glass display case at the back of the store.
The walls look like the inside of a barn, and toward the back are two brown barn doors that open to the kitchen. "Hey," Savannah says, coming out from the back with a smile on her face as big as I’ve ever seen. “Just in time. They just installed the ovens. Come and take a look." She motions with her head, and I walk into the back. A big stainless steel island sits in the middle of the room, and then two ovens are on one wall, and two more are on the other. Muffin pans and cake pans are all stacked on a shelf.
"This …" I turn, taking it all in. “This is incredible."
"I did get a little help from Olivia with my vision." She folds her arms. “But this really did turn out amazing."
My heart beats in my chest as I think of the words to say. “I was wondering," I start to say, and then I put my hand to my stomach when I feel it lurch. “I was wondering if the offer was still on the table." I finally say the words I’ve been holding back for the past two days. I knew the day we told his grandparents that I wasn’t leaving to go back home. The minute he told me about Pops, I knew that the best thing for Sofia would be to stay here, surrounded by family and people who love her.
“Are you joking?" she asks, and I blink away the big tears.
"No,” I say. “But if we are going to be partners, it’s going to be fifty-fifty." My hand comes up to wipe away the tear. “I’m going back home next week to pack up our stuff and put my condo up for sale. The prices have doubled since I bought it, so I should have enough." I take a deep breath. “I also have some savings and a nice-size retirement cushion."
"If you think,” she says, “that I’m going to let you touch your retirement, you have lost your damn mind. Why don’t we talk numbers tomorrow?” she says. “For today, let's talk about plans."
"I can’t believe I’m going to do this,” I say, looking around. “I’ve never imagined being a business owner before." I smile shyly. “Half business owner."
"Well, I can tell you it’s a pretty big accomplishment,” she says. “Now, look at these."
She grabs the stack of papers, and by the time I look up, it’s already after three in the afternoon. “Wow," Savannah says. “We pretty much did all the paperwork, and I didn’t hate it." She laughs.
"Thank you,” I say. “For the opportunity." She comes over to me and gives me a huge hug.
"Thank you," she says softly, “for having faith in me."
I walk out of the shop with a swing in my step. I arrive back at Pops' house to find it empty. Picking up the phone, I call Reed, who answers me right away. “Where have you been?" he says. “You haven’t called me all day."
"I …" I start to say. “Where are you guys?"
"At the barn," he says, and I hear water in the back. “We are giving Caramel a bath."
"I’ll be right there,” I say, rushing out of the house, and when I pull up to the barn, I see them at the side of the barn in the little closed area on the concrete. Reed is behind Sofia as she sprays the water on Caramel. His shirt is off, and he's wearing big rain boots.
"You always start at the feet," he says. “Like that, you don’t scare her, and then you go up slowly." I don’t move because all I can do is watch her with him. From the minute he found out Sofia was his, he was all in. He didn’t blink an eye, didn’t tell me it couldn’t be. He wasn’t in my face about a DNA test. I mean, even if he did, I have been with one man my whole life, and that’s him. "Nice and slow,” he says, guiding her hand with the water as he moves up. She listens to every single word he says, and when he hands her the glove and picks her up, he tells her how to wash the horse. "Look at how amazing you are." He kisses her neck. “You can do anything. You know that, baby girl?"
"I know," Sofia says.
"He’s good with her." I jump when I hear a man’s voice and turn to see Casey coming to stand with me. “I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says, stopping beside me. “I never thought I would see the day," he says. “To be honest, I never thought he would come back home." I smile at him. “You saved him,” he says, his voice choking. “He was dead inside and didn’t even know it, but you," he says, wiping the tears from his eyes, “and that little girl made him live again."