Chapter 30
Sadie
As Sadie and Kreston headed inside to the New Year’s Eve party at the Community Center, loud voices and laughing greeted them. It was only an hour until midnight. Kreston took Sadie’s coat and hung it up in the foyer outside of the main room.
“You look stunning, as always.” He tugged Sadie into him. “Thanks for showing up at Aloha’s. I was worried when she ran off the way she did. Thank God it wasn’t anything horrific.”
“You feel responsible for her since you’re the one who found her with her amnesia, don’t you?” Sadie gazed up at him with admiration.
He nodded. “Couldn’t just leave her there. God knows what would have happened to her. I didn’t want her to wind up living in a cardboard box on Northern Lights Boulevard in Anchorage, freezing to death.”
Sadie hugged him. “I’ve not met anyone like you.” She smiled at a couple coming through the door, then turned to Kreston. “Can we talk for a minute? I have something to say before we roll into the next year.”
“Talk fast. There’s only an hour left.” He led her to his office and unlocked the door. Once they were inside, he locked it. “Don’t want interruption. ”
Sadie arranged herself in one chair in front of his desk. She motioned to the other. “Have a seat, Mayor Collins. Let’s take a meeting. I have some official business to propose.”
He sat, waiting expectantly. “Go on.”
“This town needs a tourism office,” she began. “Real marketing, not tourist-trap stuff. Alaska Magazine ads, a website, the whole nine yards.”
He gave her a blank look. “Uh, huh.”
“Hardware Bob and his wife Janet told me the people they met in Anchorage weren’t familiar with Polar Creek. No one had even heard of it, much less knew where it was. That gave me an idea. I think I could earn your town coffers some cash. Bob suggested maybe you could afford to build a post office.”
Kreston sat back in the chair and folded his arms. “What’s your point?”
“My point is...my point is...” she struggled for the words. Why was this so flipping hard?
He waited with another blank look.
“You’d need someone to run it, and—”
He cut her off. “Does this mean you’re staying?” His voice was neutral, but his eyes held galaxies of hope.
She lifted her gaze to his, and her eyes watered. “Yes,” she said, her voice barely audible. She cleared her throat. “I mean YES! Yes! Yes! I’m staying!” She flew out of her chair and threw herself at him.
He caught her and hugged her so hard her insides squeezed. “Good. Because there’s this one little detail I have to tell you...I love you. ”
Tears spilled out as she buried her face in the side of his neck. “I’ve loved you from the moment I was born. I just didn’t know it until you opened that stupid door to Lucky’s plane.”
“I promise not to pressure you about anything else.” Kreston wiped her tears with his thumbs. “I know you like to take things one day at a time.”
“You know me well, don’t you?”
“Beginning to,” he said. “Each new thing I discover makes me love you more. Like how you patiently tell Ten Second Tess your name whenever she asks. How you laugh at Lucky’s jokes even if they aren’t funny. And the way you check on people and help them, same as I do. We’re two peas in a pod, Sadie-kins. And I love you for it.”
She got up from his lap, scooted her chair close, and sat in it. She took his hands in hers. “Come with me to Seattle to help me pack up my stuff. I have quite the swanky digs, so I’ll have to sell most of it. But here’s the thing: I don’t want to lose you, and I know you’ll never leave Polar Creek. I’m willing to move up here to Alaska so we can be together.”
“You don’t know how this makes me feel—” he started.
Sadie raised a finger. “But—I must earn my way. I still want to continue public relations work. So, on that note...will you hire me to be Polar Creek’s public relations person for your new tourism office?”
He thought for a minute, and she could tell his wheels were going ninety in that overloaded brain of his. A smile took shape and widened into a grin. “Maybe if what Aloha says is true, she’ll loan us the money to start it.”
“I know where I can get an expensive diamond engagement ring to sell.” She winked. “I also have a sizeable chunk squirreled away in investments.”
“Now that, I can help you with.” Kreston’s brows rose. “Selling that ring would be worth a flight to Anchorage.”
“Oh, and while we’re there, let’s look into getting that GPS tracker device for Ten Second Tess.”
Kreston paused. “This is one reason I love you. Always thinking of everyone else.”
Sadie confessed, “When Aloha said she’d rather stay in Polar Creek than return to Hawaii, it kicked my decision over into the ‘yes’ column.”
Kreston rose and grasped her hands to lift her to her feet. He moved in for a kiss when he heard distant whoops and hollers.
“Wait, we’re missing the party!” Kreston unlocked the door and flung it open.
“I want to be under the disco ball with you at midnight.” Sadie took his arm and steered out the door toward the Community Center.
They walked in to see everyone dancing the disco era dance, The Bump, to “That’s The Way I Like It” by KC she’d just been too blindsided by hurt and rejection to realize it. Everyone else saw it long before she did.
As Kreston pulled her close for another kiss, Sadie knew this wasn’t just another new year. This was a new life. And a second chance with a new love. One with staying power.
Her heart now belonged to the hottest mayor in Alaska. “I love you, Mayor Collins.”
“Right back atcha,” he breathed in her ear, kissing it. “Happy New Year, Miss Tourism Director.”
“I’ll wear my ‘Santa Baby’ outfit for you when we get home,” she purred.
“I can’t wait. Just got to get everything secured here first.” He stole a quick kiss. “On second thought, I think I’ll let someone else handle it.” Kreston took her hand and led her to the door. “Let’s go home.”
Home.
Sadie liked the sound of that. She dashed out the door, not bothering to change into her bunny boots, with Kreston on her heels.
Thanks so much for reading my holiday romcom, Flights, Fights & Christmas Lights!
Read on for a taste of Everybody Loves Polar Bears!