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He caught her finger and kissed it. “Can we say we caught each other, or do you have to be the one? Works for me either way.”
She released a sound that was part laugh, part yawn. “I’m too happy to argue about it. All I know is I want to be with you. The fire chief and the starting-from-scratch entrepreneur. Who would have thought?”
He shifted under her. “About that starting from scratch part…there’s something I should probably tell you…”
Thirty-One
The home office of Explastica held its grand opening a month later. It took time for Kendra to get things settled with Alvin’s Burgers and Blues. And then, of course, to locate and lease the office, hire a lawyer to close the buyout, and hire a coder. And none of it would have happened without an infusion of funds from one secret millionaire—Jason Mosedale.
He finally told her the whole story when they were back in Lake Bittersweet. They were sitting on the end of the Blue Drake pier, waiting for Galen to bring in a bucket of fish for that night’s special. Alvin was at home, and the temporary substitute chef had an insanely good blackened trout recipe.
“It was a fluke,” Jason explained. “I won the lottery. I’ve always been a lucky guy, but that was just insane. I never played the lottery, like ever. But when I helped Mom and Dad move to Minneapolis, I went to pick up ice for them at the corner store. I bought a scratcher on a whim. I won two-point-three million dollars, but I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want my life to change. I stuck it in a trust to cover college expenses for Holly and my sister’s kids, and mine if I ever have any. Then I basically forgot about it.”
“All this time, you’ve been a freaking millionaire? And no one knows?”
“Nope. I only told Holly after she got upset about that donation that she thought was for us.”
“You said something about it when you were sick.” She shook her head, remembering. “I thought you were delirious.”
“I was, or I never would have said that. I’m glad you didn’t believe me. Now I know you fell in love with me, not my two-point-three million dollars. Minus taxes. So it’s more like one-point-six million.”
She swatted him on his hard upper arm. “You could have told me when Dominic showed up, flaunting his thousand-dollar suit and all.”
“I don’t do dick wars.”
His dignified tone made her burst out laughing. “You should put that on a T-shirt.”
He joined in, good-naturedly as always. “Seriously, I’d do anything to prove my love to you, everything except flash my portfolio.”
“Portfolio? God, that sounds sexy.” She fanned herself. It sounded especially sexy coming from a handsome firefighter in jeans and a t-shirt. “But don’t worry, I fell in love with you way before I knew about it.”
“I know.” He smiled smugly. “Guess I won that dick war.”
She laughed even harder, because it was true, so true.
“Anyway, I want to invest in something new. Diversify my portfolio. I’m very interested in ways to promote plastic recycling, and I really love supporting local businesses.”
“You’ll get your investment back, with interest.”
“I know I will.”
“I might out-million you.”
“I bet you will.”
“Are you really serious?”
“Serious as a two hundred dollar Uber ride.”
She hugged him so enthusiastically that they both teetered on the edge of the pier. “I accept,” she told him. “Whatever you’re offering, I accept.”
“Please don’t put that on a T-shirt.”
Now, a month later, she had a surprise for him. The Explastica office, located in a newly built office complex with a view of the lake, was filled with family and friends and acquaintances from all over Lake Bittersweet. Many of the firefighters were there, as well as most of the waitstaff from the Blue Drake.
Bliss and Earl Granger brought their newborns, each nestled in a cloth sling against a parent’s chest. They’d finally named them, going with neither the “hippie” theme nor the “royal” theme that had inspired their own names.
“Meet Austin and Ariel,” Bliss told them. Kendra wiggled one twin’s bootie-covered foot and Jason let one twin wrap a tiny hand around his finger. “These two owe a lot to both of you.”
