Finding Love in Ivy Falls

Chapter Forty-One

TESSA

Speechless

I pressed a hand against my kiss-swollen lips. At any other time I would have been embarrassed to face the residents of Ivy Falls, but I no longer cared about what people thought. I’d spent too much of my life trying to be a mediator, calm uncomfortable situations, so I’d never really learned to battle for what I wanted. To tell the people I loved when I needed space to learn things on my own.

Billy returning to town had been a nightmare, but it’d also taught me that I was tired of operating from a place of fear. That if I wanted to have a happy and fulfilling life, I’d have to take control of my future. That began now with welcoming the entire town to my new and improved store.

Moving to the coffee bar, I pulled out a mug and admired the P&P logo etched against its center. I clanged the glass with a fork and drew everyone’s attention. My head started to spin until I thought of Mom. How she would have loved every moment of this. How her beloved store had once again become the gathering spot for all of Ivy Falls.

‘Thank you for joining me and my family tonight to celebrate the opening of the Pen & Prose’s new coffee bar.’

The room exploded in applause.

‘Like a doting parent, this community has always wrapped me in love and support. Been there for me in good times. Surrounded me during the bad.’ I took a thick gulp over the growing knot in my throat. ‘My hope with this new venture is that all of you will come here when you need a little peace and quiet. That once you’re in the door, you can shut out the world for a while and get lost in a good story.’

Dad gave me a loving smile, and Torran kept nodding along with my speech.

‘And,’ I laughed, ‘maybe buy a book or two and a really good espresso.’ The crowd chuckled along with me. ‘My point is that tonight, and, well, every single day, Ivy Falls makes me feel cherished. That is all because of the people who fill this community. No words will ever be able to express how grateful I am to have each one of you in my life.’

From the back of the crowd, Mrs Vanderpool, Isabel, and even Silvio dabbed at their eyes.

‘I’d like to ask Manny and our girls, Iris, Rose, and Louisa, to join me.’

The girls did a happy little dance as they pulled Manny up to the bar. His loving smile lit up every inch of my skin.

‘Let’s all try to hold the scissors together and make one big cut,’ I said.

My loves, my family, put their hands on top of mine and together with a firm snip the yellow ribbon strung across the front of the bar sliced in two.

A loud cheer shook the room. The girls hugged my waist as Manny pressed a kiss to the top of my head.

Barb and Susan brought out more treats. After a long discussion, we’d decided to start selling a specialty coffee cake, German chocolate brownies and raspberry scones. As partners, we’d agreed to talk every few weeks about what customers were buying. Go over any new items they might want to concoct for the store.

Manny stayed next to me as we tried several varieties of coffee and tea. Piper worked side by side with Penny, filling each and every request with a smile.

‘Hey, Piper,’ I called over the counter. ‘When you’re not working at Sugar Rush, do you think you might want to manage the coffee bar?’

Her big brown eyes went wide. ‘Um, yes!’ She hesitated. ‘But are you sure you want to trust me?’

I leaned over the bar and squeezed her hand. ‘There’s no one I’d trust more.’

‘Then I accept if Barb and Susan agree.’

‘We do.’ They stood behind us, holding hands. Like me, they saw so much potential in Piper.

Manny pulled me in close, pressed his warm mouth next to my ear, sending delicious shivers through my body. ‘Congratulations! If the turnout tonight is any indication, the coffee bar is going to be a success.’

I spun around and pressed my cheek against his wide chest. ‘Thank you for believing in this dream. For helping make it happen.’

‘You’re capable of amazing things, Tess. I’m proud I get to stand by your side and watch all the wonderful moments to come.’

Not caring who was watching, I stood on tiptoe and pressed my mouth to his. The kiss lingered for a few minutes until a chorus of giggles made me pull away.

The girls had their arms wrapped around each other’s shoulders. With a satisfied smile, Lou said, ‘We all approve. Does this mean we’ll be sisters?’

‘Let’s just say we are going back to our regular routine for now.’ Manny’s wide smile brightened the entire room.

Lou beamed, but a puzzled look crossed the girls’ faces.

‘What about Daddy?’ Iris asked.

My heart tugged, and I bent down to look both of my babies in the eye. ‘We’ll have to talk about that later. Right now, I want you all to go play and have fun.’

Lou, as if she understood the seriousness in my voice, took each of the girls’ hands.

‘Why don’t we read that new book called Nerdy Corn . It looked fun.’

My girls nodded and let Lou lead them away.

‘Damn Billy,’ I whispered under my breath.

‘Hey.’ Manny tilted my chin toward him. ‘It’ll be hard for a little bit. But we will give them all the love we have until the sting of him being gone becomes a distant memory.’

I pulled him in closer and gave him another kiss. He held on to me as the frenzy in the store continued around us.

‘I have something to say, and I want you to hear me out before you argue.’

He inched back and gave me a puzzled stare.

‘ Meet Me in Ivy Falls is an important show. You and Torran together are what make it special. If you go back to the network, make your demands firm, I bet they’ll cave in an instant.’

His lips twitched. ‘They already did. Lauren said I could pretty much write my own terms.’

The relief in his voice, the heat of his breath against the tender skin on my neck, made my body go electric. I laid a gentle kiss against his lips. Here and now it was mostly chaste, but when we were alone it was definitely going to be a four-alarm fire.

The party continued around us. Barb and Susan doled out their sweet treats while the hiss of the espresso machine filled the room. I leaned back against Manny and took in the scene. For the first time in months, there was a looseness to my shoulders. A boulder the size of a house no longer sat on my chest. The warmth filling my body was peace, and I was going to hold on to it for as long as possible.

Piper called us back to the bar, handing me my favorite Colombian dark roast, when a quick little scream, followed by a boisterous laugh, filled the room. Piper’s eyes lit up, and she swapped a weighted look with Pete, who stood talking to Ferris a few feet away.

‘What’s that all about?’ Manny said.

Like a wave, the room shifted toward a back corner of the children’s area, and we followed the crowd. Small whispers began to rise as Manny and I turned a corner to the long wall of windows where we kept the picture books. A gasp filled my throat, and Manny clutched my hand.

Beck was down on one knee. A blue velvet box sat in the palm of his hand. My sister stood as still as a statue.

‘Torran Elizabeth Wright, I’ve loved you ever since the day your mother brought me to this spot, and I saw you sitting in a patch of sunlight looking like a real-life angel. Our road over the last years has been rough, but a while ago I promised I’d do everything in my power to make a good life for us. To show you that my love is eternal. This is the next step in proving to you that whatever the world throws at us, we can get through it if we’re together.’

For the first time in my life, I watched my big sister become speechless. The only sign that she was still breathing was the rough rise and fall of her chest.

‘To some it may be a silly, old-fashioned tradition, but I know you’ve been through a lot, so I not only asked your father for his blessing, but I went to the cemetery and spoke to your mom too.’

Barb and Susan sniffled next to me. Manny handed me a napkin to wipe away my own tears.

‘Will you do me the great honor of becoming my partner in this life?’

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it. Beck Townsend had rendered most of the town silent. Mrs Vanderpool clutched Baby to her chest. Isabel held on to my father’s shaky hand. Piper swiped at her cheeks as Pete patted her shoulder. Manny slid his arm around my waist and held on for dear life.

‘Well, are you gonna answer him?’ Rosie propped her hands on her hips and tapped her toe, clearly frustrated with her aunt’s silence.

Torran blinked several times. I moved to comfort her, but Manny held me back.

‘Wait,’ he whispered.

It hurt to see her stand there alone. To know that in this moment she would have looked to our mom for strength.

Torran slid down to her knees and placed her hands against Beck’s cheeks. Ever so quietly, the quietest I’ve ever heard her speak in my life, she replied, ‘I love you with all my heart, Beck Townsend. Yes, I will be your partner in this life.’

The crowd cheered so loudly the windows shook. Rose, Iris and Lou beelined in their direction and knocked them over in a hug. Everyone laughed and went to congratulate the couple once they’d managed to extricate themselves from the pile of girls strewn across the top of them.

Manny pulled me away from the scene and into the aisle where everything had changed for us.

‘Did you know?’ I asked.

He shook his head. ‘I guess that explains why he’s been distracted and secretive lately.’

‘Are you upset he didn’t tell you beforehand?’

‘Are you?’ he volleyed back.

‘No,’ I laughed. ‘I’m not sure I could have kept my mouth shut.’

‘It’s a credit to Beck. He knows when it comes to Torran, neither of us can keep a secret.’

‘You are a good man, Manchester Parks,’ I said, tugging him toward me until we were hip to hip.

‘As long as you think so, that’s all that matters to me.’ He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, and I slid my arms around his neck.

It’d taken me so long to figure out what I needed. What I had to sacrifice to keep my girls happy. Manny had been there for the entire ride, never wavering. Never failing me.

‘What are you thinking?’ he asked.

‘That I’m going to have to tell Dad and Torran about Billy, and there will be a round of “I told you so”.’

‘I think they might surprise you. The good thing is he’s gone now, and if he’s smart, he’ll never be back.’ His thick arms circled me tighter, and I sank into his warmth.

‘I hope this party is over soon.’

He lifted a thick eyebrow. ‘And why is that?’

‘Because there are many more places in this store that have soft rugs.’

That devious grin of his was going to be my undoing. ‘Yep. We should make it our mission to test them all.’

At first, I’d been afraid of what would happen to us if we admitted how we truly felt, but now I couldn’t imagine anything but having our lives completely intertwined.

Manny gave me a tender look. The light in his eyes spoke of days, months, years, and I wanted them all.