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“Let me get the door for you,?
? Hazel said, moving ahead of them so she could help out.
Sophie sailed through the door with Cameron following right behind her. All of a sudden she stopped in her tracks, causing Cameron to nearly lose his balance and the drinks he was holding.
“Hey. Watch it, Sophie. That was a close one,” he said.
“Look, y’all. Gunther is on his knees,” Sophie shrieked.
Gunther Reid was a regular customer at the Moose Café. Born and bred in Love, he’d been a friend of his since they were kids in the schoolyard. Affable and honorable, Gunther was the kind of person you rooted for.
Sure enough, when Cameron looked over at his pal’s usual table, he was on bended knee.
“I’m about to swoon,” Sophie gushed. “They are so inspiring.”
Everything was hushed and still in the eatery. All eyes were on Gunther.
“This is where we had our very first date,” Gunther said. A huge smile was plastered on his face as he gazed up at his beloved, Wanda. “It’s a fitting place to ask you to spend the rest of your life with me and make me the happiest man in Alaska.”
“Just Alaska?” Cameron muttered, earning him an outraged frown from Sophie.
“Shh,” she said, placing her finger on her lips.
Wanda let out a scream of delight. “Oh, Gunther. Yes! Yes! Of course I’ll marry you.” She swooped down and wrapped her arms around Gunther’s neck.
“W-Wanda. C-can’t breathe.”
“Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry,” she said, releasing Gunther’s neck from her grip.
Gunther reached into his pocket, pulled out a wooden box and popped it open. “It’s not the fanciest of rings, but it’s straight from the heart.”
The simple solitaire diamond shimmered and glinted from inside the box. Tears gathered in Wanda’s eyes. “Oh, it’s stunning. Please put it on my finger so I’ll know I’m not dreaming.”
She held out her hand and Gunther took the ring and gently placed it on Wanda’s finger.
It was almost as if all the diners in the café had been holding their breath during the proposal. Once it became official, loud applause rang out in the room.
“Wait till Jasper finds out,” Hazel said. “He’s keeping a tally of all the engagements that occur as a result of Operation Love. Not sure what we’re up to now, but Jasper’s program really is working.”
“Happy endings and all,” Sophie chirped. “I sure hope mine is finding its way toward me.”
Happy endings. Seeing Gunther and Wanda so ecstatic over their engagement was an awesome moment to witness. Before Wanda came to Love under the Operation Love program, Gunther had been a lonely bachelor. He had been shy and reserved. A bit of a homebody. Falling in love with sociable Wanda had forced him out of his shell. He had been the first one in line to court her when she had arrived in town. From the very beginning, Gunther had known Wanda was his one true love.
His one true love was Paige. It always had been. And he didn’t have a single reason now not to pursue his own happy ending. So what if his parents hadn’t gone the distance? That shouldn’t define his own future. It didn’t mean he couldn’t make things work with Paige.
For far too long pride and circumstances had been stumbling blocks in their relationship. For two long years they hadn’t been in each other’s lives. They had both changed for the better in the past few years. Leading faith-driven lives had given them more purpose and a spiritual focus. He didn’t think he would ever make the same mistakes with Paige that he had made in the past. Not many people were allowed a second opportunity to get things right.
Tonight after the town hall meeting, he planned to make a huge declaration to Paige, one that would hopefully change their relationship forever. He prayed that she still had feelings for him and was open to exploring a life together. If need be, he’d get on his knees and apologize to her for all the suspicions he’d harbored in his heart against her. For all the time they’d wasted.
Cameron stood at a distance and watched Gunther and Wanda as they celebrated their engagement with two frozen caramel mochaccinos. A feeling of excitement mixed with raw nerves rushed through him. He was ready to fight for his own happily-ever-after.
* * *
By six o’clock Paige was a bundle of jitters. Her palms were moist and a huge lump had settled in her throat. So much was riding on tonight’s meeting. Love’s prosperity was hanging in the balance. After reaching out to Grace last night, she had felt more reassured about the path she needed to take. Hours of brainstorming and prayer had helped her sort everything out. Before any vote took place next week, she needed to address the residents. She had no idea if her words would be well received, considering her history, but she was convinced that if things went her way, the town would be heading in the right direction.
In stark contrast to the last time she’d walked the gauntlet toward the town council’s meeting room, this time she was stopped by dozens of well-wishers. Some folks congratulated her for being dedicated to the cannery project, while others asked her about Emma and thanked her for returning the money to Love. Although it felt nice to be greeted so warmly, she couldn’t help but wonder how everyone would react to her change of heart.
Paige had made a point to get to town hall just as the meeting started so she wouldn’t have to sit by Cameron. By not telling him about her encounter with Dwight and the information he had shared with her, she felt as if she had hidden something from him. He’d been so supportive of her desire to achieve redemption for her father and revitalize the cannery project. Because of the way she felt about Cameron, she knew he might be able to sway her opinion. And she hadn’t wanted to make her decision based on what someone else thought. Love’s financial recovery had been her only focus.
