He walked out the door, and I ran into the kitchen screaming, "I want cookies too!"
I didn't leave to go home until after nine o’clock. The three of us cooked dinner after baking the cookies and then sat around playing games until it was time to tuck Shelby in. Having what felt like a real family for the first time was not only what I had dreamed for Shelby, but it meant everything to me as well.
I was literally on a high as I made my way home. Remembering the days I would sneak over there just to catch a glimpse of Canyon made my smile stretch that much further.
Once again the house looked dark from the roadside with only the back porch lights illuminating the space. As I got closer, my stomach flipped over the sound of his voice. It was as if Deja vu was taking me back to the beginning itself. I went with it, running my hands along the house envisioning that night all over again. The night I made myself known. Only, when I rounded the corner, the song changed to “Make You Feel My Love” by Garth Brooks and in the center of a circle of roses stood the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. Dressed in a black tuxedo, shined-up dress shoes and a white collar that only showed off his golden coloring—he had perfection redefined.
Tears filled my eyes as I made my way slowly toward him, not wanting the song to end. Each word resonated something within me that I wasn't sure how to cope with. He was going to ask me properly. The teasing from the night before had led to this moment and everything inside me was battling over what my answer would be. He knew I wasn't ready yet he took the leap anyway. Maybe with all of the uncertainty around him his need for something solid was desperate.
I entered the circle with my heart beating out of my chest. This was it. The moment little girls dream of with their knight in shining armor asking for their hand. There wasn't a better man to walk through life with, and I would be a fool to turn away from this.
Before I could finish processing, the guitar was set beside Canyon as he went down on one knee.
Every bone in my body was trembling as I dropped to the ground in front of him.
Looking into his eyes, I was shocked to see tears that matched my own. When his hand reached for mine I could tell he was shaking just as much as I was.
"Darlin', I don't even know how or what to say to make this the way you always dreamed it would be, but I love you, and I hope that that can be enough, that you can let me show you just how much for the rest of our lives. I have never been more sure of anything in my life that I want you as my wife."
He was so nervous that his hands were dripping with sweat. He must have caught on because he let go of mine and began to wipe them back and forth on his pants. When he looked back up at me his desperation became real.
"We don't have to get married tomorrow. Hell, we can wait years."
"Canyon—"
"Don't. Please don't tell me all the reasons why we can't. Just try for me."
His begging was so cute that part of me didn't want it to end but the truth is, I knew my answer before he started talking, and it was time to put the poor man out of his misery.
"Yes."
"I swear that when you think about waiting, it seems ridiculous..."
I jumped on him and pushed him back to the ground.
"Canyon Michaels, stop talking! I said yes!"
His pupils grew enormous. His eyebrows practically touched his hairline. He was without a doubt dumbfounded, and when it all sunk in, he grabbed me like I weighed two pounds and jumped to his feet, never letting me go.
"Say it again."
"Say what?"
"Tell me again."
"I'm afraid I don't know what you’re talking about."
"Darlin', I'm about to lose my shit. Did you or did you not just tell me you would marry me?"
He set me down on my own two feet which was exactly where I wanted to be as I looked into his eyes with his face in my hands.
"Canyon Michaels, you need to listen to me. I said I would marry you, but that doesn't mean tomorrow. I'm not ready to walk down the aisle just yet. I have no doubt that when the day comes you will be the man standing there with me. That has to be enough. Now you can stop your worrying; you have been shaking like a leaf in a windstorm."
He screamed so loud I'm sure the farms thirty miles away heard him as he picked me up and spun me around until he abruptly stopped.
"Oh crap!"
He put me back on my feet and then dug around in his pocket until he produced a ring. Dropping down on his knee once again he held out a simple solitaire diamond set on a white gold band. It was perfect. I have never been a flashy person who dreamed of adorning some five-carat diamond. What he held between his fingers was exactly what I would have asked for but didn't have to. He just knew me in every way that was important.
I held my hand out, watching it shake uncontrollably as he slid the metal over my knuckle until it rested at the base of my finger. That was it. I had taken the leap. The weight of it felt foreign but the smile he was wearing as he stood up kept me from speaking of my uncertainties. It wasn't as if I questioned if this was right, only if it was the right time. In the end, it didn't really matter. I could put it off for years if I needed to. What I did was make the man I love happier than he's ever been, and for me that was what would make me the happiest. We were two kids in love. And in that moment, as he kissed me with everything he had, I was willing to give him the world.
We spent the better part of the night making love under the stars. We could have gone inside, but something about the scene he created made it all the more magical.
Chapter 31
The next morning, I woke up reaching for Canyon and found the bed empty. I knew he must have carried me in late in the night and was up already to take care of the chores. As much as I wanted to drag him back to bed, I had school and needed to get ready to leave.
In the shower I was washing my hair when the ring I had forgotten I accepted got tangled in it. Once I worked it free, I stood there staring at the thing. I was engaged to be married. What the hell did I do? Not willing to let my fear rise, I took it off and set it on the back of the toilet while I finished showering. To be honest, it was never him that created the fear. It was marriage within itself that I was afraid of. Did I want to spend the rest of my life with him? Absolutely. But no marriage around me ever ended well. If you look at Canyon’s parents, what my mom went through when she lost my dad, what John put her through—there wasn't a great example for me to envision anything other than disaster.
Once I had gotten dressed and eaten breakfast, I went out to the barn to check on him. Sure enough, there he was, mucking stalls he paid someone to do. It didn't surprise me, though; he loved every minute of it. Those horses were the start of all good things to come for us and could give us the life we always dreamed of having.
I cleared my throat, and when he turned in my direction his face lit up.
"Hello there, darlin’. I was wondering how late you were going to sleep in."
He was walking toward me with a purpose. I had no idea what that could be until six steps in front of me he catapulted into a sprint until he had me in midair. A scream escaped me among the laughter as I fell from the sky into his arms, ending with a soft kiss from his lips.
"You look beautiful today."
"Says the man who would hug me even if I was sprayed by a skunk."
"Baby, it would only look like I was hugging you but in reality I would be holding you down while I doused you in tomato juice. This guy doesn't do skunks ever. Now, opossums are a different story."
"Yeah, that story will be told to our grandkids for sure."
"You wouldn't throw me under the bus like that, would you?"
"In a heartbeat, stud." I kissed the tip of his nose and then his lips. "I gotta get going. I slept way too late. I'm so used to Shelby waking me up it was weird not having her here this morning."
"Speaking of Shelby, your mom stopped by to let you know she would be picking her up after school so you don't need to worry about rushing back to g
et her."
"Wow!" I took in deep breath and then let it out in a huff. "It's like the minute she stepped off that plane all my responsibilities disappeared."
"You finally get to be just the big sister and not the mom too. How does it feel?"
"I kinda hate it."
"Yeah, me too. It's weird not having her around all the time. It doesn't feel right."
"Not at all."
We both stood there quietly taking in the change. I knew dwelling on it wouldn't help so to break the silence, I said, "Anyway, come give me a goodbye kiss. I've gotta go."
"I'll do one better."
He grabbed me, jerked me back, and dipped me before he let those gorgeous lips meet mine one last time. After he pulled me up he walked me to my truck, closed the door for me after I had gotten in, and then tapped the hood two times before he blew a kiss goodbye.
The drive to school was filled with thoughts of how much had actually changed over the last forty-eight hours. My mom was finally a mom, Shelby wasn't with me anymore, and I was now engaged to be married. How can forty-eight hours change so much?
Walking to my first class, I let my finger slide across the ring that was going to be a permanent part of me, but immediately stopped walking when it wasn't there. Panic took its place within me as I remembered never putting it back on and what Canyon would think if he found it. I prayed harder than I had in a long time that he didn't. If he knew my reservations, he might take it wrong and that was the last thing I needed. I would just simply need to get home, rush to the bathroom and put it back on. He would never have to know.
All throughout my first class I was constantly checking my phone to see if he had tried to call or text me. Nothing. Relief washed over me each time giving thanks for prayers answered. By the time class was over, my heart was beating out of my chest as I walked out of the room. I had never been so scared of something so stupid. I mean really, if he was going to be mad at me over this, he was the one with the problem.
Walking out in the Commons I noticed a crowd of people standing by one of the trees and was curious to see what the commotion was all about. Halfway there I heard a scream. Not knowing what to do I got my phone out and asked a girl standing on the outside of the mob what was happening and if anybody had called 911. She never took her eyes away from the center of the group when she answered, "The ambulance is on its way."
"What's wrong?"
I was trying to see for myself, but too many people were blocking the view.
"Some chick is going into labor or something. That's what I heard from him."
She pointed to the guy standing two people in front of us. I immediately thought of Brooke, but she wasn't far enough along to go into labor yet. It must have been someone else. I almost felt bad standing there drawing more attention to this poor girl. If help was on its way I didn't need to stay.
I said a quick prayer for her and headed back to my next class. I walked in the room and took my seat listening to the low hum of gossip going all around me.
"Did you hear someone collapsed out in the Commons?"
“Yeah, a professor had a heart attack."
"No I heard that Trinity Abbot got her ass kicked for sleeping with Tom Hansworth. Melody found out and beat the shit out of her in front of everyone."
"You guys are crazy. Brooke Stanton dropped to her knees out of nowhere and—"
My head snapped in the boy’s direction and cut him off midsentence.
"Did you just say Brooke Stanton?"
"Yeah, it was crazy. She just fell and started screaming..."
I didn't wait for him to finish. My purse and backpack were in my hands as I ran as fast as I could back to the courtyard where everyone had been, but the crowd had split up and there was no sign of Brooke anywhere. I grabbed a guy sitting at the picnic bench, scaring the crap out of him.
"Did the ambulance already get here?"
"What?"
"The ambulance. Did it get here?”
"Chick, I just got here. I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Where's the closest hospital?"
"Second Street."
I yelled a thank you over my shoulder as I ran to my truck. My hands were shaking so bad that finding my keys in my purse seemed impossible. Finally feeling them in the bottom, I jerked them out and was in my truck in seconds. I grabbed my phone and dialed Canyon's number as I backed out.
"Hello?"
"Canyon! Brooke is in an ambulance on the way to the hospital! I don't know what happened, but the hospital is off Second Street!"
"What? I'm on my way. Get there and call me as soon as you know anything!"
I hung up without a goodbye and Googled directions. I had no idea how to get around this town and didn't want to chance taking a wrong turn. I pulled into the ER parking lot twenty minutes later.
I ran through the doors and straight to front desk.
"Excuse me. I'm here for Brooke Stanton. She was just brought in a few minutes ago."
Seconds can feel like hours when you're left helpless. As the woman pressed each key in slow motion it seemed like she was doing it on purpose to elongate the process. My hand tapped the counter until she finally looked up at me.
"Miss Stanton was taken to the fourth floor for labor and delivery."
"She's having the baby?"
"Ma’am, I don't know. It just says here that that's where she is."
"Where are the elevators?"
"Right down the hall on your left."
I didn’t even take the time to thank her. I was too busy praying things would be okay and that Canyon would get there in time for the delivery.
Finally, the door opened, leaving me to find out the fate of his son. My heart was beating out of my chest as I found myself in another waiting area. The desk was to the right and no one was attending it.
I looked around but everyone seemed to be missing.
"Hello!"
A nurse came around the corner looking annoyed, like I was keeping her from something.
"Ma’am, could you tell me where Brooke Stanton is and if she's okay?"
"I'm not at—"
"Liberty to tell me anything. I know this, but you have to give me something. The father of that baby is over an hour and a half away, and when I call him, I have to be able to tell him something. He's scared to death and getting here as fast as he possibly can."
When I mentioned Canyon, her face fell.
"Just tell him she's in surgery and he needs to hurry."
And then I was left alone again as she entered another room down the hall and closed the door. I took a deep breath and dialed Canyon's number. This was going to be the worst news I could give him.
The sound of ringing caught my attention making me realize how spaced out I was as I brought it to my ear and heard his voice.
"Ari! What's going on?"
"She's in surgery. I don't know anything else, they won't tell me. I'm scared, Canyon."
"Shit! I knew she should have just listened to me and stayed close! I'm about thirty miles away. Just keep me posted if something changes."
And then he hung up. Thirty miles away meant he was driving over one hundred miles per hour. I wanted to throw up at the idea that something could happen to him too.
I sat down in one of the chairs in the lobby and let my head fall between my legs, trying to labor my breathing.
"It's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."
I continued to repeat it over and over hoping maybe I would convince myself it was the truth. Eventually I gave up. I couldn't sit there anymore and do nothing so I decided to go wait for Canyon and get some fresh air at the same time. The place felt like it was closing in on me. If this was what a panic attack felt like I knew why Xanax was created.
Once I made it outside and the cold air hit me, I felt like I could breathe again. I sat on a bench right outside the main doors and prayed. We all knew this day was coming, but now that it was here it didn't make it any easi
er. If anything, I felt worse knowing she was in there alone. No family or friends to hold her hand. I wondered if anybody bothered to call her family. I considered calling the store her mom owned but decided it wasn't up to me. If she wanted them to know she could have had someone call already. Hell, someone could be on their way. I decided to go back in and check on Brooke when the sound of screeching tires had me look up. Canyon's truck entered the parking lot and was headed right for me. The tail end swung around, slamming into the curb as he jumped from the cab, leaving the door wide open, and ran to me.
"Is she okay?"
"I don't know anything."
"What the hell!"
He grabbed my hand and pulled me through the hospital until I pointed to the elevators. I had never seen him so upset. His chest was rising and falling but in shallow breaths and every vein on his body was visible.
"I'm here for you, Canyon. You're not alone."
He didn't respond or look at me at all. When the elevator doors opened, he walked on, waited for me to press the four button, and then we rode it up in silence. I didn't understand why he was pulling away from me, but at the same time I couldn't imagine what he was going through and how he was processing it all.
Before the door had even opened all the way Canyon was pressing his body through it and running. He didn't know what I did. That no one would be there.
I was wrong and instead of a nurse to talk to at the desk, Canyon was standing before a doctor with a crying man at his feet. I didn't understand why it all seemed wrong as I walked to join him until I heard the man scream, "It's not fair! He never had a chance!"
My eyes had been focusing on Canyon and if this was the doctor that would give him the answers he desperately needed until something out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.
Bending down next to the distraught man was none other than Tonya. More confused than ever, I walked to her while Canyon spoke with the doctor and grabbed her arm.
"What the hell is going on? Why are you here? And don't even think about lying to me anymore."
She jerked her arm free at the same time the man on the ground turned his head, and I took in his whole profile. It was the guy from the administrative office, the first time I ever saw Tonya.
Let it be Us Page 17
