“Thank god. Text me the schedule and I’ll pick you up.”
“Just you,” I said, though I wouldn’t mind if Brady climbed out of his supposed death bed and came along.
“Just me,” he repeated. “And this time, I’m not lying.”
“Good,” I said. “Because you suck at it. See you tomorrow.
My plan was to walk directly from the train platform in Elburn to Cole’s pickup truck. But instead, I walked directly into Cole’s arms.
His hug nearly overwhelmed me. It felt so damn good to be in his arms. I blinked back tears before just giving in and burying my head against his broad chest.
He patted my back and stroked my hair as I clung to him. “It’s okay,” he said in a soft voice as he held me.
Finally, I took a step back. Cole took my bag and hoisted it into the back of the truck. Then he picked me up just as easily and set me on the seat on the passenger side.
“How’s Brady?'' I asked after he climbed in on his side. “Has he recovered from his mysterious illness?”
“Oddly enough, he has. He wanted to be here, but he’s cooking up a storm. His friend Sandy and a few other people from the diner are helping.”
“How many people are you expecting?”
“Over fifty RSVP’d.” He sounded rather astonished at the fact. “And we’re already fully booked for one of the upcoming weekends. Thanks for putting in a good word for us with your audience.”
I’d put in several good words—full sentences, even. For the inn, and for him and Brady. I hadn’t mentioned Gideon to my audience since the last time I laid eyes on him.
Cole filled me in on some of the other changes as we drove toward the inn. I already knew a lot of it since I’d created and maintained their website. But I still liked hearing him talk about everything, maybe because I’d missed him and his cousin so much.
As we passed through Donovan’s Mill, Cole looked over at me and grinned. “Text Brady that you’re coming.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t he busy cooking?”
“Yeah, but just text him. Please?”
I didn’t see the point when we’d be there in minutes, but I did it anyway. There was no reply.
As we rounded one last bend, I sat up in the passenger seat, eager for my first glimpse of the inn in quite some time, but there were so many cars around it looked more like a parking lot than the little inn that could.
But Cole bypassed the mass of cars and drove over the grass, parking behind the garage. A figure stood there, one that had me scrambling for the door handle before the truck had even fully stopped.
“Brady!” I jumped out of the cab of the truck and then flew into his arms.
“There’s my girl,” he whispered in my ear as he held me tight.
All I wanted to do was to take these two men by the hand, lead them away, and spend the rest of the night by their sides, but I knew this was their big moment. They’d worked hard to get the inn to this point, and they were needed inside.
And so was I.
From the moment I stepped inside the familiar lounge, there was so much to do that I didn’t even have time to be sad for the time apart from my guys. I served appetizers. Talked up the various packages the inn offered. Emptied trash cans and cleared away dishes. I even showed one little girl who’d come with her parents how to play MouseTrap.
And in all that time, I never saw Gideon. Sandy mentioned that he was downstairs serving drinks at the bar, which was news that suited me just fine. I could stay upstairs, and he could stay downstairs.
Until Brady came up to me with worry on his face. “We’re almost out of red wine.”
I grinned at the concern on his earnest face. “People can have white even if doesn’t go with the food you made.”
“We’re almost out of all wine, I should have said. Can you please go down in the basement and get some?”
“To the bar?” I asked, horrified.