Page 96 of Dining for Love

I hold a finger against her lips. “But I’m staying here anyway. I love this town. You’re right. It’s the best town ever. I feel more like myself here than I’ve ever felt at home, even though I don’t know if I’ll ever get over not being able to find really good Cuban food here. But that’s not the point. The point is that I want this. I want us. I want you. I want to wake up and choose you every day. I want to earn your love every hour. I want to irritate the crap out of you with my insane food requests and say dirty things to you in public just to watch you blush. I want to flex my muscles and pop my dimples just to see you stumble, because it means I get to hold on to you and keep you from falling. I want all of you, and I’ll wait as long as it takes, do whatever you need, for you to want me back.”

Tears spring to her eyes. “I love you, too, you big oaf,” she sniffs. “Sending you away was the dumbest thingI’ve ever done.”

Midnight chooses this exact moment to yowl plaintively at our feet.

Willa laughs tearily. “Even Midnight agrees. She slept on your pillow last night and gave me nothing but grief this morning.”

“So does this mean…” I trail off.

“I love you, Reid MacKinnon. I literally hit a man with Granny’s skillet for you. If that doesn’t say true love, what does?”

I stand and pull her up with me, wrapping my arms around her for a searing kiss. I’m never letting this woman go again.

Chapter 31

Epilogue

Ten Months Later

My gorgeous man stands at attention on the outdoor stage in the town square, his permanent Lucky Police Department badge glinting brightly in the afternoon sun. He’s supposed to be paying attention to his uncle, but his eyes keep straying to me.

Watch! I mouth, hoping I come across as stern, but knowing I probably look more like an avenging cherub than anything. At least, that’s what Reid tells me.

He winks and turns back to the ceremony.

Chief Mac is finishing a speech that is probably longer than it needs to be, but the manisretiring, so he can speak as long as he wants. Happily, he seems to be on the cusp of wrapping things up.

“And so it gives me the greatest pleasure to announce Lucky’s next chief of police, Ox Hall!”

Everyone on the lawn claps and hollers. We had the vote earlier in the year, but this is the official handing-off of duty.

Ox, the big lug that he is, simply blinks back his emotions and steps forward to accept the badge that Chief Mac pins to hisuniform. Then they shake, and Ox pulls the older man into a fierce embrace.

“Couldn’t have happened to a better man,” Matty says beside me, pocketing his cell after looking at it for the millionth time in the past hour.

“What’s got you so glued to your phone?” I ask. “It’s not calving season.”

He purses his lips. “Nothing.”

I sniff. “You know I know you’re lying, right?”

“It’s still not your business,” he shoots back.

“Ooh, is it a girl?” I tease him. He says nothing, and I know I’m right. “When do I get to meet this mysterious woman?”

“Don’t you have a diner to run?” he asks, clearly angling to change the subject.

I brighten. “I do!” Mom and Dad have agreed to let me buy the diner, but they’re not quite ready to retire. Theyareready for a three-month European vacation, though, and are flying out tomorrow. Which means yours truly is getting her first trial run at the place.

I squeal at the prospect and shake Matty. “It’s mine! All mine!”

He laughs and extracts himself. “Yes, we know. We alllll know,” he says as Goldie joins us, a camera strapped around her neck.

“About how excited she is to run the diner?” Goldie quips. “You’d think she’s won the lottery.”

“I basically have.” And I mean it. I moved in with Reid about six months ago, and it’s been amazing. He’s full-time here in Lucky, and even brought all three of his parents up for us to meet. Agatha swears she’s responsible for getting the two of us together and routinely cites the dinner Reid cooked as the moment love bloomed.

I don’t have the heart to tell her otherwise, and neither does Reid. Which doesn’t bode well for Goldie, since she’s now in thelittle cottage behind Agatha’s house and is next in line for “Agatha’s Amorous Assignment,” as Agatha keeps referring to it.

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