CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Girl’s only.

Vale

It’s Saturday, and I’m having a lazy morning. I got up, got ready, got coffee, and then came back to the house I’m leasing to figure out my plans for today. High on the list is spending the day at the beach.

Possibly a specific beach, where a certain Crawford brother lives.

I think it’s about time I give him my answer.

I’m throwing a towel and a few essentials in a bag. If things go the way I hope they do with Carter, I won’t be coming home tonight.

Although I should probably call him and not just show up.

But at the same time, if fate wants me to tell him today, he’ll be there.

The doorbell rings, and I open my front door to find my little sister and Ashlyn Roberts standing there.

“What are you doing here?” I ask them.

“Did you really not watch the draft?” Lakelyn says.

“Oh no,” I reply, feeling bad. “I’ve been busy with work and all. Did it go well?”

“Hell yeah!” Ashlyn says, throwing her arm around Lakelyn. “We get her here in LA with us!”

“Wait a minute. How do you two know each other?” I ask.

“Oh, I can answer that,” Ashlyn says, holding up her hand like she’s a student in class. “AJ was nervous about the actual draft process itself. You know, going to the Big Apple. Being on television. Trying to not look disappointed if he didn’t get chosen at a certain spot, to a certain team, that kind of thing. So, Carter set up a little get-together with me and Cash, Palmer and Cade, Harper and Maddox, and Jennifer and Danny Diamond. We all got along famously. Oh, and I also helped him pick out the suit he wore to the draft, and he helped me pick out a dress for Lakelyn to wear. Show her, Lake.”

Lakelyn pulls out her phone and flashes a photo of her and AJ. They are such a handsome couple. And Ashlyn did good. AJ’s suit is tailored to perfectly fit his large frame, and Lakelyn looks stunning.

“Do you think we could come in?” my sister finally asks.

“Sorry. I, well, you surprised me, is all. Of course. I’m sorry the place is kind of messy. The cleaners don’t come until tomorrow, and I still haven’t unpacked.”

“Are you filming?” Ashlyn asks.

“Not for two more weeks,” I tell her. “Just photo shoots for the role right now. A few other jobs. Trying to get everything done before all that starts.”

“So, you’ve been busy,” Lakelyn observes.

“Uh, yep,” I say even though it’s not really true.

I have been working but not as much as I’m making it sound like. I’ve been practicing controlled breathing, doing yoga, working, and then coming home, cooking dinner for myself, and doing some soul-searching. Trying to make thoughtful decisions about my life.

Carter hasn’t called. Probably because I told him not to.

He did send a gorgeous bouquet of flowers but didn’t sign them with anything other than his name.

Part of me wants him to show up at my house, sweep me into his arms, and kiss me, so we can live our happily ever after.

The other part of me is glad he’s giving me the time.

I’ve needed it to try to unravel my thoughts. My goals. My life.

Three days ago, I had an epiphany and figured it all out. The moment that everything had gotten messed up.

I’d wanted to have kids my whole life. I loved babysitting for the neighbors. And I was like the Pied Piper when kids were around. They were always drawn to me. And I loved it.

It wasn’t until my senior year in high school when Trent was pushing to get more serious, when he wanted to name our babies and plan our life, that I freaked out. I knew then that I wanted to go away for a while. College. Something. I wanted to see the world. A world that didn’t include him. I think I knew deep down that he was always only going to be my high school boyfriend.

And when he pressured me for bigger commitments, like sex, all I could think about was that there was no way I was going to risk my dreams for a few moments of pleasure with a man who wasn’t my true love. Add that to the fact that I thought my mother was just a workhorse to my dad and was stuck in a situation she didn’t want to be in, it’s no wonder I held on to my dreams so tightly. It killed me when my father didn’t support me. But even that hadn’t stopped me.

And in that moment, I knew that I wasn’t going to allow those old fears to hold me back any longer. I knew exactly what I wanted—to be with Carter. To figure out a life together.

I considered going to his house right away to tell him of my decision, but I decided to wait. To make sure.

The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him again.

So, I took some time. And during that time, I planned it all out. I thought about what it would be like, being married to Carter. Where we might live—preferably Carter’s Malibu beach house. Our wedding. Believe it or not, I’m even thinking of asking to build a vacation home on the family farm.

I’ve thought if I want kids and, if so, how many. And I could see Carter and me with kids—a boy and a girl. I’d even like to get a dog.

And I am pretty sure that I’m going to ask Carter to marry me.

The doorbell rings again.

“That must be them!” Lakelyn yells out and then swings open my front door, revealing my older sisters, Brooke and Raine.

“You’re here too?” I ask, thrilled to see them.

We hug. They get introduced to Ashlyn, and then Lakelyn says, “We’re holding an intervention.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means, you have probably been sitting around for weeks, thinking about Carter Crawford,” Ashlyn says. “I’m married to a Crawford, so trust me, I understand the appeal. But things weren’t easy for me and Cash either. It’s hard to give someone your heart, even when you love them. It’s scary, right?”

“It is,” I agree.

“So, we’ve decided that we’re taking you on a girls’ weekend!”

“We’re going to drink. Spa. Eat all sorts of food. And dessert with every meal!” Lakelyn yells.

“Really?” And I can’t help but grin.

My sisters are here. Ashlyn is here. A girls’ weekend sounds perfect.

“Yes, really,” Brooke says. “You need to pack quick. Our driver is waiting for us.”

“Where are we going again?” I ask Ashlyn as we’re in my room and she’s pulling outfits out of my closet.

“Just up the coast,” she says.

Once I’m packed and ready to go, we load up in a black SUV and get driven to a small airport that caters to private planes. The same one Carter uses.

Actually, I think, as we drive out onto the tarmac, the jet that we’re heading toward looks a lot like Carter’s.

Could he be on it?

My heart starts to race with excitement.

But all I can seem to mutter out is, “Um …”

“To answer your question,” Ashlyn says, “yes, we’re borrowing Carter’s plane. But don’t tell him.”

I laugh out loud. I know her and Cash’s story.

I raise an eyebrow at her. “From what I understand, you’ve borrowed his plane before.”

“You bet I did.” She turns to my sisters. “You probably haven’t heard my and Cash’s love story, but we met at a wedding. Harper and Maddox’s wedding, specifically. I knew Carter. We were friends, and Cade was my agent, but I had never met Cash before. At the wedding, my boyfriend broke up with me. I got drunk. Cash showed up. Called me hot ass in that sexy, deep voice of his, and next thing I knew, we’d hooked up, gone to Vegas, and gotten married.”

“You what?” Brooke says.

She’s by far the most sensible of all of us kids. Never got into trouble.

“It’s true!” Ashlyn gushes. “We decided at the wedding—well, I decided—that it was going to be a no-names night. We made up names for each other. I was Hot Ass, and he was Sexy. Those were the names we used in our wedding vows!” she hoots. “Anyway, we had a sexy-as-hell wedding night, and then I snuck out in the morning. Even though I was already in love with him, I had no clue who he was. And get this,” she says, slapping Raine’s arm, “he told me he was from Seattle—which was where he had been working but he had just taken a job with Cade as a junior talent agent. And his first job was to babysit me.” She laughs some more. “And … and … Cade told him he absolutely under no circumstances was to sleep with me. After we’d already done it so many times.”

“Wait!” Brooke says. “You got engaged on that talk show, right? His whole family was there?”

“Yes, we did. I was a bit of a mess when we met. Had some issues from my past that I had to work out.”

“And he did that adorable video of you sleeping and said he didn’t Vegas love you—that he loved you.”

“Actually, he said, ‘I have a confession to make. I don’t just Vegas love this girl. I’m madly, impetuously, stupidly, happily, crazy in love with her.’ ” She clasps her hands together dreamily. “Aren’t love stories so romantic?” But then Ashlyn laughs again. “At least they are once they work out. While we were trying to figure our shit out, it was kind of a nightmare. I didn’t know what to do. He seemed too perfect to be true.”

“And now?” I ask her.

“He’s my love slave and happy about it,” she jokes. “Seriously, I adore him. He’s my best friend. And I can’t imagine sharing my life with anyone but him.”

“That’s how I feel about AJ,” Lakelyn gushes.

“So, where are you going on your honeymoon?” I ask. “Now that he’s drafted and all.”

“He still won’t tell me. But I know he’s been planning.”

“And you know that Carter is helping him,” Ashlyn says. “Carter has this town wired, I swear.”

“Seems like you do too,” I say to Ashlyn.

“Maybe,” she says. “Time for a round of shots!”

It’s a quick flight, and to my surprise and slight horror, we pull up to a golf resort and hotel in Half Moon Bay. The site of our fake engagement.

Does no one see the irony in this?

But then I realize that I never actually told them the name of the hotel. Only that it was a golf resort overlooking the ocean. It’s just a coincidence. It has to be.

Either way, we get taken up to a lovely suite with a balcony, where we are served mimosas and given our spa appointments for the day.

I have had a full-body scrub, mud treatment, and massage, and I’m lying by the spa pool, feeling quite relaxed. It’s not the beach with Carter, but the fact that my sisters flew out here to spend time with me does nothing but confirm my decision.

Taking Carter home with me, even though it was clearly in desperation, was the best thing I ever did. I’ve talked to my mom twice since I left, and she’s been encouraging me on my journey of what she calls my rediscovery. My father, who always seems to butt in during some point in our conversation, just asks if I’m back with Carter yet. Of course, he used to want me with Trent, so I’ve been taking that with a grain of salt.

“All right, ladies,” Ashlyn says, glancing at her watch. “We need to head back to the suite. We have hair and makeup coming.”

“What for?” I ask her. “I figured we’d just order room service and watch movies or something.”

“Are you kidding? We’re going out.”

“But—” I start to argue.

“We’re going downstairs to sit by the outdoor firepit, have cocktails, and then watch the sunset. It’s like an event in and of itself. Followed by dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. No bachelor party redo,” Lakelyn says with a grin.

“Sounds like a plan,” I tell them. “The sunsets are amazing here.”

I’m ready first, and although I’m chatting away with my sisters and Ashlyn, my thoughts are still on the sunset. Specifically, the sunset I saw at the bridge on the property. How I’m feeling pulled back there in some kind of full-circle moment. The girl who will stand on that bridge now is much different than the one who stood on it a few weeks ago. I want to be struck by the colors and the beauty around me. I want to hear the sounds of the ocean. And I want to feel the warmth of the sun. But I’m not sure that I want to share it with anyone other than maybe Carter.

I consider calling him now. Inviting him to come join me. Now that the draft is over, maybe he could take a few days off. Meet me here after the girls leave.

I take a deep breath and grab my phone. “I need to make a quick call,” I say before heading out onto the balcony for a little privacy.

He answers on the first ring. “Hey,” he says, his voice warm and sexy.

“Guess where I am,” I tell him.

“On a girls’ weekend, I heard,” he replies.

“Did Ashlyn tell you where we would be?”

“She mentioned a spa up north.”

“I’m at the scene of the crime. The spot of our fake engagement.” I let out a chuckle. “Can you believe that?”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asks tentatively.

“Good, I think. But that all depends on you.”

“On me?”

“Yes. See, I did what I said I would do. I’ve been thinking, meditating, doing some serious soul-searching, and I know what I want. Not just what I don’t want.”

“And what do you want, Vale?”

“Well, that’s the problem, Carter. I was surprised by this trip. It was a fun surprise, but I had planned to do something more important today. I was going to go to a certain beach in Malibu. I planned to surprise this guy I like by showing up at his house. And I was going to tell him that I love him. And all the things I want in a life with him.”

Carter doesn’t say anything, but I know he’s still on the line because I can hear him breathing.

Finally, he says, “I think the guy would have loved that surprise.”

“The girls’ trip is just for the weekend, and I can clear my calendar for the first of the week. What would you say to you coming up here on Sunday and spending some time with me?”

“Well, that all depends,” he says, his voice playful now.

“On what?”

“If you promise to show me the bridge. At sunset.”

Tears fill my eyes and roll down my freshly done face.

“I can’t think of a more perfect place to start a new chapter with you,” I tell him.

“Me neither,” he says.

I dreamily tell him good-bye and then make my way back inside.

I get out of the hotel robe and grab one of the dresses Ashlyn packed for me. A cute D&G sundress.

She comes into the room and says, “Oh, I think it might be too chilly for that.”

“I can just throw a sweater on with it.”

“I think this one,” she says, pulling out a gorgeous, fit-and-flare, tea-length emerald-green silk-satin dress out of the closet. It features a crew neck and long blouson sleeves set above a banded waist.

“I’m pretty sure that dress wasn’t in my closet,” I say with a laugh.

She rolls her eyes and grins. “I brought it for you. Actually saw it when AJ and I were shopping and immediately thought of you. It will bring out the green in your eyes.”

I give her a hug. “Thank you. Really. For setting all this up. I appreciate it.”

She shrugs. “It’s nothing. Also, I want you to know, whatever you decide about Carter, we’ll stay friends, okay?”

I give her a grin. “Okay.”

“No pressure, but when the heck are you going to decide?”

“I was planning on going to his house and telling him today, but I ended up here.”

“Oh!” she says, looking really surprised. “Uh, well, shoot. We messed up your plans. I’m sorry.”

“No need. He was who I called earlier. I told him that I want us to be together. And I invited him to come up here and meet me on Sunday. It’s really quite the coincidence that we are here because this is where our fake engagement was supposed to have taken place.”

“Well, that’s kind of crazy. But good maybe? Like cleansing?”

“Yeah,” I say. “It is.”

Once everyone is dressed, we go outside to have a drink before sunset.

“Let’s go for a walk,” Lakelyn says. “The makeup artist was telling me that there’s a cool path that goes around the property, and you can get even closer to the ocean and look right over the cliff’s edge.”

I want to disagree, but it’s a miles-long walking path, and we’re all wearing high heels. I know my sisters. They’ll be ready to sit back down before we make it ten feet. I shouldn’t have to worry about us making it all the way to the bridge.

“That sounds amazing!” Brooke says. “I can’t wait to explore this place.”

We take our drinks and make our way to the path. Where we find two golf carts with drivers, waiting for us.

“Ladies,” one says.

“What’s this?” I ask.

“Raine mentioned after she had kids that she sort of stopped wearing high heels very often. I didn’t want her feet to hurt,” Ashlyn says. “So, I called down and asked the valets to give us a lift.”

“Perfect,” Brooke says.

“But the sun is close to setting,” I argue. “I don’t want to miss it.”

“Oh, don’t worry. We won’t,” the driver says. “We are taking you somewhere it will be even more spectacular.”

I let out a sigh and hop in the cart as the bagpipe player who commemorates the sunset starts playing.

We’re cruising past the hotel and up a hill when Lakelyn goes, “Hey, look at all the rose petals.”

“Oh crap,” the driver says. “Why don’t you ladies walk around a little, and then we’ll take you back? I’m sure the event planners put them here for wedding photos. I don’t want to disturb them with the cart.”

And what he says makes sense. So, we get out.

“Look, they lead to a bridge. Come look at this!” Ashlyn says.

And I’m thinking, No, I’m not going down that path. It eventually leads to the bridge. And I’m not going there. Not yet. Not without Carter. And certainly not on a bridge filled with flowers waiting for another couple.

But Lakelyn loops her arm around my elbow and leads me down the petal-filled path and around the bend, where I have to blink my eyes, trying to figure out if what I’m seeing is really there.

It’s my family.

“What are you doing here?” I can hardly breathe.

My parents, my grandmother and Aunt Helen, my sisters’ husbands, and my brother.

My dad walks up to me, gives me a hug, and says, “We decided to take you up on your offer. Come out to see where you live.”

“But I don’t live here,” I say with a laugh as I hug everyone else. “I live in Southern California.”

“We might be here for another reason, honey,” my mother says. “Why don’t you follow the petals and see where they lead you?”

I start to shake.

And tears fill my eyes.