“Good man.”
Dot came back out and stopped when she saw Albert and Danny in conversation—and the words she’d planned to use to say goodbye caught in her throat.
DANNY EXCUSED HIMSELFto take a quick call from one of his employees who was about to demolish a kitchen for a remodel they were doing back in Cedar Falls.
“He’s a fine young man,” Albert said, watching him go. He turned and rested his arm around Dot’s shoulders.
She was grateful for his approval. “I agree,” she said, giving Albert a squeeze.
When Danny returned, Albert hailed a taxi. Time slowed and Dot’s vision blurred. The vehicle stopped, and the driver got out to put the bags in the car’s trunk.
Dot turned to Danny and met his deep brown eyes.
This was it.
IN THE TAXI,the taxi driver made eye contact with Dot in the rearview mirror.
“Where to, love?”
She reached for Danny’s hand, met his gaze, and said, “Home.”
Epilogue
When they landed in Milwaukee, Dot felt butterflies stirring in her stomach—a swirl of eagerness for her new chapter, worries she’d live anywhere but New York, and wonderment about how her life had changed so much in a year. But the emotional thread that made her butterflies fly in formation was because she was deeply in love with Danny Dawson. And with him, this new adventure felt not only possible but nearly perfect. She pushed down thoughts of how she’d suddenly rejected her chosen career in high-tech PR and shunned a D.C.-based job in national politics so that she could be with him. But, some questions nagged at her. Who was she without the work that helped define her? What would happen when she let go of her plans and rode the wave of whatever life had in store for her?
Well, she was about to find out.
After landing in a frigid Milwaukee, Dot and Danny held hands as they made their way to his truck. It occurred to her that she’d have to renew her license and get used to driving. She was already dreading the parallel parking test.
As Danny drove them to Cedar Falls, they listened to the country music channel playing softly in the background. “Oh, I love this song,” she said, surprised how even her Spotify algorithm knew her new musical preferences.
So much had changed.
When they drove into town, Danny said, “Mind if we stop at the bookshop for a moment?”
“No, that would be great. I’d love to start the new year off with a bunch of new reads, anyway.”
Danny nodded and took a right onto Main Street.
“It’s truly the cutest town,” she said, looking around, the Christmas decorations still framing the storefronts.
“It is,” he agreed, letting his eyes sweep over Main Street.
Danny parked across the street from the store and saw that Dot hadn’t noticed yet. He hoped she liked surprises.
He got out and came around to her side to open her door.
“Welcome back, Dot.” He used both hands to gesture toward the store.
She looked at him quizzically, not understanding. So, he spun her around. And then she saw it.
A new sign was affixed above the store—it no longer said “Reader Falls Bookshop.”
It was now: “Dot’s Bookshop & Second Cup Café.”
“Wait. What?” She still hadn’t registered what she was seeing.
Then, Ted and Jeanie Jankowski, Grace and Joe Taylor, Mimi and Rose, and several of Danny’s employees came out of the store and started chanting her name. “Dot! Dot! Dot!”