I smile, shaking my head. “You don’t alwayshaveto be right, you know.”
She busies herself again with the bouquet she’d been working on. “But it does help, doesn’t it?”
• • •
Stonevale Tavern isbrimming with laughter and clinking glasses, a cozy sound that makes even my nerves feel manageable. Naomi stands at my side with a notebook in one hand, cheese piled high in the other, asking questions about who’s who each time someone walks through the doors.
Dominic sweeps in like he’s running for office, Elijah at his side. He slings an arm around me. “Tonight’s your night.”
“You said that last year.”
He shrugs. “Fuck me for being an optimist.”
Elijah laughs, sliding a hand into his husband’s. “You’re optimism’s bordering on delusion, love. But this year actually does feel different. Levihasput his whole heart and—”
“Last two remaining brain cells?” Dominic interrupts, evoking a bigger-than-necessary laugh from Naomi, to which I respond with a glare.
“…his whole heart andsoul…” Elijah continues, biting back his own laugh, “into this project. That’s gotta count for something.”
Elijah’s always been deeply invested in Stonevale’s community initiatives, particularly opportunities for his students to engage hands-on with local projects. We’ve already discussed plans to bring his environmental studies class to the garden once it’s complete.
The air shifts in the doorway, like the hush that settles just before sunrise, and my heart softly catches. Hayden steps into the room, tall and quiet, impeccably tailored as always. He glances around, eyes searching until they settle on mine. My shoulders drop a fraction and the room steadies.
Dominic follows my stare. “Well, well. Looks like your Funeral Daddy has arrived.”
Elijah rolls his eyes. “Please, Dom. You have to stop calling him that.”
Dominic feigns innocence. “It’s perfectly poetic and accurate.”
Hayden approaches, hands tucked into his coat pockets. “Sorry I’m a little late.”
“You’re here,” I reply, “and that’s all that matters.”
He smiles, stepping closer, the gentle proximity soothing my nerves. “Only with the right motivation.”
“Just a heads-up, Hayden,” Dominic says, leaning in. “Levi tends to charm the entire town council with talk of compost and mulch. It’s practically sorcery.”
I roll my eyes gently, but Hayden’s expression only softens, his eyes amused. “Actually, that’s precisely why I came.”
Something bright settles inside me. Gratitude that he’s here, sliding into my world without hesitation.
“You might regret this,” I warn as we turn toward the crowd.
“No,” he says simply. “Never.”
Dominic sighs, nudging Elijah. “And just like that, Levi’s officially ruined.”
Elijah chuckles. “And about damn time, too.”
Ruined, carefully and quietly, feels like exactly where I want to be.
Hayden leans in, voice low near my ear. “Can I get you something to drink?”
“Yeah,” I say, glancing toward the bustling bar area. “Whatever you’re having.”
A smile tilts his lips, his eyes lingering on mine for a moment longer than necessary. “I’ll be right back.”
He steps away as I begin conversing with attendees, my plans for Stonevale’s garden drawing murmurs of approval and thoughtful nods.
