Chapter 30
AUTUMN
Living in a pink Victorian house on Halloween is what spooky dreams are made of. Dolly, my sisters, and I go all out with the decorations every year. People drive from miles around to trick-or-treat our street, and for the party we host in the backyard.
With such a small population, it’s good to see kids and adults dressed for the holiday.
While my sisters add fake cobwebs to the gingerbread trim on the porch, Dolly is busy creating concoctions to serve from a cauldron and baking goodies for the celebration.
I’m not in my bedroom here at the house often these days, so infrequently that Winter has asked if she can have this room instead.
That en suite bathroom is a hot commodity, especially with Spring coming home for winter break.
I take a moment to look around. I’ve only been in this space for a few years, so it’s not the room that holds a lifetime of memories but the home.
My parents raising us here.
Dolly taking over when we no longer had them.
Bedroom shuffles.
Fights over how long someone was in the bathroom.
Pillow fights and stories told by flashlight under the covers.
I don’t feel sad, though. I feel whole. For the first time in my life, I know where I belong. Up on the mountain, with endless views and loving arms to fall into. Home.
Picking up my mom’s bottle of perfume, I spray the last of it on my wrist. Just enough to feel connected to her again. “Thanks, Mom,” I whisper, knowing she guided me right to my destiny.
I return to the bed and start the email I’ve wanted to send for a while. The timing was never wrong before, but it’s never been more right.
Dear Brandon,
Falling for the guy who broke my heart at sixteen and who also couldn’t remember me ten years later was a doozy of a comeback. For you. I’ll give you credit where it’s due. You made it happen, and I am forever grateful you did. Like you once said, it’s a win-win.
But second chances don’t come around very often, and I want to make the most of this one.
I love you. I love you so much that it’s hard to leave for work when you’re still lying in bed.
I want to crawl back in and slip under your arm, just to listen to the steady sound of your breathing.
Please don’t take that the wrong way. It’s not creepy. Promise.
I love your smile, and when you laugh, I can’t help but join in.
You’re too good at the game of Memory, but I’ll still beat you at other card games every time. By the way, I’m cashing in my rain check. Saturday at eight, be ready to lose your shirt in some strip UNO.
Everyone adores you for good reason. You’re loyal, brave, humorous, and flirtatious; you say the sweetest things and then turn around and have me pinned to the bathroom tile and begging for more. Oh goodness, don’t show this to anyone, okay?
I’m back. I had to open the window to let some cold air in.
I never believed in karma because it didn’t serve me well, but boy did we show the universe. Brandon Culver and I. No one would have guessed. Not even us. But now that we’re the real deal in a forever kind of way, I was wondering if I could ask one favor.
Meet me under the bleachers at six p.m.
I’ll be waiting.
Yours Truly,
Autumn
Am I taking a chance? Not really. He’ll be there, but I feel it’s important to make new memories.
“Fall?” Summer calls from the bottom of the stairs.
I push send and hop off the bed. My stuff still fills the room, but it won’t for long. It’s time to move on. “Coming.” I adjust my kitty ears in the mirror and hurry downstairs to help finish decorating.
Stepping back to admire her cupcake arrangement on the treats and sweets table, Spring asks, “Are you going to ask him to marry you?”
“I keep forgetting that it’s you in that red wig.” The fitted ’50s dress and hair pinned curls are outstanding, but red hair is kind of my territory.
“Brolin’s favorite show is Mad Men, so I wanted to be in theme for him for our date tonight.”
“You look incredible. If he doesn’t like that outfit, you’ll have no problem finding someone who does.”
“Thanks, sis.”
When I look around, I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished in a few hours.
Summer and Daniel have taken Roman to trick-or-treat downtown at the shops since Winter had to be at the store anyway.
Dolly’s on her third calzone in the shape of snakes, and Brenda Culver showed up with not one, but two lasagnas for the party.
She also slipped me the recipe, which is like winning the lottery.
I can’t wait to make it for Brandon. Food is his love language.
“Hey, Fall?”
“Yeah?”
“You never answered the question. You can always ask him to marry you. It doesn’t have to be super traditional when I know you both want the same thing.”
I’m not opposed to the idea, but I still worry it’s too soon for him. How does one navigate winning Mr. Eligible Bachelor and then, less than a year later, getting married? “We know it will happen, but—”
“But you like a plan. I know. So does he.”
I check my watch. My heart skips a beat when I see the time. “I have to go. I won’t be gone long.”
“Go get your man.”
I am. It feels like the dawning of a new era, and it starts under the bleachers. I hop in the 4Runner, still not used to how high it is off the ground compared to the Corolla. But I’ve never had a brand-new car, so I’m spoiled by all the fancy features.
Stacy pulls onto the property and rolls down her window. “Are you coming back?”
“Yeah, make yourself at home, and I’ll be back a little later.” More cars are showing up for the party, so I get going.
Turning onto the high school grounds reminds me of our getaway the last time. A smile takes hold remembering how he kissed me. That tiny peck set things in motion, and there’s been no looking back since.
I park and look around, not spotting his truck, and jog toward the football field like a cat on the prowl. Literally. It’s Halloween. People will understand.
Slowing as I approach the spot where so much heartache was launched, I take a deep breath.
Everything has changed. Me. Him. Our whole lives have been different since then.
I stop on the spot where we first kissed, where he asked me to be his girlfriend, and I said yes.
I stand where good memories were created and still exist when blocking out what happened later that night.
“Kitty, Kitty,” I hear, his voice balanced in velvet and sex appeal.
I should be surprised by the costume, but he seems to know everything else about me, so fantasies were probably hummed when I slept with him. “Straight out of Top Gun,” I say, swaying back and forth like a schoolgirl when he comes to me.
“A little birdie told me you had a thing for fighter pilots.” He swipes off his glasses in a smooth move, tucks them into his collar, and kisses me. As if this fantasy couldn’t get better. Cupping my face, he whispers, “Are you my pussycat?”
“I am,” I purr unabashedly for him.
“I know how to make you purr your cotton socks off.”
I slide my hands over his shoulders and hold him. Leaning back, I ask, “Does it involve that special trick you do with your tongue?”
“You like that?”
“I love it.” I kiss him once more, a proper welcome after not seeing him since early this morning because of our jobs. “I missed you.” Running my hand over the patches sewn onto the flight suit, I say, “Tell me you bought this, because I really like this on you.”
“It’s ours to keep and play with as needed.” He spins me out and says, “Let me get a good look at you. Damn, you’re sexy.”
“Compliments get you everywhere with me.”
“Good to know.” He walks around to peer through the bleachers at the field. “What brings us out here?”
“I have a favor to ask.”
“Anything, beautiful.” Returning to me, he takes my hand, holding it between us.
I look around once more and say, “I want a redo. This is where it began, so I thought we would start here.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen his boyish grin, but this calls for it.
He closes the gap and cups my cheek. Without having to explain another thing, he says, “I’ve been in love with you my entire life, Autumn.
I’ve asked you out a million times and dreamed you’d one day be my girlfriend.
” I’m not sure how he recalls what he said, but the words are so familiar that they feel like close relatives.
“I’m asking for a chance. Will you be my girlfriend, Nurse? ”
I’m swooning as much, if not more, than I did back then. It’s easy to believe what he says when I know he speaks from the heart.
“Yes. I’ll be your girlfriend, Captain.” Our mouths fall together, and our tongues tango. In one scorching-hot kiss I could taste forever.
Wrapping his arm over my shoulders, he says, “So when are we meeting at the lake to redo that tragedy of an event?”
“I only want to redo the good stuff. The bad stuff can stay dead and buried.”
Kissing the side of my head again, he says, “I couldn’t agree more.”
One memory down. A thousand more to go. This is going to take some time. Good thing we’ll be together forever.
The backyard is full of kids laughing and parents socializing. The treats table was demolished pretty early on. Brandon was manning the burger station for a while, but I’ve lost sight of him. Not sure how since he’s hard to miss.
I hold the bag out for the next kid to dip their hand in and score some candy, but lean toward Stacy and ask, “Have you seen Brandon?”
“No,” she replies, dumping another refill bag of candy to keep the line moving.
Standing on my tiptoes, I finally spot him coming out of his truck. He shuts the door and waves to me when he sees me watching. I smile since my hands are full but enjoy his stride in my direction.
He waits patiently at the back of the line for his turn as it slowly moves forward, inching him closer and closer.
He finally arrives at the bottom step leading to the house, while I stand one step higher and hold out the bag.
“You look hot.” Not my normal line for trick-or-treaters, but it’s my guy.
“Thanks. Trick or treat.”
“Treat?” I tease.
He bends down on one knee and produces a little black box in the palm of his hand.
The bag of candy drops to the wood and spills out over the ground, sending kids scrambling at our feet.
I cover my mouth to keep my wide-open fly-catching mouth hidden as I suck in a breath.
This is happening. I jump up and down. “Oh my God.” Lowering my hands, I say, “Treat. Definitely treat.”
“I could go into all the ways I love you, Autumn, but that will take more time than we have.” He moves some candy away from his shoes since the kids are getting a little too eager.
“With these little vultures around.” Taking my hand, he says, “I love you. I love you to the ends of the earth and time, ocean’s deep and sky high.
There’s a reason I saw you before I cheated death.
We’re not just one life. We’re eternal. I don’t want to spend another day without you as my wife or another hour without being your husband. Will you marry me, Nurse?”
I don’t want to waste time on words when I could be kissing this man. “Yes, always yes, Captain.” I bend down and kiss him like we shouldn’t be kissing in front of children. Deeply. Wholly. And when he slips that gorgeous ring on my finger, promises of forever and a family are sealed in our fate.
When we part, I wiggle my finger to catch the moonlight sparkles in the diamond. I dig in my pocket and pull out a box. “And here I thought you’d be happy I got you sardines.”
His nose scrunches as he stands, as if I’ve lost all his trust. “Sardines?”
“It was funnier in my head.” I start to laugh, though. “I know you hate sardines, but these are solid chocolate.” I toss the box behind him and say, “Forget the sardines. We’re getting married.” I kiss him again.
It just took years and a few wrong turns to get back on the right path. Now that we are, there’s one thing that will always hold true when it comes to the two of us. Brandon Culver and I were always going to end up together. One way or the other.