Page 86 of Finding Forever

Her laugh echoed through the empty room.

Dave slipped an arm around her shoulders. “But look what you did.”

Beth leaned against him. “What we did.”

He liked that correction. Especially after their disagreement about the money he’d spent. For Dave, buying better materials had seemed simple. The center needed them, he could afford them, so he’d paid the difference.

Beth had seen something he hadn’t. She’d been given the responsibility for the renovation. Every decision he’d made without telling her had made it harder for her to know what the project had genuinely cost.

“I spoke to Natalie again yesterday,” he said.

Beth looked up at him. “About the money?”

Dave nodded. “Everything’s sorted. The faucets, shelving, acoustic battens, hardware and the other upgrades. She’s recorded the full amount I spent as a donation.”

“Everything?”

“Every last dollar.” Natalie had gone through the invoices with him, adding his contribution to the project records. The accounts now showed the true cost of the renovation, rather than only the amount the council had paid. It had taken a lot longer than Dave thought it should.

He’d decided not to mention that to Beth.

“And if you decide to donate something else?” she asked.

Dave knew there was only one correct answer. “I talk to you first.”

Her expression softened. “Thank you. I never wanted you to think I wasn’t grateful. What you did was incredibly generous.”

Dave nodded. “I know that now.”

“I just need you to tell me what you’re doing.” Beth rested her hand against his chest. “Especially when it affects something we’re working on together.”

Dave held her close. “I’ll remember,” he promised.

When Beth lifted her head, her peaceful expression told Dave their disagreement was behind them.

After a moment, she looked around the center. “It’s good to see everything in its place. We even found a great location for the moose.”

“And the building doesn’t smell like a sewer,” Dave added.

Beth sighed dramatically. “Possibly our greatest achievement.”

Dave laughed, and for the next few minutes, neither of them moved.

Soon, Beth’s friends would arrive. Natalie and her husband, Gabe, wouldn’t be far behind. The musicians would set up, volunteers would take their places, and families would begin gathering outside.

The quiet wouldn’t last. In a few hours, there would be people everywhere and enough activity to keep Beth running from one end of the building to the other.

But for now, the center was quiet, everything was finished, and everything was ready.

And for the first time since they’d begun the renovation, Dave could stand beside Beth without thinking about the next problem he needed to solve.

There wasn’t one.

All they had to do was open the doors.

Chapter 41

By ten o’clock, Beth had stopped worrying about whether anyone would come to the opening of the arts center. People were everywhere.