Page 105 of My Grumpy Fire Chief Next Door
Not from the ocean breeze or the thrum of waves—but because in less than an hour, I’m asking the woman I love to change both our lives.
The beach glows like something out of a dream.
Soft lanterns hang between driftwood poles, swaying gently like they’re holding their breath too. Strings of lights arc overhead, casting a golden haze that blurs the edge between sand and sky. Emily thought of everything.
There’s a path of seashells leading from the dune stairs down to the main area. White chairs are half-buried in the sand, facing the sea, and the tables gleam with glassware, lace runners, and flowers I didn’t even know grew this time of year.
Everyone in town attending the fundraiser is already here, an hour early, on purpose. Orchestrated by Ava, Rachel, Emily, and Margaret.
They’re milling around the, dressed in their best, trying not to look like they’re all waiting to hide behind the tiki bar and the sound system. But I feel it. That hum. The knowing looks they send in my direction.
The claps on the back that land a little harder than usual, and the nods that linger. The way Frank just walked by, winked, and whispered,“Don’t faint.”
They all know how pivotal this moment is; how scared I am.
My palms are sweating.
I’m in a tailored charcoal suit that Margaret helped me pick out, and my collar suddenly feels too tight. The ring box is tucked inside my jacket pocket, pressing against my ribs like it knows exactly what kind of weight it carries.
I shift on my feet, scan the crowd, and try to spot Emily through the sea of people, but it’s Margaret who finds me first.
“You’re pacing,” she says, sliding up beside me and standing calmly. She’s currently the voice of reason when I’ve clearly lost mine.
“I’m not pacing,” I mutter, even as I do exactly that.
She lifts a brow. "Noah, you’re sweating through your undershirt and looking like you're about to run a rescue call. You good?"
I rake a hand through my hair, exhale. “What if she says no?”
Margaret softens. “Kate adores you. And if you can survive a house fire, emotional repression, and a five-year-old quizzing you about dinosaurs, you can survive this.”
I huff a laugh, "It’s not just about surviving. I want to get this right. For her. For Parker."
“You will,” she says, squeezing my shoulder. "Now go check in with Emily."
I nod and make my way to the back corner where Emily stands, clipboard in hand, radiating efficiency. She’s in a floor-length emerald dress, hair swept up, eyes sharp and focused.
“Emily..."
Emily doesn’t even look up before she interrupts me. “Dress is ready, Rachel did her hair. Parker’s tie matches your pocket square. Connor will text Ava. He and Knox are on their way to pick them up now. ETA is ten minutes."
Ten minutes. Shit.
My heart thuds.
"Music goes silent the second they pull up. Everyone goes quiet. Then we wait until they’re in the barn and….”
“…then she walks in and sees you standing under the lights like a lovesick fool,” Emily finishes. “She’s going to say yes, Noah. You love her. You turned this fundraiser into a Jane Austen-worthy proposal for her. She’s going to melt.”
I nod, but my stomach is in knots. I haven’t eaten all day.
Ava runs up. “They’re five minutes out.”
My lungs stop misfire.
I take my place near the arch Knox and Tyler built, wrapped in fresh eucalyptus and white roses. The band falls quiet. Lights dim to a soft amber glow. The entire town slips into silence, then into shadows. Someone kills the lanterns near the door.
My stomach flips again. I nod, rub my palms down my thighs. There’s no stopping the nerves I've felt all day; part excitement, part hope, part something I don’t even have a name for.
