Page 81 of Cloud Nine Love

My mind was still reeling as the food came. While the server set down our plates, Remi leaned over and pressed a kiss to my forehead, and whispered, “Stop overthinking. I wouldn’t change anything about our story, because it’s perfect.”

Tears filled my eyes, but I sniffed them back. Remi’s uncanny ability to read my mind used to terrify me, but now it gave me a sense of peace and calm. He saw me—the real me—and he loved me. That was why he was my person. And maybe I didn’t deserve him, but that didn’t change what we had together. And now that we’d told Kane and Ruby, I was ready to shout it from the rooftops. Okay, maybe not, but I was definitely going to tell anyone who asked. Remi Rhodes was mine, and I was his.

He was right; our story was perfect. We found our cloud nine love.

EPILOGUE

Remi

“Gentoo penguins mate for life. The male presents the smoothest pebble he can find to propose to the female with a love token.” ~ Tim Rhodes

“Merry Christmas!” Tami Lynn waved as she passed me. “How’s your mama doin’?”

“She’s good. She’s around here somewhere.”

My mom came to the Christmas Festival with Kane, Ruby, Harper, and Otto earlier in the afternoon. I’d been at the station for the past three days on shift, and Taylor was finishing up a double at the hospital, so we were meeting them all here. She’d messaged that she was on her way about thirty minutes ago, and I told her I’d be at the wishing well, which was lit up with fairy lights.

From the looks of it, the entire town had turned out for the annual holiday extravaganza. There were booths set up in the town square, with local vendors selling everything from jewelry and paintings to crystals and handmade furniture. Food trucks lined the grass, serving an array of things to eat and drink, including kababs, tamales, hot cider, and eggnog. There was a reindeer ride and a petting zoo for the kids. A live nativity. There were also two bouncy houses and a Ferris wheel. Some of the guys from the station were manning Santa’s Kissing Booth, which was run by the fire and police departments. Thankfully, only single men were asked to sign up for shifts.

Growing up, this had always been my favorite time of year in town. At least before my dad died. He’d loved Christmas and never missed the holiday festival. But after he was gone, it never felt the same. Until now. This year, I was seeing the festivities through a child-like lens of magic and happiness. And I had one person to thank for that.

My eyes were scanning the festival for that person when, like out of a scene from a movie, the crowds parted, and I saw her. Just like the first time I laid eyes on her sitting in the airport bar, her beauty stole my breath away. I was still constantly in awe of her effect on me, and I was sure I could live a thousand lifetimes and it wouldn’t fade.

“Hey.” I smiled as I took two steps, closing the distance between us. My hands cupped her face, and I kissed her. Hard.

It killed me not seeing her for three days. Every time I was away from her my body ached, missing her, like I had the flu. There was no way I’d be able to be gone from her like I had been from Misty for months on end. Sometimes, I felt guilty about not having the same feelings for my ex-fiancée. But then again, if I had, she probably wouldn’t be my ex. It’s not like I’d asked Misty to marry me under false pretenses. I just hadn’t known what true love was until I met Taylor. The only consolation I had for my shortcomings in that relationship was that she was happy with Jagger. Their baby was due in just a few months, and she was going to have the family she’d always wanted.

When our kiss broke, I stared down at her and brushed my thumb along her jaw. “How are you feeling?”

Taylor had texted me earlier, saying that she was tired and thought she was coming down with the flu, so she was thinking of skipping the festival, but then an hour later she wrote back that she was fine and still planning on attending.

Her lips pursed, and she took a step back from me. “Fine. Good. Fine. Do you know where everyone is?” She changed the subject as she looked around, not making eye contact with me.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Nothing. Let’s go find?—”

I grabbed her wrist and tugged her across the grass to an alcove with a bench that teenagers used to get away and make out. Or at least they did when I was a teenager. Thankfully, when we reached it, it was unoccupied.

“What are you doing?” she demanded when I stopped and turned toward her.

“I am asking you what’s wrong again, and this time, it would be great if you told me the truth.”

She stared up at me, and I could see she was deciding whether or not that was going to happen. I waited. I knew that I couldn’t force her to tell me, but I hoped she’d do the right thing.

Finally, she sighed. “I wasn’t feeling well today, so I ran a blood panel.”

“Okay.” I tried to stay calm and not freak out. On the outside, I maintained a neutral expression. Inside, her words hit me like a sucker punch in my solar plexus. The thought of her being sick made me feel so helpless, so scared.

She closed her eyes and took another breath.

“Whatever it is, we’ll get through it. Together,” I promised her.

“I would hope so.” Her eyes opened. “I’m pregnant.”

I’d been so prepared to hear bad news—to hear that something was not only good news, it was the best news, it took me a minute to register.

“Remi. Did you hear me?”

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