I LOVE LUCY (The Bachelor Pact) (8 page)

Lucy’s stalker dragged her outside by the pool. Reid pushed his way through the crowd. Lance yelled at Sophie and Maddie to stay put while he and Chase separated, running in different directions to cover the other doors.

“Stop,” Reid yelled.

The lampshade jangled ornaments as the man jerked Lucy’s arm.

But he saw the fight flare in Lucy’s eyes. She jabbed her elbow into her stalker’s side. He bellowed in pain and shock, and dropped the gun. Reid stormed him, then the two of them fought and fell into the pool.

They went under, the man’s headdress floating away as Reid punched him in the face. The man fought back, but Reid was stronger and subdued him in seconds. When he dragged him to the surface, the man sputtered water.

“Let me go, I love Lucy!”

“You’re going to jail,” Reid shouted. “Lucy’s going to marry me!”
Reid had plenty of back-up. Chase and Lance, Sophie and Maddie, Deseree, and all the residents formed a circle around the pool, shaking their fingers and fists at Lucy’s stalker.

A siren wailed, tires screeched outside, then two officers raced in along with Marshall Bannister.

“He’s in the pool,” a white-haired man shouted.

Reid hauled Emmet to the pool steps and shoved him over the edge. When he looked up, Lucy was waiting. So was the Marshal who’d interrogated him at the police station.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Lucy said.

He climbed from the pool and reached for her, but she slugged him, sending him flying back into the water.

“Oh, my goodness,” DeEtte tittered.

“Hon, I think we’d better have that talk about how to get a man again,” Mae said.

“Maybe they do it different now,” Ellen commented.

“Let me know if you two need a house,” Sue shouted.

Reid flung water from him as he pulled himself out of the pool. “What the hell?”

“You could have gotten yourself killed,” Lucy shouted.

But tears streamed down her face, and she was trembling.

Reid’s heart melted. “I had to do something,” Reid said with a smile. “I couldn’t let that guy in the lampshade steal my girl.”

He dragged her into his arms and closed his mouth over hers. Lucy fell into him, and kissed him back, the fear that had driven him here turning to passion.

When he finally ended the kiss, applause and cheers erupted around them.
“Well, maybe we should take man-hunting lessons from Lucy,” Ellen said.

“She has a great right hook,” Willene muttered.

Heat climbed Reid’s cheeks when he realized that everyone was watching.

Lance was talking to the police officers on the side, obviously explaining what had happened.

Then Lucy pressed a hand to his cheek. “What was it you said about me?”

Reid narrowed his eyes. “I…hmmm…”

Lucy slapped at him. “You remember, something about me being the girl you were going to
marry
?”

“Get down on one knee,” Ellen whispered.
“Tell her you love her,” DeEtte yelled.

“Do you have a ring?” Nelda asked.

“Promise her forever,” Willene said.

“And trips, lots of cruises,” Sue added.

Reid threw his head back and laughed. “I love you, Lucy. But this is not the way I planned this.”

“You planned it?” Lucy whispered.

He shrugged. “Yes. But … here goes.” He dropped to one knee and took her hand in his, then removed the diamond he’d bought the day before. “Will you marry me, Lucy?”

She knelt in front of him, then looped her arms around his wet neck and nodded. “I love you, too, Reid. And yes, I’ll marry you.”

She kissed him so hard they fell backward into the pool. But neither of them minded.

Lucy laughed as she and Reid climbed from the pool. Someone started a chorus of
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas
, and Sophie raced toward her and dragged her into a hug. Lance and Chase and Maddie followed, then Deseree.

“What’s going on?” some of the Silver Sneakers finally asked. “We thought your name was Taylor.”

Wallace motioned from the back that he had Emmet in custody. Then Lucy explained about her stalker.

“I’m sorry I put you all in danger,” she said. “I didn’t think Emmet would find me here.”

Moon and Mae and all the people she’d come to love assured her it wasn’t a problem.

“It’s time to reveal your Secret Santas,” Lucy said. “But first, I have to ask. Who was mine?”

Mae slipped up beside her. “We all chipped in to buy you a gift because you’ve done so much for us.”

Tears sprang to Lucy’s eyes. “I didn’t do anything compared to what you’ve done for me. I feel like I have a new family here.”

“You do, dear,” Mae said.

Lucy hugged each one of them in turn, then encouraged them to reveal their Secret Santas and have refreshments, at least what they could salvage. The blueberry cobbler and punch were goners.

Lance and Sophie, Chase and Maddie and Deseree followed her and Reid back out by the pool with their drinks.

“I can’t believe you all came,” Lucy said.

“You should have told us the truth from the beginning,” Sophie said.

“Yes,” Maddie added. “We’re your family, and family sticks together.”

Reid threw his arm around her. “Damn right. From now on, you need anything, you come to me.”

Lucy grinned, a wicked thought occurring to her. “As a matter of fact, I need to show you the Secret Santa gifts my new friends here gave me.”

“Go get them,” Reid said.

Lucy grabbed his hand. “No, this is something I have to show you in private.”

She dragged him back to her room, removed her wet clothes, slipped into the slinky dress and stilettos the Sunset Vista residents had given her.

Only she didn’t have them on for long.

Reid stripped them and made love to her just as midnight rang in signaling Christmas. Lucy curled into his arms and smiled as the red and green lights twinkled on the boats sailing across the waterway.

Tomorrow…well today, she would spend Christmas with all her family and the people she loved.

But most importantly – she would spend it with the man she was going to marry.

Other Books by Rita Herron

I LOVE LUCY is the sequel to
Sleepless in Savannah
.

If you liked I LOVE LUCY, please post an honest review.

MARRY ME, MADDIE

SLEEPLESS IN SAVANNAH

HERE COMES THE BRIDE on Amazon

Multi-published, award-winning author Rita Herron fell in love with books at the ripe age of eight when she read her first Trixie Belden mystery. She has sold over sixty novels, worked for several major publishers, and loves writing romantic comedies as well as spinning dark romantic suspense tales filled with murder and mayhem.

For more on Rita and her titles, visit her at
www.ritaherron.com
. You can also follow her on
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and twitter
@ritaherron