She took her seat again.
"Everyone is going to love being a part of this,” Helen said.
"Perfect. If you can just make arrangements for Abby, Wyatt, the kids, and Rebecca to be at my house around two, that would be perfect. Rebecca can even bring a plus one if she'd like. I'll make sure there's plenty of food, and I'll tell Payton that we want to have you guys over for a cookout. How does that sound?"
"It's perfect. She won't suspect a thing."
"I knew you were the person to help pull this off, Helen."
"You bet. But aren't you under pressure time-wise? The fourth is just a couple of weeks away."
"I think I can do it. "
Will excused himself from the table. As he passed me by, he stopped and rested his hand on my shoulder.
"Good luck to you, son. You'll have to excuse me while I head back to my recliner."
Will was sticking to his routine just as Helen had promised. I was just so happy to know that he seemed please with the proposal. I knew this would mean the world to Payton.
"Thank you, Will."
I turned to Helen. "I guess this would be a good time for me to head back to work. I have a basement renovation waiting for my finishing touch."
"I'm sure it's going to be a beauty,” she said.
I was so thankful for my future in-laws. I confirmed a date for us to check-in regarding plans for the fourth. Afterward, I left feeling really good about things. The next task before me… planning the most romantic proposal that Payton has ever experienced and will never forget.
Payton
It was the morning of the fourth of July. I laid in bed, contemplating if I had made the right decision to close the store for the day. I don't know why I worried about it so much. My sales were doing well, and most families wouldn't be concerned about taking pictures today. My quiet thought time was interrupted by a knock on my bedroom door.
"Payton, it's me. Are you awake?" I thought it was funny that mom always asks me if I'm awake. If I wasn't, I guess that would be my cue to get up anyway.
"Come on in. Just lying here being lazy,” I said.
She entered sounding more energetic than usual and plopped down at the foot of the bed.
"Happy Fourth of July!"
"Somebody is bright-eyed and chipper this morning. Happy fourth to you too!"
"Well, there's a lot to be excited about. For one, you're actually home on a Saturday morning. That's unheard of."
"Funny you should mention it. I was just laying here questioning my decision to close for the day."
"I don't know why. Both you and Natalie deserve a day off. I could understand if you had a clothing store but come on, Payton. You need to take a long and hard look at your holidays for the remainder of the year as well."
"I will, Mom. So what's on your mind this morning? I know you didn't come in here just to wish me a happy fourth."
"No, I didn't. I was in the kitchen, getting the ingredients together for my strawberry shortcake. I thought it might be nice to make some to bring to Cole's this afternoon. What do you think?"
"Are you talking about the one where you make the whipped cream and biscuits from scratch?"
"That's the one!" she said.
"My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Let me know if you need help. I could use a few pointers for making summer desserts."
"Wonderful. But first we have to start with breakfast. How about I whip up some scrambled eggs and bacon? Maybe even pancakes if you'd like?"
"Mom, you sure know how to spoil me. What will I ever do when I finally move out of here and find my own place?"
"You'll take all of my recipes with you and carry on the tradition plus add to it and create some of your own,” she said.
"True."
"You and dad don't know how grateful I am for the extra time I've had here with you. It really helped me while getting the business on its feet. I wouldn't have saved a penny if I did it any other way."
"I remember those days. We were practically broke for the first couple of years after opening the Inn. Somehow we managed to hang in there."
"Do you miss the Inn?" I asked Mom.
"I do. Our livelihood existed at the Inn. I miss the friendships and day to day things that would keep us on our toes. Now it seems like we've very quickly fallen into a routine at home. I'm thankful, but it doesn't look anything like our original retirement plans,” mom said.
"Maybe that's something I can help you work on. I know it frightened you the day dad got lost, but he made it home safe. You can't let that scare you into staying home all the time."
"I guess you're right."
"You know what we should do for fun?" I said.
"What?"
"We should go visit the Inn and see what they've done with the place. I bet it will bring back nice memories."
"Either that or all the changes they've made will make me cry."
"Oh, come on, Mom. This isn't like you at all. At least give it a try."
"I will. In the meantime, we have a fun afternoon to prepare for. Time to get up and get on the good foot!"
She marched out of the room chanting, “Left, left, left, right, left. I'll see you in the kitchen in ten minutes."
When the door closed, I buried myself back under the covers. The Lord knows he didn't gift me with the ability to be an early morning person.
Later that afternoon, I drove mom and dad over to Cole's house. I was impressed with how well he decorated the beach house to give it a patriotic feel. I thought surely he had help from Alice and Emmie
