“This new job is just for you and me, love, but I think you’ll love it.” He pulled out a slip of paper from his back pocket and placed it on the table in front of her.
It was a picture of Main Street, printed on letter paper with the wordsoldwritten in big, red, bold letters across it.
“What is this?” she whispered.
“It’s a bookstore we will open together,” he explained. “Nora’s Nook.”
Her eyes went wide. “A bookstore?”
He beamed at her. “Yup. A bookstore. The first Ledger-Hayes business in Half Moon Key. Maybe the last, maybe not.”
“We have the cabin,” she pointed out.
He laughed. “We have the rental cabin, yeah. I guess that makes two businesses we own and operate together.”
“Wow, this is …”
“That money we were hoping to give you for college?” Cassie said. “We gave it to Jack for this.”
Tears welled in both women’s eyes.
“Oh, Cassie.” Nora embraced her sister. “Thanks for not being a homicidal psycho.”
Confused, Cassie laughed. “Anytime. I love you, sis.”
“Love you too.”
“Just think,” Cassie’s tone was teasing. “Now, you can be as quiet as you like in your nook. You can read as much as you want, and no one will say a damn thing.”
Nora hugged Jack before kissing him softly. “Thank you,” she whispered. “This is more than a dream come true. I never thought I would have this life, but I do.”
“You do,” Jack agreed. “Maybe you should practice saying I do, by the way.” He leaned over her and whispered into her ear, “Later tonight, when it’s just you and me and a tub of mango tornado, I am gonna ask you to marry me.”
She laughed, her eyes full of love and hope. She was his future, and he was hers.
“I am definitely going to say yes.”
The End