That night, as she tended bar, Gage informed every local that he would not be building a store there, so they no longer needed to look at him as any sort of competition or threat. After they trusted their lumberyard and livelihoods were safe, Gage had countless instant friends.
He had his necessities overnighted and built a makeshift office in the storeroom out back while searching for a more permanent office in town.
“So, if he’s not going to build a big-box store, what’s he gonna do here?” Maggie asked.
“Me.” Perrin laughed.
“Atta girl,” Sue yelled, never missing a syllable of gossip no matter where she was in the bar.
Her sister rolled her eyes. “I meant for a living.”
“Gage says there’s plenty to keep him busy in a town like this. He’s tired of building cookie-cutter stores. He wants to try his hand at other things. He thinks Jasper Falls needs a big hotel for tourists, and he has some other commercial property ideas. And don’t worry, I made him swear to use McCullough wood.”
“It’s the hardest!” Every McCullough within earshot yelled.
Perrin and Maggie rolled their eyes. “I’m really happy for you, Perrin,” her sister said.
“I’m happy for me, too.”
Gage slipped behind the bar, grabbing his secret stash of Glenfiddich under the shelf and poured himself a glass. He pressed a kiss to her neck. “Are you giving away my secrets?”
“Only a few. I was telling Maggie about the hotel.”
He bit her ear. “Loose lips sink ships.”
She giggled and nudged him away. “She won’t say anything.”
But, as with any small town, news traveled fast, and by midnight, everyone knew Gage’s plans. He charmingly side-skirted any questions about project locations or timeframes, but Perrin had no doubt he’d move fast, the moment he found the right land.
That was just Gage’s style. When he found something he wanted, he went after it full speed ahead.
“I sign the loan papers tomorrow,” she told him, a proud smile on her face.
“Got your little hammer ready?”
“You know it.”
He bent and kissed her sweetly. “I ordered you something else.” He reached in the back pocket of his jeans and revealed a garden shovel and a packet of seeds. “For when you break ground. And flowers, so I have something to give my girl when she needs a reason to smile.”
“Yellow daisies! You’re too sweet.” Something was carved into the handle, and she turned it to make out the words. Marry me. She gaped at him. “We agreed to a month.”
He shrugged. “So, give me your answer then. I’m sure I’ll ask a million more times.”
She didn’t need daisies to tell he definitely loved her. She pulled him close, nibbling his ear and softly whispered, “Yes.”
Epilogue
“Push, Maggie, Push!” Gage waited just outside the delivery room, acting as a bouncer between his sister-in-law and about a thousand Irish relatives ready to barge in at any second.
“I see a head!” Ryan yelled. “Come on, baby! You got this!”
Maggie screamed and a tiny squawk went through the air. Shivers lifted on Gage’s arm as he heard Perrin’s thrilled shriek. “Oh my God, he’s perfect, Maggie. Absolutely beautiful!”
The newborn squeals continued with a rush of muffled excitement. Perrin raced into the hall in a streak of blue scrubs. He caught her, steadying her balance.
“Easy.”
“It’s a boy! A precious little brown haired boy!”
“Congratulations, Aunt Perrin.”
She leaned up on her toes and kissed him. “Congratulations, Uncle Gage.”
His hand closed over her stomach, where their little one grew. “You’re next.”
Her fingers fit over his, her wedding ring twinkling against the florescent light. “I can’t wait to have a family with you. I want to give you everything you ever dreamed of.”
He smiled. “You already have.”
He was invited in to meet his new nephew. Shamus Clooney, named for his late great-great grandfather. After that, a stampede of wild-eyed Irish folk intruded. Gage laughed at the sheer volume of relatives Ryan had. How could anyone keep track of so many names?
The sense of love and joy surrounding the new parents was palpable. Standing back to avoid getting trampled, he laced his fingers with Perrin’s. “How would you like to have a family that big some day?”
She smiled up at him. “With you? Sure. I mean, making babies is probably my favorite hobby now.”
“Good. Because I’d like a baseball team.”
She laughed. “One at a time, slugger.”