All She Ever Wanted (Cedar Valley Novel Book 1)

by Christina Butrum

  With that certain look that doctors give when they have bad news, he whispered, “I’m sorry, but she had a massive stroke, and isn’t doing the greatest right now. I’ll have a nurse update you as often she can.”

  The doctor turned and walked through the ER doors as a nurse walked in their direction. “Are you the family of Rosie?” the nurse asked, stopping in front of them.

  Wes nodded and said, “Yes, we’re the only family she has.”

  “I’m so sorry to tell you this, but she had a massive hemorrhagic stroke, and we’re not sure if she’ll make it through the night.”

  Leah’s stomach dropped. Strokes were serious, she knew that, but not being able to live through one… this all seemed like a terrifying nightmare that someone needed to wake her up from… now.

  “She’s already showing signs that she’s fighting to pull through, but I wanted you to know there’s a chance she might not,” the petite nurse explained. Her voice calm and even with the uncertainty of the situation, it gave a sense of reassurance.

  “Thank you,” Liam said, to the nurse before she turned away. “When will we be able to see her?”

  The nurse turned back and said, “I can only allow one person back with her at a time. I’ll let you know when it’s okay for you to come back.”

  “I’m not medically inclined by any means, and I sure don’t know enough to do your job, but I’d really appreciate it if you’d allow my grandfather back there with her right now,” Liam spoke in a firm but respectful tone.

  The nurse nodded and said, “Let me ask the doctor. If he okays it, then there shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Thank you.”

  When the nurse came back out, she guided Wes through the double doors and into the ER. Liam leaned forward in his chair, with his elbows on his knees and his hands pressed firmly against each side of his head. Leah wrapped her arm through his and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  His eyes were red, as tears threatened their escape. She ran her thumb along the side of his face, and gently kissed him. There were no words that needed to be said—they had been through enough. Instead, they held tightly to each other and prayed for the best outcome possible for their dear Rosie.

  * * *

  The days were long while Rosie stayed in the hospital. With Wes never once leaving her side, and the business project nearing its finish, Liam had decided he would need to take time away from the hospital to help complete the last details of the bar. Leah waited for him as he left his number with the nurses.

  It hadn’t gone unnoticed that one of the nurses practically had an orgasm while swooning over Liam. It was apparent Liam had observed it too, because he wrapped his arm around her waist as he guided her toward the exit.

  The air was crisp with scents of fall. The leaves of the trees were changing to vibrant colors of yellow and burnt orange.

  While they made their way to Cedar Valley, it was clear that she couldn’t deny the love she had for fall. It ranked first on her list of favorite seasons, with spring coming in close second with summer.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked, gently locking her hand in his.

  She smiled over at him, raising a hand to block the mid-day sun from her eyes. “How much I love fall.”

  He nodded in agreement and said, “It’s my favorite season. With football games, bonfires and nice cool nights.”

  “Don’t forget about hoodies and blankets,” she said with a wide grin. “Or Halloween.”

  “Halloween is something I look forward to every year,” he admitted. “Do you have anything special that you do?”

  She thought for a minute. The memories of Rachel and her dressing up and attending their friends’ parties for the last few years came to mind. “Rachel and I are always invited to our friend’s places for big Halloween bashes.” She looked at him and asked, “What do you do for Halloween?”

  He grinned, and said, “Well, we throw a huge party at Levy’s. It’s usually the biggest event of the year, and it has the whole town talking for months after.”

  She could only imagine how fun the Halloween parties could be at Levy’s. The place was—had been—big enough to crowd the whole town into. Suddenly, thoughts of Halloween parties and haunted houses were among others, as she sat quietly next to him.

  “It’s not too far away,” he said with his eyebrows furrowed. Leah nodded, waiting for him to finish his thoughts. “With everything going on and things being so out of control, I’m not sure Levy’s will have a Halloween party this year.”

  She may not have had time to think it through before she blurted, “Of course, there will be a party!”

  He shifted in his seat, steering the truck through the outskirts of Cedar Valley, he gave her a doubtful grin and said, “I’m listening.”

  “Well, I really don’t have a plan, because I haven’t actually thought too much about Levy’s, to be honest. With you working every day while I’m building advertisements and other details for the business, along with staying at Rosie’s side when Wes can’t be there,” she explained. “I haven’t had time to think too far ahead.”

  She took the few minutes of silence to think of something that would work for Halloween and for the opening of Levy’s. An idea popped into her head no sooner than she thought about the grand opening. She snapped her fingers, and said, “I’ve got it! It’ll be perfect!”

  “Tell me,” he begged, playfully poking at her when she refused to tell him. “Come on!”

  Each time he begged, she’d shake her head and keep writing down her thoughts. He tried to reach for her notebook, but receiving a quick slap to his hand, he reeled it back. “Feisty, are we?”

  She smirked and flippantly said, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”

  “Is that so?” He gave her the raised eyebrow look, the one she absolutely loved, followed by a smug grin.

  Liam whipped the truck into the newly cemented parking lot of Levy’s. Knowing she hadn’t been by there lately to inspect it since the majority of it had been built, he interrupted her train of thought and her doodling in the notebook that she carried everywhere with her. “Look how quickly it has come along.”

  She looked up from her scribbly ideas, in awe over the building that sat in front of them. Levy’s was not Levy’s anymore. The small bar that used to stand there, was now a huge cabin-like building with a large sign hanging over the double door entrance—Levy’s Bar and Grill. Even the sign on the outside of the parking lot, in the wide open area by the highway, was something new and hard to miss.

  Unbuckling her seatbelt, she climbed out of the truck. “I need to look at this!”

  Excitement filled her, and Liam too, as they walked around the perimeter of the new bar. Railroad ties and cabin logs ran around the perimeter of what appeared to be the location of the volleyball sand court.

  “This is absolutely fantastic!” she said, as Liam continued to guide her around.

  A wooden deck, a lot bigger than the bar itself, spread out; with a portion of it overhanging the river below. As they climbed the stairs, she was in awe—the sight was unbelievable. She approached the side rail, overlooking the river. “The view’s incredible. Not that it wasn’t before,” she assured Liam. “It’s just this deck and setup brings nature that much closer.”

  He stood behind her and wrapped his strong arms around her. “I thought you’d enjoy this.”

  “Oh, my gosh! Look!” She pointed out the sliding doors and the grill that sat along the backside of Levy’s. “This is amazing!”

  “All that’s left is to order the tables and chairs for outside.” He took hold of her hand, and nearly dragged her through the sliding doors with his excitement. “You haven’t seen anything yet. Wait ’til you see what’s inside.”

  Allowing him to pull her through the doors, he guided her into the main attraction. A complete makeover from what it had been—yet it still had that home-away-from-home feel. Large wooden beams ran the length of the bar, across the ceiling. Bud
weiser and Bud Light signs clung to the walls. Dart boards and pool tables had been placed strategically around the spacious area.

  Lights hung perfectly from the ceiling above the pool tables, allowing just enough light to cover the playing area. Elegant wooden cue racks lined the walls close by—neatly stocked with brand new cues and balls.

  Crystal light fixtures ran the length of Levy’s counter. Each light perfectly extended above each built-in swiveling bar stool. She ran a hand along the granite counter top. Rounding the end of the counter, she stepped up into the bartender’s area—a perfectly measured box that had everything any customer coming in could ask for.

  “There are big dreams with this place,” Liam assured her. He leaned into her, pressing his firm lips against hers. “I couldn’t be any luckier than I am right now.”

  Clenching his shirt, she pulled him closer. “Is that so?”

  “Aside from everything that’s been happening,” he said, with a quick kiss and another, “I’m still a lucky man. I have an amazing fiancé, awesome family and a brand-spanking-new bar.”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her and placed her on the counter in front of him. “We need to start planning that family you’ve been talking about.”

  Sparks flew as he wrapped her in his arms. His lips landed perfectly on hers. They could’ve stayed with their lips locked tightly and thoughts running wild, if it hadn’t been for his phone vibrating against them in his shirt pocket.

  27

  Liam ended the conversation and smiled. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but she could tell by the look on his face that it was good news. “That was Gramps. He said the doctor told him that despite all of the odds that were against her, our Rosie’s going to be fine.”

  Leah clasped her hands in front of her. The news was overwhelmingly pleasant, and shocking at the same time, considering what could’ve been. “How is she?”

  Liam lifted her off the counter and said, “Well, like any other stroke victim, I suppose it’ll take time for her to get back to normal. Gramps is positive that the physical therapy they started today is already helping her.”

  The thought of Rosie needing physical therapy was scary, but she had seen a lot of patients go through it, and you wouldn’t be able to tell they ever had a stroke. “How long does the doctor give her before she can come back home?”

  Liam shrugged. “He didn’t say, but I’d say soon, if she’s already doing so well.”

  “We need to get back home so I can gather my things and talk this whole business over with you,” Leah said. “Because, the way things are going, it won’t be long until we have the family meeting and the bar is open.”

  Liam gathered a few things from the fridge and wrapped them in a paper sack. Leah caught a glimpse of her favorite drink and said, “Tell me that isn’t for me.”

  With the answer written all over his face and a cute smug grin, she held the front door for him as he juggled between the bottles and his keys. “We’ll have a drink or two while you tell me everything you’ve written in that notebook of yours.”

  He carefully placed the bottle of booze on the seat next to him, and turned the key in the ignition. Over the rev of the engine, Leah hollered, “You can’t hear everything I have written in the notebook, just some of the stuff that relates to the business.”

  With a lifted eyebrow, he said, “If there’s something about me, I’d like to know what it says.”

  After allowing a laugh to escape, that he didn’t find to be as funny, she pressed her lips together and crossed them with her pinched thumb and finger—pretending to lock her lips—and threw the imaginary key out the window. The act didn’t get her the laugh she expected from him, but it did get him to promise she’d get it when she got home.

  “What am I getting?”

  “You’ll see.”

  “You know that anything written down in a girl’s book isn’t to be shared with anyone, especially with the man she fell head-over-heels in love with,” she stated, feeling her cheeks blush.

  He snapped his fingers and shouted, “Aha! So there is something about me written in there somewhere!”

  Shaking her head, with a smile, she promised, “I’ll never tell.”

  “You certainly don’t have to,” Liam said, tapping a finger to his temple. “I have quite the imagination. I can only imagine all of the wonderful things you’ve said about me.”

  She crossed her arms and played along. “Okay wise guy, if your imagination’s so great, what have I written about you?”

  “That you’ve met this amazing, charming,” he rambled on, chalking up a shit-eating grin. “May I add... handsomely delicious?”

  Scrunching her nose in an attempt to prove him wrong, she shook her head and laughed. One thing someone should’ve told her—she didn’t have the best poker face.

  He cranked the steering wheel as he guided the truck toward the house. “I knew it!” he hollered, in excitement.

  She shook her head in a final attempt to tell him otherwise, but it didn’t work. She sighed heavily, and said, “If you really want to know.”

  The smile on his face widened as he waited impatiently for her to tell him all of her secrets. She wondered how this was fair, and if being in love meant you had no choice but to bare all—bare all, now that thought was distracting. The love they shared between the sheets was to die for.

  “Are you going to tell me, or what?” His impatience interrupted her thoughts of the two of them.

  She playfully ignored his come-ons as they climbed the steps onto the porch. She could feel his eyes on her as she made her way through the house and into the kitchen.

  Her pile of paperwork and posters, along with sticky notes, littered the kitchen table. Gathering a quick pile of papers, she cleared a spot for each of them to sit down.

  “You’ve been busy,” he said, picking up a couple of papers that she quickly grabbed from him.

  She placed the papers in order of topic and discussion. Luckily, with the house mainly to herself, she’d had plenty of time to organize and number pages when she wasn’t with Rosie—sometimes she took the work with her to the hospital.

  “With the extra time I have by myself, without distractions,” she said, with a quick wink at him. “I’ve been able to get the majority of the plans and other necessities out of the way.”

  He scooted his chair closer to the table and leaned in for a better look at the charts and posters she had designed for advertising. He was fully engaged and interested in what she was showing him—which excited her more. She had done plenty of things in life, but nothing as major as this. This was huge—a huge step into the future she had always dreamed of.

  She tossed a pizza in the oven and glanced at the clock. With time on their side, she ruffled through the papers and outlined the major things she had planned. She gauged his facial expressions as she went over all of the details—so far so good; he was enjoying this.

  “You’ll have to hire a few good, trustworthy people to run the bar when we’re not there,” she said, still gauging his reactions. When he nodded, she continued, “Only because, even though I’m sure we’ll love the bar, we’ll love our time alone much more.”

  Bingo. His eyes lit up and he smiled that smile that had caught her attention the night she had met him.

  She handed him a rough draft of the schedule she had made. “So, here’s an estimate of who we’ll need where, and what time,” she explained. “And, of course, the cost for each of the workers each week.”

  She had done her research and had Google searched every stinking detail, including wages—which were mainly minimum wage and depended heavily on tips to keep their workers satisfied.

  “The only decision I have not made yet, because I’m waiting for your input,” she said, “is how much they’d be paid per hour.”

  She handed him a list of different places she had called in the last month. “We can base what they get paid per hour off of this, if you’re interested.”


  He was impressed—even though he sat quietly taking it all in, she could tell he was. She continued with a few other outlines of notes she had taken while she was using Google to research businesses and bars.

  “They say to choose which type of bar your bar will be,” she said. With the result of a raised eyebrow, she explained, “I’m sure you know there are plenty of types. For instance, a sports bar or a neighborhood bar.”

  With a nod from him, she continued, “A neighborhood bar’s pretty much like an English pub where you have your regulars and you know them by their first names.”

  “That’s what Levy’s was,” he said, running a hand over the stubble on his chin. “Well, technically it still is.”

  “It can be if you want it to be,” she said. “I’m just going through everything I learned through my research.”

  “I’m loving this, Lee,” he said, smiling as he reached for more papers she handed to him.

  “A neighborhood bar offers that home-away-from-home atmosphere,” she said. “Which reminds me of the television show Cheers.”

  He nodded in agreement. “That’d be Levy’s.”

  “The other bar type I had in mind, especially with the pool tables and the dart boards you’ve brought in, along with the sanded volleyball court, is a sports bar.”

  “What all does that entail?”

  She handed him a paper with all of the details of a sports bar and explained, “Everything a neighborhood bar offers, but also offers the food menu, which we’ve already discussed. A simple menu with sandwiches, pizzas, burgers or appetizers. Just a few things that’d go great with drinks.”

  A printout of television prices was the next to discuss. This could possibly be the deal breaker, since flat screen televisions were ungodly high in price and a sports bar had to have at least three. Shrugging away the negative thoughts, she said, “Flat screen TVs are very popular in bars, but of course in a sports bar, you need more than one.”