“We should call home,” I say to Ryan. “Let everyone know we’re okay.” I pull out my phone, but there’s still no signal.
“You have to be in town in the right spot to use a cell phone.” Milo lifts his paper again. “That’s why Maggie has a land line.”
Ryan and I give each other a startled glance and then start laughing. We’re so used to the cell phones we can’t leave home without that a land line has never occurred to us.
“Are the phone lines down?” I ask Milo.
“Nope. And the electricity’s back—I turned off the generator around five this morning.”
Neither Ryan nor I had noticed, since we’d kept the lights off all night, letting the candles gutter around us.
I duck into the kitchen. Maggie is cooking at the stove, her body gyrating as she stirs eggs in a frying pan, while Cherise sets the table for five. I wave to Cherise and ask Maggie if we can use her phone.
“Of course you can, and no, don’t bother trying to pay for it. You need to tell your folks you’re all right. Phone’s on a table behind the wet bar in the living room.”
She swivels to the counter to chop green onions and back to the stove to throw them into the pan with a grind of pepper.
“Can I help?” I ask her.
Cherise, laying down a plate, shakes her head vigorously, as though warning me off.
Maggie doesn’t turn around. “No one cooks in my kitchen but me and Cherise. You can help by enjoying your coffee and keeping the men out from underfoot.”
“That’s the hardest job of all,” I say jokingly.
“You got that right.” Maggie continues cooking, and I return to Ryan.
Ryan locates the phone tucked under the wet bar’s counter, lifts it, and frowns at the buttons. “You know that cell phones have taken over when you can’t remember your own brother’s number,” he says. Milo snorts behind his paper.
Ryan has to check the contacts in his cell phone, then he dials. I hear a click as the phone connects, the buzz of a ring, and then a tired voice. “Hello?” The word is wary. I wonder if the number shows up on the other end as Last Stop Ranch.
“Hey, Ben. It’s Ryan. Your brother. Remember me?”
Ryan
Ben’s response comes sleepily. “Barely. What’s up? It’s like the crack of dawn.”
“It’s eight. I’ve already been jogging,” I grin as I give him the lie. But most days, I do get up early for a run. If you don’t go at sunrise most of the year in Phoenix, you fry.
“Good for you,” Ben growls. “Did you wake me up to tell me that?”
“No, I woke you to tell you Calandra and I are in California—or, wait, Nevada—right on the border—and that we’re enjoying ourselves and will be back tonight or tomorrow morning.”
“So that’s where you ran off to.” Ben sounds more awake now. “Mom’s pretty pissed off.”
“For taking a weekend with my fiancé? It’s not like when we tried to elope when we were eleven.”
Ben huffs. “And how did that work out for you?”
My thoughts travel back in time to that exciting afternoon. A nice security guard at the courthouse had called our parents, and my mom had picked us up. Calandra and I hadn’t understood that we had to be of legal age to get married. We’d just thought, once I’d convinced Calandra to get herself hitched to me, it would save us a lot of trouble in the long run if we did it right away. Thinking it through, we were correct.
Mom had sat us down and lectured us about finishing school and marrying when we were older and more responsible. I’d tried to explain that we hadn’t planned on giving up school, but we’d decided we should have a license to make our relationship official so anyone trying to come between us would back off. I also remember Mom’s struggle to keep from laughing.
“This isn’t the same thing,” I tell Ben, returning myself to the present. “Can you give Mom and Dad and Calandra’s parents the message that we’re doing good and having fun?”
“Why’d you call me?” Ben asks in annoyance.
“Because I knew you’d give me the least hell. Call Zach and tell him to pass on the word. He’ll jump on it.”
“Call him yourself …”
“What’s that?” I make a crackling noise in my throat. “Line’s bad. Sorry, Ben, got to go.” I hang up. Milo snickers on the other side of the room.
“Let me call my mom,” Calandra says, reaching for the phone.
I shake my head, setting the phone in its cradle. “Ben will take care of it. So will Zach.”
“She’ll be worried.”
“I know, but I don’t want her to give you hell. I’m the one who stole you away.”
“Really?” Calandra frowns. “I remember me diving head-first into your truck and yelling at you to go, go, go.”
I gather her close. “Our families are probably so busy planning our wedding, not to mention our lives, that they barely noticed we’ve been gone, my mom notwithstanding. She’s always pissed off at me for some reason anyway.”
Calandra gives me her seriously? look, but subsides. We’ll have to explain ourselves soon enough, and in the meantime, Ben and Zach will make sure everyone knows we’re okay.
“If they’re driving you that crazy.” Milo lowers his paper. “Why don’t you two just elope now? Since you’re not eleven anymore?”
Chapter Nine
Ryan
As soon as the words are out there, Calandra and I gaze at each other in sudden eagerness tinged with excitement.
“We could,” I say slowly. “Las Vegas is on our way home.”
Calandra’s eyes are alight, her smile wide. Then her fervor dims and she shakes her head. “No. We can’t.”
I’m not sure why she’s negating the idea. Our families have been putting more pressure on Calandra than they have on me, as it’s the bride’s big day. The groom just has to show up and not pass out.
Before I can answer, Milo rises smoothly, folding his newspaper. “Why don’t you two talk about this?” He glides out to the kitchen, where I hear Cherise greet him gladly.
I face Calandra. She rests her hands on my chest and looks up at me with her beautiful eyes.
“We shouldn’t because they love us,” she says. “They’re being nuts about this wedding because they want to be a part of you and me.”
“It’s obvious they want to be a big part of it …”
“Think about it. They’ve supported us from the beginning, haven’t they? My parents and yours, your brothers, Abby and Brooke, even my ditzy cousins. Zach, Ben, and Austin included me in everything with you our whole lives. There wasn’t a summer when you weren’t in our pool or helping my dad cook out, even when you and I were mad at each other. My dad’s always considered you an honorary son.”
I kiss her forehead. “When I marry you, I’ll be a true one.”
“Exactly. When we marry with them. Our families are as thrilled about this wedding as we are. I don’t want to take that away from them.”
I study Calandra a long time, from her sincere expression, to the lock of hair brushing her cheek, to her parted lips that I’d kissed so thoroughly all night and into this morning.
“You’re a generous soul, Calandra,” I say. “With a big heart.”
“The big heart is here.” She presses her palm flat against my chest. “The moment I called for help, you charged in and rescued me like a knight in shining armor.”
“Driving you to a snowed-in bordello,” I remind her. “I’m a master planner.”
“Everything about this weekend was you helping me out. Like always. Even the times in our life I’ve pushed you away, you always came back. The universe somehow brings us together again, because it knows we should be.”
I hold her, my heart full. “What is the universe telling us now?” I ask, only half-joking.
She lays her head on my shoulder. “That we needed to be totally off the grid to think about things. To meet people life hasn’t been as kind to, so we can appreciat
e what we have. Loving families, friends who will do anything for us.”
Calandra is right—as usual. “Yeah, it would be kind of cheesy to sneak off and leave them out of it, ” I say. “They’d be mad at us for a long time. Mad at me, because they’d be convinced it was my idea.”
“I don’t want that.” Calandra’s arms go around me. “I want our wedding to be a time of happiness, surrounded by people we love. Even if they argue about the color of the napkins.”
I tilt Calandra’s head up and cover her lips with a kiss. I taste the bite of coffee, overlaid with the sweetness of her.
“All right, we’ll go,” I concede, kissing her again. “But we’re laying down some ground rules when we make it home. It is our wedding.”
“As it should be.” Calandra’s relief is clear.
I kiss her again. “But first—I want some of that breakfast. It smells fantastic.”
Calandra’s wonderful smile spreads across her face. “I love you, Ryan McLaughlin.”
I touch the tip of her nose. “I love you, soon-to-be Calandra McLaughlin.”
She bathes me in a spectacular kiss then takes my hand and leads me to the kitchen, where warm scents and laughter await.
Calandra
We pack our bags and ready ourselves to leave after a large breakfast of bacon and eggs, waffles and toast. The sun is well up, some of the snow already starting to melt. Another thirty miles will take us out of the mountains, Milo says, down into the warm desert.
“Tell you what,” Milo tells us when we return to the main house, ready to go. Cherise hands us a care package of leftover pie and cookies for the trip. “Not all the roads are plowed yet, but I know which ones will be the most passible. I’ll drive ahead of you and lead you until you reach the main highways to take you south.”
“Thanks, that’s nice of you,” Ryan says.
“No problem. Cherise.” Milo turns to her nonchalantly, but I see the flicker of uneasiness in his eyes. “Want to ride along?”
Pure pleasure flushes her cheeks. “Sure. Why not?” She glances at Maggie, who’s standing, arms folded, by the kitchen door. “Unless you need me, Mags?”
“Naw, I’m fine,” Maggie answers readily. “I’m happy to sit here with my feet up and keep warm.”
Cherise, dressed this morning in jeans and a sweatshirt, with no makeup but a little lipstick, beams her thanks and follows Milo and Ryan out the door.
Maggie watches them go. “I hope those two work things out soon. Cherise is the last of my girls, and Milo’s really my only customer. If he takes her away, I can retire.”
I glance out the front window to see Milo assisting Cherise into his truck. “I think they’ll figure it out. I hope so.”
“Me too. They’ve been mooning around each other for two years. If they don’t hurry it up, I’m going to have to put my foot down.”
I stifle a laugh. “Sometimes someone on the outside has to nudge things in the right direction. Or the universe does.”
Maggie shakes her head. “I don’t believe in that universe nonsense. Milo has a good job, and she’ll be sweet to him. I’ll shove them together if I have to.”
I hold out my hand. “Thank you for everything, Maggie. You’ve been so kind.”
Maggie accepts my handshake. “No problem, honey. You and Ryan needed a little time out, I could tell. A night to yourselves to understand exactly what was what.” She releases my hand. “You two are good together.”
“I think we are.” I pause. “Can I give you my number, so we can stay in touch?”
Maggie grins, and her face loses ten years. “Sure thing, honey. And if you’re ever up this way, you come back and visit. You know, in a guest capacity, not as customers.” She winks, and then laughs when I blush.
Maggie adds my number to her cell phone then she enfolds me in a warm, plump embrace. “You take care of yourself, honey. And Ryan. He’s a keeper.”
I return the hug. “I’ve known that all my life.”
Maggie walks us out. Ryan and I say our final good-byes to her, climb into the tiny car, and follow Milo and Cherise to the road.
Calandra
Today’s journey is so much different from yesterday’s. The sun is shining, I’ve been with Ryan all night, and I feel loved and cared for. We’ve met some interesting people I’d like to count as friends, and we’re rested and well-fed.
Ryan follows Milo’s truck down a steep mountain road that is surprisingly free of snow. We discover why when we reach an intersection at the bottom of the hill—a man on a small snowplow is happily blowing the snow away. Milo waves to him, and we inch past.
The next road is wider and seems to have escaped much of the snow, as it’s sheltered by huge trees. By the time we reach the end of this road, the snow has receded.
Milo pulls over and gestures us on. Ryan draws alongside him, and I roll down my window.
Milo raises his voice to be heard over the engine of his rumbling truck. “Keep on straight, then turn left when you get to the bottom of the hill. Another few miles on that road, you’ll be out of the mountains and heading for the 95.”
“Thank you!” we both call. “Bye Cherise,” I add. “You go for your dreams, all right?”
Cherise smiles in a puzzled way but waves good-bye. Milo raises his hand, Ryan passes him, and we’re off.
“Well, that was an adventure,” I say, settling into the seat.
“We’re not home yet,” Ryan reminds me.
True. We’re in a small, crappy car, and while we gassed up at the convenience store in the tiny town near the ranch, who knows when we’ll find gas again? We have Cherise’s snacks and bottled water, but it’s a long way home.
Milo’s directions prove to be perfect. Once we come out of the woods we’re on a steep but straight road. The view is spectacular, the flat high desert of Nevada stretching before us to the next dry mountain range. The contrast between the lush green of these mountains and the white-beige desert floor is breathtaking.
The trees end quickly as we descend, and dryness takes over. The snow on the ground ceases in an abrupt, discernible line, and then it’s sunshine and blue sky. Ryan and I wriggle out of our jackets and toss them in the back.
This is the way things should be—Ryan and me, on the open road, seeing the beauty of the world. I scan through the radio until I find a station that doesn’t crackle too much. It’s a country one, and Ryan and I sing along with song after song.
We find the 95 and turn south, traveling beside a knifelike ridge of mountains and around the expanse of lake at Hawthorne.
It’s nearing sunset when we hit Las Vegas. We’ve made our leisurely way along, stopping from time to time to stretch our legs and switch drivers. I’m at the wheel when we see the lights of the Strip glowing faintly under the evening sky.
“Want to spend the night?” Ryan asks. “We can try to find a room at a decent hotel. It’s Sunday—everyone probably left this morning.”
“Doesn’t matter to me. I kind of have the hankering to get home.”
Ryan brightens. “Sounds good. When you get tired, I’ll take over.”
We stop in Boulder City to use the restrooms and grab more food and drink. Then it’s off across the Colorado River and evermore southward toward Phoenix.
Ryan’s driving when we crest the final hill and begin our descent toward the Valley. I’m resting my head on his shoulder, warding off sleep.
The lights of the huge city come up quickly and soon we’re swallowed in them. I have the sensation that always comes over me once we’re back in familiar streets—that I never really left.
We return the rental car at the airport, fetch Ryan’s truck, and he drives us to his house in his quiet neighborhood. It’s a small place I’ve come to know well, and love. He’s renovating a house for us to move into after our honeymoon, but he hasn’t let me see it yet. I know, based on his own cozy house, that it will be wonderful.
Ryan lets us in through the garage and we mutually collap
se onto the sofa, bags falling to the floor.
He covers his face with his hands and groans. “Remind me not to whisk you away for a romantic weekend again.”
I grin. “No way. I loved it.”
Ryan peeks around his fingers at me. “Really?”
“Of course. New experience. Wild and beautiful country, nothing manicured, interesting people.” I lean into him. “Best of all, I got to reconnect with you.”
“Reconnecting.” He lowers his hands and dances his eyebrows up and down. “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”
“You know what I mean. We were letting all this wedding crap drift us apart.”
“I know.” Ryan cradles me against him. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” I let out a little sigh. It’s warm and silent here, one lone light on against the darkness. I have the urge to find candles and recreate the warm glow of Maggie’s guesthouse. “What do we do now?”
“Hmm. Have sex?” Ryan yawns. “Though I’m kind of beat. Won’t be able to go all night like I did last night.”
“Doofus.” I snuggle up. “I mean about the wedding and our zealous families. What do we do? Tell them to back off? You said you wanted to set some ground rules.”
“We let them keep on,” Ryan says, to my surprise.
I study his curve of jaw dusted with dark beard. “Are you serious?”
“Sure. We’ll give them a few parameters but let them run with it. Then when they’ve twisted everything into a big, overly complicated mess, we step in and untangle it for them.”
I think about that. Think about it some more. I find a warm glow building inside. “Because Brooke and your brothers and my mom and your mom will each try to run with it in their own direction, and things will fall apart.”
“Yep. And then we wade through the shards, implement our backup plan, and have ourselves a nice wedding.”
Give Me One Night (McLaughlin Brothers Book 4) Page 7