She hoped this was it. Since that day in the hospital he hadn’t breathed another word about getting married. He’d had her move back in with him and they’d found a wonderful rhythm. Both he and Noelle went to PT, and Lila and Mabel had set up a temporary clinic at the gym. She would watch her two favorite people in the world as they worked their way back.
Noelle had found her strength. She was a warrior in that gym, and she was starting to find her balance. It would always be a struggle, but she was far more independent than she’d been. Although Lila wished she’d never mentioned that Noelle should learn to cook. There were some acts that could never be taken back, and Noelle’s meatloaf was one of them.
But Armie hadn’t mentioned marriage again. She hadn’t pushed because he’d been getting back on his feet.
She also had to wonder if he’d changed his mind. He’d been through something harrowing. She was perfectly happy she’d been unconscious for the last part of that particular adventure. She’d woken up in the hospital with her sister holding her hand. Lisa had been the one to tell her that Armie was in surgery and that her clinic had gone up in smoke. Luckily the fire department had managed to keep the fire contained.
“If you’re ready, then we should head out.” Armie was back at work but looking for a new station house manager since his daughter was now devoted to her PT and taking dual credit classes at a community college an hour away.
“You two can handle it, right?” she asked, smiling at her employees.
Mabel had returned to work after taking some time off. She claimed a week at a casino was all she needed to get back on her feet, but Lila had insisted they both talk to a counselor. They had a standing date with a lovely young woman who was guiding them all through the aftermath. Even Armie was going in for sessions.
“We’ve got it. We’ll be ready when we open up tomorrow.” Mabel winked her way. “You two go and have some fun. You’ve been working like a dog for weeks.”
She took Armie’s hand and he led her out toward his SUV, Peanut following behind. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere I’ve been wanting to take you for a while.” He opened the door and helped her up. The dog hopped into the back and took his normal seat. There was nothing Peanut liked more than hanging his head out the window and watching the world go by. “But the time is right now.”
“The time is right?” She rolled her window down, too. She kind of liked the fresh air as well.
He kissed the palm of her hand. “Yes, I’m working on my timing and now it’s right, though you should know my life became right the day you walked into it.”
“I drove into it and you pulled me over.”
“You’re a speed demon, my love. Now hush and enjoy the ride.”
He was being awfully mysterious, but she’d learned to trust him. He’d said he was all in, and she’d seen nothing from him that made her doubt it. He’d supported her in everything she wanted to do even when it meant cutting his red meat intake after she’d gotten his cholesterol numbers back. They’d settled into something amazing.
And he’d been more than supportive when she’d announced plans for the Maryanne George Women’s Shelter, serving all of Papillon Parish. She was using the land she’d bought and building something new and safe for any woman who needed it.
He was right. She wouldn’t give up on them.
And she wouldn’t ever give up on her town. She was quiet as Armie started to drive them through the town toward the bayou. How odd that she’d spent all those years of her childhood dreaming of some high-rise, thinking wealth would make her happy, and only finding the meaning of that word here. Her happiness wasn’t found in money or things. It had been found in this place, in serving her neighbors and discovering what it meant to be a mother and a wife. Finding her place in this tiny town had given her a freedom she’d never thought to have.
Armie parked in front of the remains of her old house. He opened the door and Peanut bounded out.
“Are we taking a tour ahead of the wreckers coming out?” In a few days they would clear out the entire lot and get it ready to rebuild it as a modern, secure home. She liked that she wouldn’t be too far from it.
He shook his head. “No. We’re going to one of my favorite places in the world. It’s a little out of the way, though. I guilted Major into coming out here and fixing up your dock. It still needs work, but it’s safe and I parked a boat there for us.”