Page 83 of Offside and Off-Limits
Not that I want to go thinking about Dwayne Campbell on a night like this. Just the mere thought of him makes my blood boil, and if Clara would let me, I would tell him exactly what I think of the guy. He’s scum. End of story.
But she told me that she won’t let me fight all her battles, and I get that.
I’d still love to give that jerk a piece of my mind.
“Come on. We’ve got this,” I say, and together we make our way across the parking lot. They’ve rolled out an actual red carpet at the entrance, which is flanked by hay bales and fancy fall flowers, giving it a small-town flair. We pose for a few photos before we head inside.
Clara shrugs off her coat, and I pass it to the coat check andtake the chance to drink her in once more. Clara is always beautiful to me, whether she’s in her sweats, lying low at home on her sofa, her hair in a messy bun, or in her slim-fitted skirts and modest blouses for work. But tonight? Tonight, she’s next level beautiful, and my heart is bursting with love for her as she slides her arm through mine, throwing me one final nervous look before we merge into the crowd.
The ballroom has been transformed into what looks like what happens when you give a decorator an unlimited budget and a serious obsession with ice. Ice Breakers team colors are on every surface, and whoever was in charge of this event clearly subscribed to the “go big or go home” school of event planning.
But you know what? It looks great, and it makes me feel proud to be a part of this team, this community, and this town I now call home.
The place is packed. I’m told Maple Falls has ten thousand residents, and I'm betting at least nine thousand of them are crammed in here tonight.
“There’s Keira and Bailey,” Clara says. “Let’s go say hi.”
We make our way through the crowd, and I shake hands with Lucian, Weston, and Carson, all dressed up like me in their penguin suits, before we reach Clara’s sister and her friend, Bailey. Like Clara, Keira is in a floor-length dress, hers green, her hair in loose curls.
“Oh, my gosh, Clara. You look so gorgeous!” Keira exclaims as she and Clara hug.
“Ilook gorgeous? Look at you! I love what you did with your hair,” Clara replies. “And Bailey, look at you! So beautiful.” She pulls her friend into a hug.
“Right back atcha,” Bailey replies.
“You all look crazy hot,” I say.
“Thanks, Cade,” Bailey says with a grin, and I take Clara’s hand in mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
With her job hanging in the balance, I need to be there for herevery step of the way, which includes giving her encouraging touches. Which, let’s be real, isn’t exactly a hardship for a man newly in love.
Bailey and Keira both flick their gaze to our joined hands.
“Do you need to tell us something?” Keira asks.
“You guys are going public now?” Bailey adds.
“We told my boss yesterday morning,” Clara explains.
“Wow. That’s a big move,” Keira replies. “How did it go?”
“Well, it was meant to be just me, but someone decided to crash the party.” She shoots me a mock serious look, and I shrug, happy with my decision to turn up to Clara and Veronica’s meeting yesterday. I wanted to be there for her, and for a straightforward guy like me, that meansliterally.
“And?” her sister leads.
“And Veronica has taken it to Paul Vaughn, the CEO. My new career as the social media manager for the Ice Breakers is hanging in the balance tonight.”
Keira’s jaw slackens. “So, you don’t know if you still have a job?” Clara gives a small shake of her head, and Keira rubs her arm. “Oh, babe. I’m so sorry. You’re in total limbo right now. That’s terrible.”
Terribleis right. But I have a plan, and I’m going to put it into action tonight.
Afterall, Clara’s happiness matters so much to me, and after what she’s been through with “he who shall not be named”—yup, I just Voldemort-ed Dwayne Campbell, although seriously, the guy makes Voldemort look like Prince Charming—Clara needs whatever I can give her.
And I want to give Clara the world.
“Sometimes you’ve got to hold tight to the things that matter, and deal with the consequences,” Bailey says, and Clara nods.
“That’s what we’re doing,” I reply, smiling down at this beautiful woman I get to call mine. She smiles back up at me, and it makes my heart squeeze in my chest.
