Page 97 of Autumn at the Cat Cafe

“Obviously,” he muttered.

“Your father and his family were everything I ever wanted. Sophisticated. Moneyed. Successful. To his credit, he would encourage me to reach out to my parents and brother. But I refused. I had no room for them in the new life I’d built.”

“No room for me either.” He tried to keep the bitterness out of his tone, but he couldn’t.

“And that was my mistake. I wanted to see Earl because I realized that, although I’d gotten everything I wanted, it wasn’t enough. I had the money and prestige, the seat on the board I’d always harassed Elliot to give me. But I ended up alone and lonely.” Her hands started to shake and she tightened her fingers together. “I was going to apologize to him. I waited too long.”

A lump appeared in Leo’s throat. He didn’t want to feel sympathy for her. Fought it, actually. It didn’t work. Somehow, and despite everything, there was a tiny opening for... something.

“Leonardo, I don’t want it to be too late for us. Can we... try?”

He was tempted to say no. Too much time had passed and too much had happened between them. It served her right for him tokeep shutting her out. She didn’t deserve to be a part of his life. She hadn’t earned it.

Then it hit him—he would be doing exactly what she did to her own family. The motivations were different, but the result would be the same. Considering how upset he was that he never got to know her side of the family, cutting her off was hypocritical. And wrong, because he was already thinking about his future with Via. Marriage. Children. He wanted the family with her that he never had. His mother should be a part of it.

“Yes, Con— Mother. We can try.”

For the first time, he saw his mother genuinely smile at him, and the opening widened a tiny fraction.It’s a start.

Via gazed at the fading sunset above Lake Erie’s horizon as Leo slipped his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. This was the first time they’d had a chance to talk since he’d seen his mother last night. He’d spent the day going through Earl’s stuff in the storage room so he wouldn’t have to move it all back into the apartment, and she’d had a busy day at the café. As soon as she closed at three, they took off in his Turismo and headed for the lake. But instead of talking, they watched in silence as the sun faded in the distance, painting the sky with breathtaking streaks of gold, orange, and coral.

“You were right,” he said, kissing her temple. “It was worth it.”

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. She was dying to hear how his conversation with Constance went, but he’d given no indication one way or the other. She knew he’d tell her when he was ready. She just hoped it would be soon...

“Constance wants to try,” he said, staring at the last fade of the sun.

Via squeezed the warm, strong hand resting on her shoulder. He didn’t have to explain any further. “That’s good, right?”

“I don’t know.” He held her hand tighter. “This is new territory. But it didn’t seem right not to meet her halfway.” He turned to Via, his expression unguarded and open. It was also tense. “I have zero idea how to act with her. Or what to do. She’s already on her way back to New York. Am I supposed to visit her? Do we do the phone call thing? I don’t even remember her birthday. She never celebrated it—”

Via touched his cheek. “Don’t overthink it. You’ll know what to do.”

“You sound so sure,” he said, sounding anything but.

“Whatever happens with you and Constance, I’ll be here. So will my family.” She’d already filled in Dora, who was thrilled and so close to saying “I told you so”until Via had shut her down with a warning look. Birdie was also happy, and Via considered her part of the family too. Her parents and Fergus would know everything tomorrow when she and Leo came to church, then at Sunday lunch afterward. It all felt so right. So good. And she didn’t want the man she loved to worry about something that might or might not happen. Not when they had a few minutes of the sunset to enjoy. “It’s going to be all right, Leo.”

His face relaxed. “With you here beside me, I know it will.” He rolled his eyes, chuckling. “When did I get so corny?”

Via straightened. “Hey, that wasn’t corny. It was—”

He drew her into his arms and kissed her as the final ray of sun disappeared.

Perfect.

Epilogue

The next October

Via paced back and forth in the back hallway of Pawsitive Vibes. Her wedding to Leo was going to start any minute now. They had decided on a small, intimate ceremony with family and a few friends in the cat lounge, with a reception at the newly renovated and expanded Second Chapter. Leo ran the bookstore, but he also worked remotely part-time for Arcadia Financial. He and Via recently hired another employee—Buck Crenshaw’s granddaughter Talyn to help out in the store. Customers often visited both shops, sometimes going back and forth between each one.

Leo had turned Earl’s apartment into a half office, half museum of his uncle’s collections and was moving into Via’s apartment for the time being. But they had to get through the wedding first. She started to tug on her fingers.

Dora, dressed in her purple matron-of-honor sheath, her simple gold wedding band glinting under the canned ceiling lights, put her hand on Via, stopping her movements. “Are you okay?”

“I’m nervous. Why am I nervous? I love him. I want to marry him. I shouldn’t be nervous.” She gripped the autumn-themed bouquet Anna had made for her. Constance had tried to make the wedding more high society and less Pecan Corner. Now that she was back in Leo’s life, Via was seeing some of her less-than-appealing quirks. But she was his mother, Earl’s sister, and soon to be her mother-in-law. That was the only reason she was wearing a fifty-thousand-dollar pearl necklace—something borrowed that Constance had worn when she married Leo’s father, Elliot. Every other fancy thing she wanted was nipped in the bud, mostly by her son. He might be letting Constance in, but he wasn’t letting her take over.

“Every bride is nervous,” Dora said. “Remember how nervous I was?”