25. Valentina

Valentina took one last look around her old office at Radcliffe’s farmhouse.

It looked so different without the framed family photo from her fifteenth birthday, her grandfather’s horse statue, and her other little memories and decorations. But the space would serve Darcy well, and she would surely have her own personal items to brighten up the space.

Darcy was bright and cheerful, and she seemed to have great instincts and a killer work ethic. Although her outgoing energy contrasted with Valentina’s more reserved personality, Valentina liked her very much. Darcy would take good care of the ongoing tasks for the land project now that Valentina was moving on. And since she wasn’t moving far, Valentina knew she could always lend an ear or a hand if Darcy needed it.

Today, Darcy was on site for a roof project. It was sad not to have a proper hand off on Valentina’s last official day, but she was glad that her replacement had already rolled up her sleeves and gotten to work.

Grabbing the container she had brought in this morning, and her empty coffee cup, Valentina headed down to the old barn for the last time.

The wood that had been laid over the muddy ground was gone for some reason. But it didn’t really matter, since she wore boots every day now, and the pretty lavender coverall from Tanner too, if she was on a particularly messy site.

The container she held was still warm. She had put oatmeal raisin cookies in the oven this morning. They were a big favorite with the guys, and she was hoping to leave on a high note. Though honestly, the workers might not even remember she was going, or that today was her last day. They all had their own crews and friends. There was no way for them to know that for most of the first year she’d spent in Trinity Falls, going to the barn in the mornings wasn’t just a way to do her job better, it was her main social activity.

Now she had more social activities than she knew what to do with. To her immense relief, Emma and her friends thought it was hysterical that she had pretended she already knew how to ride a horse. Maybe because Valentina was capable at other things, it humanized her for them to know she most definitely wasn’t capable at everything—even something all of them had known how to do since childhood.

They had taken to inviting her out for girls’ nights, and she had mustered the courage to accept. She was starting to really feel like she was a part of their crew .

But of course her favorite days were the ones she spent with Tanner and Zeke. They hadn’t nailed down a wedding date yet, but her parents had a few options for travel dates in the spring, when her mother could take vacation time, and Valentina hoped that by Easter, she would be an official part of the Williams family at last.

She looked around at the sepia-toned Pennsylvania ridge opposite the farm. This place had a haunting beauty she would definitely miss. But there were so many wonderful things waiting for her on the beautiful tract of land that she hoped to turn into something magical for the town.

And there was something wonderful about having a project that would really be all her own.

Tanner’s cousin Brad was moving home for good. He was an important architect in the city, but he had agreed that the Trinity Falls open air market would be his first project back home. Hiring Brad had already moved up the timeframe on the project exponentially. Valentina couldn’t wait to see all her ideas become a reality for the town she loved so much.

As she got closer to the barn, she saw that it was dark inside. Which was odd, since the big doors were generally open in the mornings.

She stepped inside, and suddenly the whole barn was illuminated.

“ Surprise ,” a chorus of voices cried.

“Oh,” Valentina gasped. “Oh, wow.”

All the crews were there, not just the morning regulars she saw every day. Everyone had plastic cups of what looked like apple cider. And there were picnic tables set up in the barn.

Daniel Sullivan came over and shook her hand.

“We’re going to miss you,” he told her.

“And not just the treats,” Kevin Anderson said over his shoulder.

“Guys,” she said, feeling tears prickle her eyes. “I can’t believe you would do this for me.”

“You listen to us every morning,” Leroy Gregory said gruffly, running a paint-stained hand through his shock of white hair. “And you try to help solve our problems. That means a lot, young lady.”

When he offered her his hand, she found herself pulling him in for a hug, which made him chuckle.

“So, you knew why I was really coming down here?” she asked the men who had gathered around her.

“It wasn’t just to pawn off your cookies,” Luke Anderson said. “Though my brother here would have been just fine with that.”

Kevin elbowed Luke and the two of them laughed.

“Of course we knew,” Daniel said gently. “And we appreciated it. Why do you think we put that wood down?”

It hit her suddenly that the wood hadn’t just appeared mysteriously. They put it down for her, because the crews wanted her here, listening and advocating for them. And they hadn’t wanted her to break her ankle in her high heels while she was doing it.

“I was so lucky to work here with you,” she said, shaking her head and blinking back tears.

Someone handed her a cup of cider, and the guys all came up, patting her on the back and shaking her hand, congratulating her on her upcoming project and on her engagement to Tanner.

The phrases great guy and lucky guy got tossed around so many times that she lost count.

Valentina hadn’t realized how much she worried that deep down, they were only being polite, and that no one really wanted a city girl running things. But now she knew for sure that they didn’t think that way at all. The men she had come to respect and admire seemed to feel just the same way about her.

“Hope you all don’t mind that I’m going to say a few words while Mrs. Luckett and her crew bring in the refreshments,” a deep, familiar voice said.

Everyone quieted and turned as Baz Radcliffe came forward to speak.

When he stepped into view, Valentina suddenly realized that Tanner and Zeke had been standing in the corner with Emma, watching proudly as she had her big moment. That knowledge made an already sweet experience all the more memorable.

“I’m glad everyone could be here,” he said with a big smile. “I feel for anyone in Trinity Falls who needs work done on their property today.”

The sound of chuckles and laughter filled the space.

“I’d like to take a moment to formally welcome you to the Farewell and Happy Engagement Party for Valentina Jimenez,” he went on. “I’ve spent a long time in business, and I’ve worked with some of the smartest people in the world, and some of the luckiest. But no matter how successful, I’ve never met anyone like our Valentina.”

She felt her cheeks warm, but she managed to keep her eyes on her boss and mentor.

“Because Valentina isn’t just smart,” he went on. “And she hasn’t just made a few lucky calls. She’s loyal to a fault, and she truly cares about doing the right thing. This is a woman who makes deals by listening, and who knows how to create a win-win out of any negotiation—because if you sit down with her, she’s not going to get up until she understands you.”

“Hear, hear,” one of the men hollered. Others chuckled and made sounds of agreement.

“This is a bittersweet day for me,” he went on. “Bitter not because I’m losing her work ethic and her smarts, but because I know Valentina as a person, as a friend, and I’ll miss seeing her every day.”

She swallowed over the lump in her throat, knowing she would miss seeing Baz, Wes, and Emma too.

“And sweet because nothing is sweeter than being inspired by a young person and seeing them exceed your wildest dreams of what they can become,” he said, nodding to her. “Congratulations, Valentina. We can’t wait to see what you make of the Valentine Corporation’s land tract, and we’re thrilled to see you find happiness with one of our own, Tanner Williams, and his son, Zeke. To your future!”

“To your future,” the others called out, raising their plastic cups of apple cider to her.

She lifted her own cup and drank deep.

Then everyone was looking at her, as if she was supposed to make her own speech.

“I don’t know how to follow that,” she said honestly .

That won her an unexpected laugh.

“But I’ll try,” she said gamely, facing Radcliffe. “Anything I do with my future career, any success I find, it will be because you took an interest in me, and because you had the patience to answer every question I had, for years.”

He smiled at that.

“And if I ever fall down,” she went on. “It will be because I didn’t listen to your voice in my head, reminding me of what’s important. Thank you to every single person in this room for helping me learn the right way to run a farm and a business here in Trinity Falls.”

The guys clapped and Emma winked at her from beside Baz.

“I owe my happiness to you and Emma for putting me in Tanner’s path and him in mine,” she went on, facing her boss and his new wife again. “He and Zeke have taught me how to let my hair down a little, and how to enjoy life, and how to love without asking for anything in return…”

She broke down a little, tears trying to escape her eyes. After a few deep breaths, she pulled herself back together.

“Well,” Valentina went on, laughing at herself a little. “You all know me. You know how much these two have changed pretty much everything for me.”

Murmurs of understanding and appreciation went through the gathering. Tanner’s eyes met hers and she felt like she was being warmed from the inside out under his gaze.

“I’m going to miss every one of you here at the farm,” she said, wrapping up. “But don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be back to say hello to all of you and to visit the best boss a person could have. You can’t get rid of me that easily, not even by firing me, Baz.”

She winked at him, wondering if he noticed that she had finally used his first name. When he strode up and wrapped her in a big hug, she knew he had.

“Valentina, Valentina, ” Zeke cried, running up to her. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Hey, mi vida ,” she said, crouching down to meet him. “What is it?”

“Look,” he said reverently, handing her a little remote control. “Push the button.”

She glanced up and saw that Tanner was there with him, gazing down at her with that look that told her she was longed for, adored, and treasured.

“Okay,” she said. “Here we go. Three, two…”

“ One ,” Zeke yelled along with her.

She pressed the button and suddenly the whole ceiling of the barn was filled with soft light. She looked up to see that Tanner had strung fairy lights from every beam and rafter of the massive structure, making it feel like they were under a sky of shimmering stars.

Someone started strumming the chords of an old classic rock tune on the acoustic guitar, and she was stunned to see it was Bud, the head of the paint crew. Daniel Sullivan joined in, playing the melody on a fiddle and she looked to Tanner, amazed.

“May I have this dance?” he asked.

She looked down to Zeke, not wanting to leave him out. But he was already running off with Baz’s son, Wes .

“Yes,” she said, smiling.

He took her in his arms, and she had never felt such happiness. All around them, their friends were chatting. Now that she had the time to look around a little, she could see that Holly Fields from the café was here too, and Caroline and Logan, and so many others—people who clearly already saw her as a part of their community.

Mrs. Luckett and a few of her contemporaries were carrying out so much food. And Annabelle Williams set a beautiful cake down on one of the tables.

“It’s so beautiful,” Valentina breathed, “seeing everyone here together.”

“ Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much,” he said. “A wise man once told me that.”

“Was that wise man my father?” she asked him, smiling at the familiar, yet beloved words.

“Yes,” Tanner said.

“And I think he was quoting Helen Keller,” she added. “But it’s true in this situation.”

“Your dad has collected some really good words of wisdom,” he said, nodding.

“He’s been around longer than we have,” she pointed out. “We’ve got plenty more time to gather wisdom, and plenty of friends to gather it with—more than I ever realized.”

“I know I’ve got everything I could ever need right here,” Tanner said, his voice rough with emotion.

When he bent to kiss her, she could see their whole world unfolding in her mind—suppers with Zeke, adventures in the winter snow and the summer sun, evenings on the porch sitting in rocking chairs, watching the fireflies flicker just like the twinkling ceiling of the barn tonight, lighting up her heart, the way her love for her husband and son and their beautiful community always would.

***

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