Epilogue

Two months later Allison was checking the website for her jewelry first thing in the morning and thrilling with pleasure.

Another order had come in during the night. She was actually making a little money from her jewelry. Very little. Almost nothing compared to the kind of money she used to have. But it was something, and she’d earned it herself by selling the jewelry she was so proud of.

She wasn’t anywhere close to being able to quit working at Dora’s yet. She still had many more classes to take before she graduated, and until then she wouldn’t be able to get a better job. But still, it was nice to see at least a little progress toward a dream.

The idea of a shop in Charlotte was still just a fantasy—and it might always be a fantasy—but it wasn’t completely impossible. If that didn’t work out, she could do something else that would still make her feel fulfilled and happy.

It felt like life was bigger now than it had been a year ago when she’d left Arthur. Her happiness didn’t rest in only one dream. There were other things to hope for.

There were all kinds of things to hope for.

She closed her laptop and poured another cup of coffee, checking to make sure her black trousers and Dora’s shirt were on properly. It was 5:45 now, and she needed to get moving soon so she wouldn’t be late for work.

Rob strolled into the kitchen, wearing nothing but his underwear. He gave her a vague smile and mumbled something incoherent as he headed for her coffeepot.

She chuckled at his hair. “Vicki’s coming out for a visit today, so we’re going to hang out after work.”

“Yeah, you told me. What prompted her to brave the lack of shopping out here?”

“I don’t really know. She just started feeling bad that I was always the one to make the trip to see her, so she’s coming. She’s actually coming this morning. She says she wants to watch me work.” Allison laughed softly at this idea and hoped her friend wasn’t going to be bored to tears all day.

“Whatever.” Rob shook his head and focused on his coffee.

“Okay. I’ve got to go.” She stepped over to give him a quick kiss, grabbed her purse and her coat, and headed out the door.

It was freezing outside this morning, and it felt ridiculously early—particularly for a Monday. Despite this, Allison was in a good mood and looking forward to the day.

Her mood declined very quickly once she got to work. It was like the entire town had decided to eat breakfast at Dora’s this morning and was in a bad mood about it.

Vicki had arrived just after six, which was earlier than expected, but Allison barely had time to talk to her because she was scurrying around taking orders. She really didn’t mind being busy, but everyone was particularly difficult today.

Keith, Martha, and all four of their kids were waiting when she arrived and unlocked the door, and the kids weren’t behaving at all. First they hemmed and hawed forever as they were giving their orders, changing their minds and discussing the various menu options. Allison tried to keep smiling, but four tables came in and sat down before they were finished telling her what they wanted. Then they kept complaining loudly about the wait and throwing their napkins and straw wrappers on the floor.

Ernie came in, wearing his overalls as usual, but instead of the oatmeal he’d eaten every morning since Allison had started working, he wanted to try something different and looked offended that she didn’t offer him a menu.

Jeanie came in with several other women who worked the local craft fairs. They all were friendly and relaxed, which was nice, but they kept trying to ask Allison questions about her jewelry and expecting her to stay and chat with them when she had a dozen other impatient tables to deal with.

Cali came in with her new boyfriend, and they took the last booth. Cali was nice enough, but her boyfriend threw a fit because she’d brought him a Coke—which was what he’d ordered. He insisted he’d ordered a Mr. Pibb instead.

When Rob came in at six thirty, Allison almost slumped in relief. At last, someone who wasn’t going to cause her any trouble. But behind him came Malachi Beardsley, his beard just as unruly as the first time she’d seen him. He sat down on the stool next to Rob and took his entire attention, so Rob barely had time to even smile at her.

The restaurant was nearly filled up when Mitch came in, wearing his deputy’s uniform, with what looked like the entire sheriff’s department, who all stood around, glowering because there weren’t enough seats for them all.

Allison was running around frantically, trying to remember who was drinking what and get the plates down as soon as Gus got them up. Chelle was busy too, but her tables didn’t seem nearly as ornery as Allison’s were.

Vicki was sitting in her corner, laughing silently at Allison, and Rob seemed to be completely ignoring her.

She was carrying a tray loaded with plates for Peg and her husband—each of whom had ordered enough for three people—when she heard the bell on the door jangling again. She turned toward it, almost snarling with frustration that Fielding folks were all coming out the woodwork this morning. She stopped short when she saw James and Tari, Rob’s parents.

They smiled at her cheerfully—which was a nice change from everyone else here today—and went to sit with another couple they must have known, so at least they were able to get a table.

She delivered the orders to Peg and her silent husband and was rushing back to the kitchen, where another order was ready, when she saw that Rob was getting up to leave. Instead of coming over to kiss her goodbye, as he normally did, he was just walking to the door.

What the hell was going on this morning?

She didn’t have time to think it through, though, because Trey was banging on the order bell impatiently, making it clear she needed to get back there.

She grabbed the plate and ran it back to Ernie. He’d ordered a second plate after his first.

“Clear your tables, Allison,” Chelle told her brusquely as she passed. “We need the seats.”

The only person who’d left was Rob, so Allison delivered Ernie’s food and hurried back to the counter, where Rob’s empty plate was still sitting.

If he hadn’t left her a note today, she was just going to sit down on the floor and cry.

To her relief, she found the folded napkin with the tip.

She gathered it up with the plate, utensils, and silverware, carrying it all back to the kitchen. She didn’t really have time to read the note after dumping the dishes in the sink, but she did anyway. She needed something to cheer her up a little.

On her way back out with the coffeepot, she unfolded the napkin with one hand and glanced down at it.

Will you marry me? R.

She’d taken several more steps before the words sank in. Then she jerked to a stop, the napkin in one hand and the coffeepot in the other.

She looked around the restaurant blindly and realized everyone was staring at her. Vicki. Keith and his family. Trey, Chelle, and Gus, who had come out from the kitchen. Cali and her boyfriend. Ernie in his overalls. James and Tari, looking like she might cry. Malachi, his beard bristling visibly. Mitch and the sheriff’s department. They were all smiling like something really good was about to happen.

She looked back down at the note to make sure she’d read it correctly.

When she raised her eyes again, Rob was coming back into Dora’s, making the bell on the door jangle. He was smiling at her, affection and laughter and understanding and tenderness and hope in his eyes.

He was holding that half box she’d found in his sock drawer, with the lovely diamond ring inside.

She started to shake so suddenly and so intensely that she had to lean over and put the coffeepot on the floor.

Rob walked over to her, reaching out to take one of her hands. “Allison Davies,” he said thickly, his eyes as full of feeling as she’d ever seen them. “I love you. I need you. And that’s never going to change. I want nothing more than for us to love each other and enjoy each other and depend on each other for the rest of our lives.”

Tari sniffed audibly from the other side of the room, and one of Keith’s kids giggled.

Allison’s throat was closing up, and she couldn’t stop trembling.

Rob went on, “So would you please marry me?”

He was waiting for her to answer, that warm hope so obvious in his eyes, in his face. He was doing this in front of the entire town, even knowing it was possible that she might say no and that he would be utterly humiliated.

He loved her, and she loved him—and they were standing here in the middle of a crowd seeing each other as truly and deeply as they had that night in the rain three months ago. They saw and loved each other as they really were and not just as the selves they wanted to show the world.

She was feeling so much that she couldn’t speak. She literally couldn’t form words. So she just made a wordless sound and nodded her head emphatically.

Rob’s face broke slightly. “Was that a yes?”

“Yes!” she burst out, the word finally breaking through the emotion. She threw herself into his arms.

He gathered her into a tight hug, gasping something that sounded like “Oh, thank you.” And then the whole restaurant was cheering loudly, wildly, a strangely fitting backdrop to her own joy.

“What if I’d said no?” she mumbled into his shoulder.

“I hoped you wouldn’t, but I thought it was worth the risk.”

His raspy words caused her to hug him even harder.

Rob finally pulled away from her enough to put his mother’s ring on the ring finger of her left hand. Then he kissed it. And then he kissed her.

The rest of the morning was a blur of tears and well wishes and laughter. But she made sure she slipped the napkin into her pocket so it would be safe.

As soon as she got home, she was going to put it in the box on her dresser with all of Rob’s other notes. She was going to keep them forever.