by Dylann Crush
How had she let Lacey talk her into this in the first place? Her phone rang. How could Lacey know she’d lost control? It hadn’t even been two minutes since all hell had broken loose.
“I’m handling it,” Zina barked into the phone.
“By handling it you mean you’ve salvaged the wedding and I shouldn’t be afraid to look at the front page of the paper tomorrow?”
“Now’s not a good time.” Zina caught a flash of white off in the distance. She broke into a jog, hoping beyond all hope it was Thelma or Louise.
“I’m coming over.” Lacey grunted like she was heaving herself out of bed. “I don’t care what the doctor says. If we can’t pull this back together, we may as well shut down the whole wedding operation. No one will want to book with us after tonight.”
Zina stepped into the flower bed. An azalea bush shook as something brushed past it. “Gotcha.” Her hand closed around Thelma’s floral necklace.
“Are you there?” Lacey asked.
“One bird down, one to go. Can I call you back?” She didn’t have the bandwidth to handle Lacey right now.
“Don’t bother. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Fifteen if Bodie will turn on the lights and siren.”
“That’s not necess—” The line went dead.
Zina kept a loose grip on Thelma’s flipper as she marched her back to the warehouse. She caught a glimpse of Chyna out of the corner of her eye. What the woman lacked in stature, she made up for in attitude. She’d produced a bullhorn and barked directions at the crowd. Zina managed to catch the tail end of it. Sounded like they were taking a ten-minute break to reset the tent and would call everyone in when it was ready. At least the Munyons hadn’t pulled out . . . yet. There was still a chance to save Lacey’s reputation.
She herded Thelma into the warehouse, where the rest of the penguins playfully dove into the water and stood around chattering.
“Hey, Zina. Come see this.” Morty called her from the other side of the makeshift wall.
Zina rounded the corner to find Louise snuggled up on a blanket with Aurora, the pit bull that Dolly had named. “How did this happen?”
“Found her over here when I brought the others in.”
“She nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought we were going to have to put out an APB on a missing penguin.” Zina moved closer to where the two animals cuddled. “I can’t believe it.”
As if to make a point that yes, pit bulls and penguins could be the best of friends, Aurora’s tongue whipped out of her mouth and swept over Louise’s cheek. The penguin shivered, sending a wave of chills down to the tips of her flippers.
“Well I’ll be. I think I’ve seen it all now.” Morty put a hand to his heart like he was about to say the pledge.
“Seen what?” Alex’s voice cut through the tender moment.
“We found them. Everything’s going to be fine now.” Zina reached for Alex but he brushed past her to check on the bird.
“I told that guy not to use the flash.”
“Yes, you did. He made a mistake. It’s fine now. We’ll get the penguins settled, get everyone back into the tent, and get this wedding done. You with me?” She held out her hand.
“We need to talk.” Alex glanced up at her. There was something going on with him, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.
“Well that was fun.” Chyna’s shrill voice could have peeled wallpaper from the walls. “Can we get this show on the road? I’ve reset the wedding tent. Are you ready to go?”
“Yes, we sure are. Alex is just getting the penguins calmed down and we’ll be right over.”
“Zina, come with me. The bride’s mother needs a cosmo before we start up again and she says you’re the only one who knows how to make it.” Chyna held out a hand.
Zina wanted to find out what Alex meant. She couldn’t walk away while there was something left unsaid. But he waved her off.
“Go. Let’s get through this. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“Okay.” She smiled, hoping she’d infused it with enough encouragement to get him through the ceremony when they’d have a chance to chat. Then she turned to Chyna. “Let’s go.”
* * *
* * *
Two hours, three kegs, and four cases of champagne later, the fireworks exploded right on cue. Zina breathed out a sigh of relief that had been forty-eight hours in the making. The party was over. She hadn’t seen Alex since he’d sent the penguins down the aisle and couldn’t wait to find him so they could celebrate with a toast of their own.
“Congratulations on a job well done.” Chyna stepped beside her as the bride and groom ducked into the waiting hearse turned popemobile–style limo. With all of the sparkles and twinkle lights, it looked like they’d just stepped into their own custom snow globe.
“Thanks.” She’d consider “a job well done” as high praise coming from someone like Chyna.
“You ever consider going into event planning?” Chyna asked.
“No. Definitely not.” After the last several weeks the only thing she wanted to do was get back to working with the dogs. There’d been a reason she’d chosen to work with animals over humans. Having to fill in for Lacey and be the “go to” gal had reminded her how much she disliked having to put on a front and play nice with everyone.
“Well if you change your mind, look me up.” Chyna handed her a hot-pink card with a number printed on it. “That’s my cell.”
Zina took it, with absolutely no intention of ever using it. But the thought was nice. And maybe if push came to shove and she found herself without a way to earn a living, maybe then she’d give Chyna a call and . . . On second thought, no, not even then.
“I’m going to go check in at the house and make sure they’ve got all the food packed up for the family.” Zina offered her hand. “Thanks for everything and have a safe trip back to LA tomorrow.”
Chyna barely touched her fingertips to Zina’s. “Take care.”
Zina forgot the woman was somewhat of a germophobe. She’d been holding herself together all day, all weekend, when all she wanted to do was hide out somewhere with Alex and celebrate. As she reached the porch of the house, Lacey called to her from the swing.
“What are you still doing here?” Zina turned toward her friend, who was most definitely not on bed rest. “I thought you went home.”
“I couldn’t leave without seeing how it all turned out.” Lacey patted the cushion next to her. “Come and sit for a few minutes. I poured you a sweet tea.”
If she sat down now, Zina wasn’t sure she’d get back up again. Plus, she needed to find Alex. He deserved to share in the celebration. “Have you seen Alex?”
“No, but he can wait a few minutes, can’t he?” Lacey held out a full glass of tea. It even had a slice of lemon perched on the rim.
Zina carefully settled on the edge of the swing and took the glass. “What’s going on?”
Lacey put an arm around Zina’s back and gave her a squeeze. “I owe you big-time for this.”
“For almost destroying your high-profile event? I think we’re even.”
“Not even close. You know how much I wanted to be part of this wedding, how much it meant to me that we had such a huge opportunity in Ido.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“But you did better than I could have imagined. You’re amazing, Z. You really came through for me, even with the . . . well, even with the issue with the penguins. I talked to Mr. Munyon and he doesn’t blame us for any of it. He said the photographer admitted he’d agreed not to use his flash. He’s taking full responsibility.”
“Well that’s good news.”
“It is, isn’t it? Now where’s your boyfriend? He ought to be celebrating with us, too.” Lacey clinked her glass of tea against Zina’s.
“I don’t know. Will you be here for a bit? I�
��m going to see if I can track him down.”
“Sure. I’ll wait.”
Zina gave Lacey a one-armed hug, then left her sitting on the porch. Alex was probably doing a final check on the penguins before turning in for the night. She reached the door to the warehouse just as Morty was coming out.
“Hey, have you seen Alex?” she asked.
“No, I was coming to ask you the same thing. I haven’t seen him for a couple of hours.”
She swallowed. Hard. He wasn’t in the house. He wasn’t at the warehouse. There had to be an explanation. She pulled out her phone again and checked for a text. Nothing. She pulled up his picture on her phone, the one she’d snapped the night they found the puppies. The call connected. It rang three, four, five times before voice mail kicked in.
“He’s not picking up.” She pulled the phone away from her ear.
“Yeah, I tried calling a few times and wasn’t able to reach him. I hope he’s not still mad.”
“Mad?” She grabbed hold of Morty’s arm. “Why would he be mad?”
Morty grimaced. “We were talking about after the wedding. When I said something about moving out to the ranch, it seemed to set him off. It’ll be okay though. He’ll cool off.”
“So the two of you had a little falling-out and you think he’s gone off somewhere to calm down?”
“I’m sure that’s what happened. Just give him some time.”
“What kind of time are we talking about here? An hour or two?”
Morty sighed. “I don’t understand that boy. Last time we argued like this it took him ten years to circle back.”
Panic clawed its way up her throat. This was Alex they were talking about. Alex, who even up until that morning had been willing to do anything and everything to save the wedding. He’d even spray-painted flowers for her. And then she’d told him she loved him. And he hadn’t said it back. And then he’d got that deer-in-the-headlights look that she’d dismissed as nerves.
“Oh hell.”
“What’s wrong, dear?” Morty peered up at her, his eyes extra round through the thick lenses of his glasses.
She slid her phone out of her pocket to see an incoming text from Alex. Hope that he’d left to run an errand filled her heart. It was all a misunderstanding. He was probably driving one of the servers home or chasing down a dog that accidentally got loose.
But as she read the first few words, her heart stopped beating. She reached for the handrail of the steps to steady herself.
I’m at the airport. I decided to take the job with Munyon. I thought I could settle in but I just can’t. I’m sorry.
thirty-two
Alex waited to see if Zina would respond. It would serve him right if she never spoke to him again. He felt awful about walking out but he couldn’t help it. All the plans, the commitments, the pressure to do what everyone else thought he should had piled up on him until he couldn’t take it anymore. Walking away had been one of the hardest things he’d ever done but he didn’t have a choice.
At least that’s what he kept telling himself as he stood in front of the departure board at Houston’s international airport. The vise around his heart tightened as he searched for the gate for his departure. His usual MO when he got overwhelmed or it seemed like someone was backing him into a corner was to get the hell out as fast as possible. Why wasn’t it working this time?
Once he got where he was going, far away from the epicenter of it all, he was sure he’d feel better. With a resigned shrug, he made his way to the gate area, ready to take off on a new adventure and clear his head and hopefully his heart.
Snagging a last-minute ticket on a relatively full flight put him in a middle seat between an older man and a woman who seemed to be a few years younger than him. He wished he’d had enough time to make arrangements for an emergency exit row. With his long legs, the idea of spending the next couple of hours squeezed into a middle seat almost made him reconsider. But the alternative of postponing and waiting for a later flight was even less appealing, so he stowed his backpack in the overhead compartment and sat down.
“You going all the way to the Caymans?” the older man asked.
Alex nodded, hoping his silence might deter the man from further conversation. It didn’t.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been back.”
“Oh yeah? That’s nice.” Alex plumped the pillow that had been sitting on his seat and tried to get comfortable.
“Last time I was there I got married.”
“Mmm.” The thought of engaging in conversation all the way until they made the stop in Miami made his stomach clench. Surely the guy would get the hint.
“She died last year.”
The woman on Alex’s left leaned over. “I’m so sorry. How long were you together?”
“Forty-three years. Never saw it coming but it was the most impulsive, best decision I’ve ever made. I’m heading back to spread her ashes.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” The woman reached past Alex and patted the man on the arm. Then she glared at Alex, an expectant look on her face.
“I’m sorry, too.” The whole reason he left Ido was to outrun his emotions. He couldn’t provide a shoulder for the guy next to him to cry on all the way to the Caymans. Maybe he could switch seats. There had to be an aisle or window seat open somewhere. He sat up straighter and craned his neck to look for an opening.
“You ever been married?” the man asked Alex.
“What, me? No. Hard no to that.” Alex lowered himself back into his seat. There weren’t any openings in the surrounding rows, and the flight attendant was about to close the aircraft door. Looked like he was stuck. At least for the next two and a half hours. He vowed to check in at the ticket counter when they landed in Miami and see if he could get a row to himself on the next leg.
“That’s too bad. You’re still young though. You’ve got plenty of time.”
“Oh, I’m not the marrying kind.” Alex didn’t mean to speak up, he actually preferred not to engage in conversation if the guy wanted to talk about commitment.
“I didn’t think I was, either. Funny what meeting the right person will do to long-held beliefs.”
Alex nodded as he slid his earbuds in place. If the guy couldn’t take a subtle hint, maybe he’d get a more direct message. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the playlist he’d created a couple of years ago. A little heavy metal usually got him psyched up for his next trip. But for some reason, after playing the eighty-four-minute list of tracks all the way through twice, he still hadn’t lost that nagging feeling in his gut that he was doing the wrong thing.
He ran through the events that led up to his departure. Spending time with Zina had been amazing. A vision of her snuggling one of the tiny rescue pups drifted through his mind. Then what happened later when they’d finally stopped arguing and decided to give in to the attraction between them and take a chance on each other. She gave so freely of herself. And the whole time he’d had one foot halfway out the door. He didn’t deserve her trust. She was better off without him. She’d be pissed as hell for a while but she’d realize it was for the best. He’d always been up front with her that he wasn’t a man who liked to stay put.
Someone tapped him on the shoulder. Alex cracked an eyelid to see the older man next to him signaling for him to take his earbuds out. “Last call for snacks. Figured a young guy like you might not want to miss out.”
“Thanks.” Alex tucked his earbuds into the case and lowered his tray. He hadn’t eaten a thing since he’d snagged a quick snack before the wedding. Zina had brought him a made-from-scratch muffin she’d picked up on a run into town the day before. She said she wanted to make sure he got through the ceremony on a full stomach.
He checked his watch. She’d probably be sound asleep right now. For a moment he let himself think about how it had felt to wake
up with her in his arms. He’d never have that again. Not now.
“You grow up in Texas, son?” The guy next to him gestured to Alex’s boots. Alex hadn’t thought to change into his sneakers before taking off for the airport. He’d probably stick out like a sore thumb once he landed in Miami. Maybe he could trade the handcrafted boots for something else. Something that didn’t remind him of his roots or everything he’d left behind in Texas.
“Yes. Though I’ve been away for a long time. I was just home for a quick visit.”
“You ranch?”
“We used to. My grandfather owns a place with some acreage just outside of Ido.” Or at least he would for a little while longer. Hopefully Char would make good on Alex’s promise to let Gramps move back out to the ranch. For a moment Alex’s heart ached as a sliver of regret lodged deep.
The man chuckled. “Ido, huh? I saw a piece in the paper about the wacky wedding stuff they had going on over there this weekend. You see any of that?”
“A little bit.” Alex didn’t like the turn of conversation. Although, to be fair, he hadn’t liked the conversation from the start.
“Oh, I think it sounded like fun,” the gal on his left piped in. “I mean, penguins at a wedding is kind of a stretch. I hope they’re not mistreating those birds at all.”
“They’re not.” Alex couldn’t let some rumor get started about how Ido was exploiting penguins for their own profit.
“How do you know that?” she asked.
“I just do.” Alex glanced ahead. The flight attendant still had a few rows to go before she reached them.
“Were you involved in that at all?” the man asked.
“Here and there. I can tell you the penguins are being cared for by a qualified professional under the supervision of the aquarium in Houston. They’re handling everything on the up-and-up.”
“Good to know.” The woman turned back to her magazine but Alex wondered at his own comment.
The penguins were being taken care of by a somewhat qualified professional. But now? Now it was up to Zina and Gramps to see to their every need before they moved back to their habitat. He hadn’t considered that his abrupt departure might put them at risk of criticism. He’d only been thinking about himself. Again.
