He smiled at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You could write thank-you notes to the entire town,” he teased.
She laughed and shook her head. “No, I mean it. What if…” Her voice trailed off as she paused and stared into space for a while. Then her lips slowly curved upward as she got an idea. “What if I organized a gathering for Rosewood Beach? We could get the town together to have a good time, which I think everyone really needs right now. I think we need to feel that sense of community now more than ever after the storm and all the damage it caused.”
“I think that sounds incredible. You’re right, I think that’s exactly what people need right now.”
Faith smiled and nodded, feeling excited about her idea. “It would be a way for me to show my appreciation to all of Rosewood Beach, and I think it would really help lift people’s spirits during the aftermath of the storm.”
He squeezed her hand. “Yes. I think it’s the perfect time for something like that. People need community and a little fun when they’re dealing with hardship.”
“One hundred percent. I can’t wait to start planning something.” Faith popped another bite of the delicious cherry pie into her mouth, her mind brimming with ideas for a wonderful gathering the entire town could take part in.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The door to Dean and Noelle’s storage unit rolled upward with a metallic grumble and locked into place with a satisfying clunk. Dean surveyed the stacks of boxes with a sigh of satisfaction. He still felt relieved that none of the wedding decorations that he and his fiancée had placed there had been damaged.
“Well, this looks nicely organized,” Alexis said from behind him, sounding pleased.
Dean chuckled. Both Alexis and Julia were known for their love of keeping things organized.
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’ll admit I just scrawled notes on some of the boxes and placed them wherever, but for the most part this place follows Noelle’s detailed system.”
“Do you think this is going to fit in everyone’s cars?” Hazel said, sounding slightly dubious. “I should have cleared out more space in the back of my trunk.”
“Oh, I’m sure it will be fine,” Vivian said, putting an arm around her. “If we have to take a trip back with a couple of cars, it won’t be a big deal.”
“Thank you all so much for helping,” Noelle said, glowing. “It’s going to make this so much easier. And I can’t wait to geteverything into the Turners’ barn. It makes the wedding feel that much closer.”
Alexis gave her a big hug, letting out a kind of squealing noise. “I’m so excited. And I’m so happy that everything’s going to work out.”
“Me too,” Dean said, picking up a box. His fingers felt strong and free of pain, and that made his heart dance with relief. Although postponing their wedding had been a tough decision and a difficult wait, he knew that it had been the right call. He felt infinitely better than he had before his surgery, and he couldn’t wait to experience his wedding day pain-free.
They began to load boxes into their cars, working quickly as a team. Before long, the storage unit was nearly empty. One of the last items in it was the wooden archway that Dean and Noelle had picked out a few months prior. As Dean picked it up easily with Grayson, he smiled. He remembered the way he’d dropped it when he had gone to purchase it with Jacob, Noelle, and Hazel. His hands had hurt so badly then and been so shaky from his osteoarthritis that he’d been unable to keep a firm grip on the heavy wooden backdrop.
Now, however, he and Grayson were able to carry it out to Cooper’s truck with perfect ease. Cooper asked if they needed help getting it up into the bed of the truck and Dean couldn’t help grinning as he replied in the negative. He hopped up into the back of the truck and grabbed the top of the archway as Grayson hoisted it toward him.
It’s so wonderful to be able to move freely again, and without pain,he thought, settling the arch down carefully between two rows of cardboard boxes.I didn’t think I’d ever be able to feel this way again and now look at me.
He hopped out of the truck and looked at the smiling faces surrounding him. His heart swelled with gratitude as he looked at his family. He knew that without them, he wouldn’t be wherehe was. He might never have decided to get the surgery that he so desperately needed, and he wouldn’t have known about the wedding venue at the Turners’. Here they all were, helping him and Noelle move their decorations to the venue, making an all-day job into one that would probably end up taking less than an hour.
He knew that it was about more than just their verbal support, and the way they were always ready to help him out. Knowing that they were there for him, that they loved him and they had his back, was often the thing that gave him the strength and the courage to keep going. When he’d been struggling with pain and fatigue, it had been their support that had strengthened him and brightened his days.
Them and Noelle,he thought, turning to look at his beautiful fiancée and feeling an ache of love for her fill his heart.Without all of them, I don’t know where I’d be. They’ve kept me going and kept me optimistic through all the tough times. I love them all so much.
He hung back as everyone else made their way back to the storage unit, feeling suddenly overcome with emotion. He blinked back a few tears, laughing at himself a little. Vivian, as if her mom-radar worked even without the use of her eyes, seemed to sense that he’d started crying and turned around in the doorway of the storage building.
“You okay?” she asked softly, coming back to his side.
“Oh, yeah.” He grinned at her, wiping away the one tear that had escaped onto his cheek. “I’m just thinking about everything that’s happened. I’m really grateful.”
“So you’re not worried or anything?”
“No, not at all. I mean, I guess I’m still a little worried that this wedding won’t really be what Noelle wanted. She seems totally happy with this venue change, but I’m not positive. I justwant to give her the beautiful wedding she deserves. She’s done so much for me—you all have.”
Vivian smiled lovingly at him. “We’ll do everything we can to make sure that this wedding is the wedding of her dreams. But remember—Noelle loves you not because of what you can do for her, but because of the man you are.”
Dean took in his mother’s words, and a smile spread across his face. “You’re right.” He gave her a big hug, squeezing her tightly. “Thanks for the encouraging words, Mom.”
“Anytime,” she said, patting his shoulder. “How are you feeling? Physically, I mean?”
