“Excuse me,” I breathed.
I threaded through the crowd, picked up the skirt of my dress, and started to run. He grinned when he saw me coming and began jogging down the stairs.
I was so relieved to see him, I couldn’t tell if I was laughing or crying or a little bit of both.
We collided in the middle of the dance floor. His world and mine, crashing together in front of everyone.
“You came,” I said, my arms wrapped around him.
“Of course I came,” he whispered.
“Daniel, I am so sorry,” I gasped. “Please, please forgive me.”
He pulled away and cupped my face in his hands.
I peered up at him with tears in my eyes. “I love you so much. I made the biggest mistake—”
“Shhhhhhh…”
“No. That day you came to my house, I should have packed a bag right there and then and left with you. I should have left months before that. I thought I’d ruined everything. I didn’t think I was ever going to see you again.”
“I’d like to tell you that I’m strong enough to stay mad at you,” he said, his voice a little thick. “But I’m not. I came the second I got your message. Then my truck broke down outside of the tux shop and Bri had to come pick me up. I didn’t know how to use Uber.”
I laughed, tears pinching from my eyes.
“Did you hear my speech?” I asked, wiping my cheeks.
“I did. I watched from the top of the steps. I didn’t want you to see me, didn’t want to make you nervous.”
“I was going to quit, Daniel. If they hadn’t agreed to it, I was going to leave to be with you anyway. I was coming to Wakan with or without Royaume.”
He smiled gently at me. “God, you look beautiful,” he breathed.
I smiled at him through tears and we stood there, just being.
It was incredible how whole I felt. How he completed the final piece in my mosaic. I would have never been right without him. Even if I’d never met him or ever knew who he was.
The band started playing “True” by Spandau Ballet. Daniel raised an eyebrow. “I don’t suppose you want to dance with me?”
I smiled. “Yes.” I nodded. “Of course I want to dance with you.”
I put an arm around his neck. He put a palm over the one on his heart and started to turn me in this magical room full of flowers and twinkling stars.
It felt like a fairy tale. He looked like a prince in an enchanted forest.
But then he’d always been a prince. It was just the first time everyone else saw it too.
We were the only ones on the dance floor. The huge poof of my dress swept around as he spun me, and a spotlight clicked on and began to follow us.
The whole room was watching. I wanted them to.
I wanted everyone to see me with the man I loved. Because I was proud to love him in front of my world. I would have been proud if he’d come in his jeans and a T-shirt, mud on his boots, tattoos and all. He could have walked in with Kevin Bacon, and I would have smiled and dove into his arms.
“So what does this new job mean?” he asked, turning me. “Are you gonna have to travel to other clinics when they open? Are we nomads now?” he joked.
I laughed a little. “No. My job is just to make sure the clinics are funded. Basically, I have to go to a lot of parties. We should probably buy this tuxedo,” I said, tugging on his lapel.
He pulled on the collar. “It’s really uncomfortable. I’ve never worn one before.”
“You should try Spanx.”
He laughed.
“So, I guess I’ll have to move you into the big house. You’ll need the closet space for all the ball gowns.”
I smiled. “Can we have the damask room?” I asked.
“Of course. But…” he said, giving me a stern look, “I can’t live with you there unless we’re married.”
I gasped playfully. “What? Why not?”
“That’s my grandparents’ bedroom. Can’t do the things I want to do with you in there unless you’re my wife. Wouldn’t feel right.”
I pretended to think about it. “Hmmm. Plus, it’s haunted. I’m not sure I should be in there alone. We should probably get married right away. I had to promise the hospital board not to drop my last name, but I think Dr. Alexis Montgomery Grant has a nice ring to it, don’t you?”
He narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t mind being married to a carpenter in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere?”
“I can’t really think of a better way to spend the next fifty years. And anyway, we sort of have to. Doug bet me a hundred bucks that we wouldn’t live happily ever after.”