Temporarily Yours(55)

She finally reached the floor directly in front of the stage. He tried to ignore everyone else. It was just the two of them—and he was not up on the stage. It was an old military trick of his. He needed to act as if nothing else existed but his target—and this time, his target wasn’t the enemy. It was Kayla.

He took another deep breath. “I wanted to sit with you. I saw how nervous you were and knew you would be alone on the plane, with no one to help you forget about your fears. But it was more than that. I wanted an excuse to keep talking to you. I couldn’t figure you out, and if I sat next to you on the trip…I would have hours to get to know more about you before we landed. I needed to know more.”

She bit down on her lip and he couldn’t tell what she was thinking. So he soldiered on.

“After I met you, I couldn’t believe you were still single and sitting next to me. The first time I kissed you, I think I knew then that you were the one for me.” He broke off and scanned the crowd, acutely aware of his captivated audience. After clearing his throat, he continued. “They say when you meet the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with, you know it. There’s no questioning or second-guessing. You just know, like a punch to the face. That’s how I felt about you. No, how I feel about you.”

“Cooper…”

He held his free hand up. “When I met you, I told you I had to get this job overseas because I needed to make up for past mistakes. But you helped me realize that’s not true. That this…this single minded determination I have to commit my life to righting an unfortunate accident isn’t the best thing for me. You saw things in me that I didn’t even see in myself. And that’s something I love about us. We make each other stronger. Braver.”

She smiled and blinked back tears.

“I know I don’t need to be needed anymore. It’s not a requirement for happiness. I don’t need you to need me, but God I need you.” He held his free hand over his heart. “I need you here. And I have you to thank for the new perspective I have on life.” He looked out over the crowd. “All of you, actually. Thank you.”

He focused again on her and only her again. She covered her mouth with her hand, as if struggling to maintain composure, and hugged herself with her other arm. It was time to finish this speech up so he could hold her. “When I left after our fight last night, instead of feeling ready to move on, I felt empty. By the time I got to the hotel, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. I knew what I had to do, and I started making phone calls. I started changing my life.” He glanced at Mr. Holt, who was standing close to Kayla. “I’m not going overseas, Kayla. I’m staying in Maine, at my dad’s company. And with you, I hope.”

He saw her turn to Frankie, who nodded at her, an encouraging smile on his face. Turning back to Cooper, she took a step forward. Then another. Then another. “Cooper…”

He straightened his shoulders and waited to see if she’d accept him, flaws and all. “If you’ll have me, there’s a one hundred percent chance I’ll be forever yours.”

She grinned and put her hands on her hips. “So now you’re into percentages, too?”

He grinned. “God yes. Those, and everything else that matters to you.”

“Then there’s a one hundred percent guarantee that I’ll be forever yours, too.”

“I thought nothing was one hundred percent in real life.”

She held her arms out to her sides. “I was wrong.”

“Thank God.” He dropped the mic and leapt off the edge of the stage, his feet hitting the dance floor directly in front of Kayla. Picking her up in his arms, he spun her in a circle and then pressed his lips to hers. The crowd clapped and cheered.

He pulled back to grin down at her, wanting more than a chaste kiss, but it would have to wait until they had more privacy. Instead, he dropped his forehead to hers and hugged her tighter. “Can we get out of here before I puke all over the place? The aftermath of getting on stage is a bitch.”

“Hell, yes.” Grabbing him by the hand, she tugged him across the crowded room. They stopped in front of Susan and Max, who were both grinning from ear to ear. “Thanks for the use of the stage,” Cooper said.

Susan hugged them both, laughing. “You’re welcome. Now get.”

Kayla winked. “Whatever the bride wants.”

The second they cleared the restaurant and entered the lobby, Cooper stopped walking. He needed her now. “I want to stay here tonight. I’ll go get a room.”

“No need.” She pointed over her shoulder. “I’ve got one already. I was planning on drowning my heartbreak with vodka cranberries and knew I wouldn’t be driving since I don’t have a car to drive. It’s right down that hallway.”