Camille froze. “Did you...did you say something?” Around her, Ty, Nikki and the entire ranch stopped the chatting that was going on and looked over.
Evie’s bottom lip pushed out. Her eyes colored with flecks of gold, and she drew in a breath. “I...want...to stay...here.”
Camille started trembling. Ty was at her side in an instant. Was she really hearing this? She looked at him for confirmation and found it in his eyes.
It was Camille’s turn now. “You want to stay here in Nebraska?” Evie nodded. “With me and Aunt Nikki?”
Evie drew in another breath. Her lips parted. “And... Ty.” Evie looked at him, and Camille’s heart quickened. There were tears in his eyes. Love was drawn in every line of his face, for her and Evie both.
She kissed the top of Evie’s head. “Of course we can stay. This is our home. We belong here.” For the first time in two years, she wasn’t scared. God had just given her everything she’d ever asked for. Now it was up to her what she did with it.
Chapter Sixteen
Camille stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a light blue dress Nikki had surprised her with, and her hair was down around her shoulders in soft waves. She would have looked great if she weren’t so pale. Her heart was running sprints inside her chest, and she didn’t think it was gonna slow down anytime soon. Not until she got this over with.
The wedding ring she’d worn on her finger for the last six years shone brightly back at her, winking. Camille touched it gently, afraid it knew what she was about to do and might bite if she tried to follow through with it. She’d just have to let it bite.
Slowly she began twisting it around her finger. And then she began twisting it up her finger. She stopped before it came off, already feeling the empty space where it used to sit and cringing. Then she drew in a deep breath and pulled it off.
The ring burned in her palm as she squeezed her fingers over it. “I’ll always love you, Wesley, but I’ve got to let you go now.” Tears ruined her mascara. She looked around for a safe place to store her ring and thought of George’s purple heart still in the nightstand.
She opened the drawer, kissing the ring before setting it in the case. George’s Bible lay beside it, unopened. The binding was worn and inside the pages were probably creased, but that was only because George had used it so often. Those creases were his love for God.
Camille took the Bible out and opened it. An envelope fell to the floor from between its pages. She bent over to pick it up, and her already light head got that much lighter. Printed in George’s squiggly handwriting was her name.
For just one second she hesitated, then she ripped it open. Inside was a single page folded over. Camille unfolded it and laughed at George’s first words.
Camille,
I love you like a daughter, but you’re the most stubborn person I know. Then again, it takes a hardhead to know a hardhead.
I don’t want you to sell the house right away. It’s for your own good. You’ve been running from things for too long, only I was too chicken to tell you so when I was alive. Now that I’m gone, you’ve got no choice but to hear me out.
Ty’s a good man. I think you’ll like him, and I respect what he does. I care about him almost as much as I do you, so I’m leaving him the land. At the very least, he’ll slow you down if you try to sell. At the very most, you two might be friends. I think you could use a few of those.
Don’t be mad at me. I’ll tell God and Wesley hi for you when I see them. Now go be happy.
Love always,
George
It was dated just before he’d left to go to the hospital, where he’d finished out his final days. Camille drew in a breath and wiped her eyes. She put the letter back in George’s Bible and left it sitting on top of the nightstand instead of locked inside it.
It took fifteen minutes to fix her makeup, and when she got to Ty’s, she was running ten minutes behind. It was a good thing Nikki had taken Evie over early. She’d claimed it was for Evie’s benefit—more time to pet the horses. But Camille suspected it had something to do with cute kids being more likely to get autographs from movie stars. And Phoebe wasn’t the only celebrity here. Of the hundreds of guests, half were faces she recognized.
A bazillion photographers and reporters inundated Sky High, snapping pictures of everything and everyone. When they asked who the event designer was, one of the bridesmaids pointed out Camille. They took her picture and asked for the correct spelling of her name. Camille tried to keep her cool, but it was difficult with flashes going off in her face.
A strong hand took hold of her arm. “Excuse me,” said Ty, “Ms. Bellamy is badly needed in the barn. It’s a decorating emergency.”
The photographers gave her a path of escape, and Camille took it. “What’s the emergency?”
“You looked like a deer in headlights. I wanted to make sure you got out of the way before you were struck down.”
“Thanks.” She smiled as Nikki and Evie walked over.
“Phoebe wants to see you,” said Nikki.
Evie tugged on Nikki’s sleeve and held up a sheet of paper. “Don’t forget this.” Talking was still new for Evie, but one or two words a day was more than Camille had gotten in the last two years. She’d happily take it.
Nikki’s cheeks flushed as she took the paper. Phoebe Saylor’s autograph was sprawled across it. “Thanks.” She slipped it in her pocket. Camille told Ty she’d meet up with him later and went to check in with Phoebe.
“I just wanted to thank you for everything. I don’t know how you pulled off so much so fast, but it’s perfect.” She was wearing a knee-length wedding gown like something out of a 1950s magazine. Beautiful, fun and it wouldn’t get all muddy. The ground was still damp in places.
The ceremony went off without a hitch, even when Pepper decided it would be fun to walk backward with the groom when he was trying to put the ring on Phoebe’s finger. Everyone laughed, including Phoebe, and when Pepper brought him back over to finish up, they all applauded.
They’d gone with a live band, and it turned out the hangar could pretty much double as a concert hall. The acoustics were great. Ty asked Camille to dance, and she took his hand as they made their way onto the makeshift dance floor.
He spun her around and pulled her back to him, and when her hand touched his arm, his lopsided grin faded away. Ty stared at the empty space where her ring used to be, then shifted his eyes slowly to hers. A question lurked behind them.
Camille shrugged. “It was time.”
She knew most of Ty’s looks, so his kiss came as no surprise. Warmth swallowed her up and her heart started keeping rhythm with the drums. It only lasted a few beats, but when they parted, it was long enough to fill some of the voids that had been empty inside her for far too long.
“I love you, Ty.” It wasn’t easy to say, but it wasn’t as hard as she’d thought it would be either.
Ty grinned. “Told ya so.” He spun her out fast, and a woman’s laugh rose up around her. It was breezy and light, the kind of laugh she used to envy. And it was coming from her. From now on she hoped there’d be lots of laughs.
* * *
Ty had his head buried under the hood of the Piper, triple-checking it. Something hard poked his back and he jumped. His head smacked the hood and he spun around with a rag in his hands.
Dillon was standing there laughing, the crutch he’d just assailed Ty with innocently at his side. It matched the look on Dill’s face. “I thought you were done. Stop being so nervous. Things’ll go fine up there.”
That was easy for him to say. “If you keep poking me with those things, I’m gonna take them from you.”
“Go ahead. The doctor said I can give them up next week.”
“Next week?” Ty tilted his head to the side and gave him the look. Arms folded, legs hip-width apart, eyebrows lifted just
a tiny bit.
But Dillon defended himself. “I’m not joking. I’ve been good for five weeks. No dancing and no climbing trees. It’s time for these things to go.”
Evie’s voice called out from the hangar doors. “Ty, I rode Milkshake.”
Her declaration sounded just as fishy as Dillon’s. “You rode Milkshake? Since when do people ride cows?”
Emmitt came up behind her and shrugged. “She wanted to try. Milkshake’s big enough.”
What could Ty say to that? Emmitt loved Evie almost as much as he did. Only Ty was starting to think they were both spoiling her. He supposed a little bit of spoiling was okay.
“Is Mom here yet?”
“Not yet.”
Evie craned her neck for a better look at the Piper’s engine. Ty lifted her up so she could see. “When do I get to learn engine stuff?”
He heard a muffled chuckle and turned his head. Dillon was trying not to laugh. Ty guessed hearing a six-year-old ask that question was probably pretty funny. “How about we start on engine stuff after your birthday?”
“Like a birthday present?” She started squirming and Ty set her down before he dropped her.
Most kids wanted toys for their birthday. Evie wanted to learn how a plane’s engine worked. “Sure. But it’s only part of your present.”
Her eyes lit up. “What’s the rest?”
Now that she’d started talking again, she had a question for everything. “You’ll have to wait till next week to find out.” He wanted to make sure Camille didn’t change her mind about letting Evie take riding lessons.
A horn honked, and Camille waved to them from behind Buffy’s window. At least the smoke coming out of her engine wasn’t black today. Camille stepped out in jeans and a T-shirt. Ty started over. “There you are. Thought you’d be here sooner. Scared?”
She scoffed. “I sneaked out of my meeting five minutes early just so I could change out of my pencil skirt.”
“Only five minutes?”
“Be thankful I managed that. The entire Raymond family was there today. A million pictures of wedding decorations and they’re still not sure what they want.”
“I thought they already picked everything.”
“That was before.”
“Before what?”
“Before Mrs. Raymond decided her daughter needed a proper runway to walk down and not one meant for small aircraft.” She put her arms around him. “Don’t worry, I got them to compromise. One month from now, your runway’s going to be covered in lavender, rose petals and hay.”
He grinned. “I’d expect nothing less from Nebraska’s number one wedding planner.”
“Rising wedding planner. None of the magazines have called me number one.”
“Yet.”
She gave Ty a kiss that might’ve lasted longer if Evie hadn’t plowed into them, trying to wrap her arms around both of them at the same time.
Dillon put on a mock pouty face. “No hug and kiss for me?” Camille went over and slapped him playfully on the back of the head, then gave him a quick hug.
Emmitt was politely waiting for a chance to talk. “Evie asked if I could take her over to the nature center today.”
There was the tiniest downturn of Camille’s lips. “More bugs?”
Evie’s eyes got big. “Just spiders. They’ve got a tarantula the size of a football.”
To Camille’s credit, she managed not to cringe. “You’ll be with her the whole time?”
Emmitt nodded. “Avery too. She’s around here somewhere with Nikki.”
Camille gave the okay to take Evie out on the condition they had fun and left the bugs behind. Emmitt and Evie both assured her that would be no problem. They didn’t leave right away though.
“Are you waiting to see me make a fool of myself?” Camille asked Evie, who flashed her a smile and a thumbs-up.
Camille started for the Piper, and Ty’s heart started beating fast. Evie gave him a hug and whispered in his ear. “Don’t be scared.” It was the second time today someone had told him that. It didn’t help.
Before Camille could get in, a cream-colored blur whizzed past her feet and started yipping circles around her. Camille kneeled down to pet Co-Coe, rubbing the dark brown tips of her ears just like she liked.
Avery and Nikki showed up five yips behind her. “I hear today’s the big day,” Avery said. Ty shot her a worried look. She’d promised not to say anything. “First time you get to handle takeoff, huh?” He relaxed.
“That’s right.” Camille bit her bottom lip and looked at him. The tiniest flicker of doubt crossed her face. “Are you sure I’m ready for this?”
He was. “I have faith in you. And I’ll be right there if anything happens.”
She sucked in a breath, and Nikki started snapping pictures with her phone. The Piper’s seats were front to back, not side to side. Ty got in the back and Camille climbed into the front. They got their headgear on and did a mic check.
“Ready?” he asked.
One big breath in and out. “Let’s do this.”
Ty looked out the window. Evie winked at him. “Whenever you’re ready. Remember, I’ve got the same controllers you do, you’re just the one in the pilot’s seat today.”
The key turned and the engine started. They moved down the runway. Ty peeked over her shoulder and double-checked their speed. “You’re doing fine.” She nodded and pulled back. The nose tipped but not quite enough, and they jumped a little to their left. Ty pulled back and evened things out.
“We’re still good,” he said. She was gonna have to pull back faster though or they were gonna lose the runway. He’d give her ten more seconds, then...
She did it.
Air swooped in under them as they left the ground. Camille let out a whoop and lifted her hands in victory. Ty grabbed the center stick and made sure they didn’t nosedive while she did her victory cheer. When she took her control stick back, Ty let go of his.
“How high do you want to go?” she asked.
“You’re the pilot. Your call.”
They climbed to fifteen-hundred feet before she leveled things off. “You okay?” he asked.
“Amazing.” She did a half turn and showed him her smile to prove she meant it. Ty didn’t need convincing; he could hear it in her voice.
Are you ready yet?
He told his inner voice to hold its horses and took a deep breath. “Do me a favor. Reach into that pouch hanging off your seat and pull out what’s in there.”
Camille dug her hand into the pouch and came out with a pen. She handed it to him. Ty groaned. “Not that. The square box.” She dug back in and pulled out a navy blue velvet box. Her hand froze.
“Ty, what’s this?” Her voice got quiet.
He leaned forward a little. “Do me another favor would you and open it up?”
With shaky fingers, Camille opened the lid on the box. A diamond engagement ring sat in the center. Nikki had given him very specific instructions on the right kind of ring to buy. The dos and don’ts of ring shopping.
In the end he’d ignored everything she’d said and gotten this vintage 1940s ring he’d found in an antiques shop. The woman who ran it had talked about clarity and old European settings and the white gold band. She’d pointed out imperfections and tried to upsell him with another ring, but Ty had known this ring belonged to Camille even with all its imperfections. It had been through a lot and come out all the more beautiful for it. It was meant for the spitfire in the pilot’s seat.
“Oh, my.” She turned to face him, and Ty took hold of the control stick again. He figured he’d better keep one hand on it for the next few minutes.
“Camille, I know it’s fast, but when you find the thing you’ve been waiting your whole life for, it can’t be fast enough. I love you, and I love Evie. And I know I ought to be do
wn on one knee right now, but I was kinda hoping fifteen-hundred feet in the air was close enough.” He took in a breath. “Will you marry me?”
For one minute, she didn’t say anything. Didn’t even blink. Then her eyes flooded and her head bobbed up and down. “Yes. Oh, yes.” She craned her neck forward as far as she could and reached out one hand, trying to grab ahold of him. Ty grinned and gave her the kiss she wanted.
The plane tipped sideways, and they both pulled back. Ty leveled things off. “Mind if I do one quick thing before I give the power back to you?”
Suspicion crossed her eyes. “Okay...”
“Don’t get scared. Remember, I was a Blue Angel.”
“What does that mean?”
He double-checked his airspace. “Just trust me.”
“With what?” He pulled back on the center stick. “Ty?”
The Piper spiraled upward, and Camille let out a scream. But it was an excited scream. If it had been anything else, he would’ve stopped. “It’s a mini version of the vertical roll.” One of Ty’s old favorites. The Angels used to climb to fifteen-thousand feet. Ty topped them off at four thousand today.
It lasted two minutes, then he brought them back down to an even one-thousand feet. Camille was breathing hard, but she was smiling. “Are you gonna teach me to do that one day?”
He laughed. “When you’re ready.” Below them, Evie, Dillon, Nikki and the others all waved.
Camille looked at him. “Did they know you were proposing?”
“Evie got it out of me. That spiral was a little signal she and I worked out. It means you said yes.”
She giggled and he gave her back control of the plane. “Where do you want to go?” she asked.
Ty leaned back in his seat. “From here? Anywhere we want.”
Epilogue
Camille stepped up the ladder and peeked over Ty’s shoulder at the engine. “The new Cessna’s looking good.”
He turned too fast and bopped his head on the hood. “One person on the ladder at a time.” He shook his head and made tsking noises, but he didn’t fool her for a second. His lopsided grin was in full swing today.
Finding Her Courage Page 18