Jon stared up the long staircase and eased his hand from hers. He said softly, “I was upset that the Yankees had lost and that we were going to our parents’ house for the weekend. I was probably going too fast. It was so incredibly stupid. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“But it was still just an accident.”
He raked his hand through his hair and said, “It was so painful, Rebecca. Losing her. And then, after being with you on New Year’s Eve, I realized how much I cared for you. I got scared. I couldn’t bear losing you too,” he cleared his throat, “but I finally realized I wouldn’t have traded my time with Penny for anything, even knowing how it would end. So, I decided to make things right for you and me.”
Light-headed and dazed, Rebecca started to speak and stopped. This night had been crazy. So many things had happened. Her heart raced at the thought of what Jon had done for her—for them.
Jon shook his head, his expression lightening. “Look, I have much more to say about this, but for now, will you come dance with me? I deserve to get something for my money. And you haven’t said a word about what a convincing knight I am.” He ran a finger over his hand-drawn mustache.
She gave him an appraising look. “You’re perfect. Absolutely perfect.”
She stood and started for the ballroom, but Jon pulled her back. He took her in his arms and kissed her like he would never stop.
* * * *
Rebecca and Jon were still dancing ninety minutes later. Once they’d returned to the ballroom, Rebecca had introduced Jon to the crowd, saying he was Storytown’s new co-owner and manager. They’d begun the auction, which turned out to be a rousing success, raising over four thousand dollars. After that, Rebecca fell gratefully into Jon’s arms, where she had remained ever since. She’d been smiling nonstop. She couldn’t get over how everything had turned out. She was with Jon, and her job and Storytown were safe—at least for now, and most likely, for some time to come.
“Are you working tomorrow?” Jon whispered in her ear.
“Yes. I have a lot to do.”
“Don’t forget you have a new partner. He might let you have the day off.” He grinned and twirled her under his outstretched arm.
“I really should go in. I left messages on the machine, and I don’t want Sara to have to open and close.”
“Okay, okay. I can see there won’t be any slacking off in this new enterprise. But promise me this. Dinner tomorrow night. Just the two of us.”
“Promise.”
Mayor Brighton approached them. “May I cut in?”
“Only if I can lead,” Jon joked. “Ah, you must want Rebecca. Of course.”
She exited from his embrace, her gaze following him. He walked across the room, tapped Joey’s shoulder, and offered his hand to Sara.
The mayor put his arm around Rebecca’s waist. She comforted herself by remembering that, at least in life, she would never change partners again.
* * * *
Once the ball ended, Rebecca, Sara, Jon, and Joey remained behind, bidding the guests goodbye. They received compliment after compliment. Rebecca stepped away to check on Karen in the kitchen, where she and her workers were cleaning up.
“Karen, can we help?”
“No, hon. You go on home. You must be exhausted.”
“I’ll send your check out right away. Thank you so much. You did a wonderful job. We got tons of compliments.”
Rebecca shook Karen’s hand warmly and left to join the others.
“We’re taking off, Bec,” Sara said, and she and Rebecca hugged. “Nice to see you again, Jon.” She gave Rebecca a huge smile that seemed to encompass many meanings.
With Sara and Joey gone, Jon drew Rebecca into his arms once again and held her close. She stifled a yawn.
“You’re tired.”
“Yeah, I guess I am. It’s been quite a day.”
“Why don’t we call it a night and just see each other tomorrow.”
“Okay, that’s probably best.” She bit her lip, trying to contain another yawn.
“You’d better get home. But you promised. Tomorrow.”
* * * *
The next morning, Rebecca woke at seven. She yawned and stretched. Contentment washed over her. She’d never been so happy in her life. She had everything she could have ever wanted: she would get to keep her job and her beloved park, and she’d found a man whom she loved with all her heart. Now he would live here, and they could finally be together! No long-distance relationship!
She took a long shower and dressed a little more carefully than usual, mindful that she had a date that evening. Although she chose her standard work attire of jeans and tennis shoes, she donned a lacy red blouse and dangly ruby-like earrings.
Despite her excitement about seeing Jon later, she soon found herself thinking about what she needed to do in the office. She had to wrap up the accounting from the party, and she wanted to send out the checks to the city and to Karen right away. There were those messages on the machine too….
The doorbell rang, and she jumped. She looked through the peephole. A delivery man carrying a petite bouquet of pink roses stood on the welcome mat.
She unlocked the door and signed for the flowers. She took the bouquet into the kitchen, reading the card as she walked.
At three quarters past four, seek the Crooked House door. Further instructions will await, so please try hard to not be late.
Rebecca turned the card over, searching for more explanation. There was nothing. She smiled. It must be Jon’s doing—another treasure hunt. What fun. She quickly arranged the flowers in a vase and got ready for work.
Sara awaited her in the office, preparing the bank deposit.
“You’re certainly industrious this morning,” Rebecca said.
“I’ve been here for an hour. I couldn’t sleep. I was so jazzed by the party and all that happened. I’m so excited for you and Jon. You two are really together now, right?”
Rebecca nodded happily.
“And Storytown is saved?”
“It certainly looks that way. It’s great, isn’t it?” Mittens, apparently picking up on their good mood, purred from his napping place in Rebecca’s inbox. She scratched behind his ears.
“Bec, Joey and I want to have our wedding here. Can we book Rapunzel’s Castle for the ceremony and the Sleeping Beauty area for the reception?”
Rebecca stared back at her, pleasantly surprised. “Sure. We can do it right now if you want. We’ve gotten a few requests, but we’re still pretty open for the summer.” She eased the appointment book from under Mittens’ flanks.
“I was hoping we could do it on Valentine’s Day.”
“That would certainly be romantic, but it might be risky. What if it rains?”
“Oh, Bec, with all the good stuff that’s been happening, I don’t think it can possibly rain.”
Rebecca nodded. Sara was right. “Let’s do it.” She flipped the book open to February fourteenth and blocked it out.
“There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.” Sara stood and approached Rebecca’s desk. “Will you be my maid of honor?”
Rebecca glanced up from the appointment book. She thought of the many friends she’d met at Sara’s birthday party and wondered why her assistant hadn’t asked one of them instead. It struck her that she and Sara had become quite close over the past few months. Maybe she’d been resisting it not because of their business relationship but because she’d lost two people in her life when Mark had left her for her friend. She’d been afraid of trusting anyone—man or woman. Despite her intentions, her heart had opened to both Jon and Sara. So she nodded solemnly and said, “I would be honored.”
* * * *
Near closing time, Rebecca was relieved to see Emily and her parents leaving the merry-go-round. Stickers, signatures, and little drawings decorated Emily’s pink cast. Rebecca waved to them, and Donna and Jack waved back. She wasn’t sure, but she could have sworn Emily smiled at her. Her heart swelled.
A bit before 4:45, she hurried up to The Crooked House. She couldn’t wait to see Jon and to hug and kiss him. She missed him.
A note peeked out of the mailbox at The Crooked House door. She took it out and read:
Listen here, I shall take no guff; find your way to the Brothers Gruff.
She giggled and walked the few yards to the goat pen. Pierpont had something around his neck. She called to him and showed him her hand. He ambled over, and she withdrew a ribbon from around his neck. She unfolded a note attached to the ribbon and read:
I need you now to do your best; please go in search of a treasure chest.
She deliberated for a moment. That would have to be the Treasure Island ship. How in the world did Jon set all this up? Maybe that was the real reason Sara was in the park so early—she had helped.
She reached the Treasure Island set and climbed into the Hispaniola. Another clue rested among the faux coins and jewels in the treasure chest. She picked it out and read:
Soon enough we’ll have our date. Who else fears he might be late?
The White Rabbit! She jogged over to the Alice tunnel. Another note was taped to the statue of the bunny himself.
The way to Oz is fraught with woe. We’re losing time, so off you go.
She double backed to the Oz area and found another clue in Dorothy’s picnic basket.
I wish to share a loving dance…where might you go to find romance?
This was the hardest clue yet. She decided it would have to be one of the fairy tale castles. She settled on Cinderella because of the snow globe Jon had given her.
She approached the pink castle, looking out in all directions for him. She checked her watch—a few minutes before five.
Someone came up behind her, clamped his hands over her eyes, and said, “Guess who?” The unmistakable scent of Jon’s aftershave wafted around her.
“Hmm. I couldn’t possibly guess.”
“Your Prince Charming in the flesh.” Jon uncovered her eyes and walked around to face her. Irresistibly handsome in a black tuxedo with cummerbund and bow tie, his hair dark and smooth, he made her gasp.
He reached into his pants pocket and presented her with a short-stemmed pink rosebud.
She accepted the flower and teased, “First a knight and now a prince? You are certainly versatile.”
“You have yet to see the versatility I am capable of.” He bent to one knee and kissed her hand. He stood and led her inside the castle where a picnic waited for them. A feast-sourdough bread, a block of cheese, fruit, glasses, and a bottle of champagne-beckoned to her.
Rebecca smiled at him. “It’s beautiful.”
He helped her sit down on a plaid blanket. She shivered, and he took off his tuxedo jacket to wrap it around her. He settled down beside her and opened the champagne with a delicate pop.
“Are you ever dressed right for the weather?” he asked with a grin.
She flushed. “I guess I always expect it to be sunny and warm.”
“Even in January?” He filled the glasses and handed her one. He clinked his glass against hers.
“Jon, I’m so happy. I haven’t even thanked you yet.”
“Thanked me?”
“For helping me save Storytown. I just hope things will be okay with your dad.”
He put down his glass and took her hand. “I think they will be. I suggested he try acquiring LitLand. The climate’s not quite as good and there’s not as much land, but it’s still Northern California. It might take the sting out of losing Storytown.”
“That’s great. Good idea.” She removed her hand from his and cradled his cheek.
“Now. I have a few things to discuss with you.”
“All right. About the park, you mean?”
“In a minute. But I have some other important business to conduct before then.”
She looked at him expectantly.
“I need my coat back for a sec.”
“Oh, okay.” She handed it to him and watched as he reached into the pocket. He drew out a black velvet box and rearranged his position until he settled on one knee. She caught her breath.
“I was damaged after my sister died. I didn’t know if I’d be able to love again. The truth is I was with Cecille not only to please my dad, but because it was easy. I didn’t love her, so I had nothing to lose. And then you came along. Beautiful, passionate, adorably stubborn. I fell in love with you, Rebecca. Deeply in love. My sweet girl, I love you. Will you please marry me?” He opened the box to reveal a heart-shaped diamond set in a platinum band.
Rebecca felt a little like Humpty Dumpty after he fell off the wall, in a million pieces. But she had the feeling Jon could put her back together again.
“I love you,” she said and kissed him.
“Good to know.” His dimples flashed. “And?”
“Yes!”
Epilogue
Rebecca and Jon chose a wedding date of June twentieth of the following year. They booked Storytown’s chapel for the ceremony and the Alice in Wonderland area for the reception. Sara and Leslie would act as attendants, and Emily would serve as flower girl with Donna’s help. Afterwards, they planned to drive to Monterey for the honeymoon. Jon joked that Rebecca could wear the Alice costume instead of a dress and veil, but she declined, socking him in the stomach for his impertinence.
* * * *
Rebecca woke on Valentine’s Day to find a huge box of chocolates on her bedstand. She looked over at Jon’s sleeping form and smiled. He loved to indulge her sweet tooth—lucky for her that their brand-new home had a large living room perfect for ballet workouts. They’d rented a condo five minutes from Storytown, and she’d been working hard to make it a home for them. They’d even brought Mittens home one evening, deciding he needed a proper place to live. They doted on the cat, each often feeding him without knowing the other had already done so. Mittens, of course, capitalized on the miscommunication. At the moment, the cat slept contentedly at the foot of the bed, but Rebecca knew he’d soon be demanding his breakfast.
She pushed back the curtains by the bed and glanced out the window. The sun glinted in her eyes. She grinned, thinking that Sara had been right—it wasn’t going to rain. In fact, she and Jon had thrown off their blankets in the middle of the night. The day would be pleasantly warm.
She took her shower and walked naked into the bedroom. She found the black teddy Sara had given her for Christmas and slipped into it. Jon woke up and whistled at her.
“Come over here,” he directed.
She approached him and leaned down to kiss his cheek. Before she could back away, he placed his hands over the top of the lingerie and caressed her.
“Now, now, we have to get ready.”
Jon pulled her down onto the bed. “We have loads of time. The wedding isn’t until eleven.” He gently licked her earlobe.
Rebecca wriggled out from his embrace. “Hey, I’m the maid of honor, remember? I have to be there for Sara if she needs anything.”
Jon released his hold on her, and she stood up. Reconsidering, she shed the teddy and slid back into bed beside him. He was right—they had plenty of time.
* * * *
At the reception in the Sleeping Beauty area, Rebecca whispered to Jon, “I’ll be right back.”
He grabbed for her hand and said, “Where are you going?”
“You’ll see. Back in a flash.”
She kicked off her heels, sprinted to the office, grabbed what she was looking for, and skipped back up to the reception. She slid into the chair beside Jon’s and presented him with a long mailing tube.
“What’s this?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
He opened the container and withdrew the rolled-up piece of paper inside. She cleared away their dishes and helped him unfurl it. They spread the paper out onto the table, anchoring it with their centerpiece.
“A blueprint? For a new area of the park?”
She nodded. “Casey at the Bat. Look
at the inset. It’s what the plaque will read.”
He read out loud, “Dedicated to Penny Eastman, beloved daughter, sister, and friend. May there always be joy in Mudville.”
He closed his eyes, and her heart stopped. Was he offended? Had she gone too far?
She tried to explain. “I thought…since you and she played softball together…and you went to the Yankees games….” Oh, no, it was on the way home from a Yankees game that Penny died….
Jon opened his eyes, leaned in, and gave her a huge kiss. “This has got to be the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me. Will you marry me?”
She giggled. “I’m already going to marry you, remember?” She flashed the ring on her left hand.
“Right. I may just ask you every day, though, because I want you to keep saying yes.”
“Yes, yes, yes.”
The opening notes to “I’ve Got a Crush on You” wafted over to them, and she took his hand. Once they’d joined Sara and Joey on the dance floor, she looked around the park and into her fiancé’s eyes, treasuring her past, her present, and most of all, her future.
Acknowledgments
This book wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for Children's Fairyland in Oakland, California—a storybook park I visited many times as a child. I was fortunate enough to work there as an adult, and I always thought a storybook park would be a great setting for a romance. I encourage you to seek out a storybook park in your area, or to visit one on a vacation. They may be few and far between, but they really are treasures.
Storybook Love: A Storybook Park Romance Page 13