Page 122 of The Attraction File

“What, Evaleen?”

“I said, I love you, Edgar.”

I tried to step up on the ambulance but one of the medics grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back.

“Okay time to get her to the hospital. Sir, I’m going to need for you to step back.”

“But, but . . .” I pointed to the woman of my dreams waving from the window.

He turned to me after securing the door. “I said step back, sir.”

“You obviously have a heart of stone for stopping me from whisking my true love up in my arms Princess Bride style and giving her the kiss to end all kisses. Don’t you understand, she finally told me she loved me?” I pleaded with him to see reason.

He folded his arms and looked me up and down. “You get drugged in there? You want me to check your vitals? How many fingers am I holding up?” The medic nodded toward the warehouse while lifting three fingers.

“No, I wasn’t drugged. Haven’t you ever been in love? Like really in love.”

“Nope.”

“You never married or lived with someone you loved long-term?”

The guy must have been in his fifties. Surely, he had to have experienced love at least once in his life.

“Now, I didn’t say that.” He held up his left hand to show me the silver ring around the finger next to his pinky. “Married thirty years this October.”

“Oh. Okay.”

The guy came over and placed his hand on my arm. “I’m going to give you some advice. Something I should have realized when I was your age. Never marry anyone based on their looks.”

I began to frown. That poor guy.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice.”

“Thought you could use it.”

The ambulance pulled away after a minute and I stayed rooted to the spot until it disappeared. Evaleen’s mom finally came over.

“You did well today, Edgar. That baby will have a great father. I wished Evaleen’s dad had been there for her. Seen how wonderful she is. But she now has you.”

She took hold of my hand with tears in her eyes. “Loving someone is hard and raising a child is even harder, but don’t be so foolish as to think you can find something better than my daughter and the life inside her. You haven’t learned this yet and neither has Evaleen, but you will realize that love earned through blood, sweat, and tears is the truest and deepest love there is.”

I nodded and pulled her into my arms. “I can’t wait to find out.”

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