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  “You still think she trying to live out some unrealistic fantasy with you?” Preston asked.

  “No. I don’t think that’s it either.” I answered and placed my putter in my bag. “I think she just doesn’t understand what life with me will be like and the unknown freaks her out because she can’t make it up in her head anymore.”

  Preston paused with his hands resting on the top of the cart.

  “You ruined her carefully planned out fantasy by becoming her unknown reality.”

  “Wow, that’s deep.” It really was deep and more accurate than I cared to admit.

  “You need to talk to her. Reassure her. Give her more of that, yes, Noah love and let her know that while life with you may be unpredictable, it’s every bit as fulfilling as the fantasy.”

  It was my turn to shake my head.

  “Too far.”

  “Yeah.” I slid in the driver side of the car.

  “No way man. Slid over,” Preston said.

  “What? I won the hole.”

  “We tied the hold, slide over.”

  It was my turn to look around. If anyone heard us, you’d think we sounded like two spoiled little kids.

  I slid over and paused as the view captured my conscious. It must have hit Preston too. For the first time all afternoon, he stopped talking.

  It’s probably why we’d been boys for so long. We knew when we needed to offer advice and when we needed to shut the hell up and enjoy the ride.

  I needed to teach Callie to do the same thing. Enjoy the ride and for sure make our life together better than her fantasies.

  Eleven

  Noah

  We finished the bottle by the time we made it to the eighteenth hole. We each won a round. We both slid in the back of the SUV waiting to take us back to the cabin.

  I rested my head on the back of the seat and watched the countryside as we drove through the winding narrow streets back to the cabin.

  “The girls made it back.” Preston waved his phone.

  “They must be relaxed and buzzed they spent four hours in—”

  “Uh-oh.” Preston said.

  “What?” I raised my head.

  “So, you remember Brenda, the wedding coordinator?” Preston asked.

  I nodded, not liking where this was going.

  “She’s in town doing a wedding and she bumped into them at lunch and apparently Callie freaked out.”

  What does he mean freaked out?

  I sat up.

  Preston tapped his phone and Kate answered on the first ring. “What do you mean she freaked out?”

  “She’s fine. But when we asked her about her plans for the wedding she didn’t have any answers and then her face got all red and splotchy and I didn’t want to make a scene in front of Brenda so I changed the subject, but …” her voice trailed off.

  “She was really quiet on the ride home and when we got back I tried to talk about it with her, but she blew me off, grabbed Nip and took off.”

  “Took off.” I said.

  “No. I mean. She went for a walk.”

  I looked outside and the sun was below the mountains. The temperature had dropped and my girl was out wandering a freaking mountain, upset.

  “We’re pulling into the driveway right now.”

  I jumped out of the car before it came to a complete stop. Kate stood in the foyer with the phone in her hand.

  “She hasn’t been gone that long,” she said.

  “It’s getting cold out there,” Preston said as he ran his hand down her back and pulled her into him.

  “I know.” She groans. “I should have gone with her or made her stay to talk to me.”

  “Is everything okay?” Jerry joined us in the foyer.

  “Callie went for a walk and isn’t back yet.” Preston said. “Did anyone see where she went?”

  “I saw her go up toward Timberland.” Randa pointed across the driveway.

  I had forgotten about the little trail. It came to a deck that looked out into the valley. I had planned to show Callie. I headed in that direction. It was only a ten-minute walk from the house. I jogged over to the entrance; Preston was in step next to me by the time we made it to the trail at the top of the little stairway.

  “Gentleman.” We stopped and waited for Jerry. He had grabbed a couple of flashlights. I took one, and turned it on. I headed up the trail. It soon flattened out and I saw the deck in the distance but it was empty. I jogged the rest of the way and noticed the impression of someone sitting on the edge. I leaned over, but it was dark down in the valley.

  “Noah.”

  I turned around and spotted what caused Preston to say my name. Nip's leash and collar were tied to the deck, but no sign of Nip.

  “Callie.” I yelled.

  “Callie.” Preston yelled after me.

  I looked over the edge, but couldn’t see anything. I shined the flashlight, but it only picked up gravel and dirt.

  “Callie.” I yelled. I got an answer this time, but it wasn’t from Callie.

  “Yip. Yip.” Nip barked as he came tearing towards us from the woods to our left. I squatted and he leaped in my arms. He wiggled in my hands and it was hard not to drop him. He keep barking and moaning.

  “Where’s you mommy, Nip?” I asked. I wouldn’t have been surprised if he answered me. He was trying to say something.

  Leaves and dirt matted to his body.

  Preston walked around the side of the deck and held on with one hand while training the flashlight down the side of the mountain.

  I sat Nip down and he walked up to the edge of the deck, laid down and barked down the mountain.

  “Go back.” I saw a flash of something as the flashlight passed over it.

  Preston scanned back and about ten feet down the mountain laid my Callie. She laid flat on her stomach and her head tilted to the side. Blood was matted to one side of her head and she wasn’t moving.

  I couldn’t tell from up here if she was even breathing. I laid down flat on the deck trying to catch movement.

  “Callie.” I yelled. “Baby, answer me.”

  Preston attempted to move further towards her, but the ground gave way and he scrambled to prevent himself falling and joining Callie.

  “We’ve got some ropes and stuff at the cabin.” The house manager said. “And, I’ll call for help.

  He pressed the flashlight in my hand and scooped Nip up.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Better get this little guy out of the way when the cavalry comes.” The man turned and sprinted down the trail, yelling into his phone on the way. “We have a woman who fell from Timberland lookout. She’s unconscious and…”

  Nip barked in protest at being carried away.

  “Pres-”

  “She’s fine,” he said. He trained the flashlight on her back. “She’s breathing.”

  I looked where he had the light. I added my light. I couldn’t see it. He always had better eyes than me.

  “I’ve got to get down there.” I pushed up and got to my feet.

  I circled around the side of the deck and dropped underneath, my arms stretched out. I swung on the edge and pushed myself to the left onto a pile of gravel above Callie.

  I turned and slid down a few more feet. I was close. I dug into the dirt to get a grip and lower myself down further.

  “Fuck.” A rock sliced my hand.

  “Noah man, be careful.”

  I made it half way down to her, but the rest of the way either would have me landing on her and landing over her and falling fifty feet to my own death.

  “Hey.” Preston moved the light over a branch protruding out of the ground near my feet. “See if you can grab that and lower yourself down.”

  I reached for the branch. The end crumbled in my hand. I pulled more of it out of the ground. It caught and seemed steady. I wrapped it around my hand and gripped it. I slid down to my knees and slid down the side of the mountain. I had my whole weight in one hand dangling fr
om this precarious branch. My arms outstretched to full length. My muscles stretched and tightened. My chest and neck muscles throbbed. My toe felt around and I made contact with Callie’s right thigh.

  “You got it. Place your other foot on the other side of her.” Preston pointed with the beam of light. I felt around with my left foot and only felt air. As soon as I looked up, the branch gave way. I dropped down next to my Callie.

  “Baby.” I knelt down pushed the hair out of her face. I leaned over and placed my ear to her back. I heard her heart thump, but it was slow. “Callie. Wake up.” I whispered near her ear.

  “Don’t move her too much.” Preston said.

  “She didn’t land like this.” I said. The wound on her head came from a rock a couple feet to the left. It had blood on it. “I think she tried to move, but lost consciousness.”

  I took off my jacket and tucked it in around her.

  “Here” Preston took his off and dropped it down.

  I ran a hand across her cheek. It was warm. I lay down next to her, and tried to keep her warm without moving her.

  “Hang on, baby.” I whispered in her ear. “We're going to get out of here. Just don’t leave me. Not like this.” I blinked away the tears before they fell.

  I heard sirens in the distance. The guys from the house had arrived. They were tying ropes to the side of the deck.

  The adventure guy on the household staff, climbed down next to me with a first aid kit.

  I scooted over to let him near her. He felt for a pulse in her hand and on her neck.

  “Did she regain consciousness at all?”

  “No.” He pressed on her neck and down her back. “I need your help. I want to turn her over, but keep her neck still.”

  “Okay.”

  He gripped her face and neck. “Roll her slowly to the left.”

  I rolled her and couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. She looked so peaceful, so still.

  “Callie.” I leaned over and placed my head on her chest. Her heart beating against the side of my face stilled the panic in my soul. The idea of her not being okay and not coming home with me would break me. I reached out and touched her cheek.

  “Noah.” The adventure guy said. “Wrap this around your hand.”

  He handed me some gauze. I didn’t understand.

  “You’re bleeding all over your beautiful woman here.” He pointed at my hand on her cheek.

  I had trailed a red smear across her jawbone. I looked at my hand and wrapped the gauze bandage around it.

  “She’s going to be fine.” He said with more confidence than I could muster. “It’s probably the red hair.” He said as he rubbed his own fire red buzz cut. He had tied the other end of the rope into a knot and placed it over my head. “Put one of your arms through it. If I lose you down this mountain, she’s going to kick my ass.”

  Why did this guy have jokes at a time like this? I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything. Two paramedics appeared by our side.

  I placed the rope over my shoulder and let them work on my Callie.

  All joking aside, I wanted to believe him.

  Twelve

  Callie

  My eyes blinked open and I felt nothing. No pain, no grief, only quiet, but the world swirled around me. The lights were too bright and the people moved too fast. I tried to speak, but nothing came out and then …BAM!

  “Twenty year old female. Unconscious with head wound on the …”

  “Doctor.” The nurse took my hand. “Sweetie you’re going to be ok. You’re in the hospital. We’re going to fix you up.”

  If I could find my voice, I would have told her no duh. I was fine, but the pain seeped in slow. It gained strength before it hit me all at once. I groaned and tried to sit up.

  I wanted to crawl into a ball and make the pain go away.

  “Sweetie.”

  Why was she calling me sweetie?

  “Sweetie. Can you tell me where it hurts?”

  Everywhere.

  “Everywhere.” I found my voice. I sounded weird.

  “Can you be more specific?”

  “No.” I closed my eyes. I pulled my hand away and tried to move, but strong hands held me down. I gave up. It took too much effort. I exhaled and my lungs burned and I took anther deep breath and the world faded away.

  “Callie. Baby.” I recognized the hand holding mine. It made me smile even though my body ached all over. “Open your eyes for me.”

  “Where am I?” I asked. My eyes remained closed.

  “You’re at the hospital. You’re going to be ok?”

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Why what baby?”

  I opened my eyes and found my favorite set of eyes staring down at me and I felt better. I felt good. I tried to sit up and groaned. Okay maybe not good, but better.

  “You play a violent sport for a living. Why am I the one who always ends up banged up and bruised?”

  “It’s the feisty red hair. Gets you in trouble.”

  “And you get to rescue me and save me.” I reached out and touch the smudge of dirt on his cheek.”

  “Me and about ten other people.” Noah smiled. “You were on the side of a mountain.”

  “But you got there first. I knew you were there.” I felt it in my soul.

  He nodded. “I did get there first.” He held up his hand. “I got hurt this time too.”

  I cringed from the caked up blood and dirt on his wrapped up hand.

  Tears pooled in my eyes.

  “Oh, baby. What’s wrong?” He cupped my cheek.

  “You hurt yourself.” I sniffled through tears.

  “It’s okay. Only need a couple of stitches, I’ll be fine.”

  “You use your hands for work.”

  “You use your brain and you banged it pretty good, but I think we’ll both survive.”

  “My head hurts.” I reached up, but Noah grabbed my hands, kissed them and sat them on my chest.

  My skull throbbed and the bandage made my head hot.

  I gasped and tried to set up.

  “Where’s Nip?”

  “Hey. Hey. Relax.” Noah pushed me back down. “He’s fine. He’s as dirty as the two of us, but he’s fine. I think he tried to find a way to get down to you. He worked out of his collar. It’s probably still hanging from the deck.”

  “Oh.” I reached up and touched my head. Noah touched my cheek and I leaned into it.

  “How do you feel?”

  “Like I fell off the side of a mountain.”

  “How did you manage to do that?” Noah chuckled.

  My face heated.

  “I dropped my stupid phone and tried to go and get it and lost my balance.” The memory came back. I groaned. “How long was I out there?”

  “Not too long. Twenty to thirty minutes depending how long you sat on the edge before you fell off.”

  “You came looking for me?”

  “Kate said you took off.” Noah closed his eyes. “I was so scared. Thinking about you wandering around by yourself in the dark. Why did you take off?”

  I closed my eyes and relaxed back into the pillow. My anxiety about the wedding and the whole celebrity status and what would be expected of me as Noah Patrick’s wife seemed silly now. It didn’t matter. All that matter was Noah loved me and I love him. We wanted each other. The rest of the stuff will work itself out.

  “I’m sorry.” I whispered and blinked the pain in his voice brought tears to his eyes. “I have been thinking about the wedding, getting married. It was all so overwhelming in my head.” I touched the bandage on my head. “I needed a minute to think about why I was feeling the way I was feeling. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  “I know this whole wedding and marriage thing might be sudden. I didn’t mean to freak you out, but I also wanted you to know I was ready.” Noah sat back up and rubbed his forehead. “But, if you’re not, that’s okay.”

  A tear fell. I sniffled and wiped it away.

  “No
ah.” I reached for his hand and laced his fingers with mine. “Will you marry me?”

  He narrowed his eyes and stared. The room grew quiet. Even the normal noises of a hospital disappeared. Maybe it was my concussion or I suddenly went deaf. It appeared the world stopped to wait for Noah answer.

  The world kicks in when Noah grinned down at me.

  “Are you serious?”

  I nodded my head and grinned up at him.

  We were both covered in dirt and blood and the inside of my mouth tasted like grimy muck, but I wanted to kiss him.

  I lifted my head and grabbed on the collar of his shirt and pulled him down. He did the rest and kissed me. It wasn’t slow and careful. It was hard and sensual and made my aching body heat with sexual tension. I moaned and kissed him back.

  The kiss heated my insides. Noah’s hands roamed down my chest and down my side. He gripped my hip and deepened the kiss. I reached down to the waistband of his jeans and yanked on his belt loop to bring him closer.

  “See baby. I told you she was fine.” Preston voice entered the room. “Are we interrupting?”

  “Callie.” Kate squawked.

  Noah smiled and laid a small kiss on my lips.

  I smiled and kissed him back before he sat up.

  “Callie.” Kate pushed Noah out of the way and hugged me. “Why did you run off like that? We should have talked about it.”

  “I’m fine Kate.”

  “No you're not. You’re in a hospital, caked in blood and dirt.” Kate stood up and paced. “You’re so upset about this whole wedding thing that you go hiking in the middle of the night and fall off the side of the mountain. That’s not fine.”

  “Well, one thing about falling off a mountain.” All eyes were on me.

  “I’m not freaking out about getting married any more.”

  The guys laughed. Kate did not.

  Thirteen

  Noah

  “Kate. I promise. I have a massive headache, but I’m fine.” Callie tugged on Kate’s arm. “And, Noah and I are getting married.”

  Kate turned toward me and scowled.

  I took a step back.