by Hoff, Stacy
Her mother walked behind her and immediately dropped her pile of napkins.
Holy God. Mom sees the ghost, too.
“I’m back, baby,” Colin said gently. “I’ve missed you. I’m so sorry about your dad, but I’m here for you.”
Still unable to talk, she just stared at him wide-eyed.
“Steph,” Colin called out again, softer. “C’mere, baby.”
“You . . . you’re not . . . dead.”
“Never said I was.” He grinned widely.
Suddenly she found herself in his arms. They were wrapped tight around her, her nose buried in his chest. Her tears came down as hard and fast as the Everglades storm.
“I can’t believe you’re real,” she choked out. “But here you are. Safe. Healthy. Back with me. I wasn’t sure I’d see you again. I was told you were dead, and a part of me died when I heard that.” Her voice was a mix of joy and sorrow. “Daddy didn’t make it, though,” she said, clinging to him harder, her eyes shut tight.
“I know, Steph. I know. It’s a lot to handle at once. Both good and bad.”
“I’ll tell you what else is good,” Greg chimed in. “Colin’s won a million dollars!”
“My God, that’s a lot of money,” Brian marveled.
“My Gosh, Colin. How fabulous for you,” Mrs. Lang gushed.
Stephanie snapped out of her reverie to note her mother looked really impressed. For that matter, she was, too. “You saved your farm.”
Colin gave them all a wink.
Colin felt his heart squeeze. There was no doubt he loved her. He needed to make this woman part of his life. Now. Teleworld be damned. He wasn’t about to alter the course of his life any more than he already had for the stupid show. Mark, Jennifer and the rest of Teleworld could do their best to block his prize money. He’d fight back. Hell, he was a Marine. Fighting for what was right would always be in his blood. He’d just be shifting the battlegrounds from mountainside to courtside.
Truth was, it was no longer about the money. It never was. It was about family. Family that would now include Stephanie. The farm’s financials would always be a lesser matter. One that would work out. Somehow. But not dwelled upon today.
Of course, he still needed to convince her of all this. She’d have to believe she was the most important thing in his life. Let go of all her insecurities. Her offers of self-sacrifice. He didn’t need her to save the farm when all that mattered now was being together.
They were not going to live apart. They weren’t going to merely live together, either. They were going to be married. With luck, it wouldn’t take him too long to convince her of this. Thankfully, experience taught him to always be prepared for battle. Armed with appropriate ammunition. And if his proposal left her shell shocked—good.
Stephanie felt Colin’s hand stroking the back of her head. His touch felt like home itself. Soothing. Safe. She enjoyed the warmth of his skin. Smelled his natural, delicious scent and inhaled harder. Like nothing bad could ever touch her again.
She had already pulled back to kiss him when she realized other people were in the room. Where had they come from? Oh, right. After the shock of seeing Colin, it was all coming back to her.
“Hello, Mrs. Lang. And you guys must be Brian and Greg. I never did get to meet any of you at the party,” she heard Colin say.
Still clinging to him, she felt him pull away to extend his arm out to her mother. “Later for that. Sorry, people,” Stephanie said, grabbing onto him and pulling his head down to hers.
“Yes, later,” her mother agreed, the amusement in her voice apparent.
Stephanie felt his soft lips touch hers. The entire living room, and everyone else in it, faded out. He grabbed her to him, almost crushing her with his intensity. Yet his kiss remained light. Too light. She pressed harder against him, as if he held the very air she needed to breathe. For one brief moment, they were back in the Everglades. As if they had never been forced to part. As if they would never be apart again.
“Hey! Take it easy on my sister,” Greg admonished, though without heat.
“Shut up, Greg,” Brian and Ana scolded simultaneously.
“I think we could all do with a bit of happiness right now,” Stephanie’s mother added. “I’m glad Steffie will get the chance. Colin, Steffie, you two go upstairs for a while. You can use your old room.”
“What?” exclaimed Greg. “But Ma—”
“Seriously, sweetheart,” her mother responded, “Ana and Brian are right. Shut up, honey.”
Stephanie felt her face flush with embarrassment, but Colin laughed.
“Er, we could watch the end of your show,” Stephanie suggested.
“Why? I already know how it turns out.” He laughed louder. “But in case you still haven’t figured it out, I’ll spoil the ending for you. I survived the whole twelve days. And won the money.”
The room burst into applause, but Stephanie didn’t hear it. Her head was spinning. “Of course you did,” she said slowly. “I should have known you’d win the show.”
“What show?” he joked. He reached into the pocket of his tan slacks and pulled out a black velvet box. Fumbling, she took the tiny box from his hand and watched him get down on one knee. “The most important thing I can ever win is your hand in marriage, Steph. Baby, will you marry me?”
“Yes!”
Colin stood up, held out his arms, and she leapt into them with abandon, box still in hand.
“Are you even going to look at your engagement ring?” he said, laughing.
“Sure,” she said and opened the box a mere second before jumping back into his arms.
She barely heard Ana comment to her mother, “She didn’t even notice the size of the diamond. Amazing.”
“I know,” she heard her mother whisper back. “And a gem that big is hard to miss.”
Stephanie ignored them easily, once again lost in Colin’s all-consuming, fantastically possessive kiss.
“I’m just glad the ring’s not made out of snakeskin or possum.” Ana laughed.
Getting harder to concentrate.
Colin, who apparently managed to hear all of their commentary, too, laughed amidst his kiss. For a moment, he pulled away and took a breath. “Hey, if snakeskin is Stephanie’s thing, I’ll get one custom designed.” His eyes danced in amusement. “Feel free to keep your options open. Pig skin would work, too. Give it more of a football feel.”
“Oh!” Stephanie exclaimed, whirling around. “What did happen in the show? I mean, what happened to you when the pig attacked?” Turning her focus back to the television, she realized the show wasn’t over and she was missing it.
A still shot of Colin was now on the screen. He wore a laurel-leaf crown. The show also had him wear a toga. The long white fabric draped over his arms and down past his knees. Golden sandals laced all the way up his calves. He stood regally on a marble platform, a giant bag of money in one hand, hundred-dollar bills scattered beneath his feet.
Stephanie gaped while the announcer’s voice filled the air.
“He’s won, ladies and gentlemen! Colin Brandt has won the title of America’s first Evergladiator! He gets the million-dollar prize! And a new car, by the show’s newest sponsor, Kippan National Automotive Dealerships!”
“You got a new car?” Stephanie murmured.
“Yeah. Nice one, too. It’s parked in the driveway. “But my best prize is you.”
“That is soooooo sweet,” Stephanie vaguely heard Ana whisper to her mother.
“He won the show. She won his heart.” Her mother sobbed. “Finally, someone to really love my little girl.”
“They’re both conquerors.” Ana nodded in agreement.
“Ah, love,” Brian said. “It always ends for the best. I’m gonna step out for a minu
te and make a call to Elena.”
“Maybe it’s time I got a girlfriend,” Greg wondered aloud.
Those were the last comments she heard before becoming lost again in Colin’s kiss.
Colin had been smiling for so many hours he thought his face would shatter. Painful, but a good thing. He already felt comfortable around Stephanie’s mother and Brian. Greg would take a little longer getting used to. Ana was a definite plus, though. A de facto sister-in-law.
Maybe one day Howie would get married. But for that to happen, Howie would need to muster up enough courage to even speak to a lady. Crooning to dairy cows was a piss poor imitation of wooing a woman, and when he saw Howie again, he’d let him know. It’d be a while before he could tell him, though. Stephanie was in New York, and he was going to be with her. Damn if he was going to let her go.
The expression on her face when she saw him in her mother’s living room had been priceless. Shock and confusion were apparent, sure. But most of all, love. If he didn’t know before she truly loved him, he did then. Facial expressions could give everything away. Ask any poker player. Or any of his military trainers back in the Marines. Body language was way more important than words as to what a person was thinking. And her body language’s message was clear. Lucky for him, since he’d given his own heart to her weeks ago.
Yes, the look she had on her face when he walked in was great. Her expression when she saw his car was pretty good, too.
“I gotta admit, the car is quite nice,” Stephanie quipped, grateful to be headed to an all-night diner.
Later, they’d be going back to her mother’s to sleep, and then head out in the morning to the funeral home. But for now, she had a few hours to feel nothing but happiness. Revel in the fact she was with Colin. Physically. Emotionally. And soon, legally. Her voice took on the same ‘purring’ quality of the engine. “Yep, I love this ride.” She stretched out, enjoying the feel of the leather interior. “I hope you get used to having nice things, because you’re rich.”
“Actually, I’m not so sure about that.”
“About what?”
“Keeping the prize money. And keeping this car.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Teleworld found out about the box of chocolates and the note I sent you. They’re claiming they might not give me the prize money because we were in cahoots.”
“I can’t believe it,” she said softly. Even though the sports car drove smooth and straight, she felt dizzy. No matter how hard she tried in life, she just couldn’t catch a break.
“Steph? Are you all right? You look pale. Don’t worry about the money. We have each other, and that’s all we need.”
“But your farm—”
“I know all about the farm. And I still meant what I said.”
Quietly she looked at his handsome face. At the warmth of his expression. Having a man like this was a gift. He was right, she knew that now. All that mattered was being together.
Without another word she picked up her iPhone and pressed ‘contacts.’ A second later, she heard Mark answer.
“Mark, it’s Stephanie.”
“Stephanie, what a surprise to hear from you. I heard your father passed away.”
“Yes, I got a lot of bad news today. Including the strangest message from Colin Brandt.” She paused, but pressed on despite Mark’s silence. “He said you’re accusing us of not only dating, but somehow working together to rig the show. Is that true?”
Silence.
“I take it by your lack of response, Mark, that I heard right. So let me tell you something. If you harm my professional reputation in any way, I will be very public about why I quit Teleworld. If I do, your reputation won’t look too good, either. And remember what Teleworld does with its troublesome employees. Let’s just say it won’t help you pay the mortgage on your Park Avenue apartment.”
Silence.
“You might as well play nice, Mark. At this point, only a few insiders even know about this allegation. But if you don’t make good on paying the show’s prize money, the scandal will be huge. Is it really worth making a big stink over a mere allegation? Especially when the stakes are this high?”
Silence. And then Mark spoke in a bitter voice. “I’ll let Bernie and Neil know we should pay out the prize money.”
“That’s a good idea, Mark. Have a good night.” She hung up the phone and grinned for what felt like the first time in years.
“I don’t know what’s more wonderful,” Colin said, voice full of pride. “Seeing you in the flesh, or watching your executive self in action. Damn that was hot!”
“Unlike you, I don’t let dangerous vipers get off scot free.”
“You’re right about that.” He laughed. “You’re a ‘no holds barred’ kind of woman. Scary as hell.” His grin matched hers. “You know, the Marines could use a recruit like you.”
“Forget it. I’m not wearing camouflage. It’s tacky.”
“Point is, you can get through tough situations. You rely on yourself. Very well, I might add.”
“Thanks.” She smiled at him. “But I’m not the only one who has handled tough situations well. You’re going to be rich.”
“Rich enough for us to live comfortably. I’ll even have a lot of prize money left over after the farm expenses. And taxes.”
“That’s great, Colin. But it’s your money, not ‘ours.’ You’re the one who earned it.”
“Our money. You’re going to be my wife.”
She paused for a moment. “I am. But not until after you get Teleworld’s check. They don’t need too much provocation to screw either of us over, so I want to play it safe. The wedding can wait a bit.”
“How long do you think it’ll take to get the check?”
“Not too long. A few weeks, maybe.”
“Then for once in your life, shut up and let me take care of you.”
Stephanie snorted out a laugh. “Good luck with that. But, to keep you happy, I’ll sit back and let you take care of me now. Drive me to the diner. It’s two miles down the road.”
“Hmmm, I’m out of the military and yet still following orders. Some things never change. Though you are the sexiest commander I’ve seen.”
Stephanie snorted again. “Thanks. I admit I have a bit of competition. Your new car has plenty of sex appeal, too.
“Yep. Never seen a Corvette I didn’t like,” Colin agreed. “It’ll be a nice change of pace from driving Howie’s beat up old pick-up truck. The detailing he put on, metallic silhouettes of nak— Well, never mind, I’ll have him remove them before you ever see it.”
She laughed. “Not too classy, huh?”
“The cows don’t mind, and Howie doesn’t have a girl, so no harm done. So far.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t jump on my feministic high-horse. I’m way too happy to see you.”
“Awesome. Howie will be happy you’re not using his name in vain.” Colin laughed. “As for me, I agree it’s nice to be classy. Take this ’Vette, for instance. I would have gone with silver, which is way more sedate. Less showy than this. But I guess Teleworld thought red would look better on screen.”
“I wouldn’t know. I missed that part. We were busy kissing.”
“Time definitely better spent,” Colin agreed. “After I won, they had me drive it around in circles while they filmed that last part. They said the clip would play while the credits rolled.”
“Bet you looked as good driving it then as you do now. I’ll have to watch a re-run.”
“No need. You’ve got the real thing.”
Two days later, Stephanie and Colin woke up together, finally back in her apartment. But the bliss of opening her eyes to see in him in her bed was short lived. The loudness of the building’s intercom shattered their solitude. S
tephanie grumbled and got up. Then groggily stumbled toward the door.
“Who is it?” Colin asked, falling in step behind her.
Already at the door, Stephanie didn’t bother answering.
“Ana?” Stephanie and Colin said in confusion. They stared at their guest who stared back at them.
Finally, Stephanie looked down at herself and blushed. It would have been better if they had changed out of their pajamas. Not that she had gone to bed with them on, mind you. It was just more comfortable to sleep with them on afterwards. For her, anyway. Colin preferred to remain as au natural as he’d been out in the Everglades.
“Hi, guys,” Ana said, grinning. “So, Colin, should I ask why you’re wearing Steph’s pajama bottoms? Unless you like cat designs? Either way, it’s way too short for you.”
“Really?” Colin said with a smile. “I thought whoever was at the door would prefer to see me in girly, ill-fitting clothes rather than none at all, so I grabbed this out of her drawer.” He embraced Ana in a big hug.
“Can’t . . . breathe . . .” she choked out.
He let go and waved her into the living room.
“What’s up, Ana?” Stephanie asked.
“More about Jennifer the receptionist. The IT department caught her trying to access Colin’s contact information.”
Stephanie gasped. “Why would she do that?”
“Mental issues,” Colin muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Mark wanted to find out, too. So he asked her why she needed to go through Teleworld’s electronic files to contact Colin. She hemmed and hawed for a few minutes and then admitted she didn’t have an answer.”
“Did she contact you?” Stephanie asked Colin.
