Celebrate in Good Hope (Good Hope #22)

Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Spotlight played to a packed house.

Boone knew that because he could see the entire theater from the sound booth. Besides his one quick scan of the audience, he focused on making sure the audience clearly heard all dialogue and effects and that all sound elements were seamlessly integrated with the lighting and special effects.

While the dress rehearsal had gone smoothly and without incident, electricity sizzled in the air tonight. Perhaps it was because the theater seats were filled with Gladys’s family and friends, all here to pay tribute to an amazing woman who’d been a part of their lives for so long.

But even if the audience hadn’t been friendly and inclined to like whatever was presented, Spotlight was simply a fantastic production.

When the curtain closed, Boone wanted to stand up with the audience and add his applause and cheers. But he stayed put until Roe poked her head into the sound booth.

Her cheeks were flushed pink, and happiness danced in her hazel eyes. “Come with me. We don’t have seats, but we can stand in the back. Gladys should be making her speech any second. ”

“Thanks to your efforts, the production was top-notch, Roe.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “Congratulations.”

“It was a joint effort,” she said, although he could tell his words had pleased her. “Everyone stepped up, and it was amazing.”

The New Year’s Eve production and after-party—or as most referred to it, Gladys’s Birthday Bash—was a semiformal affair, with most men in suits and the women in pretty dresses.

Boone had removed his suit jacket while working in the booth, but he slipped it on when he strolled with Roe to stand at the back of the theater to wait for Gladys to appear onstage.

Still dressed in the purple and silver caftan she’d worn during her last scene, complete with a huge peacock feather in her hair, Gladys strode to the center of the stage, holding a flute of champagne.

For nearly a minute, thunderous applause erupted, stopping only when Gladys motioned for quiet.

“Good evening, everyone. First and foremost, I want to thank each of you for being here to celebrate this special day with me. Turning one hundred is a milestone I never imagined reaching, and I am overwhelmed to be surrounded by so much love and friendship.”

Gladys’s gaze scanned the audience as if she wanted to let each person know she was aware of their presence and appreciated them showing up.

“As I look back on my life, I am filled with countless memories of joy, laughter and even a few tears. Please know I never meant to make any of you cry.”

Laughter rippled through the audience like a rolling wave.

“From my childhood days picking thimbleberries and running barefoot in the countryside, to the many adventures I’ve had with friends and family, I’ve considered every moment a gift.”

Boone wondered if Roe was familiar with thimbleberries. He pushed the question from his mind and refocused on Gladys’s speech.

“I am grateful for my family, who surprised me by making the trip to Good Hope to celebrate with me today. To my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, you are my legacy, and I love you more than words can say.”

Once again, Gladys’s keen-eyed gaze swept the audience.

“All of you here today are my friends. You were invited to this momentous occasion because you have been a special part of my life. Two such friends have been my rock for more years than I can count. Ruby Rakes and Katherine Spencer, you have brought joy into my world. Life wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without you in it.”

From where he stood, Boone had a good view of both women. He watched them smile broadly through their tears.

“Life has taught me many lessons, but perhaps the most important one is to cherish each moment and never take anything for granted.”

Nods could be seen throughout the audience.

“To the younger generation here today…” Gladys paused, and it seemed to Boone that her gaze settled on the Brody boys, or maybe on Brynn Chapin, who was seated next to them. “I encourage you to follow your dreams, be kind and always remember the importance of love and family.”

A smattering of applause broke out, but Gladys wasn’t finished. “Thank you for all being part of my journey. Earlier today, my dear friend Ruby compared me to a crow.”

Gladys waited for the laughter to subside before continuing. “She explained that crows are very social and loyal. Just like us, they have lifelong friends. So, they’re not simply smart, they’re very lucky. All of us in this room are lucky. We have each other, and we will create more beautiful memories together tonight.”

Gladys held her flute of champagne high. “Cheers to life, love and many more happy days ahead!”

Roe walked into the theater lobby and saw that during the performance, it had been transformed into a Travel Through the Decades party atmosphere. Beginning in the Roaring Twenties and continuing to the present, signs had been created for each decade, highlighting key events in Gladys’s life.

A photo booth with props and backgrounds from each decade appeared to be a hit with the younger guests, while the most popular drink from each decade drew the over-twenty-one crowd.

Gladys, Roe observed, was in her element, laughing and talking with family and friends.

Boone had told her he’d be the designated driver tonight, and he’d chosen a Gin Rickey for his one drink before switching to soda. Roe had never heard of it, but the bartender told them it contained cognac, orange liqueur and lemon juice.

Roe went with a Harvey Wallbanger from the 1950s. She liked vodka, and she drank orange juice every morning. She wasn’t sure about the Galliano, but she loved the taste of licorice and found the three ingredients came together in a pleasing combination.

Drinks in hand, they’d gone only a few feet before they ran into Ami and Beck.

“Fabulous job.” Ami hugged her, then smiled at Boone. “The sound was fantastic.”

Boone placed a hand on Roe’s shoulder. “Roe kept us all on track.”

“My sister told me about the job offer.” When Roe opened her mouth, Ami rushed on. “I know you haven’t given Gladys and Fin your answer, but if you do end up choosing Good Hope, I host a monthly book club. If you like to read?—”

“I love to read,” Roe said.

“Well, if you stay, I’d love to have you come and check us out.” Ami smiled. “It’s a great way to get acquainted. We read all kinds of popular fiction, from romance to space opera.”

Roe slanted a sideways glance at Boone, but his expression remained placid. She didn’t mention his writing. He talked to her about his book, and she loved the plot, but as far as she knew, he hadn’t spoken of his efforts to anyone else.

“Thank you for thinking of me.” Roe hesitated. “I’d love to participate, but even if I stay, it will likely be a while before I visit your group. Dakota’s wedding is in February, and after that, I would need to find a place to live.”

“We have an empty apartment above the bakery,” Beck advised. “It’s a one-bedroom and on the small side?—”

“It’s super cute,” Ami added, then laughed. “I told myself I wouldn’t push, and here I am pushing. We can discuss housing options after the holiday once you decide to stay.”

Ami flashed her a cheeky smile.

Roe only laughed.

Once Ami and Beck strolled off, Roe turned to Boone, who was now speaking with Gladys’s son, Frank.

It didn’t take Roe long to conclude that the older gentleman was a football fan with strong opinions.

Though she knew Boone didn’t mind talking the sport with fans, when Frank mentioned a call the Grizzlies head coach had made in a game earlier in the season that Frank thought was “beyond stupid,” Roe knew it was time to intervene.

She’d met Frank earlier and offered him a warm smile as she slipped her arm around Boone’s. When Frank paused to breathe after explaining another instance where, in his opinion, the coach had made the wrong call, Roe jumped into the momentary silence.

“I hope you don’t mind if I steal this guy away.” Roe gestured to the photo booth. “I’d like to grab some photos with him. For the first time tonight, there isn’t a line. ”

Frank, a genial fellow despite his strong opinions, waved a hand. “Not at all. Boone and I can catch up later.”

“Thanks for the save,” Boone said in a low tone.

“You’re welcome.”

“Where are we going?” Boone asked as she kept walking.

“To the photo booth.” Roe smiled. “I was thinking we should go for a 1920s look. What do you think?”

Boone had to admit that the fedora and fake mustache he put on added to the fun. Roe had gone with long strands of faux pearls draped around her neck and an elegant fan in her hand. The background of a speakeasy bar completed the picture.

They received a photo strip of four images. Boone took two strips of paper from the table, stuffing one into his pocket with the address of a digital gallery where they could view the rest of their images online.

By the time they left the booth, there was a line again.

“Do you want to dance?” he asked Roe.

As there wasn’t room in the theater lobby for dancing, once the performance had ended, the crew had gone to work transforming the stage. It had been turned into a dance floor with pedestals sporting gold lanterns wrapped in garlands of roses, baby’s breath and ivy. Rose petals were scattered around the pedestals, which formed a perimeter to ensure no one got close enough to the edge to fall into the orchestra pit.

The band members, who’d played during the show, remained in the pit, covering all eras with tunes designed to bring both young and old to the dance floor.

When the era shifted from early-2000s pop and hip-hop music to the 1930s big band era, Boone smiled as Roe stepped into his arms. He liked feeling her soft curves against his body and smelling the clean, fresh fragrance of her shampoo .

“This is nice,” she said, twining her fingers through his hair.

“You like my hair longer?” Boone hadn’t bothered with a haircut since leaving Denver.

“Yes.” She gave a little laugh. “I do like it longer. The feel of its silky softness against my cheek is…nice. But I was referring to all of this.”

Leaning back in his arms, she glanced around the stage, at the string lights hung overhead that created a soft, magical glow and at the projector casting images of couples dancing during the various eras on the walls.

“It’s got a good vibe,” he conceded. “The stage crew did a bang-up job.”

“It’s not just the setting,” She brushed her lips just under his jawline. “It’s being with you.”

Boone tightened his grip on her, trying to ignore the ache in his heart. How much longer would she be his?

At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to head home and show her how much she meant to him.

Bending his head, he put his lips close to her ear. “Come home with me?”

He felt her lips curve against his cheek even before she spoke. “You read my mind.”

Roe woke up the following day to find Boone fast asleep beside her. Their lovemaking last night had been fast and furious, as if they’d both wanted to wring out every last ounce of pleasure before they called it a night.

Or maybe, Roe thought, before it all ended.

Cuddled beside Boone’s warm body, Roe let her mind drift over the past twenty-four hours—the offer from Wonder in Texas, then another offer from Gladys and Fin.

Move in the direction of your dreams .

Those seven words, printed on a strip of paper nestled inside a tiny envelope that, according to Gladys, was “meant for her,” circled in her head.

The two viable offers she’d received had brought her to this crossroads. Wonder was a large children’s theater. The salary and benefits put their offer in a class by itself. In Good Hope, she would direct both children and adult productions. The variety would be a definite plus, though the salary wasn’t close to what Wonder had offered.

The question was, which would get her closer to her dreams—dreams that included putting down roots, building friendships and having a well-rounded life?

What Gladys had said in her speech about creating beautiful memories had stuck with her. Roe couldn’t do that if she kept moving every couple of years. While the Good Hope theater position might not pay as well, this was a community where she could put down roots.

It was a place where she could attend a book club with friends, sit at a waterfront bar and listen to music and eventually buy a house and plant a garden.

Perhaps even marry a man she couldn’t wait to come home to at night, a man who made her feel cherished and special.

Her heart lurched as she glanced at the man sleeping peacefully beside her. Boone was the one she loved, the one who made her feel cherished, the one she couldn’t wait to come home to at night.

This time, it wouldn’t be her moving on, but him. He would return to Denver soon, and she would likely never see him again.

Tears slipped down Roe’s cheeks. Brushing them away with her fingers, she pulled the covers up and lay down beside Boone. She held him close, desperately wishing she never had to let go.

Boone loaded his suitcase into the truck and turned back to Roe. He offered her a slight smile.

It took everything in Roe to smile back. She held up a to-go cup and a bakery sack. “I just put in fresh coffee for you, and these pastries are from Blooms.”

When he had gone to the gym for one last workout before leaving town, Roe had driven to the bakery, wanting to do something special for him on his last day in Good Hope.

“Thank you.” He took the sack and cup from her fingers, his gaze never leaving her face. “This isn’t good-bye. Or, at least, not forever.”

How many times had she said those words just before her family had gotten into a car or on a plane and left a place that had been their home?

There were too many to count. Each time, it had been forever.

“I don’t want to leave you, Roe.” He set the cup and sack down, then pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want to go.”

Then don’t . The words had nearly left Roe’s mouth before she pulled them back. His contract and obligations to the team made it complicated. He had to return to Denver.

“This won’t be the last time we’re together. We’ll find a way. I’ll find a way for us to be together.” He kissed the top of her head. “I promise.”

He drove away under a sky the color of dull putty. That was okay with Roe. The gray fit her mood.

Roe wanted to believe he’d be back, but she feared this would be the last time she saw him.

Standing on the porch, she waved, watching until his taillights disappeared from view before going back into a house that had once felt like a home.