Page 27 of Shamrocks & Second Chances

The crowd erupts. Someone whistles sharply. Confetti rains down from nowhere, sparkling in the lantern light. From somewhere near the back, a deep voice that can only belong to Atlas, Grizelda’s mountain troll husband, bellows, “Finally.”

I glance at the mayor, who’s beaming like he personally arranged this entire scenario. Which, for all I know, he might have.

As I descend the steps, I watch Bella. She stands frozen in place, her expression cycling through shock, embarrassment, and something else I can’t quite identify. Before she can decide what to do, the crowd around her shifts. Throk, Ronan, Vandria, and Grizelda, along with two women I don’t recognize but assume might be the human sisters I’ve heard about, form a circle around her, effectively cutting off any escape routes.

Throk crosses his massive green arms over his chest. Even from here, I can hear his rumbling voice. “He’s a fool, but he’s your fool.”

Ronan, towering over everyone with his lycan form, shakes his shaggy head. “It’s been painful watching you two be idiots.”

Vandria, vampire daughter of the innkeepers, smirks and tosses her flowing blue-black hair. “Just put us out of our misery already.”

Grizelda, who has somehow teleported from my side to Bella’s, places a green hand on Bella’s shoulder. “You’re in love with him. Fix it.”

Bella throws her hands up in exasperation. “You people are the worst.”

The crowd roars their agreement, laughing and cheering.

I stand at the bottom of the platform steps, waiting. The velvet pouch in my pocket seems heavier now. I’ve said my piece. The next move is hers.

For a moment, she looks around at the expectant faces surrounding her. Then her expression hardens. She pushes through the crowd, marching straight toward me with purpose in every step.

My heart hammers. I’ve faced down angry trolls and haggled with dragon merchants, but nothing has ever terrified me as much as this woman walking toward me right now. She stops directly in front of me, her deep brown eyes blazing. “You think you can just make a public declaration and everything will be fixed?”

“No,” I say honestly. “I think it’s going to take a lot more than that. I’m just letting you know I’m not going anywhere this time.”

“You left me,” she says, her voice low enough that only I can hear. “You disappeared without a word.”

“I know, and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you’ll let me.”

“The rest of your life is a very long time for a leprechaun.”

I reach for her hand, relieved when she doesn’t pull away. “Not long enough to love you properly, but I’ll do my best.”

Something in her expression softens. The crowd around us has gone quiet, with everyone straining to hear what we’re saying.

“You’re impossible,” she whispers.

“Impossibly in love with you,” I say.

Bella rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. “That was terrible.”

“I’ve got better material. Stick around and find out.”

She studies my face for a long moment, and I hold my breath. Then, with a decisiveness that takes me by surprise, she grabs the front of my shirt, pulls me toward her, and kisses me. The world narrows to just the two of us. Her lips are soft against mine, tasting faintly of cinnamon and coffee. I wrap my arms around her waist, drawing her closer and pouring two years of longing into this one perfect moment.

The festival explodes into cheers around us. Enchanted fireworks burst in the sky, easily visible in the day thanks to magic that paints the sky with cascading colors. Someone—probably Grizelda—releases a cloud of magical floating shamrocks that drift around us like emerald snowflakes.

When we finally break apart, both breathless, I grin. “Does this mean you’re keeping me?”

Bella’s cheeks are flushed. She glances around at the celebrating crowd, then back to me with a resigned sigh. “Apparently, the whole town already decided that for me.”

“They’re very wise,” I say, tucking a strand of green hair behind her ear. “And persistent.”

“Meddlesome is the word I’d use.” She tries to sound annoyed, but her smile gives her away.

I reach into my pocket and pull out the velvet pouch. “I have something for you.”

Bella eyes it suspiciously. “If that’s a ring, I will hex you right here in front of everyone. We are not moving that fast.”

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