Page 76 of Forbidden Dreams
I nodded. "I called a few extra groups, assuming that some wouldn't be able to make it. So we have the same groups as last year and a few more."
"This is fabulous, Aspen. You really came through for me," Eve gushed.
"There's still the rest of the season and the winter ball." I couldn't let my guard down yet.
Eve rubbed her belly. "It's nice to take this break."
"I'm glad I could take a few things off your plate."
She shook her head. "You took on more than a few things."
Maddox guided Sofia toward the grandstand area to watch the group perform.
"This has been a good challenge for me. There're always multiple things going on at once." It felt like the perfect fit for me. But when Eve had her baby, she'd be the director again, and I'd be the assistant.
In the past, I would have preferred a role with less responsibility. But now I enjoyed it. Maybe it was because of what I was doing. I wasn't in an office, shuffling papers around the desk. I was building the community with Eve. Growing something she'd already started.
Eve smiled. "I'm excited about the ball."
"The renovations are on track to be done before the big day," I said with more confidence than I felt. Any delay with a delivery or an unexpected surprise could set us back. But I was choosing to be optimistic.
"That's wonderful news. I appreciate it, and so does this little guy." She rubbed her belly again, and I said, "Thank you for the opportunity."
Eve smiled. "You deserved it."
That took me aback for a second. I deserved this job? I never thought about it like that. That made me wonder if I deserved to have Cooper in my life and vice versa.
"I'd better get back to my family. Good luck with the rest of the parade." Eve turned to join her family.
Maddox put his arm around her. Sofia stood in front of them watching the scout troop march through with their wagons and dogs available for adoption. They'd combined their efforts with the local rescue, and it was a hit with the crowd.
Kids rushed to pet the dogs on the side of the road.
By the time the last act marched passed, some of the crowd had dissipated, probably grabbing lunch from a truck or restaurant or ducking into one of the many shops. The point of these events was to create a destination for locals to do something on their weekends but also to shop at the stores and eat at the restaurants. It brought awareness to the town and encouraged visitors to spend their money, hopefully coming back again.
When Eve and Natasha had bought the town, they’d hoped to increase the number of visitors that came year-round. And I think they were doing that. I hoped I'd be here next year and see an even bigger crowd.
I helped clean up the grandstand tables and chairs, storing them in town hall until next year. Why were we only hosting a parade for Christmas? Shouldn't we be doing one for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July? How amazing would it be to see the crowd waving those tiny flags and wearing red, white, and blue.
I made a note in my phone to ask Eve about it later. I'd been so caught up in making it through, just checking off the next thing on my list, that I hadn't had any new ideas before now. Eve might like it, or she might dismiss it. It wasn't my town after all.
I was just assisting while Eve was pregnant. Who knew what would happen once the baby came? She might decide she couldn't afford an assistant or decide I hadn't done a good job.
It was a lot of pressure, which I usually avoided. But I felt satisfied too, as if I'd done a good day's work. I was exhausted yet excited to see Cooper tonight. It wasn't just about sex. Yeah, that was amazing, but I wanted to tell him about my day.
I hadn't had much time to process that he'd taken me aside before the parade to give me a kiss and wish me good luck. It made my insides mushy to remember it now. It had been sweet. Even though we were hiding from the public, I still adored the gesture. It felt like something a boyfriend would do.
The only thing that would have made it better was if he'd been able to do that in the open, on the street in front of the parade goers. But that would have tipped everyone off that we were in a relationship. It was never going to happen, and I needed to stop wishing for it.
Our relationship couldn't be in the open. No one could know about us. Instead, I had to endure my mother setting me up on blind dates.
But the thought of breaking things off caused my stomach to knot. I didn't want to say goodbye to Cooper or pretend he didn't mean anything to me. I wondered if it was time for me to tell him how I felt?
Or would that scare him off? He was a guy with a history of not sharing his emotions. But I felt like I'd gotten insight into his feelings, and they seemed genuine. I didn't think he was incapable of experiencing emotions.
I did a final walk through downtown to ensure that the signs had been removed, and any remaining chairs packed away. The food trucks were packing up and soon would head home. I stopped by the hot chocolate truck.
"How was business today, Hattie?"
