Debt Collector

by Weston Parker

  “Everything is great,” I said. “But I was hoping I could come over and talk to you.”

  “Sure,” Rick said. “When?”

  “Now,” I said.

  “Tonight?” Rick’s surprise echoed through the phone.

  “If that’s okay,” I said quickly. “I know it’s out of the blue, but trust me, it’s really important.”

  “Is Sophie okay?” Rick asked nervously. “And Nina?”

  “They’re both perfectly fine,” I said. “I promise, it’s nothing but good news.”

  “Okay,” Rick said slowly. “Well, come on over. I’ll be here.”

  “See you soon!”

  I hung up and turned back to Liam. He held out his hand for the phone, and I handed it over.

  “After you call Kaddy, can you call Teresa and Amy?” I asked. “Sophie will want them here, too.”

  “Amy?” Liam asked. “The woman who used to care for the horses?”

  I nodded. “She and Sophie have stayed in touch since she left,” I said. “She still lives in town. She works at a high-class ranch about ten miles from here.”

  “Do we have the numbers?” Liam asked.

  “In my office,” I said. “They’re all in my book.”

  Liam nodded and immediately sprang into action. I hurried into the entryway and grabbed my jacket out of the coat closet before I ran outside. It was too cold to ride a motorcycle, so I jumped behind the wheel of my car and sped down the driveway.

  ***

  I pulled into Rick’s driveway just after nine o’clock. The kitchen light was on, so I hurried around to the back of the house and knocked. Rick answered immediately, standing back to let me inside with a worried look on his face.

  “Are you sure everything’s okay?” Rick asked.

  “Everything is perfect,” I said. “I just wanted to run an idea by you.”

  “Okay,” Rick said slowly. “Go ahead.”

  I quickly explained everything to Rick. I told him all about Sophie’s stress and how worried she’d been. When I mentioned the idea of moving the wedding up to tomorrow, Rick’s entire face lit up with excitement.

  “That’s brilliant,” Rick said. “She’ll love it.”

  “You think so?” I asked nervously.

  “It’s exactly the sort of thing Sophie loves,” Rick said. “Spontaneous and exciting. She spent so much of her life afraid to venture out, afraid to have real experiences. Ever since she met you, that’s changed. She’s opened herself up to the world more than ever. I think a surprise wedding is exactly what she would want.”

  “I’m so glad to hear you say that,” I said, laughing with relief. “I was worried you’d think it was a stupid idea.”

  “Not at all,” Rick said. “It’s perfect. Now, what can I do to help?”

  Rick sprang into action faster than either myself or Liam had. After just one conversation, he was completely onboard. It meant everything to me that Sophie’s dad approved of my plan. I knew he wanted his little girl to have the entire world, just like I wanted for Nina.

  “I don’t know if it’s possible,” I said after Rick and I finished ironing out all the details. “I’m going to head back to the mansion and get things started.”

  “Have you called Kaddy?” Rick asked. “She’ll be a huge help.”

  “Liam called her,” I said. “Hopefully, she’ll already be there when I get back.”

  “Should I come, too?” Rick asked. “I can help set up. You’re already going to be up all night.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “You’ve done more than enough already. Just pick up the cake in the morning, okay? And be there by seven.”

  Rick nodded and smiled, a faraway look appearing in his eyes. I knew he was thinking about his late wife. Over the past year, I’d gotten to know Rick. It wasn’t uncommon for him to zone out and just remember Sophie’s mom.

  “I’m sorry she’s not here for this,” I said softly, clapping Rick gently on the shoulder.

  “She is,” Rick said with a sad smile. “In her own way.”

  “You think so?” I asked. My mind turned to my own parents, and for the first time, I felt a horrible tug in my stomach. Planning the wedding had been so insane, and now, with only one night to do it all, it was even crazier. I hadn’t let myself think about my mom and dad. Until now.

  “I do,” Rick said firmly. “It’s cheesy and a cliché, but the people we love never leave us.”

  “Yeah.”

  Rick smiled knowingly and patted my back as we walked toward the door. It was getting late, and I had a lot of preparations to complete before Sophie woke up. I needed to get home, and yet, I suddenly missed my parents worse than ever.

  “They would be proud of you,” Rick said when we reached the door.

  “Who?” I asked, blinking in confusion.

  Rick just smiled and slapped my back again. It was like he could read my mind. I sighed and shook my head, feeling silly for being so upset.

  “I knew your dad for years,” Rick said. “He was one of my closest friends. I promise, he would be proud of you. And your mother? Emily would have loved to see you with Nina.”

  “I like to think so,” I said. “I know she would have fawned over Nina, but I think she would have adored Sophie just as much. Mom always wanted a daughter.”

  Rick and I shared another moment of silent contemplation. I knew he was still missing his wife and that he always would. In those few minutes, I let myself feel my parents’ absence. I remembered their faces, their smiles. I could hear my father’s voice in my head, and my mother’s laughter echoed through my ears. It was as if they were standing right beside me.

  “I should go,” I said. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  We said goodbye, and I hurried out to my car. The streets were empty as I drove back home. I cut off the lights before I turned into the driveway, hoping Sophie would stay asleep all night. The last thing I needed was for my car’s headlights to shine through the bedroom windows and wake her.

  “You’re back,” Liam said when I stepped through the front door.

  “I am,” I said softly. “Keep your voice down. If Sophie wakes up, this whole thing will be ruined.”

  “She won’t wake up,” Liam said with confidence. “Everything will be fine.”

  “Did you get ahold of Kaddy?” I asked.

  Liam nodded and gestured toward the kitchen. I followed him through the swinging door, and sure enough, Kaddy was waiting for us at the table.

  “Finally,” she said impatiently. “Let’s get this thing started.”

  Kaddy flipped open a huge binder that was sitting on the table. I frowned and moved closer. The binder was full of wedding ideas, some seemed to be written out in gel pen. The pictures that were stuck in the book were beginning to peel at the corners.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  “Sophie and I made this in sixth grade,” Kaddy said. “This is everything she wanted her wedding to be. And tonight, we’re going to make it happen.”

  Sophie

  I jerked awake in a panic. The sun was high in the sky, and yet, Nina hadn’t made a sound. I jumped out of bed and flew across the room, shoving open the door to Nina’s nursery. When I reached her crib, it was empty. My heart thudded painfully in my chest as I spun around the room, hoping to see Andrew rocking Nina in the corner. He wasn’t. Neither him nor Nina were anywhere to be found.

  Still full of panic, I hurried back into the bedroom to grab my robe. I was halfway to the door when I saw a note pinned to my vanity mirror. I frowned and moved closer. I recognized Andrew’s handwriting immediately.

  Soph –

  There’s a dress waiting for you in the bathroom. Put it on and come downstairs.

  I love you.

  Andrew

  As I read the note, my body relaxed. Andrew obviously had Nina. My panic was all for nothing. I sighed and put my hand to my forehead, laughing at myself for getting so worked up.

  Andrew’s
note was clear, so I hurried into the bathroom. The dress he promised was hanging from the door in a long white bag. I unzipped it, and my stomach did a flip. It was the most beautiful dress I’d ever seen.

  The lacy material was a soft gold that shimmered in the bathroom light. I ran my hand over the body, feeling the intricate detail of the pattern. It was gorgeous and not at all what I’d expected. When I read Andrew’s note, I assumed he had yet another romantic day planned. I thought for sure we would be heading out to the theatre for a matinee showing, or maybe spending the day in the museum district. But one glance at the dress told me I was very wrong.

  “What’s going on?” I asked myself, shaking my head and pulling the dress off its hanger.

  I got dressed slowly, taking care to not snag the delicate fabric. Once the dress was on, I looked at myself in the mirror. Even with my hair a mess from sleep and my eyes still red, I was a vision. The dress highlighted every curve of my body perfectly. I couldn’t stop staring at myself.

  After a few minutes, I came back down to reality and finished getting ready. I didn’t know what was going on, but there was a set of jewelry waiting for me on the bathroom counter. I put it on and quickly brushed out my messy hair. I curled it slightly, not wanting to take too much time, but also wanting to look nice for whatever Andrew had planned.

  My makeup came next. I dabbed on a light layer of powder and added just a touch of mascara and blush. I looked better, more awake. I only hoped it was nice enough for the surprise.

  Andrew didn’t leave any shoes for me, so I made my way downstairs barefoot. My feet thudded softly against the hardwood floor as I reached the first floor landing. I looked around me, but Andrew was nowhere to be found.

  “You look beautiful,” a voice said from behind me.

  I spun around to see my father staring at me with tears in his eyes. He hurried over and kissed my cheek.

  “Dad, what’s going on?” I asked.

  “Your fiancé decided he didn’t want to wait another day,” Dad said. “He spent all night planning this little impromptu wedding.”

  “Wedding?” My eyes flew open, and I took a step backward. “What are you talking about?”

  “Andrew knew how stressed you were,” Dad said slowly. “He was worried that all this wedding drama was becoming too much. So, he decided to do everything himself.”

  “He planned our wedding?” I asked blankly. “In one night?”

  Dad nodded, a smile spreading across his face. I just stared at him. I couldn’t believe what I heard.

  “This is a joke, right?” I asked. “You’re joking?”

  “No,” Dad said. “What’s wrong, honey? Is this not what you want?”

  “It is!” I said quickly. “I just, I can’t believe Andrew did this.”

  “He told me about the talk you two had last night,” Dad said. “About how you didn’t care about the big, fancy wedding anymore.”

  “I don’t,” I said honestly. “I was miserable trying to put everything together.”

  “And Andrew loves you too much to let you be miserable,” Dad said.

  I shook my head and looked over Dad’s shoulder. He was blocking my view of the back courtyard, but I could see the glass doors peeking out from behind him. Without knowing, I knew that was where the wedding would be.

  “This is insane.” I laughed. “I can’t possibly, well, we can’t possibly be getting married right now!”

  “You can,” Dad said. “If you want to.”

  “Of course, I want to!” I laughed again. “I’m just in shock.”

  “Well, take a minute,” Dad said. “I’m ready to walk you down the aisle whenever you are.”

  “Right now?” I asked with a start.

  Dad nodded, and I laughed again. This entire morning felt like a dream. I was certain I was still fast asleep and that I would wake up soon to find Nina babbling in her crib and Andrew fast asleep beside me.

  But the longer I stood there, the more I knew this was real. My stomach settled, and my heart began to pound. My palms were sweaty, but a sudden wave of happiness washed over me. This was really happening. I was going to marry Andrew. Right now.

  “A spontaneous wedding,” I said under my breath. “I suppose that’s fitting.”

  “For you and Andrew?” Dad chuckled. “It’s perfect.”

  I grinned and took my father’s arm with a determined nod. Now that the shock had worn off, I was ready. More than ready. I had to stop myself from sprinting outside.

  Dad led me down the hallway and through the glass doors. A brisk breeze blew over my face, but I barely noticed. The second the doors opened, my eyes fell on Andrew.

  He was standing at the end of a short aisle, lined with white roses. Nina was in his arms, wearing a gorgeous yellow dress with a matching bow in her hair. Andrew’s tux was fitted and perfect. I swallowed hard when my eyes slid down his body.

  My eyes roamed around the courtyard. Everything was lit up in the sunlight. White roses covered almost every surface, and beautiful gold cloths hung from the trees. It was my fairytale wedding, exactly what I’d pictured as a child. Only this time, there were far less people in attendance.

  Kaddy was standing off to the side, grinning at me as Dad and I made our way down the aisle. Liam stood beside Andrew. His eyes were wet with emotion. As we walked, my eyes fell on the few friends on either side of me. Teresa and her husband, both of whom worked with Andrew and me at Hopper, waved at me as I passed. Amy, who left the mansion to work a bigger, better job down the road, blew me a kiss. And Gretchen, the new stable hand smiled broadly as I passed.

  A few more friends were there, all waving and smiling happily. It was small, a tiny wedding compared to others I’d been to, but it was perfect. When Dad and I reached the end of the aisle, I was already fighting back tears.

  “Hey there,” Andrew said. “What do you think?”

  I laughed and shook my head as Andrew handed Nina to me. I kissed her head and breathed in her scent.

  “This feels like a dream,” I said. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “Do you like it?” Andrew asked nervously.

  “I love it.” I sighed. “It’s perfect. It’s more than perfect.”

  Andrew grinned and pulled me to him for a quick kiss. The minister, who I hadn’t noticed until just then, cleared his throat to get our attention. Everyone laughed as we pulled away. I felt my cheeks blush, but I didn’t care. This was my day. My wedding day.

  “Here,” I said, turning to my dad. “Will you take her?”

  “Of course.” Dad smiled and lifted Nina out of my arms. He kissed my cheek and then hurried to his seat.

  Everyone sat down, and the minister began the ceremony. I barely heard the words he spoke. My eyes were glued to Andrew’s face. I couldn’t bring myself to look anywhere else. Even when Nina let out a high-pitched squeal, I just laughed and kept staring at my fiancé.

  “Andrew,” the minister said. “Would you like to say a few words about Sophie?”

  “Sophie,” Andrew said slowly. “I know this isn’t what you expected when you woke up this morning. But I couldn’t wait another second to be your husband. You and Nina are my entire life, my entire world. I can’t imagine ever being without you, and I can’t wait to start our life together.”

  He said his vows while tears streamed freely down my cheeks. I gave up trying to control my emotions and cried with earnest. When it was my turn, I could barely choke out the words.

  “A spontaneous wedding,” I said. “I didn’t even know I wanted this until it was mine. Andrew, you know me better than anyone ever has. There are so many things I want to say to you, so many things I want to promise, but I’ll just say I love you because that says everything.”

  Andrew took a deep breath and blinked his eyes, trying to fight back tears. The minister finished the ceremony and pronounced us husband and wife.

  Andrew kissed me fast and hard, his entire body pressed against mine. My head spun, and my he
art raced. When we finally pulled apart, I could barely breathe.

  “What’s next?” I asked when the ceremony was over.

  Dad hurried forward and handed me Nina. A photographer that I didn’t realize was there began taking pictures of our little family. I didn’t have to remember to smile, my face was frozen in a permanent grin.

  “I’ve never been this happy in my life,” I told Andrew later that day. We were dancing in the middle of the courtyard while our friends and family watched.

  “I love you,” Andrew said simply.

  The rest of the day was spent celebrating. We had lunch and danced, listened to music and played in the courtyard. Our friends stayed all day, congratulating us and making the day even more perfect.

  “Thank you for this,” I told Kaddy. “I can’t believe you guys pulled it off.”

  “It was all Andrew,” Kaddy said. “I just helped a little.”

  “A little?” I raised my eyebrows. “This is straight out of the sixth-grade wedding book.”

  Kaddy just winked at me and went to find someone to dance with. There were a few guys from the office there, and I knew Kaddy had her eye on at least one of them. I laughed to myself and watched her make her move. Some things would never change.

  “Are you seeing this?” Andrew asked, suddenly appearing at my side.

  “What?” I asked.

  Andrew pointed across the courtyard. My dad was standing just outside the stables with a goofy grin on his face. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him smile like that.

  “What’s he doing over there?” I asked with a frown.

  Just then, Gretchen stepped into view. She was smiling just as brightly. Her hands were moving as she talked animatedly to my dad. They were both so enthralled with each other that they didn’t notice Andrew and me watching them.

  “Looks like your dad might be moving on with his life after all,” Andrew said lightly.

  I nodded and leaned my head against Andrew’s chest. Seeing my dad happy was the icing on the cake. It had already been a perfect day, and now, it was even better.

  “Everyone’s happy,” I said softly. “Everything is perfect.”