Page 96 of The Cherry Blossom Boathouse

Lisa flashed her a grin and swooped in for a hug. “Had to come, didn’t I? You’re launching a bookshop in a dress covered in blossoms, with a brooding handyman-turned-boyfriend gazing at you like you’re the actual sunrise. Frankly, it’s rude you didn’t ask me to plan it.”

Sophie laughed, still stunned. “But how did you even know?”

“Your guy messaged me.” Lisa released her and turned briefly to appraise Luke like she was checking the craftsmanship on a bespoke armchair. “Very polite. Offered to cover my travel, which was sweet. But I sorted it. And let’s face it, watching my little sister live out her literal Pinterest board? Worth the trip. Plus, you know,” she added, giving Sophie’s hand a squeeze, “I had to represent Mum, right? She’d be unbelievably proud, Soph.”

The two sisters smiled at each other, tears filling their eyes. “No tears on your big opening,” Lisa said softly.

Sophie nodded, pulling herself together, then turned to Luke, who was suspiciously focused on adjusting a stack of books by the door. “You contacted my sister?”

“Yep,” he replied, looking cute and awkward. Sophie fought back the ridiculous urge to cry. She was not going to be that girl, sobbing over a grand romantic gesture in front of her entire online community. Though if ever there was a time for dramatic tears, this was probably it.

“How did you even manage all this?” she asked Luke. “Did you have to trade in your flip phone and carrier pigeon messaging system?”

“I had a lot of help from my little brother…” he said, gesturing to Finn. “Turns out I’m not completely hopeless at this community thing after all.”

Sophie couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face. “Luke Rhodes, are you telling me you’ve joined the twenty-first century?”

“Parts of it,” he admitted, returning her smile. “The parts that matter to you.”

Sophie ran at him, throwing her arms around him in a hug that nearly knocked him backward. His arms came around her automatically, solid and warm. He smelled like pine and lake water and something uniquely Luke.

“Thank you,” she whispered against his chest.

His hold tightened in response, and she felt rather than heard his quiet “You’re welcome” rumble through him.

When they pulled apart, both a little flushed, the group behind them erupted in applause. Sophie laughed, embarrassed but delighted, and turned to greet them properly.

BookishBee92 let out a little squeal. “I’m witnessing an HEA in the wild!”

Luke gave her a confused look. “Happily Ever After,” Sophie whispered to him. She turned to the crowd, clutching her sister’s hand, too. “I can’t believe you’re all here,” she said, recognizing faces she’d only seen in tiny profile pictures. “Please, come in! Let me show you what your support helped create. Though I should warn you, if I start crying about bookshelves, just nod politely and pretend it’s completely normal.”

The next half hour passed in a blur of introductions and exclamations as Sophie led the group through the boathouse. Their genuine excitement at seeing the physical manifestation of what had once been concept sketches and mood boards was overwhelming. These weren’t faceless internet strangers, they felt like real people with real connections to her vision.

When their tour reached the corner with the Rhodes and Flores family display, Luke froze, staring at the photographs and artifacts with undisguised surprise.

“What’s all this?” he asked.

“Your family’s history,” Sophie said, suddenly nervous. “I wanted to show that the past and present can exist together. That progress doesn’t have to erase what came before.” She paused, then added with a touch of her usual dryness, “Also, it turns out your grandfather”—gesturing to the framed photo of him—“was devastatingly handsome, which explains a lot, genetically speaking.”

Luke stepped closer to the display, examining the boat plans with something like reverence. “My grandfather’s designs. Where did you find these?”

“The historical society archives. Ella helped,” Sophie explained.

“And here I thought I was the one with the grand gesture.”

They stood there, staring at each other with matching giddy smiles like teenagers. Luke’s eyes crinkled at the corners in that way that still made Sophie’s stomach do Olympic-level gymnastics. For a brief, lovely moment, the boathouse seemed to exist in its own perfect bubble of time. Just them, surrounded by books and history and possibility.

“Are we having a moment?” Sophie whispered conspiratorially. “Because I feel like we’re having a proper rom-com moment and I’d hate to waste it by saying something inappropriate about your grandfather’s cheekbones.”

Luke’s laugh was interrupted by Lisa jingling a small silver bell with unnecessary enthusiasm.

“Sorry to break up whatever this is,” she said, gesturing between them with a knowing smirk, “but there’s nearly a hundred people gathered outside and a woman called Mabel wearing a lilac cardigan is threatening to start the ceremony without you if you don’t, and I quote, ‘stop making moon eyes at each other and get on with the business of bringing literature to the lakeside.’ ”

“Moon eyes?” Luke muttered, looking mortally offended.

“I’ll have you know these are my professional bookshop owner eyes,” Sophie protested, smoothing down her cherry blossom dress one final time. “Very serious and not at all moon-like.”

Outside, the Solstice Serenade festival had transformed the lakefront into something magical. Paper lanterns swayed in the gentle breeze, cherry blossom garlands draped between trees and the bandstand was already alive with the sound of a local string quartet playing something that sounded like a classical rendition of “It’s Raining Men.” Trust Solace Springs to put its own unique stamp on culture.