Page 82 of A Vine Mess
“Fanny wants to retire,” I said, returning to the whole point of this conversation. “Her kids live in Arizona, and she wants to move south to be near them and her grandkids. So I can buy it if I want. The building. The entire business.”
“And do you? Want to, I mean.”
“If you would’ve asked me three weeks ago, or even three days ago, the answer would’ve been a resoundingno. But now? After all this?” I waved my arm at the vast expanse of endless blue sky and the tall, country grasses swaying around our legs. “Now, I want it so badly I can barely breathe.”
Liam stepped closer to me and dipped his head, planting a featherlight but lingering kiss on my lips, whispering, “So take it.”
“What?” I asked dumbly, pulling away to look quizzically at him.
“Take it,” he said again, the corners of his eyes crinkling in a smile. “What are you waiting for? You don’t need someone to hold your hand, or give you permission. If you want to buy the business,buy it.”
He was right, of course. WhatwasI waiting for? In the last week and a half, since we’d embarked on this trip, the fear that gripped me whenever I considered my future had vanished, leaving only a sense of purpose in its wake.
And that purpose was Blossom’s.
Without another word to Liam, I withdrew my phone from my dress pocket and dialed Fanny.
“Hello, dear!” she said brightly upon answering. “How’s yourtrip?”
“It’s been amazing,” I breathed, a smile tipping up my lips as I stole a glance at Liam. He was, after all, largely responsible for my happiness. “Thank you so much for giving me time off to do this.”
Fanny made a dismissive sound. “You deserved a break,” she said. “And nothing heals a broken heart faster than fresh air.”
Liam couldn’t hear Fanny’s end of the conversation, but his eyes remained glued to mine, and the emotion I found there nearly took my breath away.
Yeah, fresh air,I thought.And the quiet, steadfast man staring at me with no small amount of pride shining in his gaze.
“I appreciate you more than you know,” I told her. “But look, there’s a reason I’m calling.”
“Yes?” she asked hopefully.
“I’ll take it. The business, the building. I want to buy it.”
“Oh, Ella!” Fanny crowed. “That’s wonderful news. I just know you’re going to do amazing things here.”
Tears filled my eyes at her belief in me. “Thank you, Fanny. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
She scoffed, ignoring my comment by saying, “We’ll get all the particulars worked out when you get home. Just enjoy the rest of your trip, and we’ll talk soon.”
“Sounds good. Bye, Fanny.”
The sound of a disconnected call rang in my ear, and I barely pulled the phone away from my ear when Liam let out awhoopof excitement and hauled me into his arms, my feet coming off the ground as he spun me around.
“I’m so fucking proud of you,” he said into my hair.
I could do nothing but laugh gleefully as we twirled around in that field, him whispering words of encouragement and praise in my ear.
This, I said to myself.
This is what I should’ve had all along.
This is what I fucking deserved.
And I was going to hold onto it with all my might.
“How excited are you right now?” Liam asked, nodding his chin at the sign that saidWelcome to Dusk Valley.
I shot him a glare, though it was difficult given my grin. I was practically bouncing in my seat, buzzing with excitement over finally being here.
