Danny got to the front door of the bookshop first and held it open for the girls to walk through.
The lights were off, and Dot asked, “Is anybody here?”
“Surprise!” The lights came on and The Crew was shocked.
The entire bookstore was decorated for a party, and all their Cedar Falls friends were there. Grace and Joe Taylor, Ted and Jeanie Jankowski, Mimi from Flour Power, Fletcher, Rose, the florists from the farmer’s market, and a few of the guys who worked at the Sin Bin. There were little white fairy lights hanging from the ceiling and a big “WE LOVE NEW YORK” banner hung over the register.
“What in the world is this?” Dot asked, hugging Ted and Jeanie.
“We wanted to do something nice for you. You’ve been such a joy to have around, and the bookstore has done so well this summer after the remodel thanks to you all, we thought it was time to have a party,” Ted said.
“And even though you’ve become honorary Wisconsinites, we thought you might like a little taste of home,” Jeanie said, gesturing around the store. “So, we roped the boys in to help us create this night in Manhattan just for you.”
“I can’t believe it!” Harper said. She found Tommy and hugged him.
Tommy took her hand and twirled her around. “Welcome to New York, Harper!”
“This is amazing!” Mary spotted Jake at a makeshift bar.
“Manhattan?” he said, holding a plastic martini glass for her.
“Don’t mind if I do,” she said, kissing him fully on the lips.
Grace elbowed Joe. “Oh boy. They’re an item, aren’t they?” she whispered to her husband, out of earshot of Jake and Mary.
“We’ll see!” he said, putting an arm around her. Joe was glad to have a night to get away from his worries about keeping the farm. The pressure was mounting as another one of his neighbors had just agreed to sell. He was nearly the lone holdout.
“We put Tommy in charge of food. We even got you some New York–style pizza,” Ted said to The Crew. “I’ve never liked thin crust over deep dish, but for tonight, I’ll enjoy it on your behalf.”
“And your mom pitched in with something special, Mary,” Grace said.
“She did?” Mary wondered what it could be.
“How about some of her Sunday sauce?” Joe said.
“You’re kidding me!” Mary went over to the buffet line and breathed in the gorgeous aroma of roasted tomatoes, garlic, and her mom’s special touch. “It smells just like home.”
“It was Jake’s idea,” Grace said, as if she needed to help her son pursue this young woman.
Mary thought her mom must have been impressed with Jake for the ask.
“And I got you a banana pudding and cupcakes from Magnolia,” Danny said, holding the special desserts in his hands.
“There’s one right by my apartment!” Dot said. “I can’t wait to take you all when you visit.” She smiled widely, though every time she thought of leaving Cedar Falls, she felt a pang of regret. The fact that their time in Wisconsin was coming to an end was at the periphery of their minds.
Still, the party was humming, and everyone was having a great time.
After enjoying a plate of food, Dot sought out the Jankowskis. “Wow, you two.” Dot took their hands. “You didn’t have to do this, but we’re so glad you did.” Then she turned to Danny. “You’re pretty good at keeping a secret, aren’t you?”
“Indeed,” he said, leaning down to kiss her. She took his hand and led him to the cocktail bar.
Ted pressed play on his Bluetooth speaker and started the playlist that he’d had the boys put together. All the songs had to have a New York connection. There was T-Swift, Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, JLo, and many more.
In a fitting tribute to the season, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong kicked it off with “Autumn in New York.” Seeing Mary sway to the music, Ted asked her for a dance. She accepted. He took her hand and started a foxtrot in the children’s reading area. She was graceful even in spiked heels.
“My, my. You can dance, too!” Ted said.
“My Nonna taught me when I was young. Said it was a tradition that couldn’t be lost to the generations.”