“Hello. Anyone home?”
“Billy, do you really want me after—”
“Stop. Stop right there. I don’t care what that asshole did. You’re you and I love you. I miss you when you’re away from me for even one minute.”
I smile and my heart fills with joy. “I love you too, Billy Murphy. I love you too, more than you could ever know, and yes, I will marry you.” I place my lips on his for a long, long kiss.
It was almost dark when the rescuers came. The storm had passed, and the pain in Billy’s knee had abated to a dull ache. He wondered if Trip had done some permanent damage to it.
The pilot told them his story about how he’d come to rescue them during the flight back to civilization.
Jake had settled on the floor beside Billy, his nose resting on his front legs.
It was late that night when they finally made it back to safety. Billy was happy when Lexie accompanied him to the hospital in a city called Harare. They held hands all the way in the ambulance ride. He wished she could have stayed with him during the surgery where they did what had to be done to his knee, but they told her to wait out in the waiting area.
He didn’t care about the pain. All he could think about was the fact that Lexie had agreed to marry him. She had said the three magic words, “I love you.”
Epilogue
I can’t believe this is my wedding day. I am Mrs. Billy Murphy. Everything is so surreal as I gaze upon all the people sitting around picnic tables in the barn at the Murphy family ranch.
The décor is perfect for me, with all the beautiful wildflowers and the perfume of fresh hay.
Billy slides his arm around my waist and guides me out of a side entrance. Once we are away from prying eyes he bends and kisses me. Long and deep. Eventually, I pull away. “We’d better get back before they miss us.”
“I guess you’re right. We are the stars of the show.” Billy takes my hand and we head over to the table in the corner closest to the band.
Stretch, dapper in his black pants and shirt with a white tie, stands up. “Let me kiss this beautiful bride.” He throws his arms around me and plants a kiss on my cheek before he turns to Billy and shakes his hand.
“That’s my wife over there.” He points to a tall woman in a green dress. “And that’s my son beside her.” A tear glistens in his eye. “Dockery was bankrupt and deeply in debt. He hadn’t even paid his insurance premiums, but I sold my, our story, to NBC and my son’s cancer treatment seems to have worked. He’s in remission now.”
Jared is beside him. They were able to save one of his feet, and you would never know he had one prosthetic. He introduces us to Judy, one of the therapists who had helped him learn to walk again. The way she gazes into his eyes, I am sure it won’t be long before we get an invitation to their wedding.
After hugging and kissing Rodriguez and his wife, and Maria and Lela, we sit at the table. A server places full champagne glasses in front of us, and tops up the other glasses.
A little boy with tousled blond hair rushes up to us. “Uncle Billy, Uncle Billy,” he says.
Billy leans down. “I’m here, buddy. What’s up?”
The child points. “Jake is over there with the other dog and they’re breaking his tuxedo.”
We all turn our attention to Jake, who is having a tug of war with our little girl dog, using his tux as the rope.
“It’s okay, buddy,” Billy says to the boy. “He’s done with it now. He just needed to look good in the church.”
We all watch the child as he trots off toward the dogs.
“So I went back last month,” Stretch said. “The families wanted to see where their loved ones were buried, you know. It was very emotional as you can imagine, but I didn’t mind. Mark’s wife and kids came with me. They decided to leave him there, right where we buried him, because it’s such a beautiful and peaceful place. I see them over there.” He points. “I spoke with them a little while ago and they seem to be doing okay considering. Andy’s mom also came. It turns out he had split with his wife, but there hadn’t been a divorce or anything yet. She didn’t want to come. Sam and Kelli’s families have asked for their loved ones’ remains to be sent home to them so they can bury them here in the U.S. and Eve’s family are taking her back to China.”
“I can’t believe Faith killed Andy and Kelli,” I say.
“Yeah. She’s in the nuthouse. I don’t think they’ll ever let her out. You could have lost your arm.” Jared stares at Maria.
“I know. I heard that she had been in a mental institution before. I don’t know if Andy or Kelli did something to upset her. I do remember she was quick to get into an argument with any one of us.” Maria rubs her arm. “I’m lucky we were rescued so soon after I got the injury.”
“That dude Trip, why did he kill Eve and Mark?” Jared smiles at his girl, who snuggles up against him.
“The footage on his camera showed an argument Mark had with Trip. He somehow found out Trip had taken the sat phone. That’s what he wanted to tell me that night, the night he died. Trip must have realized the camera was rolling at the time, and that’s why he took it. Only, he took the wrong one.” I wipe a tear from my eyes.
“And we figure Eve probably saw something. Maybe she saw him hiding the sat phone. She was pretty crafty. She probably told him she wouldn’t tell if he would do something for her to further her chances in the game.” Billy squeezes my hand and winks at me and my legs turn to jelly. He will always have a way of doing that to me.
“I can’t believe that phone was there all the time, and in working order in his backpack.” I shake my head. Billy kisses me on my cheek and I know what he’s thinking. I can’t hide my grin. He winks at me.
“How did it feel? To be back there?” I ask Stretch.
“It was weird. I thought I’d be distressed, but all that is gone. I saw a beautiful, lonely place, where I shared some good and bad experiences with some good friends, who will be my friends forever.
“I’ll drink to that,” Jared says, raising his glass.
“Friends forever,” we all say together.
I turn to Billy and whisper, “We’ll be lovers forever, too.”
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