Page 51 of Steeped In Problems

He didn’t do this. He was not a speechmaker. He was a cop, or had been, until the crash. Then, a coffee shop owner, at best. Now he was—what? A team mascot? The majority partner? He wasn’t even sure anymore. Except Kristy made him want to be something else, something more. She made him want to stand up and let people see him instead of always holding back.

He closed his eyes and tried to picture the scene outside. Rhonda was working the crowd, probably hyping up the lemon loaf, and maybe passing around coffee samples. Emily and Joe were holding court in the back, but really watching for any signs of trouble, like the place would combust if they let their guard down. Kristy was up front, probably already running a not-so-silent side commentary to whoever had the misfortune to sit next to her.

He loved her for that. For all of it. For the fact that she’d thrown herself into his world, into the Brave Badge, without asking permission and without apologizing. For the fact that she hadn’t let Mark or any of her ghosts stop her. For the fact that she’d saved him, even if he was too stubborn to admit it for a long time.

He folded the speech, stuffed it in his pocket, and stared at the closed door. He could change his mind. Do this in private. But Kristy deserved for him to do it this way, something grand that made her feel as special as she was.

The room was full, every chair taken, the buzz of conversation dying instantly as he stepped out. He scanned thecrowd and found Kristy in the front row. Her hair was down, shoulders loose, and a faint smile on her lips. She saw him, and her eyes lit up, a spark that made the rest of the room blur. He made it to the podium and rested both hands on either side, anchoring himself so he wouldn’t float off.

Aiden nodded at him from the back, a subtle “go get ‘em” that actually made him feel better.

He looked at his notes, then at the crowd, then straight at Kristy. The rest of the world could wait. This was for her.

He cleared his throat, voice coming out rougher than he meant. “Thanks for coming,” he started, and the crowd hushed even more. “I’ll keep this short since I know Rhonda’s got enough lemon loaf in the back to sink a rescue boat.”

Scattered chuckles. Kristy smiled wider.

He looked down at his notes again, then set them aside. “I was never much for speeches. Or coffee, if I’m honest. But I’m good at knowing what matters when I see it. The Brave Badge is still here because of all of you and because of one person who refused to give up, even when I’d already written it off.”

He paused and caught Kristy’s eye again. “Kristy Howard is the heart of this place. She’s the reason we made it when times got tough.”

People started clapping. Not a lot, but enough. He let it happen, then raised his hands to quiet them.

He took a breath. “But that’s not what I wanted to say. This meeting isn’t about business. Not really. It’s about something else.”

He locked eyes with her, letting the words sit there. He’d practiced them a dozen times, but they felt better raw. “It’s about second chances. And knowing when to take them.”

His voice cracked. He didn’t care.

He gripped the podium so hard his knuckles went white. “I owe this place and all of you more than I can say. But I oweKristy the most. She gave me back my life. And I want her to know—” He faltered, blinked, and tried again. “I want her to know she’s my future.”

It got so quiet he could hear the espresso machine cycling in the back.

He looked at Kristy, and nothing else mattered.

He stepped out from behind the podium, nerves gone, and said the only thing that was left. “I love you, Kristy, and I can’t spend another minute living without you as my wife. Will you marry me?” He got down on one knee and pulled out a ring box.

But Kristy didn’t move. Not at first. Tanner watched the color climb up her cheeks, watched her struggle to catch up with what he’d just said and done.

The words replayed in his head, louder and clumsier with every second. He almost wanted to snatch them back, put them in order, and try again. But he didn’t. He couldn’t.

She stood up, but not all the way. It was more like her body had decided to move without her brain’s permission, and now she was stuck in some weird halfway position between sitting and running. She blinked at him, and he realized she might actually cry.

“I—” she started, but her voice cracked. She shook her head, then tried again. “You really mean it?”

Tanner nodded and pulled the ring from the box. “I meant every word.”

Kristy’s eyes glistened, the soft glow of hope and astonishment mingling together as she looked down at Tanner. The room was silent, waiting, a collective breath held.

“Yes,” she finally whispered, voice trembling but clear. “Yes, I will marry you.”

A cheer erupted from the crowd, a wave of clapping and whooping that seemed to shake the walls of the Brave Badge. Tanner stood up, his face breaking into a wide, relieved smileas he slid the ring onto Kristy's finger. It fit perfectly like it was meant to be there all along.

The twins high-fived, then started a chant: “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” The whole front row picked it up, and even the adults joined in, voices growing louder until it filled the Brave Badge like a marching band.

Tanner looked down at Kristy. She was still crying, but now she was laughing, too, her whole face lit up. He cupped her jaw with both hands carefully, and kissed her—soft at first, then harder, because he wanted her to know me meant every word.

The crowd went insane.

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