Wrecked for You

by Mayer, Kristin

  She took a moment to respond. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

  We needed to change the subject. I knew something that would make her laugh. “Let’s go stop by Kane’s. We’ll tell him what’s going on, and he’ll spread the word for us nonchalantly.”

  She looked up at me with a smirk. “You just want to see him in the Paul Bunyan hat.”

  “Maybe. But you can bet your ass I’m going to have him come outside to meet us.”

  Kory’s laughter filled the air. Through all the bad, we’d find our way. Somehow, some way… we’d make it.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Kory

  Three days before Christmas

  The air smelled of evergreens. It was like a winter wonderland, inside and out. Twinkle lights and heavy greenery filled the room. Over the past few days, the house had been transformed for Drake and Alexa’s wedding. Amie and Devney had been instrumental in helping make this a dream come true for the bride and groom.

  Alexa had chosen to walk down the aisle to a beautiful orchestra edition of Silent Night. When she and Ike appeared at the bottom of the staircase, I looked at Drake. The way his eyes lit up when he saw Alexa touched me deeply. I wanted Hayden to look at me like that someday.

  Ike walked toward the fireplace with Alexa on his arm. He was so proud. The preacher asked, “Who gives this woman away?”

  With his shoulders back, Ike looked a picture of Alexa’s dad, Lloyd, before he turned to the preacher. He took a deep breath and said, “Lloyd has given me the honor of giving away his daughter to my son, Drake. Because of Lloyd, my son was able to find his soul mate. Thank you, Lloyd, for giving my family such a wonderful gift. We will love her forever and always as she officially becomes part of the Foster family today.”

  There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. I handed Devney a tissue. There were few moments in life that could be described as perfect, and this was one of them. Alexa leaned up, her eyes shining, and kissed Ike on the cheek.

  Drake took a step forward. “I’ve been waiting for this moment my entire life, Lex.”

  Drake took Alexa’s hands, and they stood in front of the mantle. A low fire crackled. The greenery filled the air with a fragrant smell. The frosted red berries accented the mantle perfectly. Green topiaries stood on either side, wrapped in twinkle lights. Against the rich, dark colors, Alexa’s simple gown of satin overlaid with gold organza was stunning.

  As the wedding progressed, love filled the room. Pure love. It was exquisite. Hayden grabbed my hand and squeezed it. Over the last few weeks, we’d gotten even closer as we found our way together. I was ready for the next step but wouldn’t mention it to him.

  In the days since Eric paid me a visit, no one had brought up Landon, my parents, Eric, or the Fraternity. It was as if they’d never existed. Maybe someday, Mother and Father would be able to reach out to me again. I continued to pay the bill for the phone I’d given them, hoping at some point they could.

  But if staying away from me gave me freedom, I understood why they had to do it. But it hurt. Somehow, they’d managed to right their wrongs by helping me escape the grasp of the Fraternity.

  If Eric was watching me or listening, it didn’t matter. He would find nothing.

  Kane had researched Landon. It was like he, too, had never existed. There were no news articles, no public hearings, no indictments. Maybe Special Agent Stenton had thrown away the key just as he’d stated.

  As the days had passed, Hayden and I had grown a little more comfortable being away from each other as the realities of life took over. It was nice that Hayden’s job slowed down during the heavy snow months since he wasn’t able to fly as frequently. He’d been helping me do some of the setups for the various parties. Business was thriving, and I couldn’t be more proud.

  I truly felt like Skagway was my home. At the Christmas Jubilee two days ago, I had known almost everyone there. Yes, this is home.

  The preacher announced, “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

  Drake gently held Alexa’s face. “You’re it for me, Lex. I will always put you first.”

  The grin on Alexa’s face was breathtaking, and her voice broke when she said, “I love you, Drake Foster.”

  “I love you, Mrs. Foster.”

  The family applauded as Drake pressed his mouth to Alexa’s and held up his fist in victory. After their tumultuous road, they deserved this happy ending.

  When it was my turn to embrace the happy couple, I held Alexa close. “Congrats. Thank you for letting me be part of your day.”

  Alexa brought me close. “You’ve been such an amazing friend. Thank you.”

  Friend. I had found the best of friends through this mess. That was one of the many blessings I’d received since coming to Alaska.

  The reception was small since it was only family. Drake and Alexa wanted us to eat and mingle. After dinner, the bride and groom cut the cake. Drake cocked his eyebrow while Alexa held out her piece with a mischievous grin on her face.

  “You know you want to, Lex.”

  She giggled and smeared it across his mouth. In the next second, Drake dipped her and pressed his lips to hers, effectively covering her face with icing.

  As the reception went on, Drake appeared to grow restless. He leaned into Alexa, and she gave him a playful slap on the chest. It wasn’t hard to imagine where his mind was going. After the reception, they’d chosen to go back home to the cabin Drake built for Alexa. When we found out, Amie and I put a plan in motion to have their bedroom decorated with rose petals. We also had champagne on ice and food waiting for them. Hopefully it made their wedding night special.

  The tapping of a knife against a glass brought the focus to the fireplace where Drake stood with Alexa. “I’d like to give one final toast before I take my wife away.” A delicate blush crept up Alexa’s cheeks. He’d finally talked her into leaving. “This toast is to the man who raised the most amazing woman I know. Before Lloyd passed, he told me to take care of his Alexa.” Drake turned to his wife. “I will always take care of you. To the man who gave his blessing. He was one of a kind. To Lloyd.”

  “To Lloyd.”

  Once again, there wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

  Alexa sniffled. “Thank you to everyone for being part of our day.” She looked at Drake. “Thank you for loving me unconditionally.”

  “Always, baby. Never doubt it.”

  * * *

  After Drake and Alexa left, we were able to get the place cleaned up fairly quickly. Since it was so close to Christmas, I was going to use the same decorations through New Year’s. I stood by the fire, watching the flames. Tonight’s festivities had me wishing for a proposal from Hayden more than anything. Give him time. I would be happy waiting, but I wanted to start my life with him. There was no one else. And there never would be.

  Technically we were still married, but neither of us acknowledged the fact. To everyone we were still dating.

  Strong arms wrapped around my waist, and I leaned back into a familiar chest. “What are you thinking about, sweetheart?”

  “What a perfect day it was. I loved being part of their moment. It reminded me of a fairy tale. It was beautiful.”

  He rested his chin on my shoulder. “What would you say if we left Skagway for our first Christmas? I want to take you somewhere special.”

  For a second, I wanted to jump at the chance, but I remembered all his family was here. “What about your mom? Wouldn’t she be sad without you here? I don’t want to upset the family balance.”

  He kissed my neck. “She’s fine with it. I mentioned wanting to spend it with you and she was happy for us. Thrilled actually.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “I want to surprise you. It’s one of my gifts to you.”

  I straightened and turned toward Hayden, my eyes wide. “One? Hayden you don’t have to get me anything.”

  He nuzzled my neck again and my thoughts were running amuck. “I want our first Christmas to be speci
al. I know how disappointed you were about Thanksgiving.”

  It was true. I hated that I hadn’t been physically able to help Amie cook dinner. It had been nice, but there’d been a layer of worry that overshadowed the event. I’d spent a large part of the day wondering what would happen with the Landon situation.

  His tongue tasted me, and I moaned. “I would love to go somewhere for our first Christmas. But, Hayden, I would be perfectly happy staying here.”

  “I know.” He let go and grabbed my hand. “Come.”

  His deep, commanding voice sent shivers through me. I would follow Hayden Foster anywhere.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Kory

  I couldn’t contain my excitement. Hayden was flying us to a surprise destination. Well, it was a surprise to me, at least. Flying on Christmas Eve had been a bit hectic. At one point, Hayden had been stressed when the weather threatened to change before we could get out of Skagway. Luckily it held off.

  My knee bounced uncontrollably as I sat in one of the passenger seats and waited to land. Hayden had asked that I put on noise-canceling headphones for this last part of the flight. Where in the world are we going? It had been a long day with a refuel stop in Rapid City, South Dakota. A pilot friend of Hayden’s had joined us in South Dakota for the last leg of the flight so Hayden could get some rest.

  He was going to fly back commercially once we landed. None of it made a lot of sense right now, but I tried not to worry about it.

  Where in the world are we going?

  I was nearly coming out of my chair in anticipation. Someone pinch me. A year ago, if someone had told me this would be my life, I never would have believed them. Hayden had told me to pack for six days. The only constraint we had was that I had to be back the day before New Year’s for the quilting circle party.

  Drake and Alexa weren’t coming back until the fourth or fifth of January. Their honeymoon destination was a secret because Drake wanted it to be a complete surprise to Alexa. I couldn’t wait to hear where they’d been.

  I was a little disappointed I hadn’t gotten to see Ike and Amie before we left. The plan had been to stop by their house for a mini Christmas celebration, but Amie had a cold and needed to postpone things. Next year, I was going to make sure we were home so we could celebrate as a family.

  I felt the plane descend ever so slightly. Maybe we’re getting ready to land. Moments into our last leg, Hayden had insisted I put on a blindfold with my noise canceling headset. I grabbed onto the armrest as I felt the plane descend a little more. Being in the air but not being able to see the ground was a little disorienting.

  The wheels touched down and the plane came to a stop. Hayden was most likely doing his postflight checklist. I tried to wait patiently. His cologne filled the air around me, and I knew he was close by. The headset was gently lifted off one of my ears. “I’m going to guide you to the car. Keep your headphones and blindfold on.”

  “Where are we?”

  “It’s a surprise.”

  He kissed my cheek and replaced the headset over my ear. I was dying to know where we were. We deplaned, and Hayden helped me into a vehicle. It had to be some sort of SUV or truck because I had to step up to get in.

  As the minutes passed by, the anticipation grew; no one had ever done something like this for me before. We took one last turn and slowed to a stop. Are we here? I waited for us to start moving again in case we were at a stoplight or stop sign, but there was no further movement.

  I jumped when I felt Hayden’s hand on mine. The headset was lifted off my ears. I reached for the blindfold, but he stopped me. “Not yet. I’m going to lead you there. I want you to leave the blindfold on.”

  “Okay. How long until I see?”

  “Less than five minutes.”

  I giggled, giddy as a school girl. Hayden helped me out of the car. The first thing I noticed was the quiet. Where are we?

  Hayden gently led me across concrete, which turned to soft ground and then back to concrete. We stopped, and Hayden put his hands on my shoulders and turned me. I strained to hear. Was that a car that passed by? Are we close to a street? I had no idea where we might be. My only clue had been the pit stop in South Dakota. The total flight time had been around ten hours.

  Hayden squeezed my hands three times and then let go. I stood still for a second. “Hayden?”

  “I’m right here. Just a second.” A few seconds later, he said, “Take off the blindfold, sweetheart.”

  I pulled it off as quickly as I could. I stood in front of a red brick house with huge columns. A million Christmas lights decorated the yard. It looked so familiar.

  I gasped. “Is this?”

  But there was no answer.

  Where’s Hayden?

  I twirled and found him behind me on bended knee. My hand went to my mouth, and my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. This was our moment. Ours. He was making my dreams come true.

  “Kory, you are the one for me, for better or worse. I swear to be by your side for the rest of my life. I promise to cherish you and support you in all things. Will you do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife?”

  I sobbed, “Yes! I want that more than anything.”

  It was happening. Hayden wanted this with me. He wanted a life together. This wasn’t a decision being forced upon us. My heart was about to burst with joy.

  Hayden stood and slipped the ring on my finger. It was a beautiful teardrop solitaire. My hands shook as I admired it. “It’s beautiful.”

  Hayden picked me up and twirled me, shouting, “She said yes!”

  The front door opened, and the entire family came out onto the front porch, cheering and clapping. I gasped. “How did they get here?”

  “I flew them to Vancouver yesterday so they could catch a plane. They came early to set up.”

  “Oh, Hayden.” I squeezed him tighter. “This house looks just like the one in Steel Magnolias. It’s perfect.” One night when Hayden and I were lying in bed, I told him how much I loved the house in the movie. For him to propose in front of a similar house was so thoughtful. I kissed him hard.

  When he pulled back, he gave me a breathtaking grin. “Sweetheart, this is the house where the movie was filmed.”

  I gasped again. “What? This is the house?”

  I rushed toward the front porch, where the entire Foster family stood with Hollis and Devney, but Hayden pulled me back to him. Before I could speak, he said, “I have another question to ask you.”

  There was nothing that could top this moment. “What is that?”

  “Will you marry me tomorrow? Here.”

  I paused, wanting to make sure I heard the words correctly. Hayden’s eyes searched mine.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.”

  I jumped into his arms. “Yes! Yes! A million times yes!”

  Hayden kissed me, and I heard his father say, “Sounds like we’re having a Christmas wedding.”

  None of the details mattered.

  I was going to be Mrs. Hayden Foster to the world now. And even though we were technically married, this felt like our real one. My Christmas gift from Hayden was to become his wife. I loved this man with everything I had.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Hayden

  It was nearly midnight, and I had to hurry. Once the clock struck twelve, I wouldn’t be able to see her until morning. It had been the only thing Kory requested. The first time she wanted to see me on our wedding day was when she walked through the doors and onto the terrace to become my wife.

  But there was one thing left to do. I checked the clock—twenty minutes to spare. I made sure the piece of paper and book of matches were in my pocket before I climbed the stairs. We’d been setting up for the wedding on the first floor. I wanted it to be a surprise for Kory, and she agreed.

  This week, I was going to actually man up and watch Steel Magnolias with Kory here in this house. The last time we tried, I fell asleep. When I showed her the DVD, I swore her ey
es lit up. I would do everything in my power to continue to put that same look on her face.

  I quietly opened the door. Kory shot up in bed. “Everything okay?”

  “Can’t sleep?”

  She turned on the lamp. “No, I’m too excited. You aren’t supposed to be in here.”

  “I’ve got nineteen minutes. I promise I’ll be gone before midnight.”

  She leaned over to look at the clock. “Eighteen minutes.”

  We smiled like loons at each other. I chuckled. “I know.” I grabbed the metal trash can from the corner of the room. “Before we wake up tomorrow, there’s something important I need to do.”

  Kory cocked her head in the most adorable way. “What’s that?”

  I pulled the prenup out of my pocket and put it in the trash can. “Tomorrow, when we get married, there are no prenups. This is about you and me. I don’t care about who has more money. We’re in this together. No contracts besides the vows we’re going to take.”

  Kory’s eyes welled up with tears. She had never said anything about the prenup, but it felt like a damn weight on my chest since we signed it. When I saw the first tear slide down her cheek, I wondered if I’d made a mistake. “Oh fuck, Kory, what did I say? I don’t want you upset the night before we get married.”

  She threw her arms around me. “I’m not upset. I’m so incredibly happy. You have no idea.”

  I pulled back. “You ready to do this adventure together?”

  “More than ever.”

  I struck the match and threw it in the garbage can. The paper lit, and it disintegrated in seconds until there was nothing left to burn. When the last of the embers went out, I whispered, “To new beginnings.”

  “To new beginnings.”

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Kory

  The house was in chaos the following morning as we got ready for the wedding. I’d stayed in Shelby’s room last night. As it turned out, the owners used the home where Steel Magnolias had been filmed as a bed and breakfast. Each of the bedrooms was labeled with a different character from the movie. I’d stayed in Shelby’s room, and Hayden in Jackson’s. For fun, we’d put Kane in Ouiser’s since he reminded us of the grumpy old lady. Needless to say, he was not impressed. Drake and Alexa had taken the third floor, which felt more like a honeymoon suite.