Chapter Fourteen
The rescheduled barbecue took place one month later. Mimi’s arm was still in plaster, but she was healing well and insisted they didn’t wait any longer. They had their groceries delivered to her home, this time, and everything was safely packed in the car before they headed for Ruben’s house.
Jasper drove extra carefully, and they joked about how it would be typical if something else happened to them. After a while, they fell silent, with Jasper commenting they were tempting fate.
Ruben had invited the whole team from the station; anyone who wasn’t working had shown up. Several of the men weren’t drinking because they were still on call, but the gathering was fun, casual, and full of laughter. Mimi watched Ruben and Jasper fake sparring in the back yard and she smiled—he was so relaxed when he was with his friends. His innate cockiness was still there, but it was tempered by knowing his friends knew all of his weaknesses and would tease him incessantly about them.
Alyssa had volunteered to help with any food that wasn’t being cooked on the barbecue. It wasn’t long before talk turned to the success of the calendar.
“I’ve heard that my page was the most popular,” Shawn blurted out.
“On whose say-so?” Ruben wanted to know. “I heard your page needed a magnifying glass.”
They all laughed and Shawn fired back, “It didn’t need a magnifying glass—the ladies just want to see me in all my glory up close!” They all laughed again as Chris stood to make a speech.
“I’d just like to thank Jasper for asking me to strip for the calendar. I had plenty of offers in the café before this, but I can honestly say those have increased five-fold, since my treasures have been on show.” He raised his glass in her direction. “I’ve sold one hundred and five calendars so far, Mimi. Is that a record for one person?”
She laughed and waved at him. “I think it is, Chris. Just remember, it was me who made Jasper ask you. I’d like your first born named after me, please!”
“Sure thing. Don’t hold your breath, though—I have so many applicants at the moment that I’m having to screen them all.” The boys laughed and they all slapped each other on the back as Mimi shook her head. Chris was full of bravado today, but she’d seen him retire to the kitchen last week to get away from all the lewd offers he was receiving over coffee orders. There was no way he could stand up to all those women.
Calendar sales were just under five thousand units, and they’d only been selling for two weeks. They had half the money they needed for the hall and Jasper had been paid back in full. Work had commenced in earnest on the rebuild, and planning was about to start for the Christmas concert. As always, there was plenty to do.
Ryan had turned himself in to police the same day she’d been injured. The poor kid was pretty mixed up, but by all accounts, he’d been relieved to hear she was doing well.
“Can I get you something, my love?” Jasper appeared before her like magic.
“Nope, I’m good. Won’t they tease the crap out of you if they hear you talking like that?”
“They will, but that’s a punishment I’m prepared to accept, if it means you know how much I love you.”
“I’m pretty sure I know. You haven’t stopped telling me since our third date. I think you really got out of control once I fell over the railing, though.”
“I hope you’re not saying you’re sick of hearing it.”
“Of course not.”
He kissed her gently and slid into the seat next to her. Then he pulled her onto his lap. “When that arm is fixed, I’ll put on the biggest proposal this little community has ever seen. They can tease me as much as they like after that.” She nudged him with her shoulder. “What? It’s not like it’s a secret. I let the cat out of the bag when Ryan was waving that knife around.”
“That’s lovely, and I love you for it.” Her good arm slipped around his neck. “We’ve only been together properly for a few weeks, though. Don’t you want to be more certain before you make that kind of commitment?”
“When you know, you know.” He kissed the corner of her mouth. “I’ve always known you were the one for me. I just had to find a sneaky way to get you to realise it.”
She kissed him on his jaw and then dropped tiny kisses all the way to his ear before whispering to him, “You didn’t burn the hall down, did you, Jasper—you know, as the perfect cover to start up a conversation?”
“I’m not even going to answer that, future wife.”
Her laughter rang out across the grass and several people turned to watch them. They were so obviously in love that it made their friends smile.
“So, the answer would be yes, if I asked you, right?”
“You’re hilarious when you’re unsure of yourself. Of course the answer would be yes! I’ll be waiting patiently for that big proposal you just promised me.”
He whooped and crushed his lips against hers before pulling away and staring into her green eyes. “Strap yourself in, Mimi Fletcher. You’re about to go for the ride of your life!”
The End