“A happily ever after for you,” she said, snuggling in closer and breathing in the scent of him. Breathing it all in. She loved this moment and the feel of his arms wrapped around her. There was no place she’d rather be in all of Somerset Lake or anywhere else, for that matter. On a wistful sigh, she said, “And a happily ever after for me too.”
Epilogue
Happy Fall, Somersetters! Here’s your daily dose of Reva!
The grand opening of the new Hannigan Street parking lot happens tomorrow. There will be no claiming of parking spots. Not officially at least!
There’ll be another animal adoption fair this coming weekend! Beth Chimes is your point of contact if you would like to volunteer.
Who loves a fudge sale at Choco-Lovers? The pumpkin spice fudge is buy one pound, get one free. Run, don’t walk, and give Jana all your money!
Now that our previous Most Eligible Bachelor is off the market, it’s time to vote on someone new. Stay tuned to my blog to see who the upcoming candidates for MEB are!
Love & Bullet Points,
Reva
* * *
Maybe Moira was partial because November was her birthday month, but there was no place quite like Somerset Lake in the fall. The foliage was a perfect blend of reds, oranges, and yellows, and the air was too warm for a coat but perfect for a lightweight cardigan.
Pulling her current sweater a little tighter around her as she stepped out of her home, Moira’s gaze stuck for just a moment on the dent right in the middle of her front door. A tiny little rock could do a lot of damage. It could do a lot of good too though. Because of that rock and a few bored teenagers, Gil was going to make a very important announcement to the town today, after thanking them for reelecting him as mayor and using a jumbo pair of scissors to cut the ribbon for Hannigan Street’s new parking lot.
Moira’s phone rang as she dipped into the driver’s seat of her car. She checked the ID before answering. “Hey, Mom. Are you still meeting me at the ribbon-cutting ceremony?”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Darla said, her voice light and cheerful. “Your father and I are going together.”
Moira’s parents had been doing a lot of things together since they’d both retired. Darla was semiretired at least. Sometimes she worked at the diner when Angela was on vacation, to help a friend and connect with her former customers. Mostly Darla had moved on to shared hobbies with Moira’s father though. Like fishing and hiking. They’d also taken up bird-watching, of all things. Moira’s parents had even started a board game night at their home with all their other retired friends. It just so happened to take place on Thursday nights when Moira was at book club with her friends and Gil was having wings and drinks at the tavern with his. Thursday was apparently a social night in Somerset.
After a pause in the conversation, Darla asked, “Are you okay? I know how much you loved Sweetie’s.”
Moira thought about the question for a moment. It had taken her a little bit to get to this point, but she was okay. “It’s a bittersweet day, for sure. I’m not as sad about Sweetie’s being gone now that I know how much retired life suits you. Sweetie’s was just a building. I still have all the memories.”
“Me too,” Darla said. “How’s Gil?”
“He’s good. He’s already at the new parking lot.” Moira started the engine and reversed out of her driveway.
“Well, tell my future son-in-law that I’m proud of him.”
Moira and Gil weren’t engaged. Not yet at least. The topic of marriage hadn’t even come up, and Darla was well aware of that fact. Instead of correcting her mother, Moira laughed the comment off because both of them knew it was just a matter of time before she and Gil were married. “Proud of him for what?”
“For doing what’s right for the town. And for making you happier than I’ve seen you in quite a while.”
It was true. Moira was happy. She’d always been so vocal about not needing a man to be content in life. And that was true. She didn’t need a man. She’d proven to herself and everyone who would listen that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. She’d discovered that she liked having someone to take care of her once in a while though. She liked having Gil. And she took care of him just as much as he did of her. They were a good team, the two of them. “See you at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Mom.”
“See you there,” Darla said.
Moira disconnected the call and finished driving, pulling up to an available spot halfway down Hannigan Street. The new parking lot wasn’t officially available for parking just yet, so she still had to make the long trek to where Sweetie’s Bakeshop used to stand. Moira and her friends were meeting up at the diner now, and while it wasn’t the same, sometimes change was good.
One thing that didn’t change, that never would, was that they gathered in Lakeside Books every Thursday like clockwork under the guise of discussing books. The true discussion, however, went much deeper than words on a page. The book club was about life and friendship. Now that all of them were in relationships—even Tess’s employee Lara—there was also a lot of talk about love, marriage, and babies.
“Moira!”
Moira turned toward Reva Dawson’s exuberant cheer. Not even the town’s nosiest member could dull Moira’s mood today. “Hi, Reva.”
“Good to see you. If you’re looking for Mayor Gil, he’s over there.” Reva pointed a manicured finger in the direction of where Sweetie’s Bakeshop had sat until a month ago. “Doesn’t he look handsome?” Reva asked, leaning in to Moira.
Moira tore her gaze from Gil and eyed Reva. “He’s taken.”
The blogger chuckled, enjoying Moira’s mock jealousy a little too much. “He’s much too young for me, dear. Don’t worry. I always knew you two would end up together.”
“You did?” Moira asked, wondering at the comment.
“Of course. When I dubbed him the Most Eligible Bachelor of Somerset Lake last year, I hoped the attention would encourage you to fight for what was always yours.”
“And what is that?” Moira asked, intrigued.
“His heart. It was so obvious, dear. Everyone in town could see it a mile away. Even those who aren’t as nosy as I am.” She dug her elbow into Moira’s side.
For once, Moira didn’t want to flee from Reva. “Well, you can play matchmaker for some other unsuspecting singles now,” she teased.
“Yes, I can. And you better believe I’m planning to.” Reva rubbed her hands together. “Matchmaking keeps one young.”
Moira could practically see the wheels turning in Reva’s brain. She wondered who the next lucky guy or girl in Somerset would be.
Excusing herself, Moira headed in Gil’s direction. When he saw her coming, his face seemed to light up. Had it always done that? Was Reva right? Was it always so obvious how he felt about her? Moira wished she had let him in so much sooner. Then again, things always worked out the way they should. Isn’t that what her mom used to tell her? In this case, it seemed to be true for everyone involved.
Gil wrapped his arms around her as soon as she was in front of him. “Hey, you,” he said in a low voice, his breath tickling her skin. “I have a proposal for you.”