Page 14 of Daddy’s Naughty Bartender (Naughty Girls Book Club #5)

"Places, everyone!" I call out, then quieter, to him: "Thank you. For staying. For fighting. For everything."

"Thank you for being worth it." He kisses me softly. "Now, let's show them how it's done. Together."

The doors open at exactly five o'clock.

The first hour is a blur of greetings, congratulations, and surprised admiration. Even Betty Henderson makes an appearance, though she stays near the door, lips pursed like she's bitten a lemon.

"Beautiful renovation," Dale Morrison booms, pumping Jason's hand. "Glad you stuck around despite... difficulties."

"Best decision I ever made," Jason replies, eyes finding mine across the room.

The wine lounge fills with tastings and laughter while The Gathering Place side stays lively with regular customers and curious newcomers. Josh's cameras capture it all, his commentary entertaining his growing audience.

"This is my mom's place," I hear him say to his phone. "Well, hers and Jason's. Yeah, that Jason, the one who helped me get started. They're basically the coolest parents ever. Don't tell them I said that."

"We heard that," Emily calls out, making him blush.

I'm refilling wine glasses when Linda Morrison pulls me aside. "Betty's leaving," she murmurs. "But she asked me to give you this."

The envelope is thin, official-looking. Inside, a single paragraph:

Ms. Mitchell, I withdraw any and all complaints against your establishment. Your

dedication to this community is evident. I wish you and Mr. Schaeffer well.

- B. Henderson

"Is that?—"

"A white flag," Linda confirms. "You won. Not through fighting dirty or stooping to her level, but by being yourselves. Building something good. The town sees it now."

"Karen!" Elizabeth's voice cuts through the crowd. "Speech time! Both of you!"

Jason appears at my side as the crowd gathers. Someone has produced champagne, and not the kind I keep behind the bar, but the good stuff from the wine lounge.

"We should probably say something profound," I murmur to him.

"You're the one with words. I just pour wine and look good."

"Liar." But I'm smiling as I raise my glass. "Six months ago, many of you thought we were crazy. Opening a wine lounge in Prairie Harbor? Combining it with a sports bar? Probably still crazy."

Laughter ripples through the crowd.

"But that's what life is sometimes, taking crazy chances on things that shouldn't work but do.

" I find my children's faces in the crowd, both smiling.

"On partnerships that balance instead of diminish.

On love that comes when you least expect it but need it most. On communities that can grow and change and accept that there's more than one way to be happy. "

"To The Gathering Place and Schaeffer's Lounge," Jason raises his glass. "To Prairie Harbor. To second chances and new beginnings. To family both blood and chosen. To all of you who've supported us."

"Cheers!"

The toast is loud, enthusiastic, sincere. As glasses clink and conversation resumes, Jason pulls me close.

"We did it," I whisper.

"We did." He kisses my temple. "Want to know a secret?"

"Always."

"I put an offer on the Murphy place today. The farmhouse on Oak Street."

I pull back to stare at him. "The one with the wraparound porch and the barn?"

"That's the one. Figured we needed more space. For Josh's workshop. Emily when she visits. Maybe an art studio for you to start painting again." His eyes are soft, certain. "A real home, baby. Our home. If you'll have me."

"You're asking me to move in with you?"

"I'm asking you to build a life with me. Officially. Permanently." He pulls a small box from his pocket. With a ring.

"Wear this for me," he says softly. "We don’t need to plan the wedding, yet. We don’t need to come up with a date. But, I want you to know I’m fully committed. Fully dedicated to you.”

The room fades away. There's only Jason, only this moment, only the choice that isn't really a choice at all.

"Yes."

He places the ring on my finger with steady hands. When I look up, I realize the entire bar has witnessed it. My children, my friends, half the town.

And I don’t see judgment, I see smiles. Understanding. Acceptance.

Josh starts the slow clap. Emily joins. Then Susie, the Naughty Girls, even Betty Henderson's church friends. The applause builds until it shakes the rafters.

"I love you," Jason murmurs under the noise.

"I love you too. Always."

"Forever," he corrects. "I'm never letting you go."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He spins me around to face our domain: our bar, our people, our life. "Look what we built, baby. From ashes and judgment and fear, we built this."

He's right. We've built something beautiful. A business that honors the past while embracing the future. A family that bends but doesn't break. A love that challenges expectations and rewrites rules.

"No regrets?" I ask.

"Only one." He grins. "I should have ordered two paddles. That one's going to see a lot of use."

"Jason!"

"What? You're the one who hung it in public." His hand finds the small of my back. “You're my brave girl. My perfect match. My cherished love. Ready to scandalize Prairie Harbor for the next fifty years?"

"With you? Always."

The Gathering Place still stands, better than ever. But now it has a partner, just like its owner. Different but complementary, traditional but evolved, proof that sometimes the best things come from the most unexpected combinations.

Behind the bar, the paddle catches the light, our secret in plain sight. A reminder that strength comes in many forms, that submission is a gift, that love is worth fighting for.

And as Jason pulls me in for a kiss that earns whoops and hollers from the crowd, I think Mark would approve. Would want this, his widow not just surviving but thriving, his children seeing that love can come again, his bar transformed into something even better.

"Hey, Mom?" Josh calls out. "Can you make your famous Manhattan for the livestream? The internet wants to see the legend in action."

I laugh, already reaching for the rye. "Sure thing, baby."

"I'll help," Jason says, moving behind the bar with me.

And there, in the space where I found myself after loss, where I built strength from sorrow, where I learned to let someone else be strong for me, we make drinks and make memories.

Together.

The paddle on the wall shines in the light, promise and presence combined.

Just in case.