He nodded and mouthed, "Thank you."
Turning to Juniper, he said, "I hear you're staying in Calusa Cove. If you want a job in my department, I can always make room for a former agent. It's finding the money in the budget that's a problem."
Juniper laughed. "I believe my law enforcement days are over. I'd rather serve booze, feed the town, and listen to gossip."
"The town's lucky to have you." Dawson cracked open his beverage. "I better go before someone decides to run a red light, when I'm not there to see it. I need to fill my quota for the month."
"That's just rude." Sterling lifted his beer. "Have a safe night."
Dawson strolled out of the pavilion, toward the parking lot as the music shifted to some upbeat disco song. A wave of people flooded the floor, as Trent and Dove exited it with Buddy and Fallon. The foursome practically charged the bar.
Sterling stood taller, wrapped his arm around Juniper, and slid in tight. "We're about to be attacked."
"Now you're being dramatic," Juniper said. She reached around behind her, snagged her drink, and raised it. "Cheers everyone. What a wonderful party. I'm having so much fun. Time of my life."
"So, he actually did it?" Dove grabbed her left hand, and her drink sloshed over the rim and half of it landed on Juniper's lap.
"Did what?" Juniper asked as she jerked her hand back. "Ugh. I need a napkin. Or eight."
Sterling took the towel the bartender shoved at him—ignoring the man’s smirk—and blotted Juniper's dress. "I don't think it will stain. The liquid's close to the color of the fabric."
Dove glared at him. "Why didn't you do it?"
"Yeah. I want to know the answer to that, too," Fallon said.
"What are you talking about?" Juniper asked.
Sterling continued to wipe the towel across Juniper's dress. He often struggled with forming words at moments like this. "I need to speak with my mother." He loved Juniper. He told her that every day. And she loved him. There was no question about that. And even before the news Dawson had just shared, Sterling hadn’t been the least bit concerned about where Juniper saw her future.
They might not be discussing marriage. However, they were communicating about how they both wanted to stay right where they were. But the one thing they both understood, more than most, was that nothing in life was ever guaranteed. There was no pressure to do anything but live in the moment. And that's exactly what they'd been doing.
"Excuse me?" Juniper took the towel from his hands. "Why, and what does she have to do with why three people have asked me if you've done something yet?"
"Oh, this is gonna be classic Sterling." Trent waved to the bartender. "We need a round of shots for the gentlemen. And make it a double for my man Sterling, here. He's gonna need it."
"Did my mother tell everyone I was planning on doing something tonight?" Sterling pinched the bridge of his nose.
The bartender lined up three shots and shrugged. "She might have taken out an announcement in the paper for tomorrow morning."
"For the record," Fallon said. "Your mom, who is lovely by the way, told us that you’d requested something and planned on doing it before the ceremony."
"She asked us if we had a problem with it, and we, of course, said absolutely not," Trent said.
"I'm so lost, but not as lost as I wish I were." Juniper snagged a shot and downed it. She gasped. "Jesus, that's some good tequila."
"Mind giving us a moment?" Sterling asked.
Buddy, Fallon, Dove, and Trent, grabbed their drinks, and quietly walked toward an empty table, leaning toward each other and whispering.
Sterling stole a glance at his parents. His mom looked away, but she still smiled and didn't look remotely sorry. He chuckled. He couldn't help it. His mother had always known him better than anyone. Could read his innermost thoughts and desires even before he could.
It didn't make what she'd done right. And he was still going to let her know that she couldn't do it again. Not that she'd ever have the chance. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for Sterling, but his mom hadn't gotten it wrong.
"Do you want to hear something funny?" he asked.
"Only if it has to do with what I'm missing."
"It does." He stuffed his hand in his pocket and stepped in front of her, because no way was he doing this while staring at his folks. "If you haven't noticed, my dad's kind of a quiet guy, and my mom's the polar opposite."
