Page 68 of Fa-La-La-La Faking It
And the dogs, naturally. Although, they’d stopped paying attention. All four of them had commenced with a game of chase among the flowers.
“I’ve got it.” Belle thrust the bottle at Jace. “We all agreed that you should do the honors. We’ve got another bottle on ice to drink afterward. You know, once you do the thing.”
Jace took the bottle of bubbly and turned it over in his hands. It was from a winery right there in the Hill Country. “Is it time, then?”
“Wait just a sec.” Maple aimed her camera at Jace. “Okay, go ahead.”
Jace cleared his throat, and before he spoke, his eyes found Adaline’s. Her heart rose to her throat as they shared a quiet moment.
Thank you for this, he mouthed.
She blew him a kiss.
There was no need to thank her. Bequeathing the barn to Comfort Paws had been Gus’s idea, not hers. He’d brought it up out of the blue one day in late January, weeks after she’d told him all about her botched attempt at securing a training center for her therapy dog group. Adaline had just been making conversation, peppering Gus with chatter to keep him alert and engaged.
But the idea had taken root. Shortly after he’d announced his intention to leave all his property to Jace to start a new Christmas tree farm from scratch—with the exception of the barn, which he wanted to donate to Comfort Paws—Gus had arranged for a lawyer to come to the senior center so he could make things official.
This was all Gus’s doing, not Adaline’s. Although, admittedly, the ceremony had been her idea. It wasn’t really necessary. But, to the surprise of no one, she might’ve gotten a little carried away.
Jace cleared his throat and aimed the champagne bottle at the side of the barn. “I hereby christen this building as the Gus and Marilyn Martin Memorial Dog Training Center, in loving memory and gratitude for their generous contribution to Comfort Paws and in honor of their mutual love for animals.”
Tears pricked Adaline’s eyes as he drew back the bottle and smashed it against rough red wood. Champagne sprayed in every direction, and her friends cheered so long and loud that she knew they’d have sore throats later. Dogs barked in the distance, and a bunny hopped past her, seeking the cool, damp shade of the barn.
It was springtime in Texas, and that meant one thing in the Hill Country: bluebonnet season. The violet-blue blooms blanketed the land as far as the eye could see, and Adaline couldn’t think of a more beautiful place for a fresh, new beginning.
