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When they got to the dunk tank, Heath was nowhere to be found, but the soaking wet mayor signalled to someone behind the large yellow target, and climbed out of the tank, to be replaced by a new victim. As soon as the person in the big, furry green costume stepped from behind the target and clambered onto the dunk tank platform, Lena understood Heath’s insistence on meeting them there. “Heath is going to love this! You know I call him Grinch Guy, right?”
“Uh, yeah. I’ve only heard you call him that about twenty times a day since I got here.” Carissa pulled her forwards. The line in front of them had somehow evaporated. “Let’s try it. You go first.”
Whoever it was in the big furry green Grinch costume did a little jive on the seat, as if to egg her on.
She paid the volunteer running the booth for three balls, looped Copper’s leash around her non-throwing arm and stepped forwards.
“Na na na na na na!” The Grinch in the tank taunted her, and Copper started wriggling with excitement.
“Oh, you’re going down, Grinch!” She threw the first ball—and completely missed the target. “Just warming up.”
“You got this, girl!” Carissa was pretty much the best hype-man ever. Lena flashed her another thumbs up, and was surprised at the crowd that had gathered— Hunter Sullivan and his wife Chelsea were there, along with their twins. Ali and Jake Morgan and Mariah the vet tech were there. Miranda from Pampered Pets, Copper’s favourite store in all of Bindarra Creek, was there too, along with Blair Maxwell. Plus, all her horse friends in town—Alex Bentley, the McKennas and the Walkers. Who knew the dunk tank was so popular? The only person who wasn’t there was the one person she wanted to see most: Heath.
No matter. She could do a repeat performance once he showed up. If she had an audience, she wasn’t going to let them down. She made a big show of taking a deep breath as she lifted up the ball, brought it to her chest with both hands, and stared down the Grinch. Then she let the ball loose.
It hit the edge of the target and bounced off, leaving the Grinch still sitting on the pedestal. The gathered crowd let out a collective groan of disappointment.
“Smash it!” Carissa wasn’t exactly known for her subtlety.
Lena ignored the costumed Grinch, who was making a big show of pointing at the target with both hands. Instead, she did her same wind-up routine, but this time as she held the ball to her heart, she visualised it leaving her hand at high velocity and beaming directly at the centre of the target.
She flung the ball with all her might. It hit the exact centre of the target with a satisfying metallic ping. The platform the Grinch was sitting on pitched forwards—and the Grinch plunged into the water.
“Yes!” She did a little dance only to stop, frozen in place as the Grinch’s head popped out of the water. Because it wasn’t the green leering Grinch face of the costume she saw, but—“Grinch Guy?”
She couldn’t believe he’d agreed to be in the dunk tank. “Heath?”
He vaulted out of the tank—much like he’d done the previous year, trying to get to her and Copper at the climbing wall. She whirled to make eye contact with Carissa, who waved her back towards Heath with an expression that said she’d totally been in on whatever was happening.
Copper let out his sharp excited bark and when she turned back, she let out a gasp. Heath was on one knee before her, his face as serious as she’d ever seen it.
“A year and twelve days ago, this total stranger, this gorgeous American tourist in a crazy holiday outfit knocked on my door and she and her dog sang to me about true love.” Copper pulled at the end of his leash, desperate to get to the other side of the waist-high barrier, letting out another excited bark when he couldn’t reach Heath. “Kind of like that.” Heath laughed.
“Shhh! Copper!” Lena had gone to trembling and it came out in her voice.
Heath met her gaze with eyes so warm and full that everything else fell away. Her grip on Copper’s leash must’ve loosened, because the dog pulled free and went straight for Heath’s lap.
“It might not have been the perfect start to a relationship, but it certainly was memorable.”
Distantly she heard the gathered crowd behind her laugh and then laugh a second time as Copper licked Heath’s cheek.
“In the last year, I’ve never smiled more—”
"Smiling’s my favourite!” Lena couldn’t help interjecting, and everyone laughed again. Heath didn’t miss a beat, though.
“—and since you walked through my front door, my heart has grown at least three sizes. Except my heart still wants more.” Heath fiddled with the bow on Copper’s new Christmas collar—the collar he’d insisted Copper wear to the picnic—and suddenly there was a ring in his hands. “Abilene Snowden, Christmas Girl, and Copper”—at the sound of his name, Coppy swiped Heath’s furry green costumed arm with a lick—“would you do me the honour of being my plus two?”
Her answer was so immediate, it might as well have been instinct.
“Heck yes, Grinch Guy!” With that, she went the way Copper had—under the barrier and right into her man’s arms.
