Dana was torn between understanding her grandmother’s attempt to draw out their time together, and her own deep need to get the good-byes over with because the parting was going to be painful. Yes, her grandmother could be exasperating. And yes, Dana worried her grandfather was going to drop dead in the driveway one day due to excessive, secret chocolate consumption. But she’d enjoyed staying with them. She wouldn’t change who they were for anything.
Dana hated to do it, but for her own sanity, she was going to disappoint her grandmother.
“You don’t have to wait with me,” Dana assured them with false cheer. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” her grandfather asked.
Dana squeezed his hand. “Yes, Grandpa.”
“Okay, hon. You know what’s best for you.” Her grandfather forced a small smile, but Dana could tell he was disappointed. It was there in the way his shoulders slouched just that tiny bit more, in the way he pressed his lips together and studied the floor, not wanting her to see the sadness in his eyes.
“All right, then.” Her grandmother’s voice was light, an attempt to mask her misery. “You’ll call us as soon as you get in, right?”
“I promise.”
Her grandmother squeezed her before holding her face in her chilly hands, gazing at Dana with overwhelming love. “You know you’re welcome any time, right?”
“Yes, Grandma.”
“Be good. Let us know what’s going on with Paris.” Dana swallowed. “I will.”
Her grandmother had no sooner released her than her grandfather stepped in, his embrace all-encompassing. “I hate seeing my girl go. But life goes on, eh?” He gave her a big smack on the cheek and whispered, “The chocolate remains our little secret, right?”
Dana grinned. “That goes without saying.”
Dana’s grandmother gently tugged at her husband’s sleeve. “We should go.”
Her grandfather released her reluctantly. “We love you.”
“Love you, too,” said Dana.
She watched them as they walked away, her grandmother reaching for her grandfather’s hand. Sam and Adele Fine, who’d once been young like she was, but who now were old. They’d held on in sickness and in health, and had been together so long they could read each other’s minds, as well as finish each other’s sentences. Their gait was slow, their skin was no longer taut, and their eyesight got a little worse with every passing year. But the only thing that mattered was that Sam loved Adele, and Adele loved Sam, and it was forever....
“WAIT! Grandma! Grandpa! WAIT!”
Dana’s grandparents turned slowly, twin expressions of alarm on their lined faces.
“I’m coming with you.”
Her grandfather looked perplexed. “Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. Better than fine. I’m coming back to the condo with you. And then I’m going to find Josh Green and tell him I love him.”
Her grandmother threw her hands up in the air, hooting with joy. “Ha! I knew you’d come to your senses.”
“It’s true,” her grandfather confirmed, looking at his wife with admiration. “She said that.”
“I know my Dana,” her grandmother continued proudly. “Stubborn, yes. Stupid, no.”
“Let’s get a move on, then,” said her grandfather. “Love shouldn’t have to wait.”
“Grandpa! Slow down!”
Dana had never raised her voice to her grandfather in her life, but right now, it was warranted. Leaving the airport, he’d morphed from the slow driver everyone on the road cursed to the reckless fool behind the wheel who seemed to think rules didn’t apply to him because he was old.
“Sam, slow down!”
Dana and her grandmother exchanged glances as he shot through one red light, then two. As they zoomed toward the third, her grandmother lost patience.
“Sam! I know this is your version of not needing Viagra, but slow the goddamn car down!”
The plea fell on deaf ears. To take her mind off the possibility that this ride could end in a visit to the emergency room, Dana focused on one thing: Josh.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Back at Huerto de Naranja, her grandfather threw the car into Park before it had come to a complete stop, jerking them all forward in their seats. Springing out the driver’s door with astounding agility, he tossed Dana the keys. “Go find him.”
“I hope his crew is still here.”
“It’s Wednesday. They always stay late on Wednesdays,” her grandmother informed her.
“Do you want one of our walkie-talkies so you and I can keep in touch?” she questioned eagerly.
“Gran—”
“I know, I know, I know. Now go.”
Dana drove around the complex slowly, which wasn’t easy: her entire body was trembling with adrenaline. She understood why her grandfather had just acted like a NASCAR driver: when spurred on by an overwhelming feeling of urgency, sometimes you couldn’t fight the need for speed.
But since she was behind the wheel of her grandparents’ car, and there was a strictly enforced speed limit of 20 mph in the development, she kept her adrenaline in check. All she needed was to plow into an old couple puttering down the road in a golf cart and it would all be over. She’d be jailed and her grandparents would be exiled, or worse, shunned.
Around and around she drove, but she couldn’t find Josh. Close to giving up hope, she finally spotted him mowing the lawn of one of the freestanding houses. Dana’s heart surged wildly at the sight of him. There was no time to lose; she’d wasted enough of that precious commodity already.
Dana pulled up to the house, tires screeching as she threw the car into Park and jumped out, running across the lawn toward Josh.
“I LOVE YOU!” she shouted, waving her arms above her head like a maniac. “I love you, Josh!”
Josh looked alarmed as he caught sight of her and killed the mower, whipping off his headphones. “Dana—? Did something happen?”
“Shoot, you had your headphones on. You didn’t hear what I said.” She threw her arms around his sweaty neck, giddy with emotion. “I love you, Josh! I love you, I love you, I love you!”
“Whoa there, girl.” Josh peeled her arms from around his neck and put his hands on her shoulders, gazing at her steadily.
“I love you,” Dana repeated, shifting away from his grip. She couldn’t hold still. “I love you. I was dumb to fight it. I’m not going to walk away from the love of my life for a job!” She launched herself at him again, twining her arms around his neck and her legs around his hips. Josh laughed, his hands sliding beneath her butt to hold her up.
“You’re acting very goofy, Dana. You realize that, right?”
“I don’t care!” Dana proclaimed exuberantly. She looked at him for a long second, then kissed him hard on the mouth, surprising him completely. She drew back, breathless.
“Marry me.”
Josh’s eyes doubled in size. “What?”
“Marry me, Josh. I’m not kidding.” She unwound herself from around his body. “I’ll go down on one knee if you want.” She started to kneel, but Josh gently pulled her up.
“I want you to take a deep breath.”
“I’m not crazy,” Dana insisted.
“I know that, honey. I just want you to take a nice, deep breath and then we’re going to talk about this calmly.”
“Okay. Okay.” Impatient, Dana took two quick breaths. “So—”
“Deep. I said deep.”
Dana scowled at him in frustration, but did as he asked.
Josh remained concerned. “We okay now?”
“I’m fine. Better than ever! Really.”
Josh looked around, his eyes lighting on a tree up the street. “Let’s go over there and talk about this, okay? Better yet, why don’t I pick you up around seven—”
“No.” Dana was adamant. She couldn’t wait. They had to talk now.
“The tree it is.”
Hurry up! Dana silently implored as she pra
ctically skipped down the road, Josh’s usual pace suddenly seeming maddeningly slow. He looked like he was going to burst out laughing as he sat down, but Dana remained standing, rocking on her feet. “I’m not sure I can sit,” she explained.
Josh sighed. “Dana, please don’t make me Taser you.” Dana capitulated and sat. Josh looked like he wanted to hold her hand, but he was holding back, so Dana did it for him instead. “I don’t care how grubby you are.”
Josh smiled slowly as he pulled a handkerchief from the back pocket of his jeans and mopped his forehead. Dana envied his equanimity; she was dying to do cartwheels.
“All right.” Josh stuffed the rag back into his pocket. “Tell me what’s going on. Slowly.”
“I love you and I want to marry you,” Dana said simply. “I was being stupid and stubborn and frightened.”
“I’d agree with that.” His teasing smile turned into one more serious. “You love me.”
“Yes.”
“And you want to get married.”
“Yes.”
Josh looked skeptical. “And how’s this going to work? Long-distance marriage?”
“No. I’m turning down the job in Paris, and I’m resigning from La Belle Femme. I’m moving down here and we’re going to get married and be happy forever!”
Josh blinked at her uncomprehendingly. “What?”
Dana’s heart plummeted. “Oh, God. You don’t want to.”
“Of course I want to, you crazy woman. I just need to process all this.”
Dana sighed impatiently.
“You’ve got to fill in the blanks here, honey. Because they’re huge.”
He was right. Dana shifted so she was facing him and took both his hands in hers, clasping them tightly.
“It’s simple. I told you, I was tired of my job. The only thing keeping me there was the promise of Paris. But that was before we met. I don’t want to be apart from you, Josh.”
Josh looked mildly perturbed. “You’re going to quit your job? For me?”
“For us,” Dana corrected. “Look, I’ve had no life for years. I hate to admit it, but it’s true. The only positive thing about that is it’s allowed me to save up tons of money. My thinking is that we get married, and then I can use that financial cushion to take time to figure out what I really want to do. From the first time I met you, I envied your freedom to make your own rules. I want to do that, too. And now I’ll have a chance to.”
“What about starting a family?” His gaze had gone from apprehensive to absolutely sober. Dana wanted to laugh. Mr. Planner, making sure things were mapped out and all the pieces fit together beautifully.
“I want that,” Dana murmured, kissing his knuckles. “More than anything.”
Josh was still looking at her with uncertainty. “What if you hate it here?”
“I won’t. You’re here.” Dana took one set of their clasped hands and pressed it to her cheek. “Trust me on this, Josh. Please.”
Josh took a long look at her, and burst out laughing. “Maybe I’m batshit crazy, but I do.”
Dana let out a squeal of delight. “You accept my proposal?”
Josh pulled her onto his lap. “Not only do I accept your proposal, but I also know the perfect time to get married.”
Dana was so electrified she could barely catch her breath. “When?”
“Today.”
Dana frowned. “This isn’t some joke, Josh.”
“I know it.” His expression was deadly serious. “I think we should get married today.”
So, he thought this was all a big joke, huh? Well, two could play at that.
“What time works for you, Josh?” Dana noticed a few of her grandparents’ neighbors walking by, and waved feebly. She could just imagine what they were thinking: There’s Adele Fine’s granddaughter sitting on the weed-whacker’s lap.
Josh squinted, looking up at the sky. “Five is good.”
“Five,” Dana played along. “Go on.”
“Yeah, five,” he repeated, sounding absolutely serious. He pointed to a small row of detached bungalows two streets over.
“You know who lives down there?”
“Who?”
“Rabbi Stern. I’m going to walk over to Rabbi Stern’s, and I’m going to ask him to marry us at five.”
“Five today.”
“Yeah.”
“What if he’s not home?”
“He’s home. He’s always home.”
Dana began to feel dizzy. “Let me make sure I’m following you here: we’re getting married today at five o’clock by Rabbi Stern.”
“Yup.” Josh rested his forehead against hers. “Five o’clock,” he whispered. “Early Bird Special time.”
“You’re insane. You’re being as impulsive as I am. What happened to Mr. Architect and his need for perfect planning?”
“This is perfectly planned,” Josh replied, lying down in the grass and pulling her on top of him. “I’m going to ask the rabbi to marry us. He’ll say yes.”
“And then?”
“Then I shower at your grandparents’ house and change into the spare set of clothes I keep in the truck.”
“In case you might get married.”
“Exactly.”
“Looks like I’m going to need a shower, too,” Dana said with a light laugh as she gave Josh’s shoulder a short, sweet lick. Salty sweat ... Josh ... .
“Dana, I’m not joking. I’m deadly serious.”
Dana was dumbstruck.
“I’m not joking,” Josh repeated ardently. “I’ve waited a long time for the right woman, and I’m not going to wait any longer. I love you, and if I could marry you this second, I would. But I can’t, so I’m going to have to wait until I’m done with work, and then marry you in the clubhouse as per Huerto de Naranja tradition. We can talk about doing a big wedding and reception at some point in the future. Right now, all I care about is being able to call you my ‘wife’ as soon as possible. So get back in the car and do whatever you need to do at your grandparents’ house. See you at five.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
“I got to hand it to you, Josh. You shocked the shit out of me.”
Josh was restless as he milled around Huerto de Naranja’s banquet room, waiting for Rabbi Stern to arrive. When the rabbi had first opened his front door to find Josh standing there, dirty, sweaty, and smelling of earth, the poor guy looked afraid. But once Josh explained the situation, the rabbi’s face lit up. He would be honored, he said, to preside at the wedding of the granddaughter of Adele and Sam Fine.
Josh wound up showering at Eduardo’s since he lived nearby. It made sense, killing two birds with one stone: it saved him the drama of being with Dana’s grandmother, and it added an element of tradition to the ceremony, since he wouldn’t see Dana until the wedding. That was one of the things he most looked forward to, knowing she’d look more beautiful than ever. All brides looked radiant, right? Which meant that Dana—
“Did you even hear what I said?”
Josh looked at his friend. “Nope.”
“I said you shocked the shit out of me,” Eduardo repeated. “Mr. Architect, acting on impulse?”
“It felt right.”
“I guess I get that,” Eduardo allowed. “The feeling that sometimes, you just gotta go for it.” He began rocking on his heels, hands stuck in the front pockets of his pants, whistling some tropical-sounding tune Josh didn’t know. Josh just watched; he knew what Eduardo was waiting for. Finally, the whistling stopped, replaced by a glare. “Don’t you need a best man?”
“Subtle.” Josh clapped him on the back. “Goes without saying.”
Pleased, Eduardo busied himself with making sure the rows of fold-out chairs were in straight lines. For whatever reason, he was nervous, too, which made Josh even more anxious. He looked at his watch again. The rabbi was late. Josh had a fleeting fear the old man had stroked out, or worse. He dismissed the notion. Nothing was going to get in the way of his marrying his woman today. Not
hing.
Watching Eduardo, Josh thought back on all the weddings, baptisms, and communion parties he’d gone to over the years as Eduardo’s friend. But this was the very first time Eduardo was attending any kind of ceremony for him.
“Hey, Ed, you ever been to a Jewish wedding before?”
“No.” Eduardo looked unfazed. “All I know is I have to wear a beanie.”
“A yarmulke,” Josh corrected with amusement. “But yeah, you have to wear one. All the men do.”
“I don’t have one! What am I supposed to do? Throw a napkin over my head?”
“Don’t be a douche bag. You think I keep one in the truck? There will be a box of ’em here someplace.”
Josh glanced warily at the banquet room doors. No Rabbi Stern.
“Anything else I should know?”
“Yeah. Jews get married beneath a wedding canopy. You’re going to hold one of the four poles.”
“Who’s holding the other three?”
“The rabbi said he’d take care of it.” Josh frowned worriedly. The rabbi. He refused to check his watch again. Everything was going to be fine.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
“I can’t believe this is happening. I keep pinching myself. Look, I’m giving myself bruises.”
Dana’s grandmother thrust a bony arm under Dana’s nose for her to inspect. Returning to the condo after proposing to Josh, Dana wasn’t surprised to find both her grandparents waiting for her at the front door. Gleeful, she told them she and Josh were going to be married later today. Her grandmother looked as if Dana had smacked her face. But it took only a few seconds for her to recover and begin the interrogation. Dana told her the details of what had transpired—within reason. No way she was going to tell her grandparents that the minute she’d spotted Josh, she sprinted across a lawn toward him, her arms madly chopping the air like helicopter blades as she screamed her love for him. It made her sound crazy, which, perhaps, she was. She’d heard that love could do that to people. Now she knew it was true.
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