EPILOGUE
Try as she might to let things go, Eve did indeed spend most of the night and much of the next day obsessing over what would happen once they got to her parents’ place for dinner. But none of the scenarios she had come up with in her mind came even close to what she was witnessing right now. In fact, reality was rapidly surpassing even her wildest dreams and imaginings.
Lind was wearing plain but spotless (and, mercifully, non-ripped) blue jeans and a black shirt that made his eyes pop in a way that should have been illegal. He had polished his boots until they shone, and he was shining himself in that outfit. But it was more than that. It was more than his appearance. He was polite and charming, and he was brilliant at conversation.
Eve had never expected Lind to embarrass her, but she also never expected him to move so easily in her world. She thought he would be out of his depth, but as it turned out, he swam gracefully in those waters.
Eve watched, stunned and impressed and happier than she had ever thought she could ever be, as Lind charmed her parents and brother one by one and then as a whole. She watched as they fell for him the way she had fallen for him—well, maybe not exactly in the same way. Still, they loved him. Lind’s shoulder wound had been passed on as the result of a car accident, and after that it was all easy.
Now, as they all sat around in the patio, Lind and her brother smoked a cigarette, her father enjoyed a cigar, and Eve and her mother had one more glass of delicious red wine. Eve felt almost like she was in a dream. It was simply too good to be true.
Stop it, she berated herself sternly. Stop waiting for something to go wrong. Nothing is going wrong here.
Indeed, nothing was.
“Really, Eve, where have you been hiding this gentleman?” Jennifer Robinson, her mother, asked, smiling brightly over at Lind.
Eve shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. “I was waiting for the right time. We were finding our feet.”
Lind reached out to put a hand on her thigh. They sat next to each other on the small outdoor wicker couch. “It was rocky there for a bit,” he admitted. “But we pulled through.”
Eve was surprised at how comfortable Lind was with discussing such a topic with her parents. Alan couldn’t even kiss her in front of them.
“I’m damn glad you did,” Junior said, toasting them with his beer.
Lind smiled and returned the toasted. “Thanks, man.”
Man? Eve shook her head in wonderment. Lind and her brother had quickly clicked over their mutual love for motorcycles. Lind had shown Junior a few pictures of his beloved Harley (which he couldn’t drive for obvious reasons, and so they had come with Eve’s car), and her brother had gushed all over it. Lind had promised to take him to the garage sometime and give Junior’s own wheels a makeover.
Harold cleared his throat. “Eve, sweetie, could I have a moment?”
Eve frowned in confusion. “Sure, Dad. Excuse me,” she said to Lind. She kissed him briefly and stood, following her father back inside. Her stomach clenched in apprehension. Was the moment she had been dreading finally coming? Was he going to tell her that Lind was not good enough for her? Were they going to fight after having been apart for such a long time?
“I just wanted to tell you,” Harold said, “I’m very happy for you.”
“Dad—” Eve cut off her automatic protest once her father’s words registered. “Wait, what?”
Harold smiled. “You heard me. You did good, sweetheart. I like him. I can tell he’s a good man.”
“He is, Dad,” Eve said, looking at him in surprise.
“I’ll admit, it was hard for me at first, getting used to idea of you not being with Alan anymore. And of you not working at the real estate agency anymore,” Harold said. “It threw me. I thought those were both things you wanted.”
“I thought so, too,” Eve admitted. “But it turns out, it just wasn’t me.”
Harold nodded. “I understand. And I wanted to tell you that I respect you so much for having the guts to get out of a life that you didn’t feel fit you. I’m so proud of you, Eve.”
Eve felt a sudden lump grown in her throat. “Thanks, Dad,” she choked out. She threw her arms around him, composure be damned, and smiled when she felt him return the embrace.
It was just what she had needed to hear, she realized. Her family being okay with who Eve really was—whoever that was. It was still a work in progress as far as she was concerned, but it was the last piece of the puzzle. Now she really could leave all the bad things that had happened behind and move forward.
They stayed like that for a few moments, relishing each other’s presence and the comfort it gave them. Eventually, they pulled back, and Eve could have sworn her father’s own eyes were a little wet.
“Let’s go back outside,” Harold said. “I can’t wait to hear more of Lind’s stories. That man has a unique view of the world.”
You don’t know half of it, Dad, Eve thought, but of course she didn’t say anything out loud. She just smiled.
What Lind had to say next, it turned out, was nothing that Eve would have ever expected. He had finished his cigarette, and once he saw her walk back towards him he held out a hand to stop her.
“Wait,” he said, “don’t sit down yet.”
Eve frowned. “Why? What is it?”
Lind cleared his throat and squirmed a little in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. For a fleeting moment, Eve wondered if anyone had said anything to offend him while she was gone and if he wanted to go home.
“There’s something I need to ask you,” he said. “Well, all of you, really.” He licked his lips nervously. His unease was making Eve uneasy, but she bit her tongue and refrained from saying anything. She knew Lind needed to do this—whatever this was.
He looked over at her parents and brother. “I’m going to ask something of Eve, and I hope you won’t have a problem with that.”
Eve frowned. “Lind, what the hell is going on?” she asked impatiently, unable to keep silent any longer. The suspense was killing her.
Lind took a deep breath. He moved, finally, but he didn’t stand up all the way. Instead, he went on one knee in front of Eve.
She looked down at him in utter disbelief. Her heart jumped to her throat and began to beat so loud that she could actually hear the blood pumping in her ears.
This couldn’t be…could it?
“Evelyn Anne Robinson,” Lind began. He fumbled around in his pocket, cursing when whatever he was looking for got stuck. “Shit,” he muttered. “Sorry.” He cleared his throat and finally presented her with a small jewelry box. He opened the lid and sure enough, inside was a thin white-gold band with one single square diamond on it. It was small, but it was the most beautiful thing Eve had ever seen. “Will you marry me?”
Eve stared at him, dumbfounded. Her head was spinning. “Are you serious?” she said, her voice choked.
Lind blinked. “Uh…that’s not…uh…that’s not really the reaction I was going for…”
Eve laughed happily, feeling like a fool and not caring one bit. My God, but he was serious! “Yes,” she said, heart slamming so hard against her ribcage she feared one of those ribs would crack. “Yes, I will marry you.”
Lind’s relief was palpable. He slipped the ring on her finger and Eve was not surprised to find that it fit perfectly. They fit perfectly. Lind fit her, plain and simple.
She threw herself down on her knees in front of him and kissed him passionately. He wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her close.
“You have made me so happy,” he said once they pulled back. His eyes were shining with unshed tears, which threw Eve almost more than the proposal itself.
She held him for a few moments, and then they both climbed back to their feet. Eve looked around at her family and found that her mother was blowing her nose noisily in a once-pristine white handkerchief, her father was looking at her with pride shining all over his face, and her brother had somehow acquired a bottle of champagne in the meanwhile.
Eve arched an eyebrow. “I take it that you’re all okay with this?”
“Oh, honey,” her mother said in a thick voice. “We’re more than okay.”
Embraces, handshakes, and congratulations were exchanged then.
“Hold that champagne for a moment, Junior,” Lind said, stopping her brother halfway through the process of uncorking the bottle. “There’s something else.”
Eve frowned. “What now? Are we pregnant?” she teased. “Relax, Mom, we’re not,” she said when she caught her mother’s expectant startle out of the corner of her eye.
“I was hoping you’d say yes,” Lind said. “I wasn’t sure, but I took the chance. There’s something waiting for you in the driveway.”
Eve’s frown deepened. “Really? Here?”
Lind nodded. “Sorry I took the liberty, sir,” he said to Eve’s father.
Harold was dismissing the apology with a wave of his hand even before Lind had finished the sentence. “Nonsense, son,” he said, and Eve saw Lind blink in surprise at the word.
“What are we still doing here?” Junior said excitedly. “Let’s go have a look.”
They did. Eve could not for the life of her imagine what it was that was waiting for her in her parents’ driveway. What she saw left her speechless. She halted right outside the gate and stared, dumbfounded.
Waiting for her in the driveway was a new, shiny Harley. It had been personalized with feathers, which Eve remembered mentioning to Lind once were her favorite ornaments.
Lind came up from behind her and leaned close to her to whisper in her ear so that she would be the only one to hear. “Would you be my old lady?”
Eve turned around to face him. “Oh my God,” she murmured, her voice breaking with the overwhelming force of her happiness. “Yes. I will.”
Lind reached up with his good hand and cupped her nape, pulling her in for a passionate kiss. He couldn’t care less that her parents and older brother were watching. Eve couldn’t care less either. She was never going to suppress her all-consuming passion for this man no matter what. She had tried once, and she had failed miserably, also making herself miserable in the process. She would never do it again.
She would marry the Viper and be his queen. More important, she would marry Lind Addams. She would stick by him. She would protect him. She would love him. And she would let him love and protect her.
A truck drove past and honked twice. Eve spotted none other than Alec at the wheel and Lucas in the passenger’s seat. Clearly, they had been the ones to make this very special delivery. Eve shook her head in wonder, as she realized that Lind’s family had accepted her just as much as her family had accepted him.
She stepped close to Lind and let him envelope her in yet another embrace. She was never going to walk out of his arms again.
THE END
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