Climbing into the chopper, she was pleasantly surprised to hear that they were expecting a quick flight with clear skies. Taking a seat, she put on the noise-cancelling headphones that had a microphone built in for communication in the air, and sat back to relax, closing her eyes, and going over facts once again from her notebook she’d scribbled in.
“Miss Jenkins?”
The pilot’s voice crackled in the headset and she quickly looked at him, still trying to get used to the idea of riding in a chopper so much. The contraptions made her nervous and always had.
“I just got a call in and there is a problem off the coast. Do you mind if we swing by to pick up someone? It would add a few minutes to our flight.”
“What rig? What’s going on?”
“Your old rig… someone needs medical attention.”
“Are you kidding? By all means go – they won’t start the event without me anyhow. Who’s hurt? Is it serious?”
“Tito said it’s a new guy whining about chest pains.”
“I hope he’s okay,” Claudia admitted, not relishing the idea of performing CPR if someone had a heart attack. She stared out the window of the chopper, seeing the coastline coming into view. As the land disappeared, the vast cerulean blues of the ocean began to deepen, reminding her of afternoons staring off into the horizon and watching the waves when she worked on her rig.
A heavy sigh escaped her.
This would be bittersweet and she would need to be very careful not to undermine Tito. This was his rig now, not hers. She would say hello and then head back out, giving him his space, his territory. Her heart flipped over in her chest as the large metal behemoth appeared on the horizon.
As they drew closer, her breath caught in her chest.
A lone man stood in the middle of the massive platform.
Tobin…
Her heart literally sighed in her chest as her toes curled with unexpected pleasure and surprise. He was standing there in his dress uniform, his hands clasped behind his back, his feet apart, against the buffeting winds from the helicopter.
What was going on?
As the helicopter touched down, she realized he was cutting the engines on the conveyance.
“I thought you needed to evac someone?”
He leaned forward to reach for something, opening a box on the floorboard. Stunned, she saw him pull out a bouquet of roses that he quickly handed back to her.
“Your papa said I was to give this to you so you were ready.”
Claudia felt her eyes burn with tears as she accepted the bouquet. Her hands were trembling so much, and her vision blurred with tears. Deep in her heart, she knew exactly what was going on! Looking out the window of the chopper, she saw her mother and father step forward towards Tobin, hugging him.
She burst into tears.
Was this even real?
Tito yanked open the door of the helicopter and grinned at her.
“Miss Claudia, you aren’t supposed to cry on your wedding day!”
“I didn’t know I was getting married!” she said thickly, pushing her nose up indelicately. “My parents are here too? Was everyone in on this?”
“You can ask your groom,” Tito said, holding out a hand. Claudia hurriedly kicked off her slippers and put on her high heels quickly. She was not getting married in slippers! She could see getting married in the suit she was wearing because it was white with blue trim – but her pink bunny slippers?
NEVER.
Her mother was dabbing at her eyes and standing there in a deep blue suit with a rose corsage that matched the bouquet she now held and the Men’s boutonnières. Her team was filing out slowly from the buildings in their daily work attire, but each man had a white rose boutonnière pinned to his t-shirt or overall strap like this was an everyday occurrence.
“Tobin,” Claudia whispered, stunned, walking up to him. “When did you plan all of this?”
“When I realized that I was done living my life without you – and without you, it wasn’t worth living,” he said tenderly, wiping a tear off of her cheek. “Now, I know things are a little out of place right now, but I wanted to do this in the place you first captured my heart.”
“Here?”
“Here.”
“I love you, Claudia Jenkins,” he whispered, getting down on one knee before her. “Will you marry me today, in front of your friends and family, and become a part of mine?”
“Yes,” she breathed, nodding emphatically as he rose to his feet.
Tito let out a huge whistle.
The men all around them started humming the wedding march loudly and slightly off-key as a minister appeared from behind the group. Claudia laughed in sheer delight as Tobin took her hand and began to hum happily along with the men, walking her towards the man that would marry them. The entire crowd seemed to flow with them towards the man of the cloth.
Her mother appeared beside Tobin, as her father took his place at her side.
“I love you both for this.”
“There is no other way that we would want our babygirl to get married than to someone who loves her, supports her, and knows how special you are. Your man showed all those qualities that first day I talked to him.”
“You showed him great-grandpa’s shotgun?”
“Sure did,” her father said with a wink.
“Scared me to death, too,” Tobin chimed in with a wide smile.
“Are we ready to start?” the minister asked politely.
“I’ve been ready forever,” Claudia said tenderly, looking up at the man who’d captured her heart. She listened vaguely as he talked about respect and love, friendship and trust – knowing she had all of that in Tobin. Brief flashes rolled before her eyes as she stared lovingly into his dark gaze. The surprised look on his face when she’d yanked his mask off and kissed him, the way he smiled as he’d crossed the room at the dance, how his breath caught just before he’d kissed her in the moonlight, and how he stood on the platform waiting for her.
He was her rock, her solace, her strength.
Tobin was everything.
He just knew her – and she couldn’t be more humbled and blessed to be given this moment to share a life with him. Her eyes began to water again as she listened to him repeat his vows, his voice thick with emotion, as he blinked back tears. Tobin Randall was just a beautiful soul with a wondrous heart.
Her heart.
Claudia repeated her vows obediently and felt the simple band slide onto her finger. Glancing down, she saw it was a simple wide band with scrollwork set in the center. He’d had their initials engraved on matching rings. She didn’t care that there wasn’t a diamond, because this was special and only theirs. Anyone could get a solitaire or one of those clustered glittery messes that everyone seemed to wear nowadays.
This ring was sedate, classy, sentimental, and special – just like him.
“I love it,” she whispered, smiling.
“And I love you,” he pledged, pulling her into his arms as the minister announced that they were man and wife. She felt his lips touch hers and there was a sense of rightness in marrying him here. This was where it all began and the perfect symbolism to celebrate their new life together… as one.
Epilogue
A year later…
“Tobin, are you on?”
“Yeah, I’m here,” he glanced at Claudia where she rested on the couch beside him, her feet propped in his lap. Her stomach was swelling gently with his child and life had been so good since they’d married.
“Cade? Caleb? You guys on?”
“Yo! Captain FEMA! You gonna ask me?”
“Whaddup Jacob! I knew my guy was gonna be on!”
“Is Mercy there?”
“Yeah, but she’s making cookies so I’m gonna play her character today,” Gavin explained.
“Jacob, you take care of my guy today in the game,” Natalie’s voice interjected suddenly and Tobin smiled to himself as they all logged into the game. He was really glad
that they’d worked things out between them. Jacob was a child they’d rescued in the hurricane that had brought the two of them together once again.
“This is gonna be a QP guys with a trickle in to hit the objective instead of grouping up. The meta strat is gonna be epic with a slambulance that dives right in for the combo-wombo to push us KOTH.”
“What did he just say?”
“Whaaaa…what? Are you speaking English, Poprocks?” Tobin teased as he shook his head confused. What was Jacob’s character doing anyway? He kept dancing on the screen and making all sorts of weird movements.
“Hush, noobs! I understood what FEMA just told us. You run in slowly, follow our lead, and don’t get slaughtered during the game.”
“You ready?”
Tobin joined in immediately, droning a loud ‘NOOO’ as a result. He hated this game and was terrible at it, but it was the game they chose for this month. His favorite game was a classic – he liked the Star Wars video games.
“More chocolate chips, baby,” Gavin said unexpectedly into the headset catching his attention.
“Is Natalie making chocolate chip cookies?” Tobin’s voice interrupted, looking at Claudia who perked up immediately from trying to take a nap. “Don’t hit start yet on the game! Nat, are you making my cookies for graduation?”
“Tobin, they are for whoever shows up at the ceremony.”
“Those are my cookies, aren’t they? You know I love those cookies.”
Tobin wanted those cookies for two special reasons and both were lying beside him. Claudia had been craving chocolate as of late and seeing her expression right now meant he was going to be heading to the store as soon as the game was done to fetch his soulmate some sweets.
“Gavin does too.”
“What’s so special about the cookies?” Cade asked, “and how come none of us ever got to try these cookies?”
“Cade, Caleb, Tobin… I will make you some and set them aside. Jacob, you want some mailed to you, honey?”
“Please and thank you, ma’am.”
“That’s my boy.”
“If you NOOBS are ready to start the game,” Jacob’s voice echoed in the earpiece again, causing Tobin to laugh out loud. The eleven-year-old boy talked trash all the time. He was a pint-sized bully behind the screen when it came to playing Overwatch online.
“Did he call me a boob?” Caleb protested angrily.
“No, relax. He called you a ‘noob’. That is gamer-talk for a newbie.”
“Oh. Then I guess it fit… HEY! Why’s my guy dead already?” Tobin snarled, pushing the buttons on the controller. He really hated this game!
“Hey! Wait! I can’t move! I’m getting destroy…oh man. I’m dead too,” Cade bit out angrily in the earpiece, making him feel not quite so badly about being the first character to die.
“FEMA, you’re up. Go zap them with some energy so we can play. I’m getting crushed in PVE and I need some backup so I can meta!”
Tobin was listening to everyone talk when he heard a soft snore beside him. Poor Claudia was exhausted and the only reason he’d joined the game was at her insistence. He’d joined, but only if she promised to take a nap and rest.
“I love you,” Gavin said aloud suddenly in the earpiece, and Tobin grinned as several others groaned. Their game was over long before it started if this was going to be another repeat of last weeks attempt. That was perfectly fine with him because he could snuggle with Claudia as she slept.
“I love you, too,” Natalie chimed in happily in the headphones.
“Are you two getting mushy again?” Jacob said angrily. “Last time, FEMA quit the game and you just don’t do that to your team.”
“I think I’m gonna go play another game, boys,” Gavin said glibly. “I’ll be online later.”
“FEMA don’t you quit! You hear me, dude? Don’t do this again!”
“Gavin, I think your TinyTot has a temper,” Cade chuckled.
“Don’t call me that!”
“It kinda fits,” Tobin said cheerfully, making Gavin laugh just before he heard the click of his controller going dead as he logged out.
“Guys, I’m out too. Sleeping Beauty beside me is just too much to resist.”
“Ugh vomit! Why are guys into girls so much,” Jacob whined angrily.
“You’ll understand someday. Talk to you all later,” Tobin said firmly, disconnecting his Xbox and logging off.
“You could have kept playing,” Claudia whispered, causing him to look over at her sleepy smile. He laid down the controller on the coffee table and crawled over her on the couch, snuggling in beside her lazily.
“I know I could have,” he whispered in her ear, “but the most important things in the world are within reach and I just had an urge to hold you both.”
“Sleeping Beauty, huh?”
“It sounds better than Breathtaking-Love-of-my-Life,” he teased, nuzzling her neck and kissing it softly. Her breath escaped in a rush that made his heart flip over in his chest.
“I guess it’s a matter of preference,” Claudia said, arching her neck to give him a little more room on the couch to continue his trail of kisses, which he would do happily.
“I’m guessing you aren’t sleepy anymore, sweetheart?” he asked huskily, smiling down at her heated gaze.
“Preferences,” she reiterated, reaching for him with a come-hither smile.
“I love you and your preferences,” he whispered, capturing her lip, reveling in the miracle that their love was. She’d set fire to his soul, not unlike the rig that had brought them together. He would never forget the way that first awkward kiss between them had felt, nor every stolen moment they’ve shared since. He couldn’t believe what a turn his life had taken, nor the beautiful future that loving Claudia promised.
Afterword
Thank you for taking the time to read The Oil Tycoon Rescue. If you enjoyed it, please consider telling your friends or posting a short review. Doesn’t have to be much, just a simple rating and a few kind words work wonders. Your thoughts, opinions and feedback are much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Ginny
About the Author
Ginny Sterling is a Texas transplant living in Kentucky. She spends her free time (Ha!) writing, quilting, and spending time with her husband and two children. Ginny can be reached on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or via email at [email protected]
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Copyright The Oil Tycoon Rescue © 2020 by Ginny Sterling
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