CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
Without even any further discussion I found myself living with Joel in New York. I hadn't really moved in so much as I'd never left. We weren't married yet, but we were certainly beginning our happily ever after.
"I want you to sell the apartment."
Joel's statement was so out of the blue that I stared at him for a few seconds. He hadn't been home for more than ten minutes. I'd spent the day shopping because I'd had nothing else to do. I didn't know anybody else in New York. Not well enough to spend the day with them anyway.
"We need someplace to stay when we go to Omaha to visit my parents."
"We can stay with them."
I gave him a stern look. He didn't know my parents. He'd met my mom, but he had no idea what it would be like to live with the Bonnevilles. Sure, they had plenty of room. But I intended to spend more than a few nights at a time in my hometown.
"What if we want to stay for a while? You might have some long boring job out of town. I don't want to stay in New York where I don't know anybody. And I'm definitely not staying with my parents. That's out of the question."
Joel sighed, walked over to me, and kissed me on the tip of my nose.
"Fine," he said. "Sell the apartment and buy a house. I'm not totally comfortable living in your ex-boyfriend's place after we're married. Although I'm sure that would be a great story for TMZ."
He had a good point. I could imagine the headline: Joel Ruskin Steals Former Beau Castle Love Interest, Squats in Omaha Apartment.
"Okay, but I don't want a huge house. I want someplace cozy."
"Whatever you want, my dear." He kissed me again. Those kisses turned into deeper kisses. Soon we were in bed for the night.
Before I drifted off to sleep, I made up my mind to fly home as soon as possible to look for a house. I'd already quit my job because I knew I wouldn't need it. My future with Joel was as good as set in stone. In less than a month, I would be his wife.
It was another week before I returned to Omaha to tidy up all the loose ends. My life had basically been put on hold while I was in New York. Joel and I had given the news of our engagement to my parents via Skype. They'd taken it well, despite the seeming urgency of our pending wedding. Of course my mom had asked me if I was hiding a pregnancy. Who wouldn't? What Joel and I were doing seemed crazy. But we felt there was no reason to wait any more.
When I got back home, my mom revealed she wasn't completely thrilled we were getting married so fast. It had nothing to do with us personally. She tried to talk me into slowing things down.
"I have one daughter," she told me. "That gives me one chance to plan a big wedding. And you want to elope?"
"We're not eloping, Mom. Eloping is going to the courthouse and not telling anybody you're doing it. The wedding will still be up to your standards." I told her she could plan as much of it as she wanted. Party planning was her thing and had never been mine. The less I had to do the better.
Next on my agenda was to visit my former place of employment. I'd basically walked out on my job, meaning Uncle Gordon had to work more hours in his own shop until he could find my replacement. I knew Joni wouldn't be happy about that. Gordon was an easy-going guy, but nobody likes having the boss watching over their shoulder.
Joni's face lit up when I entered the store. Then her brows dropped and she glared at me.
"Where have you been? Did you really just up and quit? Your uncle said you moved to New York."
"I did," I answered sheepishly. "I am. I'm in the process. But Joel works all the time, so I'll be back in Omaha every once in a while."
Her face softened. She put her arms out in front of her and came in for a hug. She'd never hugged me before.
"I'm happy for you, Luce," she gushed. "You and Joel are cute together. And he's so rich! You better not let that one go."
I felt guilty that I couldn't tell Joni about our engagement. But Joel and I had agreed the fewer people who knew the better. And Joni wasn't the best secret keeper. I was sure most of the things I'd already told her had made their way into someone else's ears.
As I looked around the store, a pang of sadness tore at my heart. I was going to miss Gobo's. I'd worked there for a decade. I'd never worked anywhere else. And I had no idea what I'd be doing in the future. I definitely wasn't going to sit around the apartment all day waiting for Joel to return.
And I would miss Joni. Even though I hadn't known her for long, we'd become good friends. I'd never had a best friend, but she was the closest I'd come. We both had tears in our eyes when I said I had to go. There were many more things I needed to take care of.
◆◆◆
Lucy browsed the real estate website for open houses in Omaha. There were a few million-dollar homes Joel could definitely afford, but she wanted something quaint, something homey, something her mom and dad would love whenever they came to visit. There was a gorgeous, three-story, brick home in Dundee for under $700,000. She imagined strolling through the tree-lined neighborhood and what the house would look like all decorated for Christmas. It was open from noon to two. She would have to dress the part.
Wearing her only black business suit, Lucy walked through the front door of the century-old house. She gasped at the sunlight pouring through the windows atop the sweeping staircase. She'd always wanted this type of grand entryway in which to greet her guests and to send off her adoring husband on his way to the airport for another tour.
A cheery, blonde woman with a wide, plastic smile greeted her when she stepped into the formal living room. She handed her a flyer.
"What brings you out today?" Her voice was squeaky and forcibly cheerful.
"I'm getting married," she answered. "We'll be living mostly at his place in New York, but we want a home in Omaha to be near my family."
The agent's eyes widened along with her impossible smile.
"Oh," she said, "what does your fiancé do in New York?"
"He's in the entertainment business." She ran her hand over the shiny blackness of the grand piano. She pictured Joel seated there, crooning a tune he'd stayed up all night writing for her. Then she turned her back on the agent and headed for the kitchen.
"What does he do? Would I know who he is?" The agent was genuinely interested. She skipped after Lucy so quickly it was obvious she was dying to know.
"I can't say," she whispered loudly. "Our engagement hasn't gone public yet."
The agent looked her up and down and then simply smiled with disappointment in her eyes. Then the front door squeaked open and two sets of footsteps echoed through the foyer. The agent excused herself to greet the new prospective buyers. Lucy, in her suit and heels that click-clicked on the wood floors, was free to inspect the mansion and daydream away.
The open house had enough traffic that the agent forgot about her. She carefully inspected each room, imagining Joel living there with her. This was definitely the house they would make into their home. There would need to be some changes, but Joel didn't need to worry about any of that. This one would be her home. He would more or less be a guest in it, as infrequently as he would be in Omaha.
The real estate agent entered the bedroom as I ended my call with Joel. I'd told him I had the perfect house in mind and he'd given me his blessing.
"Do you have any questions about the home?" she asked. Her tone indicated she was actually trying to hurry me out the door. Clearly she didn't think I had any interest in the house. Or maybe she thought I didn't have the means to pay for it.
"No," I replied. "I'd like to make an offer."
The woman's sculpted eyebrows raised. She let out a tiny, surprised giggled, waited for me to indicate I was joking, and then realized I was serious.
"I look forward to doing business with you."
Lucy was in the master bedroom laying on the chaise lounge and staring at the ceiling. She'd let her imagination get away from her and had lost track of time. That's when the real estate agent came into the room and let out a startled ye
lp at the sight of her.
"Miss," she said breathlessly. "You scared me half to death. The open house is over. I didn't even realize you were still here."
"Sorry." She stood up and slipped her feet back into her high heels. She rushed past the flustered agent. Obviously her story was blown. The woman didn't even bother to ask her if she had any intention to buy the house. And so she hurried out of the beautiful old mansion with her proverbial tail between her legs. Fortunately, she had more than a dozen pictures of the rooms on her phone that she could refer back to in her future daydreams.
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
The Bonnevilles and the Ruskins arrived in Las Vegas on the afternoon of February 13th. We all settled into our rooms at the Bellagio. My penthouse suite overlooked the fountain below. Tomorrow night I would share the suite with my husband. Tonight, however, I would keep with tradition and sleep alone as a single woman for the last time.
The room was so big I didn't know what to do with myself. My mom was running around fussing with my dress and making sure we both had everything we needed for the ceremony. I was standing in the living room of the suite staring at the white couch and wondering what the price tag was on this whole trip. I'd grown up comfortably. Even living on my own I'd never had to worry about money. My parents had plenty of it, but nothing like what Joel had. Barring some unforeseen event, I'd never have to worry about a price tag again.
My mom snapped me out of my pre-wedding trance. First on the agenda was a grand dinner in a fine restaurant. I was thrilled and nervous to meet Joel's parents and his two younger siblings. Would they even like me? Would they be disappointed Joel wasn't marrying a fellow celebrity? And how strange that I was meeting my future in-laws for the first time on the eve of my wedding?
As it turned out, I couldn't have asked for a nicer family. Joel's mom was thrilled to meet me. His parents were regular people whose son had made a successful career of being charming. Our parents got along well. By the end of dinner they were like old friends. While they were chatting I caught Joel smiling at me from across the table. I could tell we were both equally relieved it was going well.
Our wedding was beautifully simple. Just our family and a few friends were there. Joel's sister Beth was my maid of honor and his brother Jeff was his best man. Both of our mothers cried. I didn't feel guilty about not inviting my work friends. I was pretty sure they didn't care much about me before Joel came along anyway. And I was ready to start a brand new chapter in my life and leave the old one behind.
My dress was champagne-colored with long, lacy sleeves. The back was open and ten strands of pearls cascaded from shoulder to shoulder and all the way down to the small of my back.
It was finally time. I wrung my hands nervously. My dad kissed me on my cheek before we walked through the doors for the ceremony. When I approached Joel, his eyes widened and his smile couldn't be contained. In that moment, I knew we would be happy for the rest of our lives.
Joel's publicist had insisted on letting a few carefully selected journalists in on our secret ceremony. They had to wait outside until after we'd said our vows. Then they rushed in and shouted our names while snapping what seemed like a million pictures. They asked me to turn and show the back of my stunning gown. I mimicked the women I'd seen on the red carpet. I was going to have to get used to being part of the story instead of the unknown woman on the sidelines.
When we had our first dance the photographers were allowed to take a few staged pictures. But then they were ushered out and the party was once again private. As a surprise to me, Joel had hired a band he knew I liked. I held on to him as we danced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Ruskin. It was a relief to know that now he really was mine and I was his.
CHAPTER FORTY
Spring Fork, Colorado - 2016
Spring Fork was accessed by what Lucy believed to be a far too treacherous mountain road. The other drivers didn't seem to think so as they impatiently lined up behind her slow-moving vehicle. There was no passing allowed on the narrow road, so they had no choice but to tolerate her white-knuckle driving. She was sure one slight turn of the wheel would send her careening off the side of the mountain and leave her impaled on one of the pointy trees below.
For this reason, she decided the only way she was driving that road again was to leave Spring Fork forever. She would drive to the Tall Pines Ski Resort and Lodge for anything she couldn't get in town. The neighboring town had a Walmart and plenty of amenities for tourists and resort employees. In the coming months she could even roam around the employee village and think about becoming one of them. She needed to be in Spring Fork. She needed to be near Joel.
Her new home was an old hotel that was built in the nineteenth century. It was now a boarding house with one floor for men and one for women. Stepping into the First Spring Boarding House was like stepping back in time. Red carpet covered the steps of the grand staircase which lead to a long hallway of heavy doors. Each room was small with a bed, a dresser, one window, and a sink in the corner. The bathroom was three doors down from Lucy's room and across the hall. There were two stalls and two showers. This made her morning routine rather difficult. If she wanted a hot shower, her best bet was to take it at night when the young tenants were down in the dining room drinking and playing cards and the older ones were already in bed with the lights out.
As soon as she was settled, she updated her Facebook profile to reflect her move. For the first hour her mom was the only person who liked the post, although Lucy knew she didn't truly approve of her taking off to a strange town. Finally she was alerted to a comment. It was from Joni.
Enjoy your new digs. Say hi to your hotty boyfriend.
Joni didn't really mean she thought Lucy's boyfriend was good looking. It was part of her online image to talk like that and to make others think she had interesting friends.
"Why isn't he on your Facebook?" Joni had asked before she had left Omaha for good.
"He doesn't do social media. He's a private person."
"Well, try to get a selfie with him when you get up there. I want to see what your man looks like."
She had promised she would. It wasn't a lie. She fully intended to insert herself into Joel's life. Then she could take all the pictures of him she wanted.
The next person to comment on her announcement was Tammy from the fan club.
Spring Fork? What are you doing there?
There was no way Tammy didn't know about Joel's new house in town. Any true fan had to know, even a mildly obsessed one. She tried to think of a vague response. Or maybe she wouldn't respond at all. Before she could make up her mind, she was alerted to a private Facebook message. It was from Belinda.
When did you move to Colorado? Because Joel Ruskin just moved there too. Weird coincidence?
She didn't like her accusatory tone. She replied, I just got here today. Joel asked me to come help him renovate his new house. I like the town, so I decided to stay.
Why would he do that? How does he even know you?
Her body heated with mild rage. Who did this woman think she was? Did she think she owned Joel? Was she the only person who could be his friend? He hadn't even shown up to her lame-ass pizza party.
I ran into him after the show in Omaha. We started talking online and he liked my ideas for the house. Since we're friends it's no big deal to come here and help him out.
That was that. There was no further reply from the fan club leader. Obviously she hadn't liked her answer. Good. Maybe it was jealousy. Well, she was going to have to get over it.
No one in town had seen any sign of Joel Ruskin. Not that she had asked. But in small towns, when someone famous was in town, everyone knew.
Moon was a laid-back boss, probably more so than she should be. She had told her she'd appreciate it if she could be at the shop by nine, but she didn't want her to fight her body if it ever wasn't ready to begin the day at that time. Other than that, she only asked that she respect the store's brilliance by governing
her own actions.
"I'm not here to be your slave keeper," Moon had told her on her first day.
This no-rules policy wasn't a problem for her. She didn't have to struggle to be there at nine. She was an early riser most of the time anyway. And she didn't know anybody else in town yet, so there was nothing else for her to do but sit in the shop and wait for customers.
The business model didn't work so well on the store's other employee, Cory. He was a skinny guy with tiny, thick glasses. He'd originally told Lucy he was twenty-six, but it turned out he was only twenty. He wasn't into Moon's peace and love philosophy, but he'd grown up in town and this was apparently the only job he could get.
Cory talked non-stop. He talked about anything that interested him as if his brain couldn't keep it all in. One day he talked about nothing but woodworking and how someday he'd like to move to Denver and be a cabinet maker. The next day he wouldn't shut up about a shark movie on the Sci Fi channel. Whenever she would try to change the subject, Cory would change it right back again. Even when she was beyond comfortable listening range, she could hear his voice drone on as if she were still listening.
Then finally he said something that actually interested her.
"Did you hear about that TV guy that moved into town?"
Her ears perked up. She'd been tuning him out, but somehow this got through. She tried to act casual.
"What guy?"
"Joel Pumpkin or something like that." He began tearing at the hem of his t-shirt.
"Joel Ruskin?"
"Yeah. He's on TV."
She stepped closer to him.
"Have you seen him around?"
"Yeah." Cory turned to stock the handcrafted soaps Moon had made on her stove over the weekend. "Did I tell you I wrestled an alligator once?"
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