"I don't have a selfie stick, baby girl, or I'd give it to you," I said in a sleepy tone despite my best efforts to sound awake.
"Yes you do," she said, nodding excitedly. "It's in that bag downstairs. Logan got it for you."
I looked at Paige who nodded and smiled before giving me a regretful expression. "He might have wanted to surprise you," she said. "Sorry. I thought Ryan was coming up to potty."
"I did potty," Ryan said, looking up at Paige. "And then I wanted to see if Ms. Rachel was awake yet." The little girl paused and looked at me. "You were sleeping so much that you didn't even move one inch when we came up here to give you your phone."
"You tried to wake me up earlier?" I asked.
Ryan smiled and nodded proudly. "When Logan wanted to give you your new phone."
"Ryan, Logan might have wanted to surprise Rachel himself," Paige said, quickly cutting in.
Ryan looked back and forth from her mom to me as if calculating whether or not she'd said something wrong, and then she smiled at me, obviously not feeling too bad about letting the cat out of the bag.
"Logan kissed you a bunch, and you didn't even move one single inch!"
My eyes widened, and then I made a silly expression. "You mean to tell me that you let some stinky old boy kiss me when I was sleeping?"
Ryan cracked up laughing, falling onto the couch dramatically. "Logan kissed you right on the mouth, and all you did was…" Ryan trailed off and started open-mouthed breathing like Darth Vader.
I squealed and leaned over to tickle her. "Did I really breathe like that?" I asked, once she stopped laughing.
She nodded.
"Did he say I was snoring?" I asked.
"Nope."
"What'd he say?"
"He said you were pretty. He leaned over and stared at you for a long time, and then he asked me if I liked you or not, and I said yes, and then he kissed you right on the mouth for about five or eight minutes in a row."
"Five or eight minutes?" I asked, giggling and tickling her again.
"Yessss!" she said, cracking up.
"Well, I don't know what could possibly be downstairs waiting for me, but just so you know, if I ever did have a selfie stick, you'd be more than welcome to use it."
"You do have one!" Ryan said, grinning from ear to ear. "Remember, I said there's a bag down there with a phone and a selfie stick. I think it's got a case, too."
"Ryan, Ms. Rachel was acting like you didn't tell her in case Logan wanted to surprise her himself."
Ryan stared at her mom, nodding at how that could all make sense, but seeming not to quite understand.
"Let's give her some space to get dressed. She'll come down in a little bit."
"My mom can do your hair if you want to look beautiful," Ryan said.
"She already looks beautiful," Paige said.
"A little spiffing up couldn’t hurt," I said, running my fingers through my hair. Paige had already braided everyone else's hair, and until now, I hadn't had the chance to ask her to do mine.
"I'd be happy to braid it for you, if you'd like."
"Could you do two of them coming back like this?" I asked, pulling my sides back.
She smiled and nodded. "Definitely!" she said. "Let me grab a comb and a ponytail holder."
Ryan started jumping up and down like she was about to attend a fashion show.
I changed clothes before Paige braided my hair. I put on some capris with a loose T-shirt layered over a tank, and sat on one of the coffee tables so she could do her thing. She worked quickly, and within minutes, all of the braiding, pinning, and spraying was over, and I was doing the hand mirror in front of a bathroom mirror trick where I was looking at the back of my own head.
"It's so beautiful!" I said. "I can't believe I didn't ask you to do this sooner!"
"I can't believe I didn't ask you," Paige said. "Your hair's so pretty."
"Uh-huh!" Ryan said, proudly.
She grabbed my hand and gave me a tug. "So let's go downstairs," she said.
"I've got to brush my teeth and use the restroom, but I promise I'll come down right behind you."
She nodded and took Paige's hand to leave.
I brushed my teeth before putting on some powder foundation and a little mascara along with a super-light layer of lip-gloss. My stomach was churning at the thought of Logan buying me a phone. Who was I kidding? I was barely even thinking about the phone. It was the kiss that was on my mind—the kiss I hadn't even known about, the one that happened while I was sleeping.
I stared at myself in the mirror as I rubbed my lips together to spread the lip-gloss. I imagined Logan's lips on mine for five or eight minutes straight while I slept, and I smiled at the thought of Ryan trying not to giggle when he kissed me.
I breathed one long sigh to work up the nerve to go down there and see everyone, and off I went.
"Here it is!" Ryan said, as I came into the living room downstairs. Paige was in the kitchen talking to Diane, but besides the three of them, there was no one else around.
"We need to bring it outside and let Logan give it to her," Paige said.
"Where's is Logan?" I asked.
"Everybody's down at the beach," Paige said. "We just came up so little miss sunshine could potty."
"I'm headed down there, too," Diane said.
"You can come with us, Dee-dee," Ryan said.
Diane smiled. "I think I just might."
Ryan came up to me holding the bag. It was from a major cell phone carrier, and my first thought was wondering if he'd already been to the store this morning. Then, my second thought was whether or not famous people did their own shopping. Maybe he had someone else go get it for him and deliver it to the house. I stared at the bag in my hand for a few seconds, contemplating peeking inside.
"Is this really for me?" I asked, looking at Diane and Paige.
They both nodded, but it was Diane who spoke up. "Logan felt terrible about what happened yesterday," she said. "He and Evan went out this morning and came back with that. You can take it to the beach so he can see you open it if you want."
I nodded as I rolled the top of the bag closed so I wouldn't be tempted to look. Diane thrust a mug of coffee into my hand when I came into the kitchen, and we all set out for the shore.
It was a beautiful day, and the whole family was outside enjoying it. Some were sitting on chairs, others on towels, and a few were in the water. It didn't take me long to spot Logan, who was in the water with Charlotte and Cody. He smiled and started heading toward us the moment our eyes met. I watched as he swam to the shore, and walked out of the water, taking my breath away with his long, confident stride.
Did I mention that he didn't have a shirt on?
He didn't. He reached up and used his hand to shake the water out of his hair and off of his face, smiling the whole time he approached. I took an unsteady breath as I watched. Forget about taking a sip of that coffee. It was all I could do to breathe. We smiled at each other as the distance between us closed. I knew the whole family was out there, but I could see no one but Logan.
"You got it?" he asked gesturing to the bag.
I held it up. "No," I said, innocently. "They said it might be for me, but I didn't see what was inside."
"Open it," he said.
He came to stand near me, and once again, I felt speechless. Droplets of water covered his perfect body, and I couldn’t help but look at him. I tried not to stare, but my gaze kept returning every time I glanced away.
"It's not wrapped or anything," he said, reminding me what I was supposed to be doing.
I smiled and handed him my coffee mug. He took a sip of it the instant he had it in his possession, and for whatever reason, that made me smile. I liked him drinking out of my cup.
I looked in the bag to find a box with the newest, most expensive iPhone on the market. My old phone had been one of those, just not nearly as new or as much memory. There was, indeed, a selfie stick in the bag, along with a leather ca
se for the phone.
I stared into the bag for nearly a full minute before looking at him. "What is this?" I asked, even though I knew good and well what it was.
He smiled. "It's a fishing lure," he said, with a deadpan expression.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why'd you get me a phone, Logan?"
"Because you needed one," he said, chuckling.
"Yeah, but it's not your job to buy me one," I said.
He held his hand to his chest as if I had just stuck a dagger into him. "Ouch," he said.
"I mean you didn't have to—" I cut the statement short when he grabbed my arm and pulled me into his arms. We were both holding things, and he was soaking wet, so it was slightly awkward, but I snuggled up to him as smoothly as I could.
"Go put your coffee and your phone over there and come out into the water with me," he said.
"I don't have my swimsuit on," I said.
"So? People swim in shorts and a T-shirt all the time."
I stared at him, unable to imagine how I ended up at the ocean with a movie star.
"Go," he said, pinching my side.
I giggled as I walked toward the chairs where his mom was sitting.
"Can you open it now?" Ryan asked as I passed.
"I sure can," I said. "I stopped and fished around in the bag till I came up with the selfie stick. I took it out of the packaging and handed it to Paige, holding my bag up in the process. "I'm putting this right here. Just come dig in it if you need instructions or whatever."
"Thank you!" Paige said, almost apologetically.
I gave her a smile that said she really shouldn't be worried about it.
My hair was half-up in Paige's beautiful braids, but I pulled the rest of it back into a low bun as I walked toward the water. Logan was already waist-deep in it, and I smiled as I walked out there to meet him. He backed up as I approached, and by the time we connected, I was almost up to my chest in it.
"You're getting me soaked," I said.
"What? I told you I wanted you to swim with me."
"I thought you meant like up to our knees or whatever."
He smiled wryly at me. "That's not swimming."
The gentle waves hit against us, coming almost up to my shoulders when they peaked. I jumped when a particularly large one came, and Logan caught me and pulled me into his arms. My clothes were soaking wet, and I didn't care at all. I stood on his feet, and got up on my tiptoes, giving me a height advantage that almost put us eye to eye. I giggled and shifted as a few waves rolled by and hit our shoulders.
"You can't buy me a cell phone," I said.
He didn't say anything; he just smirked at me like I was being silly.
"That's too much," I insisted.
He just continued to stare at me with an adorable grin.
Truth was, I was relieved to have the gift. Eventually, I'd be making decent money, but I wasn't quite there yet, and I happened to need a phone. Besides, I could tell by the way Logan was looking at me that he was going to make me keep it even if I tried to give it back. So instead of refusing it, I humbly said, "Thank you."
Chapter 19
Logan continued to hold me by the waist as we rose and fell with the waves.
"Don't worry, my number's already programmed in there," he said.
I smiled at him. "I'll make sure to call you once I get it turned on."
"It's already on," he said. Then he answered my curious glance with, "I had it activated when I bought it."
He was so matter of fact when he said it that I almost just smiled and nodded as if that was a normal statement.
"How'd you get my account?" I asked, once I figured out that it wasn't.
"It's on my plan," he said.
"Why?" I asked.
"Don't worry, I got them to keep your same number. You lost all your contacts, though. Except for me. I'm in there."
"How'd I end up on your plan?" I asked.
He smiled. "Because I put you there."
We both jumped to avoid getting hit in the face with an especially big wave.
"Why'd you do that?" I asked.
His smile was so wonderful that I almost forgot what we were talking about.
He shrugged as he glanced toward the incoming waves. "Because I figured you'd end up on there anyway," he said. "I didn't see a point in putting it off."
"Logan, why would you put me on your cell phone account," I asked, feeling like one of us needed to be practical.
"I just told you," he said. "I knew you'd end up on there anyway."
"What, like if we would get married or whatever?"
My whole body buzzed with nerves as I said the word 'married'. I regretted it the instant it left my mouth.
"When we get married," he said, smiling irresistibly.
"Logan, who knows how long that'll be. You can't just—"
He cut me off, saying, "We know how long it'll be. We're the ones who decide that."
I smiled and narrowed my eyes at him. "You know what I mean," I said. "It's not like we're getting married tomorrow or anything."
"We could."
Oh goodness, how I wished that were true. I would marry this man in a heartbeat. There was just no way. I shot him another narrow-eyed smirk, which he answered with a smile.
"What?" he asked.
"You're being silly."
"I am not."
"So we just decide to get married, and we run right out and do it?" I asked.
"Yep," he said. "As the bride and groom, it's pretty much up to us."
"And I'm supposed to assume you think it's a good idea," I asked.
"Yes, I do."
"And then what? We have it annulled the next morning and shave our heads before we head back to California?"
He ran a hand through his closely-cropped hair, causing tiny droplets of water to spray all over the place. I squinted and flinched, and he shook more vigorously, causing me to giggle.
"It's a no to the annulment, and I like your hair right where it is." He looked at my head as if trying to imagine what it'd look like short. "Although, I'm sure you'd look fine with it shaved."
Waves continued to hit us as we swayed to the gentle rhythm of the ocean. I put my mouth near his ear. "Logan," I whispered with my hand on his bare chest. "It seems like you're talking marriage with me right now."
"I am."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because I want to marry you, Rachel."
I was weightless in the water, which was a good thing because my knees were weak.
"When?" I asked.
"Soon."
"Are you saying this because of what I told you about waiting till I get married?"
"I'm saying it because I want to marry you," he said, still smiling. He regarded me sweetly before he said, "Rachel, you should know how thankful I am that you've waited. I can't tell you how much it means to me to know I'm the only man who'll ever know you like that."
Statements like that made me feel like he was serious and this was actually happening. My heart started beating a million miles an hour.
"Do you want to marry me?" he asked.
I smiled and bit my lip as I nodded shyly.
"You love me?" he asked.
I nodded again.
"See?" he said. "Why'd you even ask about that dang-old phone?"
I laughed.
Our eyes locked and we stared at each other for several long seconds as the ocean continued to pulse.
"Are you asking me to marry you right now?" I asked, squinting at him.
He kept one around my waist and put the other hand behind my head. "Rachel," he said, pulling me against him. "Close your eyes for a second."
I didn't hesitate. I rested my face on the top of his chest, closing my eyes in the process. He held me to him, bobbing as waves continued to it us.
"Pretend we're somewhere with all of our friends and family members. Your mom, and dad, and brother are there, along with the people you love from the center, and your friends and
family from California. All my people are there, too—everybody who's here with us now, plus my crew out in L.A. It's about a hundred or so people, probably. And we're somewhere really cool—some place that was really thoughtful of me to consider."
"Like the hillside in Santa Barbara."
"Exactly," he said.
I could hear the smile in his voice.
"So we're all at the bench—you, me and everyone in the whole world that we love."
"Then what happens?" I asked.
"Then I give a really charming speech about how we first met and kissed there."
"Are you telling the part about me making you wait till September?"
"Do you want me to tell it?" he asked.
I shook my head without opening my eyes.
"No? Okay, I won't tell it, then. I say we lost touch, but that I knew the whole time that I'd find you again. I talk about all the things I love about you, and then I pull a gigantic, custom-made diamond ring—"
He stopped talking when I shook my head.
"A tasteful, but moderately big diamond—"
I shook my head again.
"Something super simple and give the rest of the money I was gonna spend on it to your parents' center."
I squeezed him to let him know he got it right that time, and he laughed before continuing.
"Then I say, Rachel, I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of your life. I want to eat sushi, and play basketball, and have babies, and visit Kenya, and do all the other things you do when you're married and in love. I want to marry you!"
I could feel even with my eyes closed that he was gesturing somehow with his hands behind my back. "I'm asking you right here in front of all of our friends and family, Rachel…" he cleared his throat. "Dr. Rachel Stephens," he corrected. "Will you marry me?"
He squeezed me when I didn't respond right away. I had my eyes closed, basking in the story, and didn't realize he wanted me to actually respond.
"Will I marry you?" I asked, peeking up at him.
He was smiling at me. "Don't leave me hanging on this hillside full of people," he urged, causing me to giggle.
"Are you asking in the story, or right now?"
"Both," he said.
Kiss Me in Carolina (Hunt Family Book 2) Page 14