Epilogue Tay

EPILOGUE

TAY

Three months later, sitting in a lawn chair in the backyard of the Dove house, Aunt Jo used the rubber tip of her cane to poke Tay's foot. "I heard you might get that book of yours published."

"I might." She'd had some offers. Two now, to be exact, both from small university presses. But the agent she'd obtained just a month ago seemed certain they'd get some interest from a major publisher, too. She smiled and rested her head on top of Lulu's silken curls. Up until ten minutes ago, the little girl had been running in circles, chasing bubbles from the bubble machine Luke had plugged in on the back porch. But she'd finally tuckered herself out, and had come to settle in Tay's lap and was fast asleep.

"Good for you," Aunt Jo declared. "I'd tell you I'd buy a copy once it's printed, but I think I might wait for the movie." As she spoke, she used the cane to gently rub Moon Pie's back as he lay sleeping at her feet. "He sleeps a lot nowadays. Just like me."

"I don't blame him. It's nice today." It was a beautiful, sunny summer day. Just the kind she liked. The trees overhead rustled happily, while the babble of Sweet Creek complemented the hum of voices coming from the guests who were even now wandering around the assorted lawn chairs, waiting to eat some of Ella's barbecue. Here and there were small groups of chairs like the little circle Tay and Aunt Jo were sitting in. A pair of drink coolers sat near the back patio, while a bubble machine, badminton net, and small inflatable swimming pool had been set out for the children. People were wandering around, laughing and talking. Trust Ella to know how to throw a party.

There were so many people here whom Tay knew and loved. Ava, wearing a bright yellow pair of cutoff overalls, her blond hair in a braid over one shoulder, was sitting by the purple hydrangea bush and explaining to Kat the best ways to encourage the plant to flower. Nearby, Sarah sat by the firepit, her feet stretched out in front of her, her head buried in her ever-present book, while Ava's boyfriend, Dylan, reclined in the chair across from her, trying to figure out the game his daughter, Kristen, had just installed on his phone. Meanwhile, Ella and Gray were manning the grill area, wearing matching aprons.

"There you are, Tay!" Grace grinned as she sat down. She wore a red T-shirt that read DOVE POND SPRING FLING, which was neatly tucked into her jeans. "I was looking for you."

"Hi," Tay said with a smile. "I thought I saw you arrive."

Settling into a lawn chair, Grace balanced her plate of potato chips on her knee as she took a sip of her iced tea. "Sorry we were late getting here. I got a call from Zoe just as we were leaving. A city commissioner from Asheville has been asking for the criteria we used for the Dove Pond Small Business Grant we set up in May. They want to do something similar."

Aunt Jo snorted. "They wish they were as good of a town as Dove Pond."

"We are pretty awesome," Grace admitted. "Tay, thank goodness you found that note from Sarafina about the Fountain Fund. Because of that, I was able to get the necessary vote to use it for grants."

"There was a lot of money in that fund." Millions, in fact. Tay supposed that made sense, as the town had been allowed to spend only a thousand dollars of it each year.

Grace nodded. "I'm glad Rose was the first recipient. It seems fitting."

Tay didn't think she'd ever seen Rose so excited—except, perhaps, on the day she'd discovered that William Day hadn't been a low-life train robber, after all. "It was a generous grant."

Aunt Jo nodded her approval. "You all weren't stingy. Thirty thousand dollars is nothing to sneeze at."

Rose had needed that money. About a week after they'd found William's diary, Rose and Luke had a huge fight. Apparently Rose had taken out a loan with a shady company to make repairs on the bookstore and couldn't make the necessary payments. Worse still, she wouldn't let Luke help, which had apparently hurt his feelings.

The argument had ended abruptly when Luke opened his banking app on his phone and showed his grandmother the amount of money he had in his accounts. Whatever the amount was, it had a profound effect on Rose. She'd stopped shouting and had let her grandson write her a check right there on the spot. After that, their relationship had changed in a subtle but significant way. Rose no longer seemed worried about Luke. In fact, she'd started asking his opinion about her business much more frequently, and Tay could tell that he loved that.

"Mom!"

Grace turned to where her niece Daisy was throwing a softball with her husband, Trav. She smiled when Trav threw the ball super high and made Daisy run to catch it.

Tay tightened her arms around Lulu, wondering what she'd look like when she was that age. "Daisy's getting tall."

"And pretty, although she doesn't know it yet." Grace's smile held a hint of pride. "Right now, we're navigating our way through teenage snark years, which came hard on the heels of the pre-preteen snark years."

"Fun!" Aunt Jo claimed. "Grace, are you going to eat all of those chips? They can't be good for you."

Grace put the plate of chips on the small table at Aunt Jo's elbow. "Help yourself."

"That's my girl!" Aunt Jo beamed and took a handful of chips from the plate. "You came just in time. I was getting ready to ask Tay what she was going to do once she's finished her book."

Grace took a drink of her tea, her gaze returning to where Tay held the sleeping Lulu. "I don't think Lulu will let her leave."

Aunt Jo ate a potato chip. "Or her uncle."

Tay's face heated and her gaze found Luke, where he stood near the swing with Sarah's boyfriend, Blake. They were having some sort of earnest conversation, both of them animated and waving their hands as they made their points. A breeze ruffled Luke's dark hair, and she could tell from the way he spoke that he was enjoying the debate. Over the past few months, her relationship with Luke had slowly shifted from friends to Something More, and she was enjoying it immensely. It was the first time she'd ever dated someone who made life seem so… easy. Easy but interesting.

It was funny, but she rarely thought about Richard at all now. In fact, the few times she did, she thought of him only as a lesson. That mistake had taught her that her pride was too important to ignore. She would never accept such a sorry excuse for a relationship again. Not that she had to worry about that with Luke. He was an all-or-nothing sort of guy, and she'd found that she liked that.

Grace reached over and patted Aunt Jo's potato chip–free hand. "I can tell you're worried about poor Tay."

Tay blinked. "Me? Why?"

"Oh, I am," Aunt Jo told Grace. "I'm afraid she might pack up and leave. She needs this town, but she doesn't know it."

"Don't worry," Grace said. "She's putting down roots here in Dove Pond. I've seen the signs."

"Do tell!" Aunt Jo declared. "What signs?"

Grace gave Tay a considering look. "One is sleeping in her lap right now."

Tay snuggled Lulu a little farther into her arms, noticing that the little girl's hair smelled like vanilla cake and soap, her breath warm as it brushed her shoulder.

Grace continued, "And she bought the Jeep she borrowed from Trav. Everyone knows that Jeeps are for country living, not city living."

"That's the truth," Aunt Jo declared. "There are some nice drives around here."

Grace nodded. "And then there's the fact that although she solved the mystery about Sarafina's early life, she's still here. I've heard her say she's not scheduled to teach until the fall, but here she sits, looking happy and relaxed."

"She's not as pale as she was."

"I think she's sleeping better," Grace said. "The biggest sign that she might be staying is that she didn't leave when she could have. She's still here."

Aunt Jo's warm brown gaze rested on Tay. "So? Are you staying?"

That was the question she'd been asking herself since she arrived, and it was only a few weeks ago that she'd found her answer.

Lulu stirred a moment, but then snuggled against Tay and went back to sleep. "I've been thinking about it," she admitted. "I might have applied for a teaching position at Appy State."

Aunt Jo smacked her knee. "Yes!"

Grace grinned. "Need a reference? I know people."

"I'll let you know if I need another."

Aunt Jo beamed. "I'm glad you came home, Tay. We need you here."

Grace couldn't have looked happier. "So Dove Pond now has its own researcher. I'm already thinking of several projects I may need your help with."

Tay smiled and shifted in her chair so that Lulu's head was a bit more securely settled on her shoulder. Life was funny. She'd arrived back in town feeling wounded and alone, and had instead found joy and love in places she'd never thought to look. Maybe that was the magic of coming home. It wasn't just about healing; it was about growing, about finding one's self and realizing one's own potential.

And here, at home, with the help of her family and friends, old and new, she'd accomplished all that and more.