Chapter Sixty-Four
T he moment was perfect. Better than any she could’ve conjured up in her mind and wished would happen. The light of the full moon reflected in the water, the lights of the mall twinkled around them, and the light snow made a gentle swooshing sound as it swirled. They were warm and dry underneath the covering of the memorial.
Vickie looked into Thatcher’s brown eyes and felt the ground sway beneath her. The fluttering in her stomach took her by surprise.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.” He grabbed both of her hands. “And you’re so smart. If I get offered the chairmanship, I will have you to thank.” He looked her in the eyes. “But the thing that amazes me is how strong your faith is. You have faith in God and in people. Somehow, you always manage to see the best in everything. You make me want to be a better person.” He smiled broadly.
She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. “Let me get this out first.”
She nodded.
“I realized last week that one of the things that I’m guilty of is not fighting for what I love. I didn’t fight enough for Katherine, and I lost her for eighteen years.” He reached out and stroked her face. “I don’t want to lose you. I need you. During the past weeks, you were the one person I wanted to talk to more than anyone”
She felt the tears begin to well up in her eyes. She couldn’t have imagined it better.
He continued. “I talked to Dawn last week. She wouldn’t tell me what to do to win you back. But she did tell me to think about your favorite movies.” He grinned. “I spent two very long days watching all the movies I could remember that are on your shelf.”
Vickie couldn’t contain herself. She burst out laughing. “You did?”
He nodded. “I am now well-versed in the chick flick. And at first I didn’t see a commonality. Until I put it together with your friend’s husband surprising her with her dream wedding. I saw those tears in your eyes when you were telling me the story.” He smiled. “And I figured it out.”
“What’s that?” Happiness had welled up inside her until she felt like she might burst.
“I know what you want, what you deserve.” He paused. “A monumental gesture.” He grinned. “I know I might not have a boom box to hold above my head, and I might not be able to fly off to Paris to track you down. So I’ll do whatever it takes.” He motioned at his suit. “If you want me to start wearing expensive suits, I will. If you prefer my hair shorter, I’ll wear it that way. I’ll get rid of the old pickup truck and spend less time at the fishing cabin.” He looked earnestly at her. “Whatever it takes to keep you in my life.”
She was stunned.
“What I’m trying to say is that I love you.”
Vickie took a step back. She felt a tear escape and didn’t even bother to brush it away. “I need to tell you something, too.” She swallowed. “My whole life, I’ve created reasons to keep people at a distance. But with you, I almost immediately let you know the real me. I didn’t censor what I said for fear that you’d judge me or disagree. I let you know about even my quirkiest traits. And I was never scared of what you’d think.” She sighed. “But it’s come to my attention recently that I might demand a kind of perfection that doesn’t exist.” She smiled. “You look so handsome tonight in your expensive suit and your new haircut. But to tell you the truth, it’s the man inside the suit and underneath the haircut that I’m in love with.”
He pulled her closer to him, smiling.
“And I was sort of hoping that maybe next summer, you could maybe teach me how to fish. It’s about time this park ranger gained some outdoor experience, don’t you think?” She returned his smile.
“Does this mean I can still count on you to come with me to my family’s Christmas?” he asked.
“If you’ll still have me,” she whispered.
Thatcher cupped her face with his hands and leaned down, planting the sweetest kiss she’d ever imagined on her lips. For a long moment, she was lost in him, in the minty taste of his lips and the warmth of his hands on her face. He pulled away and gave her a slow grin. The love she’d been waiting on her whole life had finally arrived.