Safe Haven (The Protectors Book 1) Page 23

  “Would you quit pacing backward and forward,” John whispered. “You’re making me nervous.”

  “I still don’t know why Hayley had to come with Sophie and Rachel to the ball. I could have picked them up and brought them to Big Sky.”

  “It’s probably got something to do with the limousine Rachel rented. They wanted to make a grand entrance.”

  Tank held his hand to his earpiece and frowned. “They’ve arrived.”

  John followed Tank out of the ballroom. “Who are you listening to?”

  “Tanner. I couldn’t wait outside for them—Sophie would think I was being overprotective. So I asked Tanner to let me know when they were nearly here.”

  “He must owe you a favor. Standing in the cold isn’t everybody’s idea of fun.”

  Tank’s gaze drifted over the people in the reception area. “He’s part of the security detail working at the hotel tonight. It isn’t a big deal.”

  John shook his head. “It’s always a big deal when women are involved.” He looked at Tank. “What are you waiting for? Are we going to meet them outside or not?”

  “Will it give them the grand entrance they want?”

  “It will stop you from getting an ulcer.”

  Tank wrung his hands. “Good idea.”

  “I’m full of them,” John muttered.

  Outside, Tanner was standing off to one side. He nodded at a long, sleek, limousine pulling into the circular entranceway.

  John laughed. “Trust Rachel to rent the biggest car she could find.”

  Tank straightened his tie and put on his masquerade mask. “How do I look?” He turned to John, hoping the chuckle he heard wasn’t aimed at him. It was.

  “Like a man in love. As long as you don’t plan on getting married in the next three months, I’m happy for you.”

  “She has to say yes first.”

  John’s gaze snapped back to him. “You’re going to ask Hayley to—”

  “Ssh. Someone might hear you.” He wiped his hands on the black velvet jacket he’d hired. “Do you think she’ll notice how nervous I am?”

  “Turn around.”

  Tank faced John and waited while he did something to the silk cravat at his neck.

  “There. That’s better. Take it from me—you’d better get used to being nervous. Asking Hayley to marry you is the easy part. Wait until your wedding is only weeks away. Between Rachel and Bella’s excitement, our whole house is crazy. You should elope before Hayley starts planning anything.”

  Tank cleared his throat. “Her sister is getting married soon. She’s already in bride mode.” He looked past John and swallowed. “She’s here.”

  The limousine driver opened the back door.

  John narrowed his eyes. “Is that…?”

  “Jeremy,” Tank said. “What’s on his face?”

  John stepped forward. “Whiskers.”

  Tank peered at Jeremy, forgetting about Hayley’s imminent arrival. “And there’s a tail dangling from the back of his trousers. Who do you think he’s dressed as?”

  “I’ve got no idea, but I’ll bet you fifty bucks he tells us about it.” John nudged Tank. “Smile. Your bride-to-be is about to appear.”

  “Don’t say anything,” Tank growled. He turned to the limousine and stared at Hayley as she stepped onto the driveway.

  Her full-length dress was silky and deep blue. Sequins sparkled under the overhead lights, shimmering over the dress like the stars at night.

  Jeremy held out his hand and led her across to Tank.

  His breath caught in his throat. He walked toward her, hopelessly and utterly in love with the woman in front of him.

  “You look handsome,” Hayley said as she stood beside him. “Are you an exotic prince from another land?” Her eyes flashed with amusement from beneath her masquerade mask.

  “Andrew Warner, at your service, ma’am.” He bowed and held out his arm. “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you, kind sir. Shall we go to the ball?”

  They walked, arm in arm, into the Big Sky Resort.

  Tank looked over his shoulder for John. He smiled when he saw Rachel and Sophie holding onto each of his arms. “Is Ryan coming tonight?”

  “He’s flying back from a concert in Seattle. He’ll be here later.”

  Hayley said hello to some people she knew and Tank nodded a greeting. If she’d asked him to repeat their names, he wouldn’t have been able to do it. He was completely focused on Hayley and nothing else mattered.

  “Where did you find your dress?” he asked.

  “I had a little help from my fairy godmother,” she whispered. “Tess let me borrow one of the dresses from The Bridesmaids Club. Once we had the dress, I bought a mask, and voilà! A mysterious princess has found her handsome prince.”

  They walked into the Missouri Ballroom and Hayley sighed. “Oh, wow. This is more amazing than I thought it would be.” She stopped and opened her evening bag. “I know this isn’t very princess-ish, but mom would love this.” She pulled out her cell phone and took some photos.

  Tank had to admit that even he was impressed. Six large chandeliers decorated the ceiling, fairy lights fell from the stone columns and acres of sheer gold fabric were draped over the walls.

  “This is incredible.” Hayley handed him her phone. “Can you take a photo of both of us?”

  “Boo!”

  Tank jumped and Hayley’s phone dropped out of his hand. He caught it just before it hit the ground.

  He turned around and glared at Jeremy. “Did you have to do that?”

  “It’s part of my charm,” he said with a grin.

  “What’s with the whiskers?”

  Jeremy patted his face. “Don’t you recognize who I am? I thought it would be easy, especially with three lovely ladies in my coach.”

  “Jeremy has been transformed into a coachman,” Hayley said.

  Tank rolled his eyes. “Didn’t the coachman start his life as a rat?”

  Hayley grinned. “So you do know your fairytales.”

  “I’ve heard one or two.”

  Jeremy took Hayley’s cell phone out of Tank’s hand. He stood back and took their photo. “Hayley has promised to stop the clock from striking midnight. I want to stay fabulous, forever.”

  Tank laughed. “Good luck with that.”

  “It was an easy promise to make.” She pointed at the wooden grandfather clock someone had painted on the wall. “Jeremy’s safe for the rest of eternity.”

  “In that case, we should start dancing. If Jeremy’s going to be around forever, I need to put some distance between us.”

  Jeremy held his hand over his heart. “I’m wounded, but not for long.” He watched a woman in a long red dress walk past him. “I’ll find you later. Save a dance for me, Hayley.”

  Tank pulled her into his arms. “How did you end up with Jeremy driving you here?”

  “Rachel asked him.” Hayley waved to Jeremy as he glided past with the woman he’d seen. “I’ve never laughed so much. He has a great sense of humor.”

  “Just be thankful you don’t work with him.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Working with him would have a few advantages.”

  “I can’t think of any.”

  “I’d be working with you,” Hayley said as they moved onto the dance floor. “I could practice my self-defense moves on the bad guys we catch.”

  Tank held her close. “It’s safer to practice your moves on me.”

  “Only if you’re really bad.”

  The wicked grin on her face nearly made him drop to one knee and propose.

  It was just as well she didn’t know what he’d planned for later that night.

  ***

  Tank looked at his watch, then across at the hotel concierge. It was nearly midnight, his stomach was twisted into knots, and a cold sweat had broken out on his face.

  John sat beside him. “You look like you want to be sick.”

  “It’s nearly time.”

&
nbsp; “You’ll be fine.”

  Tank straightened his cravat. “What if she says no?”

  “Do you think she will?”

  “I don’t know.” He took a deep breath and wiped his hands on his trousers. The concierge nodded at him, and he stood. “Wish me luck.”

  John stood up and patted his shoulder. “You won’t need it, but good luck.”

  Tank headed across the dance floor to Hayley. She was dancing with Jeremy, gliding in and out of the other couples spinning around the room.

  He tapped Jeremy on the arm. “Mind if I cut in?”

  For a split second, he thought Jeremy was going to tell him to go away. But either common sense or the scowl on Tank’s face made him change his mind.

  “Just watch Hayley when you’re dancing with her. She wants to take the lead all the time.”

  “I do not,” Hayley said with a grin. “I’m happy for you to take the lead as long as I know where we’re going. It wasn’t coincidence that we kept dancing past your new-found lady-love.”

  “I was making sure she was all right.”

  Tank glanced at the ballroom doors. If he didn’t leave with Hayley soon, they wouldn’t be in the garden at midnight.

  She touched his arm. “Are you okay? You look a little pale.”

  He took a deep breath and held her hand. “I need some fresh air. Do you want to come for a walk?”

  Jeremy’s gaze landed on Tank. “What a great idea. Do you mind if I come?”

  “Yes!” More than one head turned toward Tank.

  Hayley squeezed his hand. “It doesn’t worry me if Jeremy comes with us. Rachel said the gardens are amazing at night.”

  Rachel, John’s fiancée, appeared beside Jeremy. “Someone told me you’re an incredible dancer.”

  “I had a good teacher. Would you like to dance?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Rachel winked at Tank as Jeremy swept her into his arms.

  He sighed. He should never have told John. The pressure was bad enough without Rachel knowing what was going on.

  Hayley let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around his neck. “It’s nearly midnight. You know what that means don’t you?”

  “Hold onto that thought.” Tank held Hayley’s hand and pulled her toward the main entrance of the ballroom. He had twelve minutes to make it to the gazebo. Without some kind of divine intervention, they’d almost need to sprint there to make it in time.

  He rushed into the foyer and headed toward the large French doors on their right.

  “We can’t go through those doors,” Hayley said.

  Tank ignored the ‘Staff Only’ sign. “It’s the quickest way to the garden.”

  “You’ll feel worse if we hurry. The garden lights stay on all night.”

  He thought fast, trying to think of something that wouldn’t make her suspicious. “There’s a light display at midnight. I don’t want you to miss it.”

  Hayley looked at her watch. “We don’t have much time. Does everyone else know it’s on?”

  “I’ve got no idea,” he muttered. “We’ll have to run. Let’s go.”

  Hayley stepped onto the grass and stumbled. “Hang on.” She lifted the hem of her dress and took off her shoes. “Where are we going?”

  “To the gazebo. It’s over this way.” Tank held onto her hand, glad of the light filling the garden with a soft glow. The last thing he wanted was Hayley being scared of the dark.

  By the time they made it to the gazebo, Hayley was out of breath and laughing. “Did we make it?”

  Tank looked at his watch. “With one minute to spare.”

  She rested her hands on her hips and breathed deeply. “I knew I should have kept jogging with Sophie.”

  “You did okay.”

  She glanced at him, then smiled as she listened to the music coming from the speakers. “It’s a Glen Campbell song.”

  Tank nodded. “I thought you’d enjoy it.”

  “Let It Be Me is one of my favorites. It reminds me of when we were traveling to Safe Haven. We must have listened to the same song at least fifty times.” She ran her hands along the rail, touching the white fabric draped over the wood. “This is beautiful, Tank, but I don’t understand why no one else is here. Do you think we should call Sophie and let her know about the light display?”

  Right on cue, the sound of bells filled the night air. “There isn’t a light display. I brought you out here for another reason.” He glanced across the garden and hoped Hayley liked his next surprise.

  She leaned against the railing and stared at the six white horses trotting toward them. They pulled a white coach, complete with silver ribbons and hundreds of fairy lights. “Is that a Cinderella coach?” She turned to Tank and smiled. “Did you organize all of this?”

  “I want tonight to be special.”

  She kissed him on his cheek. “Tonight is special because we’re together. What you’ve done here is...magical. Can we go for a ride?”

  “Soon. I want to tell you something first.” He held Hayley’s hands. For the last week, all he’d thought about was how he would propose to her, how he would tell her what she meant to him. But now that they were here, every carefully thought-out word disappeared.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Everything is right, more right than it’s ever been. I love you, Hayley.”

  The slow, sweet, smile she sent him made him want to hold her in his arms and never let go. “I love you, too. This is a wonderful surprise. Thank you.”

  “There’s more…I want…I need to ask you something.” Before he lost his courage, he bent down on one knee and looked up at her. “You’ve shown me that I’m more than my past, more than the guilt and fear that kept me from being happy. You opened your heart to me and trusted me with your life. I’d like us to grow old together and spend the rest our lives with each other. Will you marry me?”

  Hayley’s eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know what to say.”

  Tank held his breath. “Say yes.”

  She nodded. “Yes. My answer is yes, Andrew James Warner. I never thought I’d love someone as much as I love you. I would be honored to be your wife.”

  Tank stood and hugged her close. “We’re going to be a great team.”

  “We already are,” she whispered.

  He looked across at the horse and carriage, then froze. “Umm…Hayley?”

  “You haven’t changed your mind, have you?”

  “No, but I did forget this...” He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small box. “I hope you like it.”

  Her mouth dropped open when she saw what was inside. “It’s beautiful.”

  The solitaire diamond sparkled as bright as the stars above them. He slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her with all the love inside him.

  The bells around the horse’s necks jingled.

  He looked at Hayley and smiled. “It must be time for a coach ride.”

  “That’s the second best idea you’ve had all night, Mr. Warner. Have I told you how much I love you?”

  “Yes, but you can remind me as often as you like.”

  Hayley quickly kissed him on the lips. “Your wish is my command. I love you, Tank. Now let’s go for a ride.”

  He laughed at her excitement. “You look like you’re about to step into a fairy tale.”

  “I already have, except this one lasts forever.”

  He held Hayley’s hand as they ran toward the coach.

  For the first time in his life he knew what it felt like to live happily ever after.

  Four Months Later….

  Hayley passed Tank her mom’s last suitcase. “Do you think it will fit in your SUV?”

  He tried to squeeze it on top of the other bags, but it was too big.

  Sophie walked toward them. “I’ll take it. It will fit on my back seat.”

  While Tank carried the bag across to her sister’s car, Hayley checked on her mom. “How does it feel to be lea
ving the nursing home?”

  Her mom’s smile said more than any words could have. “Up until now, I felt as though I was living in a cocoon. Everything was muffled and so confusing. I can finally live a normal life. Without Sophie’s supplement, I don’t know what would have happened to me.”

  Hayley hugged her mom. She knew what would have happened and it would have been devastating. Over the last few months, her mom’s Alzheimer’s had improved so much that she was able to live in her own apartment in a retirement village.

  Sophie looked at the gray, overcast sky. “It’s getting cold. Are you ready to go, mom?”

  Alice nodded and looked at the nursing home. “Do you think your supplement will help the other patients?”

  “It already is. The letters we’ve received from other Alzheimer’s patients and their families is really positive. We’ve made a difference in lots of people’s lives, mom.”

  “That’s good. Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease.” She turned to Tank and Hayley. “We’ll meet you at Aspen Pointe. I’m in apartment twenty-two.”

  Hayley smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll remember.”

  As Sophie drove away, Hayley turned to Tank. “Do you remember standing in another parking lot outside a nursing home?”

  Tank pulled her into his arms. “I do. You had some impressive self-defense moves.”

  “And a great can of pepper spray. That was the first time I’d ever used it.”

  “I hope you never have to use it again.”

  “So do I.”

  Tank looked into her eyes and a heat as warm as the summer sun wrapped itself around her.

  He held her face between his hands and kissed the end of her nose. “I started falling in love with you in Fort Wayne and I’ve never stopped. If it weren’t for Sophie’s supplement, we never would have met.”

  Hayley smiled. “I’ve got a feeling I would have met you anyway. We were meant to be together.”

  “In good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.”

  “I’m impressed. You’ve been practicing your wedding vows.”

  Tank smiled. “Alice would never forgive me if I forgot them.”

  “Mom wouldn’t mind. She’s happy we’re getting married, and so am I. I couldn’t imagine my life without you.” She wrapped her arms around her future husband and sighed. This was where she belonged, and she couldn’t have been happier.