He stopped swaying to the music and took a step back, running a hand to muss his perfectly styled hair. “You did this…for me?”
“I did. I thought the whole invitation thing, the dress, this night, was the perfect way to declare my love for you. Being here in the middle of the dance floor was just a bonus brought on by your eternal horniness.”
He barked out a laugh and shook his head. “Dammit woman, I love you.” Chris pulled me in his arms and laughed. “You totally stole my thunder, though.”
“Sorry?”
“Don’t be. Come on.” Chris grabbed my arm and dragged me back across the dance floor and out of the building where the music was barely audible. “I had this whole plan for tonight. I wanted to tell you how incredible I think you are Tara. You are strong and beautiful and kind. You care about every single person in Pilgrim, including my little girl who thinks you hang the moon. Even injured you still worked to make sure every citizen was taken care of and their needs were met. You are an incredible woman Tara and I love you.”
“Wow.” The woman he described was not the woman I saw in the mirror every day. “I’m not sure if all that’s true, but hearing the words from your lips makes me want to be that woman.”
“Trust me, you’re already her.” He held out a long jewelry box and smiled. “You are better than any heroine I could ever create and you’re here. You’re real and you love me. What could be better than that?”
I blinked away tears and opened the box with a laugh. “Oh my god, I love it!” Dangling from a white gold chain was a small charm, a detective’s shield with a green gem in the middle, the same color as my eyes. “I love you, Chris. So much.”
“I love you too and I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
“Next? I think a parking lot quickie is what happens next.” He laughed but his jaws clenched with desire.
“I’ll take it,” he said and snapped the jewelry box closed, shoving it back into his pocket.
“Tara!” Mara’s voice sounded worried and it stopped us both in our tracks.
Already I was in cop mode and hurrying back to Mara, meeting her in the middle of the parking lot. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s Olive. Her water broke and Rafe is somewhere over the Atlantic heading home. She’s scared.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to ask why she didn’t go to Xander since we were both trained in first aid but there wasn’t time for the truth. “Where is she?”
“Just inside,” Mara said and all three of us went to get the panting, crying woman in the red dress. “There she is.”
“Tara. My baby is coming.” Her eyes were filled with fear and that filled me with calm.
“That’s right Olive, you finally get to meet your baby! Follow my breathing and we’ll get you to the hospital, okay?” She nodded frantically but her breathing mirrored mine. “One of you get a car with a big back seat.”
Chris nodded and turned back towards the door. “I’ll be right back Olive.”
“I’ll be right here,” she said in a shaky voice.
Chris turned to me with a mischievous grin. “Hospital quickie?”
“Definitely,” I told him and laughed, thrilled to have my very own happy ending just as Olive’s baby was coming into the world. It seemed poetic, somehow, that I was helping one of my matchmakers on this night of all nights.
“I’m happy for you,” Olive panted. “Even if I didn’t win the bet.” She flashed a smile between deep breaths and gripped my hand through her first contraction.
“I’ll ask you about this bet after the baby arrives.”
“You’ll be too busy with your hospital quickie.” She smiled just as another contraction hit and I knew this baby would be here soon, which only made me think about babies. And weddings. And family.
Now all that was within reach for me and life felt just about…perfect.