Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98789 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 494(@200wpm)___ 395(@250wpm)___ 329(@300wpm)
She shook his hand, her expression turning curious. “Buckley. You’re not related to a Devlin Buckley, are you?”
“Yes.” Dash looked surprised. “That’s my brother.”
Ellie’s eyes popped. “What?” She thumped Gianni’s chest with the back of a hand. “You didn’t tell me that!”
Gianni looked unconcerned. “Who’s Devlin Buckley again?”
“He’s the groom at the wedding we’re going to this weekend, one of the new owners of Snowberry Lodge.” Ellie looked put out. “He’s marrying my friend Lexi. I’ve told you this a hundred times.”
“Oh, right.” Gianni nodded, like it was all coming back to him. “I gave them some tips on the dinner menu for their new restaurant.” He shrugged. “Yeah, I didn’t put that together.”
His wife rolled her eyes. “He never listens. And he doesn’t ever give me any details—all he said was an old roommate of his named Dash was coming to see the truck.”
“And that’s true,” Gianni pointed out. “Is it not, Dash?”
“It’s true,” Dash agreed.
Ellie ignored them and focused on me. “Anyway, it’s so nice to meet you. Can I answer any questions about the truck?”
“I don’t think so,” I said hesitantly.
“The price is negotiable,” Ellie said. “My dad will totally work with you.”
“That’s very generous.” I paused. “I’m just—I’m still thinking about what I’d like to do. It’s a big investment. And I need to convince my parents it’s a good idea. They own the diner.”
“I understand completely. I work for my parents too.” She smiled like we shared a secret, and I felt a kinship with her. “Will I see you at the wedding?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll be there.”
“Great! And in the meantime, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Let me go get you a business card.” Ducking out from under Gianni’s arm, she hurried toward the lobby of the inn.
“Ellie is the assistant winemaker here and runs the tasting room downstairs,” said Gianni. “Do you have time to stop in there for another glass of wine before you go? It’s still open.”
Dash looked at me. “Do we?”
“Sure,” I said, never wanting this surreal time with him to end.
“Awesome. I better get back to the kitchen, but Ellie will take care of you. Dash, good to see you.” The two shook hands. “And Ari, give the truck some thought.” He offered me his hand, and I took it. “I know it’s a big decision, but from what Dash says about you, I bet it will be a success.”
“Thank you,” I said, blushing with pride and pleasure.
As we crossed the stone floor of the lobby and took the stairs down to the tasting room, Dash held my hand. At the bar, he pulled out a stool for me. When I grew a little chilly, he draped his suit coat over my shoulders. It smelled like him.
I wondered if there was anything I wouldn’t do to be the woman he kept warm for the rest of my life.
We got home around eleven, and when Dash pulled up in my driveway, he put the car in park and turned to me. “Are we okay?”
I looked over at him, surprised. “Of course. Why do you ask?”
“You’ve been really quiet on the way home. Almost silent, in fact.”
“Have I?” I thought about it and realized he was right. “Sorry. My mind is just going a mile a minute about a lot of different things.”
He reached over and took my hand. “I’m probably putting too much pressure on you about the truck. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said. The truth was, my silence had less to do with the truck and more to do with handing my heart over to Dashiel Buckley piece by piece.
“I’m not trying to tell you how to run your life.”
“I know you’re not.”
“I just believe in you. I want to help. And when I go back to California, I don’t want you to give up on the idea that you deserve something for yourself.”
“I get it. And I’m grateful to you for everything, but I can’t take your money. I also need my parents to be on board. I know I’m an adult and shouldn’t still worry about their approval, but this isn’t just about me. And I was raised to put family first.”
“You’re a good girl, Sugar.”
I laughed softly, heat blossoming through my chest. “Thanks.”
“And I’m going to shut up about the truck now and tell you something else.”
“What?”
He stroked my hand with his thumb. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said. About how being able to make people feel things is a gift.”
“And you’ve got it,” I said quietly. “You should share it.”
“I want to. I’m going to work on digging a little deeper, even if it hurts. Even if it feels like exposing too much of myself. I want to do what Delphine said and take down the walls.”