“Yay,” Brooke said from next to Billy.
“Super,” Pop said with an eye roll.
“Right on, Daddy-o,” Sophia said. “I’m completely and totally surprised.”
Right. So it seemed as though everyone already knew this but him. And as if to accentuate that fact, every eye in the room turned and fixated on him.
“What do you think, Wallace?” Mom asked.
“It’s great. You’ve obviously thought this through, and I think you’re both old enough to know what you’re doing. And you don’t need my approval. Why the hell are you all looking at me?”
“We’ve been worried, son,” Pop said, went to the bar and came back with a scotch, which he handed to him.
“You’ve been so distant,” Mom said. “I haven’t seen you once in the past two weeks.”
“I’ve been busy.” He took a swallow of the scotch. “I put a bid on a few acres just outside of town. If I get it, I’ll break ground maybe next month. Depending on the weather.”
“What great news!” Mom clapped her hands. “Now you’re back in town, at last.”
Everyone seemed happy at that, and he’d finally gotten them to stop worrying about him for a few minutes. Any attention on him was so unusual it felt uncomfortable.
Dinner was meatloaf with gravy and mashed potatoes so the shocks just kept coming. Mom seemed back to her old self, and who knew if Giancarlo had anything to do with it? Wallace would guess possibly, since he’d never yet met an Italian who loved tofu. Several bottles of wine were passed around, most of them from Billy’s winery but a couple from a competitor. Brooke, the heart of Billy and Pop’s vineyard, always said it was best to know your competition inside and out.
Wallace was eating so of course he thought of Gen. At least three times a day his thoughts went to her. What a sap.
After dinner, Brooke seemed to be immersed in one of Pop’s baseball analogies, Mom and Giancarlo cleared the table and Sophia was texting. Wallace tried to cut out after his goodbyes, but Billy caught him near the door. “You’re already leaving?”
“I have an early job.”
“Right. So what’s this I hear about you and Genevieve?”
Wallace let out a breath. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Billy nodded knowingly. “I see how it is.”
Wallace turned the tables. “How are you and Brooke doing?”
“Great,” Billy grinned. “I’m going to marry that girl. I’m going to marry the hell out of her.”
Wallace had to laugh. His brother had it bad. “Well, get in line. Let Mom have her day first. And how’s the shoulder?”
Since Billy had retired from baseball because of his bad shoulder, it was a valid question. Wallace had been worried about him from the moment he’d been forced to retire. Billy had rarely been seen without a glove on his hand from the time he was seven.
“It’s good so long as I don’t push it. But this isn’t about me.”
“Look, I’m the big brother. I’m always going to look out for you.”
“That’s just it. You don’t have to anymore. I mean, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you did for me— and I do mean everything— from working two jobs to giving up football. I remember.”
“The BMW, all the gifts through the years. You’ve thanked me enough already.”
“Maybe with stuff, because I know you’re a ‘more than words’ kind of guy. But if I never said it, because you know, I’m a guy, I’m grateful. I owe you more than I could ever repay.”
“Shut your mouth. Enough already.” Wallace walked out into the dark February night, and Billy followed him, shutting the front door.
“But you’re done now,” Billy said.
Wallace turned to him. “What do you mean?”
“I want you to stop feeling like you’re responsible for our family. Like you’re the one to blame if anything goes wrong. Mom’s going to be fine. I’m back on my feet. Scott has got his act together—”
“That’s debatable.”
“The point is you’re off the hook. I want to see you going after what you want, and believing you deserve it. I don’t honestly know a better man. Except for maybe Pop.”
Wallace nodded, then asked the question that had been on his mind for weeks. “Do you remember our father?”
“What does he have to do with this?” Billy asked.
“Seems I might be like him. He was also the silent type. Liked to be alone so much he took off and never came back.”
Billy looked Wallace square in the eyes. “Bullshit. You’re nothing like him.”
“I probably remember him better than you do. The truth is I don’t know how to be a good husband. Or a father. All I know is what not to do. That’s not good enough.”
“I’m going to combine the best of what I know firsthand— you and Pop. You do know how to be a father. Just take your big brother role and put it on steroids.”
“I’m not sure that’s a word you should be using. Even now.”
Billy clapped Wallace’s shoulder. “Hey. You’re one of the smartest guys I know. You’ll figure it out when the time comes. The time is coming, right?”
Wallace shrugged. “Maybe. Why?”
“Hopefully you’re not going to ignore what’s right in front of you.”
Wallace didn’t speak, just quirked an eyebrow.
Billy snorted. “C’mon, man, you’re in love with Genevieve.”
His brother was damned annoying. “Now how do you know that when I only realized it myself a few weeks ago?”
“Glad you’re not denying it. The first step is admitting you have a problem.”
“You’re a regular comedian.” Even if that remark came too close to the truth. Like Wallace should join some twelve-step program to get over Genevieve.
“Sorry, but it’s obvious. I first noticed she had it bad for you when she kept delaying construction.”
“You think she did that on purpose?”
“To keep you close!”
He shook his head. “Sounds insane. I love a crazy woman.”
“Well, women can be. Crazy, that is.”
“I’d like you hear you say that in front of Brooke. Hold on, let me get her.” He moved past Billy towards the house, as if he would do just that.
Billy stayed rooted to his spot, grinning. “Go ahead. I’ll deny it.”
Wallace turned and walked back to Billy. “So I’m in love with Gen. It’s not that easy. I can’t lose her, and if this relationship doesn’t work out, I will. For good. It’s better not to risk it.”
“You’re going to start off with the assumption that you’ll lose? What kind of attitude is that?” Billy asked.
Great. Now he’d be talking to Billy, the pro athlete. The newly minted high school baseball coach. “This isn’t baseball. I can’t go in with your ‘can-do’ attitude and change everything.”
“The hell you can’t, bro.”
“You don’t get it. This isn’t a game. It’s my life. It’s—” Everything. She was everything.
“Shit. If I ever went into a game contemplating even the possibility that I might lose— I might as well not even play.” Billy wasn’t going to quit with the baseball analogies.
“Listen. For a few minutes there, I had to face what it might be like to live without her. And I can’t do it. I’d rather have her as a friend than risk it. You don’t understand.”
“I don’t? Did you forget Brooke’s motorcycle accident? I know what it’s like to think you’re going to lose someone. It wakes you up. Makes you realize life’s short.”
“Yeah.” It was different with him and Gen. They already had a history, a friendship that spanned years. Wallace headed towards his truck, ignoring the fact that Billy followed.
But Billy grabbed on to Wallace’s shoulder and pulled him back. “Hold up. This is about you, thinking you’re going to screw it up. I get it. But think again, because you’re not a loser and I refuse to treat you like one.”<
br />
Wallace couldn’t help feeling sifted like some of Gen’s flour. Worse, he felt like a chump. What the hell had he done? “Man. You’re tough.”
Billy rocked back on his heels. “Well, I learned from the best. Still think it’s not worth the risk?”
Hell yeah it was worth a risk. She was worth everything.
* * *
On Sunday, Wallace pulled up in front of Gen’s house, nervous as hell. Her car was in the carport, but she didn’t answer the door. He peered through her window and didn’t see anyone inside.
“She’s walking the hound from hell.” A raspy voice said from the house next door. Mrs. Paulsen, the widow. He’d replaced her windows a few years ago free of charge.
“You mean her new puppy?”
“Puppy?” Mrs. Paulsen cackled behind her screen door. “She took the one they were going to put down, of course. A mangy creature. Awful.”
At that moment he heard Gen’s voice in the distance. “Zeus! Heel! Heel!”
“Ever hear the expression you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?” Mrs. Paulsen asked.
“Yeah?”
“That’s where it came from.” She jutted her chin in the direction of the sidewalk and shut her door.
Wallace walked towards the sound of Gen’s voice, where he witnessed a sight that tugged at his heart. Gen, several houses down, pulled on a dog leash. The dog, a large Sheperd-type mix, was parked on his hindquarters clearly not interested in a walk. Looking at the dog, Wallace guessed his only motivation might be food. Plenty of it.
Time to gage his reception. Would Gen be hostile or forgiving of his asinine ways? No time like the present to find out.
He walked up to Gen and Zeus. “Hey. So you have a dog.”
Gen’s jaw gaped open a little bit, but then her eyes registered the cold snap. Reception: murky at best.
“His name is Zeus and I’m trying to train him to heel.”
“He has to be walking first.”
“Oh does he? Who are you, Cesar Milan? I suppose you can talk to my dog now.”
He bent down eye level with the dog, and gave him a pat. “I don’t need to talk to him. He’s old, and probably arthritic. Give him a biscuit and call it a day.”
“Leave it to you to say something like that. You don’t want to put effort into any relationship. They were going to euthanize him, and I saved him. Now I need to keep him healthy with regular exercise.” She tugged on the leash. Zeus gave her nothing.
Wallace dragged a hand through his hair. “Hey, I want to take you for a drive and show you something.”
“I can’t. I’m taking my dog for a walk as you can see.” She yanked on the leash again. Zeus didn’t move an inch.
“Okay. Let’s do this.” He went up to Gen, took the leash from her and walked in the direction of her house. The dog followed him. Slowly and with great effort it seemed, but he did.
“How did you do that?” Gen asked.
“You have to show him who’s boss.” At her downcast face, he lied. “Actually, I think he just wanted to change directions. He wants to go back home. See?”
“Yeah, that makes sense. And Mrs. Unger has a yapper. Maybe all that barking scares him.”
“Can we go for that drive now? And we can put him in the back if you’d like.”
“He might like that,” Gen said.
Within a few minutes he had Zeus in the back seat with the window rolled down, and Gen in the passenger seat. She kept glancing back at Zeus, his big head stuck out the window. The dog’s tongue was hanging out, his fur blowing in the wind. He did look happy.
Gen smiled. “Aw, look how much he likes it. He’s an old guy, and I want his last years to be good ones.”
Wallace’s heart rolled over in his chest because he loved this girl so much it almost physically hurt. The next few minutes with her had to be good ones. Epic ones. He had a lot to make up to her. Maybe if he hadn’t blown it too badly he had a chance. No, he wasn’t romantic. He was practical. Not too sexy he understood. But today he’d be romantic. He hoped at least Gen would agree that his efforts were up to par. She was the only one that counted.
“Where are you taking me?”
He could feel her eyes on him like poison darts, and realized he’d been damn lucky to get her in his truck at all. “You’ll see.”
“You don’t talk to me for three weeks and now you want to take me for a drive.”
“I’m sorry. You know I’m more of a show-you rather than tell-you guy.”
“You have to talk sometime, and you seem to be doing fine now.” She folded her arms across her chest.
Good that he’d fooled her into thinking this might be any other day for him. For his part, he’d broken out in a cold sweat. He pulled off the main road and took them down a dirt road.
“There’s nothing out here,” Gen said.
He couldn’t help but grin. “Are you scared?”
“Of you? Please.”
A few hundred yards in he stopped the truck and went to get Zeus. The dog looked at him with an expression which telegraphed: you’ve got to be kidding me.
“C’mon down, Zeus,” Gen called to him, clapping her hands.
Zeus reacted by sighing loudly and lying down.
“I don’t think he’s coming. He’ll be fine here. Believe me, he’s not going anywhere.” He shut the door.
“Well, all right. This won’t take long, will it?”
Great, his palms were sweaty and he surreptitiously wiped one on his jeans. “Nah.” He took her hand and led her up the hill a few feet.
“Okay, where are we going? Because I’m not dressed for hiking.”
“Not far.” Thanks to a mostly dry winter so far, the ground wasn’t too soft. “Okay, now cover your eyes.”
“Cover my what? No way, buddy. What are you trying to pull?”
“Please. Do you trust me?”
She searched his eyes. “Of course I do.”
“Okay then.”
She closed her eyes and he tugged her up the hill and stopped right where he wanted her to be. To see the best view of the valley below them. “Now you can open your eyes.”
She did and turned in a circle. “It’s pretty up here. That’s a vineyard over there. See it?”
“So where should the kitchen go?”
“The kitchen?” She looked at him as understanding dawned. “You’re building a house here.”
“I bought the land. Where should the kitchen go?”
She put a hand to her chest. “Why are you asking me? You’re the contractor.”
Yeah, she wasn’t going to make this easy. “I want you to have the best view.”
Her face turned pinkish. “You’re building me a house?”
He held her chin in his hand. “I’m building us a house.”
Her eyes were instantly watery, her chin quivering in his hand. “Oh.”
“Listen Gen, I know I said I didn’t want to lose what we have. Our friendship. But the thing is you’re worth the risk. You’re worth everything to me. And I’m not going to stand by and watch you be with anyone else. The real risk would be losing you. I’m not doing that.”
“Oh, Wallace.” A tear rolled down her face.
“I love you, Gen. I wanted to show you first. But the words are good too. I know I like to hear them.”
She jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. “I love you, I love you, I love you!”
All in again. He breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her tight. He was happy, maybe happier than he’d ever been but he still wasn’t done.
And someone was late.
* * *
A woman can forgive all manner of sins from the man she loves.
Mrs. Turlock was right about that, Gen realized. She’d known from the moment he’d shown up at her house, been kind to Zeus and looked strangely nervous for the first time she could recall, that all it would take was an apology and she’d forgive him. But more than an apology, he loved her. And
he was building her a house!
Really, could it get any better than this? No, she didn’t so as she kissed him over and over again. He sure returned the kisses, melting her panties right off her in fact, but for some reason he seemed distracted and kept breaking off to stare at the sky.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
“It’s four o’clock, isn’t it?” There he was, looking at the sky again.
“I don’t know, silly, but why is that important? Is there some kind of eclipse I’m not aware of?” She kissed his neck. “Where’s the bedroom going to be?”
Bingo. That got his attention. His eyes grew hot and he carried her further up the hill. “I wish I had brought a blanket.”
That’s when she heard the sound. It was a small airplane like the kind Joe piloted over Napa Valley, taking skydivers out and getting paid to do what he called fun. Wallace seemed fascinated by the plane.
“I wonder if that’s Joe,” she said absently. The airplane was carrying a banner with it, probably some kind of advertising. “No, it can’t be him. He won’t pull banners.”
“He would do it for a friend.” Wallace set her down, threaded his fingers through hers and stared at the banner.
“I suppose so.” What did the banner say? As it got closer she could almost read it, but a strong wind seemed to cause it furl the wrong way and all she read was: me?
Wallace sighed, almost in frustration. She was studying him and his odd reaction when he broke into a megawatt smile. She turned to the banner flying directly above them and caught the message: Genevieve, would you marry me?
All the breath left her body, and her knees liquefied like she might just float away to join the airplane. Wallace now smiled at her, and held a box in his hand. She stared from him to the box and back again. “Yes!”
He opened it, and inside was a beautiful diamond solitaire. She held out her finger and he slipped it on. “How am I doing in the romance department?”
“Romeo, I love you!” She jumped back into his arms.
“I love you too, Juliet. You know, your brother almost blew this for me.”
“He’s always late.”
THE STARLIGHT HILL COMPLETE COLLECTION: 1-8 Page 54