"I know. I just want this bad."
"Me too, babe." He kisses my forehead. "But even if we don't win, we already have our plans."
"The future," I echo, smiling.
The judging continues for what feels like an eternity but is probably only thirty minutes. Finally, the mayor returns to the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our judges have made their decisions. But first, I want to say that every entry tonight was exceptional, from our retail shops to our restaurants to our service businesses. Pelican Point should be proud of the innovation and creativity on display here."
"Get to the results!" someone shouts from the crowd.
Mayor Snyder laughs. "Alright, alright. We'll start with our beverage collaboration category. We had two outstanding entries this year, and I have to say, our beverage judges had a difficult time choosing between them."
My heart is pounding so hard I can hear it in my ears.
"The winning beverage collaboration, receiving the featured article in Coastal Living Magazine…" the mayor pauses, his grin widening. "The Coffee Blonde Ale from The Sassy Siren Brewery and Recon Roasters, Merri Gallagher and Wyatt Dalton!"
The room erupts in cheers and Wyatt lifts me off my feet, spinning me around while I laugh and cry at the same time. Danny's whooping, Tommy's ringing the bell he apparently brought from the brewery, and what sounds like half the town is chanting "Merriatt! Merriatt!"
"We did it," I cry. "We actually did it."
"We did." He sets me down and cups my face in his hands. "You did this, Merri. Your brewing, your vision, your talent. This is your win."
"Our win," I correct. "None of this would have happened without you. Without us."
He kisses me then, deep and sweet and full of promise, and the crowd cheers even louder.
Ms. Mitchell appears with a giant ribbon and trophy. "Congratulations! I knew you two would create something special the moment I saw you. The magazine will be reaching out next week to schedule the feature interview and photo shoot."
"Thank you," we say in unison.
"Can I just say," Ms. Mitchell adds, her eyes twinkling, "this worked out even better than I hoped. You two are exactly what we wanted to highlight, using innovation through collaboration. And a little romance never hurts either."
After the formal presentations, we spend another hour celebrating with the town. Everyone wants to try our winning beer, to congratulate us and take pictures. Heather and Julie corner me for a group hug—and to show off Julie’s own ribbon and trophy for best bakery—both of them crying happy tears.
Finally, as the crowd starts to thin, Danny pulls us aside. "I'm so fucking proud of you. Not just for winning, but for working out your shit."
"Thanks, Danny," I say, hugging him tight. "I'm so glad you were here for this."
"I wouldn't have missed it." He turns to Wyatt. "You break her heart, I break your face. Are we clear?"
"Crystal, brother."
"Good. Now I'm going to hit up Jumping Jacks to see a couple friends. I’ll catch up with you first thing tomorrow morning, okay? We’ll spend the weekend together. You two go celebrate properly."
He leaves with a wink, and Wyatt turns to me. "Ready to go home?"
"So ready."
We collect Admiral from Tommy, who's been dog-sitting, and head out. The Florida night is warm and perfect, stars visible despite the ambient light from town.
"Can you believe we did it?" I ask as Wyatt drives us home—to our home, I mentally correct myself.
"Yes. Because we're a great team." He glances at me. "In everything." His hand finds mine across the center console. "I love you, Merri Gallagher. And I can't wait to see what we build next."
"I love you too." I squeeze his hand. "And I have some ideas about what comes next."
"Oh, really?"
