Cover Story (21 page)

“Now, you’ve been a secret smashaholic up until tonight, but now you’re out of the closet, the good news is you’re free to get professional help. Isn’t that great?” Grace, with her one psych class expertise, beamed at her conclusion.

“I don’t need professional help! I deserve to be thanked!” She whirled to point at Lukas. “You! Your silly gnome song is on the charts thanks to me.” Then she whipped around to point at Valentina. “And you! You’re getting the money from the advertising deals along with everyone else.” She turned again to point to the window overlooking Grace’s soon-to-be house. “Beverley got her husband back!” She turned to point at Simon. “You! You—”

“Thank you.” Gerald’s words were calm and quietly spoken but they carried across the room.

As one, the crowd turned to face him.

“Gerald?” I said.

He looked up at me, unshed tears in his eyes. “I’m glad she did it. I’m just sad it didn’t work for everyone.” He looked from Simon back to me. “I wanted you to stay long enough to fall in love with my granddaughter.” He paused and we all waited. “I failed my daughter, Isabel, in every other way, I couldn’t fail her only child. I needed to find her a new mother.” He looked to Simon. “And find you someone to love.”

The last piece clicked into place. My throat closed off with emotion, but I moved to his side and crouched down to the level of the chair—careful that the front of my silver coat didn’t flare open. “You gnome-napped AG, didn’t you, Gerald?”

Simon crouched down on the other side of Gerald’s chair and reached over the armrest for Gerald’s hand.

Head bowed, Gerald nodded. “I asked Ethel to get him for me. Told her I wouldn’t tell anyone about her smashing the others if she did this and kept it a secret.” He sighed. “But it wasn’t enough.”

Simon gulped a sharp intake of air. “You were capable of organizing that? Though I shouldn’t be surprised after how you are here tonight.”

“I’m feeling better all the time. I still have my moments, but,” Gerald shrugged, “I feel like I’ve woken up.”

Simon shook his head. “I don’t understand. What do you mean, ‘woken up
’
?”

“Perhaps I can help?” Grace moved closer. “I’ve only studied
some
psychology and spoken to Gerald a little, but I’m wondering … what if he was so deep in grief at losing both his wife and daughter, that it mixed with early signs of dementia and looked worse than it was?”

Simon frowned, processing her words. “So, he’s coming out of the grief. And now we just see the symptoms of early Alzheimer’s or something?”

“I’ve been muddled a lot.” Gerald shrugged. “It comes and goes. Sometimes I feel fine and other…”

I remembered his spark of lucidity when I’d first met him. “So, you’ve been coming out of it for a little while—”

“Yes.” He took a slow breath. “But even when I’m not muddled, I think I’ve been too darn depressed to raise the energy for much.” He nodded sagely. “Maybe you’ve hit on something with your idea, Grace.”

Simon rubbed his chin, wonder still in his eyes. “Maybe, but Monday morning, I’m getting you an appointment for a proper diagnosis.”

Then I remembered the rest of what he said. “Gerald, what did you mean, it wasn’t enough?”

He smiled sadly. “Even after I sank to making the deal with Ethel, you’re still moving across the country and leaving us.”

He liked me that much? It was the biggest compliment of my life—a sweet old man had committed a crime to make me stick around for his granddaughter. He thought I’d be good for her.

“Yes, Tobi,” Valentina’s voice filled the silence. “I’ve been thinking about that. I’m not sure I approve of you moving to New York.”

Still crouching, I turned to look at her.

“Neither do I,” said Dot.

Slowly, I stood, straightening out my twinkle-twinkle-little-damn-star coat. “What do you mean?”

Valentina came a step closer and took my hand. “We think you should stay right here.” She reached for Simon’s hand and brought him to standing as well. “Simon Hanson, I think it’s high time you married this girl and kept her in the state and on Los Alamos Court.”

“Yeah!” yelled Pedro, Laurie, and Lukas together.

Dot left Kevin’s side to take Simon’s hand from Valentina. “Simon, you know I’ve always let you make your own decisions, but I agree. You should marry Tobi. You love her and she loves you. That’s all there is to it.”

Frank Porter started clapping and the rest of the group joined in.

“Go for it, Tobi!” Grace yelled, laughing.

“This whole street is insane,” Ethel muttered as she shouldered her way to the door.

“What’s that you say, dear?” Valentina asked Ethel.

Ethel reached the entranceway and turned back. “I resign. I’ve had enough of this job and this street.”

Ethel left. More cheers erupted. Rafaella and Liz raced to the door after her.

“We’ll follow her,” Rafaella called over her shoulder. “Make sure she doesn’t smash anything as she packs. But I agree with Valentina and Dot, Tobi, You should stay.”

“Absolutely,” Liz called over her shoulder as they raced after Ethel.

Grace laughed harder.

“Right then,” Valentina said. “Now that’s settled—”

“Deefer’s had a puppy,” Anna squealed from further down the hallway. “She’s licking it!”

The crowd cheered again.

“Here’s to Deefer!” Lukas yelled.

“Hear, hear,” the crowd responded.

As most of the noise died down, Valentina stepped into the middle of the room. “As I was saying, now the question of Simon and Tobi marrying has been settled, Dot will be looking for somewhere to stay. You’re more than welcome to my guestroom for as long as you’d like.”

Dot smiled. “That’s very sweet of you, but I was thinking I might move in with Gerald, if he’ll have me. He has a spare room now and,” she turned to Gerald, “I’ll have some free time to look after you if you need.”

Gerald nodded, fresh tears in his eyes. “I’d like that very much.”

“Lovely,” Dot said. “And that way Anna will have both her grandparents at one address. Works out nicely all around.”

“So,” Grace said, winking at me, “what about the wedding? I was thinking of the street—perhaps we could get permission to close it off for the day? Frank could help with the red tape.”

“Yeah!” called the boys and they all gulped more beer.

I looked over at Simon. His eyes were locked firmly on me, but he seemed to be enjoying the floorshow. Dammit, he wasn’t going to be any help.

I cleared my throat. “Do I get a say in this?”

Valentina’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, yes, dear. Of course. What did you want to say?”

“Deefer’s had another puppy!” Anna squealed and we heard the children clapping their hands. “That’s two!”

The boys cheered again, this time joined by Kevin, Grace’s real estate agent, and Frank Porter’s companion, who now all had beers of their own.

I frowned. “As it happens—”

Simon stepped beside me and put a finger to my lips. “Actually, I think it’s my turn to speak.” He took a deep breath and reached for my hands. “Tobi, will you marry me?”

My throat constricted, my eyes burned and I burst out crying, blubbering like a fool.

Simon stepped in front of me, filling my vision. “I promise to love you in good times and bad,” he wiped the tears from my face with the pads of his thumbs, “and to keep you in constant supply of antihistamines and cotton candy.”

My sobs hiccupped to an end and I looked up at him. Then I looked around at my community, these people who had come to mean so much. They were all leaning forward, waiting for my reply.

I grasped Simon’s face in my hands and took a shuddering breath.

“Yes.”

Then, to the background of clapping and cheering, he kissed me. Chastely—in deference to our audience, I assumed. But I was having none of that—I’d put up with far too much tonight to settle for less than I wanted, so I pulled him closer, signaling my intent. I felt him grin against my mouth and then he sighed and slipped his tongue between my lips. In front of this motley crowd, I felt the Hollywood-style lust clear down to my toes … and I didn’t care.

I stood in a disco-ball reject of a coat and odd shoes, losing command of myself to my very own external locus of control, in front of a crowd of fourteen adults, two kids, a dog and two newborn puppies. And I didn’t care. All I cared about was Simon.

I kissed him some more.

“Deefer’s had another puppy! That’s three!” Anna’s voice broke through the haze and the crowd’s attention turned from us to the dog.

Another—more slurred—cheer broke out from the consortium of boys and their new friends. Rafaella and Liz came back through the door.

“Ethel’s taken a cab to her son’s house,” Rafaella announced. “I got her house key back. She said she’ll call to arrange to get the rest of her stuff. What did I miss?”

Grace filled Rafaella and Liz in while the crowd chatted loudly about how they’d always suspected Ethel was the gnome-smasher, though I also heard ideas for my wedding thrown around. Taking advantage of the most privacy I thought I’d get, I pulled the bundle tied in a ribbon from my coat pocket and showed Simon the pencils he’d given me with the words on the side—
relax, smile, dream, have fun, laugh, 
and
be
.

He ran a finger over one and looked up at me, his gaze questioning.

“I want all these things,” I said. “I’m ready for them—with you.”

Cosmo’s high voice pierced the room. “Another puppy! A spotty one. I’m gonna name him Spot.”

Simon drew me against him again and kissed me, slowly.

Just at the point where I forgot where I was, someone clapped me on the back. I jumped as if a grenade had detonated. Still in the circle of Simon’s arms, I swiveled around to see who the culprit was.

Kevin’s beaming face appeared. “I’m real happy for you.”

Simon’s arms tightened around my waist and I felt his body press into mine from behind. I smiled. “Thanks.” I started to turn back to Simon.

Kevin grabbed my arm. “Oh, and Fletcher?”

“Yes?”

“Does your mother-in-law like men with nipple piercings?”

I groaned and turned back to Simon.

Firstly, thanks to Haylee Nash for loving a quirky little story enough to offer to buy the manuscript, then Tara Goedjen and Kylie Mason for their editing expertise in making it shine. But before it even made its way to Momentum, these people either critiqued, helped or cheered for
The Gnomes
: Sharon Archer, Amanda Ashby, Cathy Bay, Lisa Chaplin, Barbara DeLeo, Robyn Grady, Tracey O’Hara, Mel Teshco, and Mia Zachery. Also, thanks to Fiona Greene for her technical expertise, and Sandra Antonelli for her Santa Fe knowledge, though any mistakes are mine. And thank you to John, as always.

Rachel Bailey developed a serious book addiction at a young age (via Peter Rabbit and Jemima Puddle-Duck) and has never recovered. Just how she likes it. She went on to gain degrees in psychology and social work but is now living her dream—writing romance for a living. Her books have hit the
USA Today
bestseller list, are published in over twenty-six countries and have been translated into sixteen languages. She lives on a piece of paradise on Australia’s east coast with her hero and their dog pack, and loves to hear from readers. She can be contacted via
www.rachelbailey.com
.