Page 36 of Reece & Holden (Gomillion High Reunion #6)

FIVE MONTHS LATER

Holden

I wake up early, excitement bubbling for the day ahead. There’s a lot to do so I start to climb out of bed. The arm which was draped over me, runs down my body and a hand grips my hip.

“Where do you think you’re rushing off to?” Reece murmurs, his voice still thick with sleep.

“It’s a big day and I have a lot to prepare,” I reply but still turn over to face him.

“It is. I’m so proud of you,” he says, his eyes properly open now. “I’ll get up and make us breakfast, but please give me five more minutes with you before I lose you to the heady world of commerce.”

I giggle, because opening my second store is not as glamorous as he makes it sound.

It’s been hard work to buy Ami’s store in the UK.

It’s in the center of the city so was more expensive than I was anticipating, but as I no longer need a base in Gomillion, I sold my house, which helped.

The store also has an apartment above that I could rent out either permanently or as a holiday let, which would be an added source of income.

Today is reopening day so I’m keen to get going, but I can’t refuse Reece, especially as his fingers are playing up and down my skin.

“Just five minutes—” The rest of my sentence is stolen by Reece’s mouth.

My semi-aroused state when we end our short make-out session is not helped by watching Reece pull on gray sweatpants to go make breakfast. Reece might enjoy edging himself all day, but I don’t need that distraction.

I take a few minutes longer in the shower, jerking myself off to the thought of what fun he’s promised me later. It helps a little.

The smell of bacon when I enter the kitchen makes my stomach rumble.

Reece has also made a stack of pancakes.

I’m glad this is what he’s chosen. I really like a lot of English things, I’ve discovered over the last few months of mostly being here—though we’ve been back to Gomillion several times to pack up my house and sort out all the paperwork for Clara to run the store there.

But one of the things I can never get my head around is the full English breakfast. They take pride in it, but there’s too many items on the plate for me.

We finish breakfast and Reece showers while I gather a few last things I need.

I got rid of all my furniture when I moved, but I brought all of my art and the things I’d made.

The landscapes are now hanging on the walls, and the cushions and throws add some color to the rooms. It now feels like home to me and I love the old house.

Once we’re ready, we walk along to the store.

Once Ami agreed to sell it to me, she said there was no need for her to wait until next year so we started the process straight away, and I also spent a lot of time getting to know the suppliers and regular customers while all the paperwork was going through.

I wanted to make a few changes to it, though, so it has been closed for a week.

Today I’ll be welcoming back customers, and we’ll have drinks and cakes for them, and there’ll be an official opening ceremony at ten when a few friends are planning to come along.

I’m proud to call some of them my friends too.

Reece said he didn’t really socialize with them a lot before, but once he found out about Mac he started to, and since Mac, his best friend Nolan, and Hartley all have partners, we’ve become quite a friends group.

I miss Clara of course, but we video call at least once a week.

I stop outside the store and look up at the new sign.

One of the things I did was change the name.

The Yarn Barn was fine, but there was a reason I called my store Yarning for Ewe.

That reason is standing next to me holding my hand.

Since I now know his story and the secret he held for so long, it seemed an obvious choice to name this store for him—Yarning for Ewe Two.

“The new sign looks fantastic,” Reece says, as he wasn’t here when it was erected yesterday so it’s the first time he’s seen it, though he knows why I named it. “I can’t decide if you’re really romantic or just love incredibly bad puns.”

“Can’t I be both?”

“Definitely. You excel at both of them,” he says, as I unlock the door so we can get out of the biting November wind.

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” I say as I turn on the lights, and he laughs.

There was a lot to do yesterday, as I was putting stock back after changing things around and added a couple more display stands, and I was too tired to look at it properly.

I stand in the middle of the store and look around me. It’s perfect.

“You made it, baby.” Reece comes up behind and puts his arms around me, resting his chin on my shoulder as we do a three sixty of the store. “A second store and a multi-national business.”

My chest fills with joy. This might not be what I’d planned, but it’s what I want.

“Thank you,” I whisper.

“Oh, I didn’t have anything to do with it,” he says.

“You accepted the reunion invitation and didn’t give up on trying to make amends. Without that I wouldn’t be here today.” I turn around in his arms and face him, gazing into his chocolate-brown eyes.

“You forgave me, and that took a big heart to do.”

He leans down to kiss me.

“I see y’all still sappy.”

We turn together and see Clara in the doorway.

“Surprise.” She grins and gives a flourish of her hand.

“Clara! What are you doing here? How did you manage to get here? What about the store?” I ask as she comes over and receives hugs from us both. She ticks each question off on her fingers as she answers.

“To support my friend as he opens his shiny new store. On an airplane.” This is accompanied by a sarcastic toothy grin. Then she turns to Reece.

“How you can ever say no to your mom, I’ll never know. I only mentioned that I wished I could come, and she just organized me. And don’t worry,” she says to me. “Theresa is looking after the store for a few days.” I breathe a sigh of relief; it’s in safe hands.

“I haven’t figured it out yet, but if you find out, please let me know."

“I don’t think it can be done.” She blows out a breath. “Now, do you have decent coffee in this place?”

Once we have coffee, which is of course good, Clara helps us set up the drinks and cakes.

After nine, the customers start wandering in.

Some are curious and want to browse, while others genuinely want to purchase, which is good.

Just before ten, Marina and Ami arrive along with some of their knitting group, all of whom are great ladies, and I joke that there should be some men in their number.

They’ve invited me, but I’m not sure if I have time now.

Then Mac and Levi turn up, closely followed by Nolan and Hartley who’ve walked round from the office, which is only a few blocks away.

Uli comes in with a bunch of flowers for the store.

They look stunning, and I make a note to always have flowers from his store displayed.

I ask if we can talk later as I’m sure we can help each other with cross promotion of our businesses, and he readily agrees.

Ami asked if she could kick off the ceremony, which of course I said she could as it’s partly her retirement party as well. At ten she taps a spoon against a glass to get everyone’s attention.

“Welcome, everyone. Old friends and new. I started this store thirty years ago and it’s been my life ever since.

And I’ve had many happy years. But it’s time to hang up the needles and pass it on to some younger blood.

I’m excited to be handing it over to a fellow American. Holden will take good care of it.”

The small gathering breaks out in applause and I step forward.

“Thank you, Ami. I wish you happiness in your retirement. I’m extremely proud to own my second store here in this beautiful city. Everyone has made me feel very welcome as I start a new chapter of my life here, so thank you all.”

I can’t really say any more, not without being overwhelmed by emotion, and there’s no way I’m going to cry in front of everyone.

People hang around talking for a while longer, but it eventually thins out in the early afternoon.

Clara is staying for a couple of days, so she heads off to go see some of the sights, but not before Reece invites her over for dinner later.

It’s already dark when we lock up at the end of the first day.

“You wait, in a month it’ll be dark by three in the afternoon,” he says, taking my hand for the walk home. Tomorrow he’s back in his office, so I’ll be in the store on my own, though as his office is pretty close we might be able to walk part of the way together.

“Urgh, that sounds grim.”

“It’s the price we pay for it being light until after eleven in the summer,” he replies, and I laugh remembering how odd I found it.

“Did you get used to it?”

“Eventually, but I like the later summer nights. I also like the dark nights when everything looks warm and cozy inside.”

“I think you’re turning British,” I tease and he laughs.

“Another twenty years and you’ll feel the same.” He squeezes my hand and I return it.

The thought of twenty years and more stretching ahead, all of it with Reece, fills me with a giddy happiness, and I laugh with glee. We might have lost some years, but we’re going to make up for it for the rest of our lives.