You had all this ready and waiting for us …”
He winks. “To be fair, Charlotte handled it, but it was my idea.”
He reaches out across the table and takes my hand, caressing my knuckles with his thumb. “I know
I’ve not been the best of company so far. Hopefully I’ll be able to make up for that.”
I shake my head. “I’m having the time of my life. You have nothing to apologise for.” I turn to my
right to take in the scenery. “Just look at that view!”
He does. “It’s pretty impressive, if I do say so myself.”
We laugh and our glasses chink; the sound carries in the afternoon air and before long we are eating
and laughing, and doing what lovers do: falling in love a little more with every minute that passes.
Like the rocks precariously perched on this Eastern Rim, I’m falling; so far and so deep, I may
never make my way out it. If this love of ours should end, my world would crumble, I would turn to
dust and I’d be forever lost to the wind.
As discretely as humanly possible, he’s checking his watch; I can guess why. On the other side of
the world, wheels are turning and he’s here with me shooting the breeze, watching clouds cast super-
sized silhouettes across rock faces whilst condors circle overhead.
“Shouldn’t we think about getting back? It must be almost three o’clock.”
“If you want to. I’ll call Sam and tell him we’re ready.” He stands to leave as if he’s been waiting
for my cue all along. “Let’s take a stroll over here and take a closer look.”
He reaches out for my hand and we stroll across the lawn towards a small stone wall, edging ever
closer to the mammoth sight. It’s even more impressive close-up.
“Wow!” Is all I can think to say.
“Wow indeed!” Ayden turns me round to face him. We are eye to eye. He brushes the backs of his
fingers against my face and I lean into his hand, welcoming his caress. “Do you remember when I
proposed?”
I can’t help but smile. “Yes. How could I forget?”
He’s grinning like my sweet boy. “I did make a mess of it, didn’t I? What with all the questions and
the finalising.”
“You came good at the end with this.” I hold up my stunning engagement ring. “Look how it
sparkles Ayden. The heart is stunning, just like you.”
“Well … if you say so, then it must be true.” He strokes my head, catching strands of hair caught in
the breeze. “I want you to close your eyes.”
“Why?”
He rolls his eyes. “Please. Just this once …”
I close my eyes, unsure of what is about to happen. From somewhere he finds two small ear plugs
and places them into my ears.
“Feel okay?”
“Yes.”
“Turn around to your right but don’t open your eyes. Trust me.”
“I do.” I inch around to my right, knowing I’m facing the enormous chasm of rock and stone. Music
begins and I recognise it instantly. My face relaxes and a smile forms slowly, unselfconsciously. It’s
Snow Patrol singing Say Yes. What is he doing?
“Now, open your eyes.”
I turn to him. He arches his brows and cocks his head to his left, directing my eyes to the Canyon. I
turn and see it … Without warning my mouth opens and forms that little O shape. Across the sky in
joined-up writing are two words …
Marry me
I have his proposal in my head and in my sight, and all I can think to do is weep. There are no
words for moments like this … only emotion. I fall backward onto him, feeling my arms being lifted.
He takes me back to the London Eye, Hyde Park, Rome … Has there ever been a moment more Titanic
than this? I turn around and wrap my arms around him, making a secret promise to never let go.
Entwined, we watch the letters fray and turn into misshapen clouds that merge into the bright blue
sky. I have my perfect proposal and he has my heart. It’s a fair exchange.
Once the emotion has dissipated, I pull away. He hands me a handkerchief from his pocket and I
blow my nose into it in a most undignified way. I pat the corners of my eyes and expel stagnant air
from my lungs.
I look up and into his expectant eyes; they have taken on a cerulean radiance in the afternoon light
and are sparkling with colour and love.
“You planned this from the moment you got up this morning, didn’t you?” I take his face in my
hands, framing his striking features with my nimble fingers.
He nods.
I bite my lip and use the pain to hold back tears. “You didn’t have to. I already said yes. Nothing’s
changed.”
He leans his forehead onto mine. “Yes, it has Beth. Everything’s changed. We’ve both changed. I
hardly recognise myself and it’s all down to you.”
“You’d better stop or you’re going to set me off again.”
He laughs quietly and catches a tear from the corner of my eye. “So, what’s your answer?”
Does he even have to ask?
“You pull a stunt like that, have me sobbing like a crazy woman and want to know my answer!”
He tips his head to the left and waits.
“This is the Grand Canyon Ayden, that was a grand gesture, the most grandest …” Now he’s
laughing at me. Why can’t I string a coherent sentence together? “Alright. I, Frances Elizabeth Parker,
will marry you Ayden Stone …”
“When?”
Pardon?
“When?”
“Yes. When?”
“Whenever?”
“What about tomorrow?” He’s giving me his ‘gotcha’ smile.
“Are you serious?”
“Totally.” He takes the handkerchief and dabs around my eyes. I must look a wreck.
“I don’t think you can turn up at a wedding chapel and simply say, ‘Hello, can you marry us
please?’ These things need to be planned in advance, organised, licences bought and …” Why has he
taken a step back, folded his arms? And why is he smiling as if he knows something I don’t?
What has he done?
“Why the look?”
He’s shrugging his shoulders and checking his watch.
“Don’t tell me you’ve arranged something?”
“I might have.” He’s taking my hand and leading me back towards the lodge.
“Where are we going?”
“To freshen up.”
I try to match his stride. “Why do we need to freshen up? What’s happening?” I stop abruptly,
pulling on his arm until he’s stationary. “I’m not moving an inch until you tell me.”
He sighs deeply. “On the off chance you would agree to it, I have arranged for us to be married
tomorrow in Vegas. You can say no or you can say yes. It’s entirely up to you. I just thought as we are
here … when in Vegas …”
“Just because people are in Vegas Ayden, doesn’t mean they have to get married. Some people
come to see the shows and to gamble.”
“We can do that as well if you like. I quite like a game of Blackjack.” Now he’s smirking.
“Stop! Stop with the teasing. I’m serious.” I’m shaking my head. “I don’t have a dress or anything
…”
“We can get you a dress. That’s not a problem.”
“I know it’s not a problem, not for you, it isn’t. It’s just …”
He slides a hand under my chin and cups my face. “Look, it’s okay. We don’t have to do it if you
don’t want to.”<
br />
“I want to … it’s …”
“Yes?”
“It’s just …”
“It’s just what?”
“It’s the suddenness of it all. I need to catch my breath, to take it all in. I …” I’m lost for words.
“I know baby. It’s impulsive and a little rash but, what the fuck …” He lifts me three feet off the
ground and spins me round and around, whirling, twirling, until I am almost dizzy. I close my eyes
and I’m taken back to a time and place from long ago; I’m a small girl again, I’m giggling and feeling
the breeze on my face …
When my feet rediscover terra firma I’m lightheaded and shocked, so bemused by his behaviour I
can barely speak. “You’ve lost your mind Ayden.” I hold onto his arms for support. “What’s got into
you?”
“I’m in love.” Tightly, showing little self-control, he grips my shoulders, anchoring me in place.
With piercing eyes as green as the deepest ocean, he holds me spellbound. “I’m in love with you. I
want you to have my name. I want to spend today, tomorrow and every day after that with you. I have
no choice. When you find who you've been looking for, you take hold of them with both hands. Letting
them go is not an option.” His words are spoken emphatically as if they’re a universal truth. “This
love we have is undeniable, irrefutable. I know it. You know it. We belong together Beth. Can I make
it any clearer for you?”
I hear my words as they leave his lips; they reach down into that once frozen lake in me, breaking
through years of frost and ice. He’s deadly serious. “No. You can’t Ayden. Everything you’ve said is
true.”
“So …”
How could I not respond to a smile like that? “So … let’s get married, but … on one condition.”
“And that is?” He prepares himself for an ultimatum.
“I get to choose the dress.”
He throws back his head and laughs raucously, oblivious of the audience of tourists and hotel staff
gathering on the rear porch. Enraptured, he takes my hand and together we move as one, striding out
towards the lodge where our appreciative spectators are now standing and applauding. I hardly know
where to put myself. It’s too late to turn tail and bolt, so it’s a case of keeping my head down and
brazening it out.
Uncharacteristically, Ayden responds to the cheers and the pats on his back by exclaiming, “Thank
you, thank you. That’s very kind of you. Thank you.” Me, I’m happy to keep moving. My only interest
is finding the ladies powder room, checking my face and psyching myself up for the return journey.
After all, I have a wedding to prepare for.
The inbound flight to the Vegas airstrip seemed so much quicker than the outbound. The scenery
was no less dramatic and the experience nothing short of life-changing, but somewhere along that
tapering stretch of blue I ran out of reasons to not become Mrs. Stone. Perhaps it was the way I caught
him watching me, as our flying machine bobbed and weaved its way between enormous ginger
coloured craters, or swerved left then right to hover over extinct volcanoes and craters the size of
small towns? Could it have been the look of amusement and love that emanated from those glistening
orbs of his that captured my heart and claimed it outright? It was all that and so much more. I thank
my lucky stars for the gift of divine providence.
Jane Austen’s words come to mind: “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”
I sit in silence …
16
Once inside the hotel I become aware of two suited gentlemen to our rear. As we move through the
crowd of guests, they move with us. Once inside the lift a suited arm is thrust between the closing
door and in they step. I look to Ayden but he appears oblivious. I know him better than that. He must
have noticed them, surely.
Our stunning suite is immersed in sunlight; the air con has kept the room nicely chilled and there’s
a welcoming fragrance of freesias or roses wafting through every room. It’s only 4pm but it feels
much later; maybe it’s the jet lag catching up with me.
Ayden lifts two bottles of iced water from the fridge and fills two tall glasses. “Here, you must be
thirsty after all that dusty air.”
He’s right. I am. “Thanks.” The first half a dozen gulps ease down my throat in a rush, ridding my
lips and gums of any residual canyon dust. I flop down onto the sofa. “Wow! A ride in a helicopter,
one of the eight wonders of the world and a proposal all in one day. How will you ever top that?”
“Not sure I can.” He grins and holds up his glass to toast his achievement.
I change the subject quickly. “Did you notice the two guys in the foyer?”
He squints and shakes his head. “Guys?”
“Yes. They seemed to be waiting for us when we came into the hotel. I thought they were following
us. They even made a point of getting in the lift with us.” I can’t believe he didn’t notice them. “I
thought you would have picked up on them straight away.”
He puts his empty glass on the breakfast bar. “I did.”
I knew it. “Who are they? Hotel security?”
“No. They were waiting for me.”
He has my full attention now. “Why?”
“They’re making sure I’m protected.”
What?
“Protected?” I stand and make my way over to him. “From whom?”
“I’m not sure.”
“But you need protecting …?”
“Maybe.”
“Why are you being so evasive?” I rest my hand on his arm. “You’d tell me if you were in danger,
wouldn’t you?”
“I’m not in danger,” he huffs, pulling me to him and nuzzling into my hair. “Don’t worry. It’s just a
precaution. Finish your water. I’ve someone I want you to meet.”
I lean back onto the upright freezer. “Really? Not your bodyguards, by any chance?”
He’s shaking his head and taking my hand. “Stop being a drama queen and come with me.” He
situates me by the sofa facing into the second bedroom. “You can come out now,” he calls out.
What the hell?
Like the rabbit out of a magician’s hat, Celine steps into the lounge. “Bonjour Beth.” She comes
over to me. We kiss left and right and she shakes Ayden’s hand. “Hello Mr. Stone.”
“Celine?” I am flabbergasted. “How long have you been hiding in there?
She chuckles. “Only for a short time. Mr. Stone said you would be arriving back at 4pm.”
“Did he?”
“I believe congratulations are in order? We have a wedding to prepare for, ne c’est pas?”
“Bien sur.”
Sensing my surprise, Ayden reaches for my waist. “Please give us a minute Celine.”
She beats a hasty retreat.
“Tick tock, tick tock. I know what you’re thinking.” He’s tilting down his chin and fixing me with a
reproachful stare. “That I assumed you would say yes and had her waiting here?”
I say nothing but nod, wide eyed and ingenuous.
“I didn’t. I called her while you went to powder your nose to tell her you’d said yes. If you’d said
no, she wouldn’t be here. She’d be on the next flight home.” Softly he raises my chin with his
forefinger and thumb, caressing that small space beneath my mouth sensually.
“You’re right. I was thinking that. I didn’t like the ide
a of being a forgone conclusion.” I lean into
his open palm.
“Oh, baby, you’ll never be that.” He wraps his arms about me until we slot together like the two
missing pieces in a jigsaw. “I’m going to leave you to prepare. Tonight we’ll go out on the town.”
I smile into his chest. “Sounds like fun.”
“I’ll collect you at 7pm. We’ll go out for the last time as single people and ….” He inhales my
fragrant hair and whispers into my ear. “Tomorrow we’ll be husband and wife.”
That singular thought makes me smile. “We will.”
Forgetting all about burly men in suits and bodyguards, I make my way into the guest bedroom and
gasp the moment I set foot inside.
Across the bed are three of the most outrageously beautiful wedding dresses I have ever seen: all
elegant, all unique, all white.
“Celine. They’re beautiful. Wherever did you get them?”
“I have been looking for the perfect dress for you for weeks and these are my best choices.” She
takes me by the hand and leads me over to them, urging me to feel the delicate lace, the diamante
studs and the pearls, hand stitched onto each one.
“I hope they are to your liking?” she says optimistically.
I’m dumbstruck. “Of course they are. They’re just what I would have chosen.”
She slaps her hands together in gesture of thanks. “I am so relieved to hear that. But, I know you
would look so beautiful in anything.”
“I shrug my shoulders disbelievingly. “Let’s not get carried away. You’ll have to weave your magic
to get me ready for tomorrow.”
Full of fighting spirit she throws up her arm. “We will cast a spell together and it will be perfect.
Mr. Stone will be the proudest man alive when he sees you.”
I hug her to me. “Thank you for being here.” I’m close to tears, and so is she.
“S'il vous plaît ne pleure Beth ou je vais pleurer avec toi ma chère.” (Please don’t cry Beth or I will
cry with you, my dear girl)
“I’m sorry. It’s just been one of those days I suppose. Emotional overload.” She passes me a tissue
from the dressing table and I dry my eyes. And then, with the force of a tornado it hits me: “I’m
getting married tomorrow Celine.”
She’s nodding her head. “This I know …”
TouchStone for giving (The Story of Us Trilogy) Page 34