I point at myself. “Me? No. Why?”
The side door opens, and Rome slides open the side window like you would if someone were ordering food.
“Going into the food truck business, Rome?” I ask.
He shakes his head and bites down his laugh.
Calista jumps down with Dion. “Yay! That was so much fun.” She grabs my hand, dragging me over to the truck.
“Oh my God,” I say.
“Isn’t it great?” Grandma Dori files out with Ethel right behind her. “Thank Rome for his connections. I paid for the paint job. No repayment necessary. It’s just for you being such a great granddaughter.” She pinches my chin.
It’s a food truck, painted in pink with SparkFinder on the side.
“I figured this way you go to them,” Grandma says. “You can travel. Maybe do fairs and stuff.”
I glance back at Colton, who’s covering his mouth to hide his laughter. Grandma Dori is so happy and proud of herself.
“Um… thank you?” I say, opening my arms and hugging her.
“Well, go. Get in and drive it around. Rome will show you the ropes on how to use all the little gadgets.”
“And maybe you could bake some heart-shaped cookies or snacks for your customers because it has a working kitchen,” Ethel adds.
I smile at her, but she’s busy staring at Colton.
“Well, let me finish up here.” I look toward the practically vacant office now.
“I can finish up, babe. You go,” Colton says, and I narrow my eyes at him.
“Okay, let’s do this,” Rome says.
I give him the death stare he deserves for being a part of this whole thing.
“I’ll stay here with Colton,” Ethel says.
Colton smiles but steps to the left, away from her. Ha! Serves him right.
Once I’m in the truck, Rome tells me where to insert the key. We drive around the square of downtown Lake Starlight, and Grandma keeps leaning over to beep the horn at everyone as if we’re in a parade. My cheeks grow hotter and hotter the more attention we gain.
“Now park on the corner right there and I’ll show you how to open up the outside while the kids play at the park,” Rome directs me, and I park. It’s surprisingly easy to maneuver.
We go out, and thankfully Grandma goes to the park with the kids.
When she’s out of earshot, I say, “I can’t believe you entertained this idea with her.”
He laughs. “What did you want me to do?”
“Not get me a food truck and allow her to paint it with my logo. I mean, who is going to go to a matchmaker in a truck?”
He shrugs. “I’ve never understood why people go to a matchmaker at all, but they do. I agree with G’Ma D—this is good for you. No overhead cost, and you know what? Your first gig, I’ll supply some appetizers.”
“No doubt with your business cards,” I say.
“Hey, I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Welcome to small business.”
“Rome!” I bury my head in my hands and sit on the back of the truck. “I’m such a failure. This is just pathetic.”
He sits next to me and wraps his arm around me. “I know it’s hard to be closing your shop, but explore the opportunities this can give you. You might find something you love about it. I wasn’t crazy about Dion at first, but he’s grown on me.”
I elbow him in the ribs, laughing.
“Yeah, I know, that kid’s had me before he peed in my face during his first diaper change.”
I sit up and swipe the tears from my eyes. “Thanks for this. I do appreciate it.”
He nods. “Anything for my little sister.”
Twenty-Nine
Colton
It’s been five months since Juno closed up SparkFinder and she still hasn’t moved in with me. I don’t bring it up much anymore, but all that changes today. I’ve given her enough time to get used to us.
She’s actually enjoying the matchmaking delivery truck, driving it to some small town fairs where she conducts blind speed dating. Mostly, the fact she’s parking it helps her gain some business. She does love matchmaking and I’m determined to prove it to her. I’ve even put something together on my computer to prove it to her.
But that surprise is for later. For now, I’m hiding up in the treehouse in the Bailey backyard—where I’ve been for at least twenty minutes—when I hear the voice I’ve been waiting for.
“You sure you want to play in the treehouse?” Juno asks Calista, my little helper. “Aren’t you cold? Shouldn’t you be wearing a coat?”
“Nope. I’m fine. Alaskans have thick blood, right?”
“I suppose so,” Juno says. “Where are Dion and Phoebe?”
“Oh, this is my day to help Uncle Austin and Aunt Holly. I get to come over here and help with baby Easton all by myself.”
“Really? I didn’t know that. Do you help Aunt Brooklyn and Aunt Savannah too?”
“No. Only Aunt Holly.”
“Interesting.”
In truth, Calista is here because Juno told me she was coming here today and I’m using Calista to get my plan in motion. I’ve had the idea for a long time, but I wanted to make sure it was a surprise and limit the number of Baileys included because this is just for us.
“Oh, I have to go to the bathroom.” I hope Calista becomes an actress, because she’s born for it. “I’ll be right back. You go up.”
“I can wait,” Juno says.
“No. I’ll be a few minutes. It’s number two. You go.”
I stifle a chuckle. This is the chancy part of the plan, but if I know Juno as well as I think I do, she’ll come up here just to reminisce before Calista comes back.
Just as I thought, Juno climbs the ladder while I peek out the window and watch Calista run back to the house.
My heart feels as if it’s beating in my throat. This is the moment. Our moment to take our future in our hands.
Her head pops up. “Colton?” She scrunches her forehead. “I thought you were working?”
Then she looks around at the twinkle lights and the pictures hanging off the cords I strung around the inside perimeter of the treehouse. Us at six in the sandbox at my house—the first playdate our moms had together. At seven, when we went to the fair in town and got to ride the Tilt-A-Whirl. At eight, when our families went camping together and we were out in a canoe in the middle of the lake by ourselves and our dads had to come fetch us because we ventured out too far. All the way up to sixteen when we got our licenses, our high school graduations, my college graduation. And there’s an entire wall of the treehouse dedicated to the last six months when we became more than just best friends.
“Colton.” She sighs, her hand at her mouth as she soaks up all the memories. “We were so young.” Her fingers graze a picture of when we were nine, learning to ride quads.
Then she spots the box in my hand and I fall to bended knee.
“No, Colton.” She shakes her head, looking a little frantic.
“Yes, it’s time. I know you’re scared, but I’m here and I’ll always catch you. Make all my dreams come true and do me the honor of being my wife? Will you marry me, Juno?”