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Trudy cocked her head. “Why would anyone think that?” She glanced at Lanie before turning to Steven. “I believe everyone in town would agree the McAllisters have had more than their fair share of tragedy this year, between losing your mom and your accident.”
“And let’s be real,” Nate said. “If you hadn’t had your accident, you wouldn’t need a fundraiser in the first place. Nobody thinks you and Rose spent beyond your means.”
“Right, and even if some people do feel that way, no one is forcing them to contribute.” Lanie shrugged. “It’s a fundraiser, not a tax.”
Their food arrived, and Steven was grateful for a chance to sit with his thoughts. The case they were making for the fundraiser was hard to argue against. But he wanted to hear how Rose felt. After all, she had insisted they pay for the wedding themselves. Would she really be okay with the town financing even a portion of it?
He leaned toward her. “What do you think about all this?”
“If you had asked me when Trudy first brought it up, I would have said ‘absolutely not.’” She took a bite of her burger and tilted her head as she chewed, as if considering her next words. “I don’t like to accept charity from people. But Trudy makes a lot of good points.” Her eyes grew misty as she turned to him. “People love you, and they want to help. This seems like a good way to do that.”
He nudged her. “They love you too. You nurse them back to health in some of their darker moments.”
“True, but I’m not the prodigal son who returned after earning a law degree.”
A laugh bubbled up in his throat. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
They finished the rest of the meal in silence, and Steven had to admit that the idea grew on him the more he thought about it. The fact that Rose was on board spoke volumes.
An idea formed in his head, but he kept it to himself. After all, there were no guarantees regarding how much money they would raise, and he wanted to make sure the funds went to their most pressing problems. But if there was a little left over, it wouldn’t hurt to surprise his new bride.
“So, what do you think?” Lanie asked as Bea cleared their plates.
“Well, first things first.” Steven gestured to Trudy.
Catching on immediately, Trudy waved Bea over to her side. “We have a proposition for you.”
“Shoot,” Bea said.
“How would you feel about us hosting a fundraiser in your diner later this month?”
“What’s the fundraiser for?”
“Me,” Steven said with an embarrassed smile.
Understanding dawned on Bea’s face. “Nobody else deserves it more. Of course y’all can have it here. Just give me a date, and I’ll be ready.”
“How about July twenty-second?” Lanie suggested. “It’s a little over two weeks away, which isn’t a lot of time, but it’s just over a month before the wedding.”
Steven and Rose exchanged glances. Two weeks was no time at all to plan an event, but if they kept it simple, it might work.
“Let’s do it,” Rose said.
As the others set to work planning the event, Steven wrapped his arm around Rose, pulling her close. After everything they’d been through, he was ready for them to have a reprieve and some happiness.
Chapter Sixteen
Later that afternoon, Rose headed into the hospital to start her shift. She’d barely set her things down at the nurses’ station when Rebecca came running up. A feeling of déjà vu washed over her on seeing the panic in Rebecca’s eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Rose demanded. “Is it Steven?”
“No, it’s Mr. Patrones. He was brought in a moment ago and is in ICU.”
“Mr. Patrones? B-But he was just released the other day!”
Rebecca nodded, her face grim. “Apparently, he didn’t heed Dr. Myers’s advice to take it easy. According to the neighbor who called it in, he was on a ladder, cleaning his gutters, when he suddenly fell.”
“Another heart attack?” Rose covered her mouth with her hand.
