by Kait Nolan
By January, she’d be doing the same from her new firm instead of under the loose auspices of the city planner. Maybe February. It depended on how long it took her to get the building cleaned up and turned into something resembling an actual office. The city had cleaned out all the junk they’d been storing there for the past twenty-odd years, but it was a long way from ready for clients. She’d considered renovating to the specs Mitch Campbell had drawn up for Norah, but much as she loved the design, she didn’t want to dip any further into her trust fund than she had to purchase the building. She preferred to let things grow organically, see what she could make of it on her own. And that meant she needed to get creative. Still, Whistle Stop Marketing was close to becoming a real thing.
She couldn’t wait.
The bright flash of yellow at the front door had Cecily slowing.
What on earth?
Pansies. Two enormous blue-glazed pots of bright faced pansies and some kind of green stuff that would presumably survive the cold now flanked her front door. Where had they come from?
“Clearly my cousin’s been here.” Reed, slid an arm around her waist. “That’s got Cam written all over it.”
“Awww. That’s awfully nice of him. It makes the outside look almost like a real business.”
“A closing day present. Ready to go in?”
Cecily held up her key. “Let’s do it.”
She unlocked the door and stepped inside, reaching for the light. “Why do I smell—oh my God.”
Heart thumping, she took a few steps forward and stopped again. The place had not only been emptied, it’d been cleaned. The fresh scent of lemon oil hung in the air, punctuated by the incongruous scent of fresh biscuits. This, presumably, arose from the covered basket sitting on the desk. The desk. Across the vast space, a long, L-shaped desk was flanked by a pair of large bookcases. Cecily recognized Daniel’s pallet-wood creations instantly. Across from them, a large markerboard on a rolling stand stood adjacent to an enormous bulletin board mounted on the back wall. The pair of vintage club chairs she’d been eying at Park Place created a nice seating area in front of the desk. Christoff’s hand was visible in the bold grommet-top curtains flanking the windows.
She spied an envelope in the seat of the nice, shiny new office chair. Tears pricked her eyes as she retrieved it.
Dear Cecily,
Happy closing day! We’re so excited you’ve decided to stay and make your home here. You’ve been an enormous boon to us so we wanted to leave you a little welcome to get you started. Best of luck with your new business.
Norah, Cam, Christoff, Daniel, Beth, and Addison
“I’m going to cry,” she said.
“Hold off on that a few more minutes,” Reed told her. “I’ve got my own contribution.” He reached behind the bookcase and pulled out a large frame. The Superman crest with a giant emblazoned C, painted in vintage comicbook style. “In case you ever start to doubt yourself.”
On a watery laugh, Cecily threw her arms around his neck. “It’s wonderful. You’re wonderful.” She rained kisses over his face.
Reed’s arms tightened around her, and he tipped his mouth down to hers for a lingering kiss. “Glad you think so, but that’s not it.”
“What more can there be?”
“This whole venture is about you setting out on your own, going after the life, the work you want, on your terms. I couldn’t be prouder of you. And you’ve inspired me to do the same.”
Not understanding, Cecily shook her head. “But you’ve already gone after the work you want. Inglenook is well on the way to being that community hub.”
“Entirely thanks to you. I have exactly what I want in work. Now it’s time to go after what I want for the rest of my life.”
“What’s that?”
Taking her hand, he stepped back and dropped to one knee. “You.”
“Ohmygod.”
“A wise woman once told me, ‘When you know, you know.’ I knew you were it for me that night we went to Oxford. So, Cecily Davenport Dixon, will you marry me and make me a permanent part of this new life you’re starting?”
She’d been the one to tell him that, when she’d told him her parents’ love story. And somewhere, deep down, she’d known, too. Because Reed had always seen beyond the surface to the real her.
Cecily dropped to her knees and took his other hand, bringing them both to her heart. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
What’s Next In Wishful?
We’re rounding out the year with a holiday tale in the Romancing The Holidays anthology. Dance Me A Dream follows Jace Applewhite as he strives to grant a Christmas wish for barista Tara Honeycutt and her two siblings. If you’re into Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, this novella should be right up your alley.
If you want to keep up with all the action in Wishful (and get to see snips of works in progress) and hang out with like-minded readers, come join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wishfulseries/
You can also like my page on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/kaitnolanwriter
Anyway, thanks for reading! And if you loved the book, please consider leaving a review or telling a friend. These days, it's harder than ever to get a new book noticed. Many of the promotional opportunities out there require a minimum number of reviews—10 at the low end, 50+ at the high. If you enjoyed this book, taking just a minute of your time to click the star rating and write a few words would help me tremendously, and allow me to continue to bring you the stories you enjoy.
Other Books By Kait Nolan
Contemporary Romance
Wishful Series
Once Upon A Coffee (Avery and Dillon): Available for FREE!
To Get Me To You (Cam and Norah): Available for FREE!
Be Careful, It’s My Heart (Brody and Tyler)
Know Me Well (Liam and Riley)
Once Upon A Setup (A Meet Cute Romance with Piper and Myles!)
Just For This Moment (Myles and Piper)
Wish I Might (Reed and Cecily)
Turn My World Around (Tucker and Corinne)
Dance Me A Dream (Jace and Tara)
Wishing For a Hero Series (A Wishful Spinoff Series)
If I Didn’t Care (Judd and Autumn)
Meet Cute Romance
Once Upon A Snow Day
Once Upon A New Year’s Eve
Once Upon An Heirloom
Once Upon A Coffee: Available for FREE!
Once Upon A Setup
Meet Cute Romance: Volume 1 (Meet Cutes 1-5)
Paranormal Romance
Mirus Series:
Genesis (an omnibus including, Forsaken By Shadow (Mirus 1.1), Devil’s Eye (Mirus 1.2), and Blindsight )
Riven
Whisper of Shadow(Also available in the Magical Mayhem anthology)
YA:
Red
Whisper of Shadow
