Perfect Timing

EVIE

I was moping in bed at my parents’ house when a knock suddenly echoed at the door. I rolled over and scowled in that direction, trying to muster the energy to answer it. Before I could, it swung open, and Saanvi barged through.

“Okay, so here’s the plan,” she said, flying inside.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed to peer at her.

“We are going to get you feeling brand-new again so you can feel like yourself and enjoy the day,” she said.

“Okay?” I furrowed my brows as she dragged me across the hall to her room, setting me in front of the closet. “And how are ~we~ going to do that?” My last adventure in Saanvi’s closet had ended with me in a Santa costume.

I wasn’t sure whether to smile or burst into tears at the memory of that night. The heat in Sam’s eyes. The way our fake relationship had already started collapsing into reality.

“Simple. Dress. Hair. Makeup. So, come on. What do you want to borrow?” Saanvi gestured grandly.

I sighed and flipped through a few hangers as Saanvi planted herself on the edge of the bed to watch me.

She was sadly mistaken if she thought a borrowed dress would do anything to ease the insecure, miserable, and betrayed feelings from what I saw yesterday. But it was Saanvi, so I’d entertain her ridiculous ideas.

I tugged a black dress from the back of my closet that looked like something for a funeral. It matched my mood to a tee. “What about this one?”

“Hmm.” Disapproval flooded her expression as she eyed the fabric. “Maybe something in, say…white?”

“White?” My forehead pinched. “I never wear white.”

“Maybe you should start. Maybe it’s a good time to do something you never thought you would do.”

Okay, Saanvi was acting strange. Why did I need to wear a dress at all, let alone a specific color? I wasn’t really planning to leave the house at all today. “What is going on with you?” I asked.

“Nothing. I’m just trying to make you feel better after everything.”

~Yeah, thanks for reminding me. Again.~

“What about ivory?” she asked.

I turned, putting the black dress back, and tugged out an ivory cotton long-sleeve bodycon dress instead.

While twisting toward her, I flaunted the article of clothing with raised brows and a face full of attitude. “Happy?”

“Yep.” Saanvi smiled. “That’ll do. Now, let’s talk makeup.”

“Seriously?” I cocked a brow. “You’re gonna tell me what to put on my face too?”

“Today I am, yes. Go with a classic nude. Don’t wear that trampy red you always wear.”

I rolled my eyes. “Jeez, thanks.”

~Talk about sisterly love.~

I did my makeup to Saanvi’s standards, put on the ivory dress, and curled my hair. The shiny black Louboutin heels inevitably made me think of Sam again, but I refused to let him ruin my favorite confidence booster.

It did feel nice to get all dressed up. However, far be it from me to admit to Saanvi that her plan was working.

I gave her a twirl to flaunt her progress. She rose from the mattress’s edge and eyed my locks falling over my dress.

“Okay, maybe just…” She fluffed my curls so they fell over my breasts.

I slapped her hands from my chest. “Okay, are you planning on selling me on the street corner or what?”

“No, but today is as good a day as any to look your best,” she said with a smile. Then abruptly, she snatched her purse from my bedspread and flung it over her shoulder. “I’ve gotta go chat with Mom and Dad.”

“About what?”

“Just housekeeping stuff,” she said, wandering for the exit. “Meet you downstairs?”

I perked a skeptical brow. “Okay?”

Something was up with Saanvi. I could always tell when she was scheming. Sam would probably be coming by the house to apologize again. Why else would she go through all this trouble?

I didn’t want another apology. I didn’t want to see him, not even while I was wearing the full armor of my dress and makeup and shoes. If it was up to me, I’d never see Sam Vázquez’s lying face again.

I sat on the edge of my bed; the image of Carla and Sam kissing once again invaded my brain like an intrusive thought. Maybe I’d never stop seeing that.

And yet, I also wondered. I could pick up the phone. I could hear him out a final time—listen to his deep, rich voice on the other end of the line.

“What do you think?” I asked, glancing at my flat belly. “Should I call your daddy?”

The baby wasn’t even large enough yet to move or give me a sign. I wished ~someone~ would give me a sign.

“Yeah,” I said with a sigh. “I don’t know either.”

When I made my way downstairs, I saw that my parents’ car was absent from the driveway, and Saanvi was putting on her shoes by the front door.

“Hey. What’s going on?” I said, hurrying down the last few steps. “Where are Mom and Dad? And Tim?”

“Oh, they’re meeting us.” Saanvi hurried me outside and nodded toward her indigo Malibu. “Come on. You can ride with me.”

“Meeting us where?” I asked, following her to her car.

She smirked before sinking behind the wheel. “You’ll see.”

Okay, I officially had no clue what was going on. I was almost too busy being confused to be heartbroken. Maybe that was the point.

I climbed into the passenger’s seat of Saanvi’s car, and we backed out of the driveway and headed in the direction of town.

After we reached Main Street in Burlington, Saanvi pulled up to the curb and parked directly in front of Finnigan’s pub. I glanced at the sign hanging above its door in confusion.

“What are we doing here?” I asked. “The sign says the bar is closed for a private event.”

Saanvi smirked. “Is it?”

She climbed out of the cab.

“Saanvi, what—” I swung open my door and followed close behind.

Saanvi halted at the door, spinning to face me. “So, here’s the thing… Sam is inside.”

“What?” I furrowed my brows. “With Mom and Dad? Why?”

“He wants to talk, and Evie…I think it’s worth hearing him out.”

Okay, but why all of this? Why couldn’t Sam pick up the phone and call me? Or show up at my parents’ house again? Why were we at Finnigan’s?

“Have I ever steered you wrong?” Saanvi asked softly. A sentimental look clouded her dark eyes as she stared at me, awaiting my answer.

I shook my head.

“Okay.” Saanvi smiled. “Then let’s go.”

We turned toward the entrance.

“And, Evie…” Saanvi paused with a grasp on the handle. “I’m doing this because I love you.”

The door swung open, and Saanvi allowed me through first.

Candles of various sizes scattered the bar, fireplace, and every high-top table. They also fashioned a makeshift aisle directly in front of us.

Sam stood next to one of the tables, talking quietly with my parents, his parents, and Tim. There was also a man I didn’t know, wearing a clergyman’s collar and a black suit.

Tiny white lights wrapped the rafters, and white poinsettias decorated every available space the flickering candles failed to cover. Soft violin music paired well with the warm lighting.

The whole scene captured my breath. It felt like I was inside a snow globe.

Behind me, Saanvi slipped my coat from my shoulders before escaping to join the others, leaving me standing alone to take it all in.

Sam approached, clad in a black button-down shirt, a pair of slacks, and shiny black dress shoes. He looked so handsome. My body wanted to sway toward him like a magnet. However, my brain begged for caution.

He smiled sweetly. “Hey, angel.”

“Sam, what are you doing?”

“Evie, when you walked into this bar the day we met, you took my breath away before you even ordered your first glass of wine. I thought a woman like you would never waste her time with me.

“But I knew I would beat myself up for the rest of my life if I didn’t at least try talking to you. It took me two glasses of scotch and a pep talk from the bartender to even work up the nerve.”

His recollection of the night we met and the first kiss we shared on the sofa summoned a continuous fluttering in my chest and a shake to my already weakening knees.

“You seemed so confident…” I muttered.

“I wasn’t. I was falling apart. And even now, every time I look at you, I crumble,” Sam said. “I gave you a fake name because I thought there was no way in hell you would want anything to do with me, short of a one-night stand.

“I thought there wasn’t a point in putting my true self out there. But now? Now you know more of me than anyone else in the world.”

Despite his words, I couldn’t unsee it. I couldn’t unsee him and his ex-wife.

“But you and Carla—”

“I love you, Evie… Even if you don’t care to hear another word from me, that will never change. What you saw was Carla’s last attempt to reclaim what she lost. I made it clear to her that I love you, only you, and that she wasn’t welcome in my life anymore.

“Then she left. That was it. You and this baby are all that matter to me.”

Tears pooled in the corners of my eyes as my insides sank into oblivion. I did want him back. But after everything that had happened to me in the past, it felt so hard to forgive him—to forgive myself.

“Do you love me?” Sam asked.

~I do.~

I loved him more than I’d ever thought I could love another person. Even if I didn’t forgive him, and we went our separate ways, nothing and no one would ever compare to Samuel Andrés Vázquez.

I nodded.

The warmth of Sam’s hands abruptly enveloped mine, and he sank to a knee, causing a breath to rush to the depths of my chest.

“We have both been married before,” Sam stated. “We have both already had the big wedding, the large crowd, and the ordinary ceremony… But Evie, nothing about us, our situation, or how I feel about you is ordinary.”

He released my palms and eased a black velvet box from the pocket of his slacks. He popped open the lid, and inside, a shiny diamond gleamed with every color of the rainbow. His fingertips claimed the golden ring from its slot and held it out.

“Evangeline Marie Beckett…” Sam reclaimed my left hand. “Will you do me the honor of marrying me? Right here, right now. No fancy party, no lavish banquet hall. Just you, me, and the people we care about, in the very building where we met.”

Was he crazy? Was this actually happening? Was ~I~ crazy for wanting that ring on my finger so soon after shedding my last one?

“I just…I just got divorced.”

Sam shot me a smile. “On this crazy ride we call life, not everything happens conventionally. If you wait for perfect timing, you might be waiting forever.”

Tears filled my eyes, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy about you. Crazy about this baby. And crazy about the future. As long as you’re by my side,” Sam said with a grin. “For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health. Please…marry me.”

I knew my answer would change everything between us. However, before I ended this moment, I wanted to enjoy it and allow it to sink in so I could remember. Because despite my brain and what Sam just said, the moment ~was~ perfect. ~He~ was perfect.

“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes.”

Sam grinned, shooting the golden band over my ring finger as if he could wait no longer. He rose from the floorboards, gathering me in his arms. My Louboutins lifted from the ground as he squeezed my waist and pushed his lips against mine.

At that moment, I was at peace. I was home. And to think… it had all started on a lonely night in a bar.