“She's a grown woman who wanted to do it on her own. But give me some credit. At least I put a tracker on her.”
“You put a track—” Colin huffed out a short breath. “Whatever,” he decided, shaking his head. “Where is she?”
Jack took out the tracker base and referenced the two glowing dots. “That's her. This is us. This is the Creekside parking lot here.”
“Holy fuck. Where the hell is she headed?”
Jack shrugged. “She's all over the place. But we'll probably catch her a mile or two above the Creekside lot.”
“So you'll take us to her?”
“Absolutely,” Jack said. “We were on our way to get her when we heard you calling.”
“You're sure you know where you're going?” And the look Colin gave Jack was fierce.
“Dude, you're in good hands,” Dan assured him. “I told you, he's Jack Hawkins.”
“So?”
“He's a famous Los Angeles mountain man.”
Colin tilted his head like a labrador. “L.A. has a famous mountain man?”
“L.A. has everything. Don't you ever talk to Lola?”
“Well. Yeah. But she's a little nuts.”
“So's Wendy, so we're good.” And Dan clapped a hand on his shoulder.
“Let's go get her,” Jack suggested.
Colin nodded. “Let's go get her.”
* * * * *
Wendy felt like the trail was getting steeper. Had her way into the mountain been as downhill as the way back was uphill? She didn't remember the first trail being very downhill. It had felt, if anything, uphill. But was that because she was so tired and it had been raining? But rain doesn't make things feel uphill, does it?
Was she even going the right way? She was trying to use the dim spot of sun through the trees as her guide, but it was so hard to tell if what she was following was actually the sun or just a break in the clouds. And as the day got later, and the sun was moving, was she still supposed to keep following it? She tried to remember what Jack had told her. But honestly, how well had she even been listening? All she'd been thinking about was getting back to civilization and finding Colin. Oh, how could she have run off and abandoned him after what he'd done for her?
Wendy crunched along faster.
And it was as if the forest were cheering her on, hurrying her along. Wendy! Wendy! Wendy!
Wendy reached a pretty steep slope and stopped to see if there was something she could grab to get a firm hold.
And then she heard the voices.
Voices! It hadn't been the freaking forest calling to her! It was voices.
“WENDY!”
She turned around. “HELLO?”
“WENDY?”
“YES!”
Gosh, it sounded like a whole chorus of people. Coming for her. Could it be a pack of paparazzi? But she tried to imagine those photographers hiking through the rain-drenched mountains. Well, maybe …
“WENDY!”
“YES!”
At least if it were the paparazzi, maybe she could get the heck out of these woods that much faster.
“WENDY!”
And now she could see them. A group of people headed right for her.
“YES!” she called. “HERE! By this slope!” And she started running.
As she ran toward the approaching group, her heart skipped into hyperdrive. That wasn't … did she see ... a blond head? Did she see …
“Colin!”
He stopped about three feet in front of her. “Wendy.”
She made the barest hint of the first move toward him and he was flying into her, sweeping her into his arms. “Wendy. Wendy Wendy Wendy. God, Wendy. I'm so damn sorry I hurt you. I love you so much. I'm sorry. So sorry.”
Her feet weren't even touching the ground as he crushed her against him but she held on for dear life. “No, Colin. I'm sorry. I thought you were doing something awful to me and I ran away. How could I do that? How could I be such a coward? I'm so sorry I ran.”
Colin put her down and looked into her eyes. “I'm sorry I pushed you. I'm so Goddamned sorry I never saw you. Really saw you, Wendy. The most amazing person in the world was right in front of me, wanting to be with me, and I was the damn coward. And such a cretin.”
Wendy put her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him. “Shut up. Just shut up. I love you. And I want to be with you forever. And you love me. So just shut up.”
He smiled. “Okay.” And he leaned down and kissed her.
Ping-da-ding.
They broke apart and looked at the three people watching them from a few feet away.
“Holy shit!” Dan tugged his phone out of his pocket. “Sorry! Totally didn't mean to ruin the moment.”
But Lisa was already in his face, grabbing his phone. “You got a signal! We must be high enough. Let's see what—”
She stopped talking. Lisa Flyte stopped talking mid-sentence.
Jack moved toward her. “Lisa? What's wrong?”
“They're coming,” she said. She looked up. “The paparazzi know where we are. Or they know Wendy is out here and Colin came out here looking for her. They're coming.” She looked back at the phone. “Oh, my God. They're even putting choppers in the air.”
“They found us?” Wendy wailed. “Already? But I just found Colin!”
But Colin was shaking his head. “Doesn't matter, Wendy. It's cool. We'll handle it.”
Wendy looked up at him like her heart would break with happiness.
“It'll take them some time to find us,” Dan said. “And they don't have a tracker.”
“Tracker?” Wendy looked around, but everyone was suddenly looking somewhere else.
Except for Jack. “I put a tracker on you before you took off on your own.”
“Oh.” She smiled, looked at Colin, then looked back at Jack. “Thanks.” She sighed and turned back to Colin. “But we'll never make it back to the parking lot before they get here. Are you sure you're ready for the onslaught?”
Colin's deep blue gaze didn't waver. “I'm ready. Someone told me this trick once. I'll pretend they're catcallers at an away game.”
Wendy smiled.
“You know,” Dan said, “we can beat them at their own game. Kind of. I mean, we can, if we wanted, make them miss out on the story of the year. Of the decade, even.”
Colin turned to him. “What do you mean?”
Dan looked straight at him. “You know what I have in my pocket.”
“Yeah …” Colin said. “But, we'll never get away now. Not to Vegas or Reno or anywhere.”
“Why do you have to go anywhere? I'm registered.”
Colin's heart kicked up the pace as he turned to Wendy. “Come here,” he said, and he took her by the hand and ran through the woods, getting away from everyone else.
Colin led them about a football field away where they were shielded from the group by a giant evergreen.
“Wendy.”
She could barely catch her breath. “Yeah?”
“You said you wanted to be with me forever. Did you mean it? You really want to be with me?”
She couldn't stop the smile. “For the long haul,” she said softly. “Yes, Colin. Oh, yes.”
“That's what I want, too,” he said just as softly. “You and me. Me and you. Wendy, I want to marry you. Will you marry me?”
Wendy stepped back, lips parted, eyes wide. “You want the engagement to be real? For real?”
“No.” Colin shook his head. “I don't want to be engaged. I want to marry you. Right here. Right now. Dan can marry us. He's even got the paperwork. No cameras or fanfare. Just us.”
“Marry you? Right now?” Wendy's voice was a whisper. “Really?”
Colin reached into his pocket. “I got these.” He took out a box and opened it. Two gold wedding bands rested in the velvet.
Wendy gasped.
“And this.” He put the first box back in his pocket and took out another box, a smaller box, and opened it.
Wendy gasped. “You
got me a ring? A diamond ring?”
Colin smiled. “Yes and no. It's my Gramma's. But I had it re-sized for you.”
Wendy couldn't take it all in. She just couldn't. “Uh … re-sized?” she asked, her voice cracking. “How did you know my size?”
“You know how Ray pledged his fealty?”
Wendy looked at him. “The show has a list of all my sizes. You mean, Ray Collier knew I was getting married before I did?”
Colin's lips parted and his eyes lit up. “No. He sent me a list with all your sizes. So he didn't know the one I wanted was your ring size.” He looked right intoWendy's glistening eyes. “So, no. He didn't know you were getting married. But …” Colin grinned. “Are you? Is that a yes? You'll marry me?”
“This is your Gramma's ring. And you made it into mine.”
Colin nodded, his smile suffusing his whole face. “You are the best thing ever in my whole life Wendy. And I never want to let go.”
She blinked rapidly. “Oh, Colin. Yes, I will marry you this very second!” And she threw her arms around him. Tiny as she was, the force of her launching herself at him sent the ring box flying up into the air.
Chapter 63
JACK
This is the weirdest day EVER. I can't believe I was so nervous about proposing to Lisa, so worried about getting everything right. Of course everything wasn't going to go as planned. We're talking about me and Lisa. And I meant what I said to Wendy. I'm enjoying the hell out of this ride. And the proposal couldn't have gone better. She said yes, right? So everything is cool.
Like, I don't even mind how unorganized this whole motley group is. I mean, if the media is coming, shouldn't we all be dispersing and getting the hell out of here? But Colin ran off with Wendy while Dan and Lisa are standing around talking about some show on TV. Wendy's show, maybe? It's all good. I don't mind hanging out if they don't. As long as Lisa's here, Ford's in his Flivver and all's right with the world.
“Ahhhhh!”
My head whips to the direction of the squeal and so do Lisa's and Dan's. We hear Wendy wail again.
“Oh, Colin!”
And another squeal followed by some murmuring. Then a few seconds of silence.
“I found it!” This time it's Colin's jubilant cry.
Chills skitter all down my spine. It's bizarre, but I think I know what just happened.
For being such a tiny person, Wendy sure makes a a lot of noise as she crashes through the brush back to us. And she's dragging Colin by the hand. But I shouldn't say dragging. He seems pretty damn happy as he lopes behind her.
Wendy runs right up to Dan. “Really?” she blurts at him.
Like Lisa, Wendy doesn't seem big on preamble.
“You'll do it right now?” she asks, her eyes huge and shining, “You've even got the paperwork?”
Dan nods. “A few copies. In case I got one set muddy or something.” He looks around at all of us. “I own a jazz club on Skid Row. I'm not much of a hiker.”
“But you're here,” Wendy says, her voice tinged with some downright awe. “And you brought everything we need. Oh, Dan!” She jumps up and hugs Dan with what looks like all her tiny might.
Lisa leans in and whispers to me. “What's going on?”
I look at Lisa. “They're getting married.”
Lisa's eyes get wide as she looks around. “Really? When?”
“Right now, I'm pretty sure.”
Wendy lets go of Dan and looks at me. “We are! How did you guess?”
I smile. “Been that kind of day.”
And then Wendy's looking at me, then to Lisa, who is positively glowing, then back to me. “What kind of day?”
Lisa takes off her glove and holds up her hand with the rock. “Jack took me to the spot where we first met and asked me to marry him.”
“Oh, my God!” She turns to me. “That's why you wanted to get Lisa up here! Holy cowabunga, and I almost ruined it!”
“You couldn't have,” I tell her.
Then she launches herself at me and I swear, it's like this freaky bony fish person sucked herself right onto me as she hugs me.
Lisa looks at Colin. “Uh … I'd hug you, but I've been looking at naked pictures of you all day, so ... it would be kind of weird.”
Yep. That's Lisa … and her complete lack of any gateway between her brain and her voice-box.
Colin puts up a hand and angles his head in easy understanding. “It's okay,” he assures her.
Wendy finally jumps off me.“So, you guys better get going.” She turns to Colin and Dan. “They came up here to be alone and I've messed it up enough.” She looks back at me. “You guys don't need the media on your tail.”
“Wait,” Dan counters, stepping up to me and Lisa. “If you guys can stay for just a few minutes, you can be the witnesses.”
“What do you say,” Colin asks us, grinning. “A very different kind of shotgun wedding, but still under the gun. You in?”
I look at Lisa. I lean down and whisper into her ear.
She looks up at me, her eyes glistening. She nods, then slaps her hand over her mouth so she doesn't start crying.
I look back at Colin. “We'll be your witnesses. On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“You guys stick around and be ours.”
Wendy's eyes get huge and she turns to Colin, who's smiling just as much as she is.
“You got it.”
Colin doesn't tear his eyes away from Wendy when he says this, but we've got a deal and I'm ridiculously happy.
“This is so perfect,” Wendy says to him, taking both his hands in hers.
“Are you sure, Wendy? I've been planning this and thinking about marrying you for the last month nonstop. Jack and Lisa have been together for years. But I just sprang all this on you today. Are you sure you're ready to make a life with me?”
Wendy looks at him with a calm steadiness that makes Lisa sigh.
“Colin, the wallpaper in my bedroom—” She bites down on a giddy smile. “In our room starting tonight—it has cornflowers and poppies all over it.”
Colin's still smiling, still so tuned into her, but he furrows his brow. “Okay ...”
“Don't you see?” She pulls him closer so their foreheads touch. “Blue and red. The Giants comforter fits in perfectly.”
Epilogue
Two weeks later
DRAKENFALL
from: Colin Scott [email protected]
to: Staff of Drakenfall [email protected]
subject: Long Shot
Dear Staff of Drakenfall,
Hello, I hope you're all doing great. I'm writing because my wife and I got married two weeks ago and since then, we haven't had a second to ourselves. She has a week off from work in a few months. She said she'd love to get away, to some place 'quaint and Englishy, where no one will hound us.' And that's Drakenfall. I know you guys must be booked years in advance, but I figured there's no harm in asking. Worst you can say is No, right? So please let me know, if by some miracle, you've got something available the week of December 7th through the 14th. Cheers.
Sincerely,
Colin Scott
from: Mark Potter-Prebys [email protected]
to: Colin Scott [email protected]
subject: Long Shot
Dear Mr. Scott,
You're in luck! We don't have a full week, but we have four days between holiday bookings, from the 8th through the 11th. Details attached. I hope this will suffice. Having lately gotten married myself, I am delighted to be able to accommodate your request in some small way. Warmest felicitations on your recent marriage and we look forward to your visit.
Sincerely,
Mark Potter-Prebys
Three weeks later
Wendy stretched beneath the lilac sprigged duvet and noticed Colin standing by the window. It was a big bay window and Colin looked out at the lake.
“Mmm...” Wendy said sleepily. “Why are you all the way over there? And why
are you standing in front of the window naked as a jay? Anyone can see you.”
Colin padded silently across a truly immaculately hoovered carpet and got back into bed. He'd barely slid under the covers as he took Wendy in his arms and curled up with her. “We're on the third floor. Plus, I'm pretty sure everyone here already knows what I look like naked.”
“You think?”
“Did you see the way that girl Pippa looked at me? And if she's seen the pictures, everyone here has seen them. That one's a magpie, all right.”
Wendy kissed him along his jaw. “Do you mind?”
“Nah. Everyone's really nice. And hey, the pictures are my doing, one hundred percent. It's cool.”
Wendy straddled him and looked into his eyes, concern etching her face. “But you couldn't have foreseen all the backlash you'd get.”
He chuckled deep in his throat as he slid his arms around her. “Doing those pictures got me you. That's all I care about.”
Wendy sighed and got all doe-eyed. “Really?”
He brushed his fingers along her cheek. “Really.”
Wendy eased herself down to lay on top of him and he held her even more snugly against him.
“I hope your family feels the same way,” she said on a sigh.
“My family? Wendy, you work with Lola and Arlen everyday. They LOVE you. And they've been freaking giddy since we got married.”
“I think I meant your parents. Three weeks with them over Christmas? I hope they like me. I hope they like my house. I mean, our house. But I bought it. Ages ago. So if they don't like it, it's on me.”
He laughed and kissed the top of her head. “I think you're safe on the house-choosing front. And Wendy, chill. You already know Charlotte and Jackson. And they love you, too.”
“Yeah, but not as their daughter-in-law. The daughter-in-law who destroyed their perfect son's life.”
Colin rolled to his side, tipping Wendy off him so they could lie face to face. “I'm starting over. With you. And everyone in Rocheforte is doing fantastic. Tanya is lighting up the sky with how she's running The Dorms. The team is headed to the play-offs. The coaches and players are reaching heights I only ever dreamed of. How is all that a bad thing? And ...” He tapped her on the nose. “Marcus's ACT score was good enough to get him a free ride to Syracuse.”
Catch a Falling Star (In Love in the Limelight Book 3) Page 24