Jacob lifted his beer bottle in the air. “For which I am forever grateful.” He leaned over and kissed Monica.
“Get a room,” Lance said.
We all laughed and Mimi held up her hand to continue. “Anyway, we decided now was a perfect time to strike regarding Alexa and Chase.”
I frowned. “I don’t understand. I didn’t even know you all then.”
“But you already knew Lance and me,” Judge said. “One night over cards, Sheriff mentions he sure wished his grandson would find a good woman. A woman who would keep him on his toes.”
“Pops?” Chase said. “What’s going on?”
Sheriff Cryer stood. “It’s like this…I decided you needed a good woman in your life like I have in mine.” He dropped his hand to Marla’s shoulder as she sat in her chair next to him.
“Thanks dear,” she beamed.
Sheriff Cryer turned to me. “When Lance told me about you that night, Alexa, I decided you’d be perfect for my grandson. You have a big heart and stand for what’s right. You two might not always be on the same side of the law…” Everyone laughed at that. “But I had no doubt you two would be on the same page when it came to a relationship. You are just the kind of girl my Chase needs, Alexa. You are loyal, kind, tenacious, and supportive. The kind of woman who will build him up. And he’s going to be good for you. He’ll stand by you and your causes, accept you for who you are, and support you in all you do.”
I felt tears falling and was about to wipe them away when Chase leaned over with his napkin and wiped them for me. I gave him a watery smile and thanked him.
“So I knew I had to get Alex down here to Trinity Falls,” Lance said.
“Soyou’rethe underground environmental connection who sent Alexa the information regarding the shrimp?” Chase asked.
Lance grinned. “Guilty. I knew if she came down, it would only be a matter of time before she was arrested.”
“Hey!” I exclaimed.
“We decided tricking you both would be the best route to go,” Mimi said. “Lance helped fake the house arrest mix up. Alexa getting hurt and having to move in with you, Chase, was just icing on the cake.”
I laughed. “I can’t believe you guys did this.”
Ingrid snorted. “It’s what we do.”
Lance shook his head. “It’s what you do for everyone else. You better not even try to set me up. I’ll know immediately and run the other way!”
“Pshaw!” Judge said. “Like I want to saddle some poor girl with you. Don’t you worry, I have no intention of doing that.”
Chase turned to Lance. “So you knew all along about Alexa and how Pops, Judge, and Mimi wanted to set me up?”
“I did,” Lance said. “I even helped.”
“A part of me wants to be mad,” Chase said, “and another part wants to know why you didn’t introduce me to Alexa years ago.”
My heart somersaulted in my chest. “Thank you, Chase.”
He reached over and linked his fingers through mine.
“So now you know,” Mimi said. “But there’s more.”
“More?” Chase asked. “What do you mean?”
Frank Carson stood up and smiled down at his wife. “Now it’s our turn. We want to set our grandson, Daniel, up with someone who is relatively new in town.”
I gasped. “That author lady? The one you all went to see the other day at the library?”
“That’s her,” Gilda said.
“Since Daniel is one of my best friends,” Jacob said, “and the whole reason I ended up in Trinity Falls after I got out of the military, I’m going to get the ball rolling on this end.”
