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“As ready as it can be. Except for this.” Heath eased the truck to a stop at the intersection of the dirt road and the road into town. He dug into his pocket, and pulled out a set of keys. “These are for you. Assuming all goes well.” The man swallowed hard. “And if it doesn’t, then I’ll need them back.”
“Got it.” Lachlan took the keys. “But there’s no doubt in my mind it’s going to go well.”
No more thantwenty words passed between him and Heath the whole rest of the drive or the entire time they were prepping and cooking the barbecue for the picnic. The event seemed bigger than the previous year, with more booths and more activities and definitely more people. They’d been cooking non-stop for hours but finally Heath gave him the signal to text Carissa.
TEXTRSTART_It’sgo time_TEXTREND
TEXTLSTART_on it as soon as she finishes here_TEXTLEND
Heath was dressedin his costume, and pacing despite the heat when the next text came.
TEXTLSTART_omw_TEXTLEND
“It’ll be any minute,mate. They’re on their way.”
Heath didn’t stop pacing until the moment the final signal from the soaking wet mayor came.
“Stay frosty, mate,” was the last thing Lachlan said to him, before he climbed into the dunk tank.
Lachlan waited until he heard Heath taunt the crowd—so out of character for the bloke, but that was the beauty of his Grinch costume—and then he slipped out into the audience.
Carissa was yelling, “Smash it!” when he sidled up next to her to watch Lena try to sink her Grinch Guy.
He was standing at her side when Lena succeeded. Heath splashed into the water and Carissa grabbed Lachlan’s hand and squeezed it hard.
She didn’t let go until after Heath had gotten out of the tank and gone down on one knee and Lena and Coppy had given him their answer, to the crowd’s applause.
“Hey, Ladybug.” His voice in her ear startled Carissa. Her eyes glistened, as if she might cry, but her smile was radiant.
“I’m so happy for them!”
“Yeah. It’s brilliant.” He hesitated, wondering if it was bad form to pull her away from the moment unfolding before them. But it wasn’t their moment, and he had his own surprise. “Did you pack your overnight bag like I asked?”
She nodded, her eyes sparkling. “It’s upstairs at the house.”
“Good. Let’s go get it.”
“Shouldn’t we tell them where we’re going?” She was a sly one, his girl, trying to get him to inadvertently reveal information.
“Already did.” He loved the moment when her mouth dropped open, as if she was outraged that she was going to be the last to know.
“Haven’t I told you that I like plans, and knowing them?”
“Nah, but yeah. Don’t care. Because I like surprises.”
She pesteredhim the whole drive back trying to get him to tell her where they were going. At first, he told her the truth—one of them: To Lena and (now, officially) Heath’s.
When that just made her mad, he tried appeasing her, by not giving yes/no answers to her questions.
“Is it somewhere I’ve been?”
“No, but you’ve seen it.”
“Is it a hotel?”
“No, and it’s not a tent or a house, either.”
She let out a growl of frustration.
