He was everything she didn’t even know she wanted until she’d found it.

Robin looked down at her hands, now resting on the back of the wooden chair Mrs. C regularly sat in to enjoy her cup of tea. It was pushed against the table where they’d shared their final and most meaningful moments. The place she’d introduced her to Rosalie Pelletier and reminded Robin that she was the descendent of a long line of audacious fools, from her great-grandmother down to her dad and his infamous blue canoe.

It was the spot where she’d told Robin that she was proud of her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Robin noticed that Mrs. C’s tarot cards had been left face down on the old photo album. Funny, she could’ve sworn that Mrs. C had tucked them back into the pocket of her cardigan. As she picked up the deck, she distinctly heard a familiar whisper.

Think of a question.

Robin smiled to herself, deciding to humour the old gal one last time.

Slowly, she turned over the stack of cards she held in her hand. The Fool was once again staring up at her from the top of the deck. No big shock there.

But what did surprise Robin was that since she’d last seen the card, Mrs. C had written a single-word message across the bottom of it.

Courage.

Epilogue

Since she’d been baptized into Rick’s custom of swimming wild, Robin had become addicted to it.

At first, it played right into her rebellious nature to go streaking, boobs and bits jiggling freely. But the thrill was quickly surpassed by what she experienced the first time she plunged through the surface of the lake into the cool, refreshing depths below. It was as invigorating as it was sensual, not necessarily in a sexual way, although it could rival an orgasmic rush—the surge of energy, the exhilaration as every nerve ending sparked to life, the luxurious feel of the watery current gliding over her naked body, unencumbered by a needless swimsuit.

When she swam alone, she let her mind float freely, a meditation of body and spirit as she relieved stress and reconnected with nature. But when she and Rick shared the intimate experience, it transcended simply swimming naked with her lover to something that felt closer to unfiltered joy, a celebration of love and life itself that deepened their connection.

This was one such night. It had been a warm day, and the sky had turned a dusky lavender, painting the lake a velvety purple. Treading water, Robin gazed at the man she loved, bobbing a few metres away. She smiled to herself, thinking of him swimming wild in the lake, just like the night she first laid eyes on him.

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