Owen appointed himself all-around helper for the day. Even after their large lunch, cleaning and organizing a bookshop was hungry work, so he passed out what was left of Mari’s baked goods and made endless cups of tea and coffee. Along the way, he drafted others to work, including Oliver and Jill from the boathouse, and Ezra who had once worked part time for Charlie and happened to be having a drink across the street at the pub.
Between questions about where she wanted certain books or items in the shop, Mari focused on her business plan and spreadsheets. From what he gathered, she’d had a fairly intense but good conversation with his parents after lunch, and he was happy to see that she looked at peace.
By five o’clock, when Owen stopped to assess the group’s progress, he was amazed by what he saw. “Mari.” He waited until she lifted her head from her computer. “Look at what’s happened to your bookshop.”
She blinked several times, as though to clear her vision. And then, he saw it on her face. The surprise. The wonder.
The joy.
Elderflower Island Books was now completely changed from the space she’d walked into that first day, straight off the plane from Los Angeles. Not only was everything now clean and in its proper place, but the shop was also much more colorful and inviting than it had been during Charlie’s tenure.
Fiona was a genius with interiors. Her home in Chelsea was wasted on her husband. Lewis was always out at some swanky cocktail bar, or on a business trip, and their expensive six-bedroom house was little more than a stopping-over pad for him, though Fiona had worked hard to make it a home for them both. Today, she’d come with her Range Rover jammed full of rugs, lamps, throws, and fabrics. She’d also brought her sewing machine, which she’d used to whip up covers for several cozy but worn armchairs.
Fiona wasn’t the only one who had gone above and beyond. Jacob and Bernard had painted the back wall a teal green that mirrored the color of the river outside. Owen’s mother had hung traditional British bunting, decorated with colorful illustrations of books. Alice had put her immense garden design skills to use by transforming the back patio into a place where people would happily sip a cup of tea and eat a brownie while enjoying a new book amidst blooming plants. Owen’s father had fixed every squeaky floorboard and stuck window sash, along with anything that wasn’t perfectly screwed on or centered. Working with his hands was Simon Sullivan’s happy place.
Owen loved watching Mari take it all in. He could see how inspired and excited she was about her future. A future that he hoped included him.
If only Mari’s mother could see her now, Owen was convinced she wouldn’t hesitate to give her daughter her blessing.
“Oh my God,” Mari said, barely above a whisper. “They’ve done it. It looks like a real bookstore where customers can come and browse the shelves and buy books.” She turned her head left, then right, then left again. “A part of me thought it might never happen—or that if it did, it would take so much longer than this.” She squeezed his hand, grinning. “Your family, your friends, they’re amazing!”
“They’re your friends too,” he reminded her. Not just friends, but her family, as well. Just as they been Charlie’s family.
He went to the register and handed the antique bell to her. “When Charlie wanted to get people’s attention, he used this.”
She looked at the bell for a moment, then rang it with purpose. Everyone looked up.
“Sorry to disturb you in such an ear-splitting way,” she said with a laugh, “but I wanted you all to know that because of your help and support, I’ve decided that this Saturday—a little less than one week from today—Elderflower Island Books will open for business again!”
Everyone clapped, and whooped, and cheered. Fortunately, Fiona had thought to bring several bottles of bubbly in a cooler in the back of her Rover, so they popped the corks and toasted each other’s hard work. Most of all, they toasted Mari for her bravery and for her determination to continue her father’s legacy.
* * *
Mari was exhausted yet exhilarated at the same time. Everybody had left by now, except for Owen, and Mars the cat was tucked in on the counter for the night. Mari had spent the last ten minutes walking around the store, looking at each different corner and section, appreciating yet again everyone’s tremendous work.
Elderflower Island Books looked incredible. It was exactly the kind of space she’d always dreamed of owning.
Only, owning this bookstore wasn’t a dream. It wasn’t a fantasy. It was real. And regardless of how much work she had ahead of her, she wanted to celebrate now.
As though he could read her mind—which he probably could, given that her happiness had to be written all over her face—Owen turned on the radio to a station playing swing music from the forties.
He held out a hand. “Dance with me.”
Maybe it should have been strange to dance in the middle of a bookstore, but it felt exactly right. Especially when she was in Owen’s arms, and they were laughing and twirling together.
She loved everything about being with him. She had from the very beginning. Even when her brain had cautioned her to be wary, her heart had known better. Known that he was someone she could trust. Someone who would never betray her. Someone who would never intentionally let her down. And she wanted to be there for him in every way he needed her too.
She’d believed that they needed to wait until her mother came to England and Mari managed to wring a blessing out of her. But only now did she realize the truth.
It had been her own fears holding her back. Her fears that she couldn’t trust her feelings for Owen because maybe, just maybe, her mother was right about charming Englishmen blowing her hopes and dreams to smithereens. Her fears that she might not be enough for him, because she’d mistakenly believed she hadn’t been enough for her father to stay. Her fears that she wouldn’t be able to hack it in England and would end up back in California, with her secret dreams still buried deep.
But Mari wasn’t afraid anymore.
“I don’t want to wait.” Her voice was determined. And full of desire. “I want to be with you. Tonight.”
“I want that too.” He pulled her closer. Though the music was still going, they were no longer dancing. They were simply holding each other tightly. “But we agreed to wait so that you wouldn’t risk losing your relationship with your mother.”
“There’s always a risk to everything we do,” she said. “That’s what I’ve finally realized. Coming here. Revitalizing the store. Falling for you. Every last thing I’ve done since leaving California has been a risk. Risks I’m glad I’ve been brave enough to take with no guarantees that things will work out, or that everyone will end up happy.” She moved closer to the man she’d fallen for. “All I know is that when I’m with you, I’m happy. And I’m willing to risk it all. To risk everything for you. For us.”
“Are you sure?” She could see the conflict in his face. How badly he wanted her—and also how much he didn’t want to drive a wedge between her and her family. “I’d never forgive myself if I pushed you too fast, or lost you because I couldn’t be patient.”
His concern for her only made Mari more certain. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my whole life than I am about being with you tonight. I can’t predict or control what my mother is going to do, if she’s even going to agree to come here, or what she’s going to say if she does. But I can tell you with one hundred percent of my heart that what I feel for you is the most real, most wonderful thing I’ve ever felt in my life.” She lifted her hand to his beautiful face. “Come upstairs with me, Owen. Come upstairs and stay.”
He took her hand and led her up to the flat.