Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116708 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 584(@200wpm)___ 467(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Emotion lodged in my throat, so I blew her a kiss. Midsentence, and without missing a beat, she caught it in the air and placed it on her cheek.
“I got to thinking,” she continued. “I began to wonder how this little restaurant of mine might affect the lives of the people who come here to share a meal. What kind of memories might be made between these four walls? What kind of connections might be forged over a shared table, between friends, families, or even strangers? What kind of comfort might people find here? Only time will tell. But I know the memories I’ve made, the connections I’ve forged, and the comfort I never could have imagined I’d find again.
“So, with that, some of you might be surprised that things look a little different than you’re expecting, but I could not be happier with the way things turned out. I could not have done this without each and every one of you. Thank you.” Her eyes once again filled with tears, but she managed to keep them at bay. “Those two words are not enough, but hopefully the food will help bridge the gap. There will be a cocktail hour first so I can hopefully shake off some of the nerves. If you see me without a drink in my hand, please remedy that immediately.”
Everyone laughed, but I stared at her, happiness cocooning me.
She swiped under her eyes and then clapped her hands. “Anyway, without further ado… Welcome to The Haven!”
My whole body jerked. The…wait…what?
Chills exploded across my skin as I stared at her. She made quick work of cutting the ribbon as the crowd cheered.
And I just stood there, dazed, dumbfounded, and so fucking filled with love it physically hurt.
She extended her hand toward me. “Come on, True. I need you for this.”
I immediately became unstuck and moved to her side, lacing my fingers with hers.
With a gorgeous smile playing on her lips, Gwen stopped us just inside. Her guests eagerly flooded in around us until it was just the two of us standing in that doorway.
She squeezed my hand. “What do you think?”
I couldn’t drag my stare away from the tall wooden letters spelling out our daughter’s middle name centered over the blackboard menu. I took measured breaths, working to control the thick emotion that swelled in my chest.
“The Haven?” I asked.
“Yep. I had those letters cut from the table top of the booth.”
“What?” I gasped.
She turned and pointed toward the hostess stand. Two benches formed an L in the corner. “I used the seats over there. I left the original vinyl and covered it with cloth slipcovers.”
I was in a losing battle to hold my emotions back. “This is incredible.”
She smiled. “I know you used to come here as some kind of penitence, but look at all it’s given us. From now on, I want this to be our safe space, our refuge, our haven. Us. Me, you, Nate. And anyone who walks through that door. I want the whole world to feel the warmth and joy that was, and will always be, our Kaitlyn Haven West.”
“Jesus, Gwen. It’s perfect,” I breathed, wrapping my arms around her waist, pulling her body flush with mine. “You’re perfect.”
“Okay, let’s not get carried away.”
We both laughed, and I bent over, resting my forehead on hers and gently swayed us from side to side. “God, I’m gonna miss you.”
My chest ached at the thought of being away from her for so long. I didn’t know how I was going to manage not being able to pull her into my arms whenever I wanted or hear her laughter ringing loudly every day. But I knew that making the decision to attend a residential treatment program was the only way I was ever going to be able to fully heal and move forward with my life.
With our life.
“Yeah, it’s gonna suck,” she replied. “But I’m so proud of you for finally making yourself a priority.”
I gave her another squeeze and then cleared my throat. “You think anyone will notice if we sneak off to the office?”
“I’m pretty sure about twenty people would notice, especially those two.”
I looked up and saw Dylan and Angela making their way over.
“You two done making out yet?” Dylan quipped.
Angela swatted at her shoulder. “I know this is special for you both. But, Truett, you have to share.”
“Fiiine,” I huffed teasingly. After one last kiss, I released her and they swooped her away.
I went back to admiring the wooden letters until Daniel patted me on the back.
“There you are. I lost you in the stampede to the bar.” He tipped a beer to his lips.
He had Jacob, who was almost three, sitting on his hip, so I poked him in the belly. Wiggling as he laughed, he hid his face against his father’s shoulder.