“What are you going to do?” Briella asked and I could only shake my head. I didn’t have the slightest idea of what to do or how to approach the topic with Willow. I feared she would shut down and ignore it all, or worse, push me away.
“I don’t know, but I’ll come up with a plan. I can’t let her go.”
“Well, you know that I’ll do whatever I can to help convince her to stay. I may have been skeptical at first, but she really proved herself to me.”
I wasn’t sure of my next move, but I knew that if I wanted Willow to stay here in Carson with me I was going to have to make a huge romantic gesture, even if it meant putting it all on the line.
The string of lights glistened in the dimly lit room as they hang from the ceiling. Somehow Willow had been able to turn the large barn-like building into a fairy-like dream. String lights hung from every surface, casting the room in a romantic glow. White roses were standing tall on every available surface and the crystal vases glimmered in the soft glow.
It reminded me of a wedding reception, one that I secretly envisioned as Willow’s picture-perfect fairytale. But she had insisted that the mayor had chosen the set up himself. He seemed more like a rugged lumberjack kind of guy, but I could understand that he would have a softer side.
In the corner, the band set up their equipment. They were popular in the bluegrass circuit and even Willow seemed excited to hear them perform. I was surprised that they hadn’t tried to get the members of Exoneration to perform since two of the members lived in the town of Carson, but Briella had explained that the men wanted to enjoy the night with their wives.
I had asked Willow if I could escort her to the event this evening, but she had declined claiming that she was spending most of the day setting up the event and would change there. I had been disappointed, but understood.
Arriving earlier than expected, I walked into the event wearing a pair of gray dress pants and a blue button-down shirt. I assumed the rest of the locals would arrive in casual attire as the event had directed, but I planned on making a speech of sorts later. One that could change everything for me.
From the corner of my eye, I watched as a swatch of blonde waves ducked behind a table and then repeated the motion further down the buffet line. Immediately I made my way in her direction.
“Hey. Can I help with anything?” I asked. I must have frightened her because the table jerked as if she had smacked her head on the surface. I rushed around the table to find Willow crouched down, holding the top of her head. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“That’s okay. I was sort of in the zone.” She peered up at me and that smile that I had grown to love blossomed on her lips. “You look handsome.”
“Thank you. We have about thirty minutes before people start arriving. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Shit! I need to get ready, but there is still so much to do,” she said as she grabbed a clipboard and began mumbling to herself.
“Here,” I said as I took the clipboard from her grasp. “Let me handle these things while you go get ready.”
“But I. . .”
“I can handle it, Willow. Trust me.”
Those words meant more than just allowing me to finish her tasks for her. They were said with an air of finality that I hope she understood.
“Okay. Just check the items off on the list. I know you can handle it; I’m just a little stressed out. I want it to be perfect for you.”
“I have no doubts that this is already perfect,” I told her as I reached forward and rested my free hand on her cheek. I wasn’t referring to the event but to what the two of us had together. I just hoped that she’d be able to see the future the way that I could.
Without a word, she leaned forward and pressed a heated kiss against my lips. We had been careful not to show any public displays of affection around the other employees, but I was confident they were all aware. Even CJ had reigned in his flirting with Willow after the first week.
“Thank you. I’ll be right back.”
I watched her retreat to the back office area, where she must have placed her things just as Briella walked over to me.
“Are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. What did you find out about the jobs?” I asked.
“Nothing. She was super tight-lipped about it even when I questioned the reference request.”
“Hm. . .” I mumbled and glanced down at Willow’s list. I was half tempted to add one more check box – stay in Carson with Eric.
The event was in full swing and was as successful as any grand opening I’d had. Willow had done an amazing job and things had been going flawlessly.
She had stayed by my side when she returned from the back room wearing a champagne-colored silk slip dress that ended mid-thigh. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to focus on her long legs, narrow exposed shoulders, or her backside, where the dress fell in a cascade of silk. She was absolutely stunning and I made sure to tell her that every time she glanced my way.
“I have to go make a speech thanking everyone. Wait for me here?” I asked though I could tell that Willow took it as a demand and rolled her eyes. “Please?” I added for good measure.
“I’ll be here. I need to talk to you about something anyway.”
My heart sputtered to a stop at her statement. Had she decided to move back to Boston without letting me know or discussing it? Was I too late to ask her to stay with me?
I didn’t have a chance to contemplate any longer as the band's singer called me to the stage. My legs moved on autopilot as the crowd parted for me. I’d had the speech memorized since earlier in the week, but now everything was a blur of letters in my mind.
Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes as I walked onto the stage and begged my heart to slow down so that I could focus. This speech was just as important to me as it was to the town and I needed it to go off without a hitch.
“I’m Eric Sanford and I want to thank you all for supporting our grand opening here at Golden Mountain Vineyards. I have had the chance to meet with most of you personally and I can say without a doubt that you all are the reason we decided to settle in this town.
“I happened upon Carson by accident, really. A charity event being held in New York had a particular designer describing her hometown and I knew that Carson was where I wanted to set up shop for our winery. It took a lot of convincing of my business partner, but I can say that this was one of the best decisions we’ve made on both of our behalves.
“You all have opened your arms to our team, with whom none of this would be possible and us. Everyone from our managers to the maintenance and dining workers has made this venture one of our best yet. I’d like to give a round of applause to all of the employees here at Golden Mountain Vineyards.”
While the applause and cheering erupted in the room, I glanced across the way to find Willow standing in the middle of the floor where I had left her. She smiled at a few of the workers that were standing close by, not noticing that my stare was on her.
“Finally, tonight’s event wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our intern and, I hope, newest employee, Willow Ward.” Even from my vantage point, I could see her cheeks redden in embarrassment as the crowd around her patted her back or waved in her direction.