Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty-Five

Zane

A fter twenty-four hours of uninterrupted time, Autumn and I travel back to the resort at Cozy Creek. When we arrive, luxury vehicles fill the valet parking lot. Autumn is wearing a gorgeous brown dress, and her hair is pulled half-up. We hold a silent conversation as we walk down the sidewalk. If this weren’t my father’s wedding, I’d lift her over my shoulder and carry her back to the car.

The thought makes me chuckle. She lifts her brow as I open the door for her and we move toward the ballroom.

“You’re telling me later,” she whispers as we pass security.

“I’ll show you,” I warn.

She chews on her bottom lip and I grab her hand as we enter the chapel at the resort, which is just for weddings.

I suck in a ragged breath. Autumn stops me. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

“You tensed as soon as we entered.”

No one else would’ve noticed or cared. It’s how I know it’s different with Autumn. She wraps her arms around my neck, kissing me. I pull her closer to me, holding her tight. “Mr. Dreamy once told me the only way to make a ghost disappear is to acknowledge them. Or maybe it was my sister.” She chuckles. “Or Blaire.”

My mouth parts. “That makes a lot of sense. Face your fears.”

“Wow, that’s deep.” She shrugs. “And if it doesn’t work, I’ll be your Ghostbuster.”

Immediately, I relax because it’s another solved piece of the prophecy puzzle. Harper predicted Autumn down to this very moment.

Your dream life begins when you face your fears. Don’t hesitate. It will finally be over, and you can move on with your beautiful life with your wife. It all happens in Cozy Creek.

It wasn’t only facing Hollow Manor, but everyone from my past who will be here tonight.

“You promise you’re okay?” she asks, studying me.

“With all my heart. I had an epiphany, that’s all.”

I hold her chin between my fingers, painting our lips together.

“It's the look,” she says. “The one on your face right now. It’s the prophecy, isn’t it?”

“Autumn.”

“It is.” She grins. “I triggered something. Don’t worry, I won’t ask. But will you tell me after it’s done?”

“Yes.” I steal another kiss. “It’s for us.”

She grins up at me with hooded eyes. “Going to grab a seat now. You need to see your dad.”

“No.” I pull her to me.

“I’ll be fine,” she says as Billie walks past us.

“Hi, you two. How’s married life?” She looks like Audrey Hepburn in that dress.

“Perfect,” Autumn says, and I’m tempted to kiss her again.

“Zero complaints.”

“Harper was right. You are grossly adorable.”

I laugh. “Thanks. I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“Go,” Autumn says, shooing me away. “It will be less than an hour. We’ll survive.”

“I’ll take care of her,” Billie confirms with a nod, and I trust her as much as I trust my sister.

“Have you seen Harper?”

Billie shakes her head. “Not yet. What about Nicolas?”

Hearing my old best friend’s name makes me grow cold. I've avoided hearing or saying it for weeks. “No. We only just arrived.”

Autumn pulls me in for the kiss I was tempted to steal minutes earlier.

“See you soon,” I mutter before pulling away, giving one last nod to Billie. The two of them stroll down the hallway with dressing rooms. I twist the knob of the one marked GROOM. Inside, my dad is chatting with Frederick Calloway. They’ve been old friends for as long as I can remember and our families used to vacation together. It’s why he’s the only other man standing with my father today.

“Zane. My fourth son,” Frederick says, and I give him a firm handshake.

“Hi, Mr. Calloway.”

“Always polite. Congratulations on marrying the love of your life. It’s a big deal with the right person. Trust me on that one. Divorce sucks,” he says. Years ago, he divorced and traded in his old wife for a new one, a model. They recently had a child. I believe their son, Connor, is almost three now.

The older I become, the more I notice how fast time passes.

Frederick sets three whiskey glasses on the mini bar setup and pours us each a hefty shot.

I glance at my father. “What do you want to drink to?”

“To happiness,” he says.

“And family,” I add.

“To happiness and family,” we repeat, clinking them before tossing them back. The whiskey is smooth and goes down like water. I need it, though. I’ve been on edge since the plane landed, knowing I’ll run into Nicolas. Even thinking his name makes me want to punch him out.

“How’s retired life?” I ask before I get too lost in my thoughts.

He chuckles. “Boring. I’m going stir-crazy. Easton has told security not to allow me in the building unless he gives an okay.”

“Sounds like it was the only way to keep you away,” I say.

“It was.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m never retiring. I’ll be put in the grave first,” my father confirms. He’s addicted to work and always has been, but I know the truth. It's how he ran from dealing with the death of my mother. Maybe Silvia can make him stop and smell the roses as they dance through life together.

“Morbid. But I’ll drink to you running the business until you’re ninety-five. I might have a little heir to take your place by then and skip the CEO thing,” I say as I pour another round.

Dad laughs. “Don’t tease me with grandchildren.”

The thought of starting a family with Autumn brings me so much joy I can hardly contain it. Though, we haven’t discussed it yet.

I make a mental note, but it does not matter. As long as I have her, I’m fucking happy.

“I’m still waiting,” Frederick says. “But Connor is a handful. Can’t imagine the trouble he’ll get into when he’s grown. He’s nosey. Into everything. A little smart-ass too.”

“As are all your kids.” I chuckle.

“You’re damn right about that.” Frederick sets our glasses on the bar as a light knock taps against the door. I glance over my shoulder as it opens.

“Ten minutes,” Silvia’s sister, Alice, says.

I give her a nod and she leaves. Frederick returns to us, hugging my father before wrapping me in one too. “I’ll see you both out there.”

We're alone.

My father adjusts his tie in the mirror and I watch him from the side, just as I did as a young boy.

“Nervous?” I ask, wondering. Even if he was, my father is too hard to read. He’s a pro at tucking his emotions away.

“No.” He smiles. “I’m happy for the first time in a very long time. Thank you for being here. I know you di?—”

I place my hand on his shoulder, meeting his eyes in the reflection. “I’m sorry for being a dick. Hurt people hurt people. I wanted someone to be angry with when I learned about Nicolas and Celine. You were an easy option, and I’m very fucking sorry about that. After some perspective and finding the love of my life, I realize they don’t matter. Love you, Dad. I’m happy for you.”

“No need to apologize. I understood where you were and just wanted to support you how I could. I’m bad at this emotional stuff.” Then he turns and hugs me firmly, holding me tight. “Love you too, Son.”

“Seems like we’ve finally found our way.”

“We have,” I confirm, letting him go. “Now, how about you get married.”

He laughs, a sound that brings me back to a happier time. “Mom would be so happy and proud of you.”

For a brief second, he chokes up but pushes it away. “She’d be proud of you, too.”

“I believe she somehow had a hand in my happiness.” I smile.

“The day you were injured on the slopes, I always felt like it was my fault because I wasn’t there,” he confesses.

I shake my head, remembering that day. He’d called me an hour before I was supposed to hit the slopes and said he was tied up at work. It wasn’t a lie, but I’d hoped he would make it. That day meant a lot to me. If my mother were alive, she’d have been in the stands screaming at the top of her lungs like she always did when I was a teenager. I’d hear her at the bottom.

“I wasn’t in the right headspace, but I didn’t have a choice. It was either compete or lose my place.”

“You almost lost your life,” he says. “I know you think I never supported the idea of you competing. That wasn’t true. You were the best and I was proud of you. But I was afraid to lose the only parts of your mother I had left; you and Harper, along with the memories and pictures, had become my everything. I missed it, and when I got the call that you’d be transported…” He stops talking. “Well, I don’t think I’d have survived losing you, Son.”

Tears well, threatening to spill over as I choke up. “I’m here. Mom always told me that things happen for a reason, whether I agree or not. The dominos had to fall for me to find true happiness. Discovering how fragile life is, was a lesson I needed to learn. Before then, I was fearless. It all worked out.”

“It did,” he says.

We hug one last time and I let out a deep breath, trying to gain control, before I walk toward the door.

As I reach for the handle, I stop. “Oh, before I forget to mention it, I fired Roxane this morning after I learned she wouldn’t be in attendance. So did Harper.”

“Why? Please tell me you didn’t let her go just because she couldn’t make it.”

“No. She was manipulating us. And I’m in control of my life and image now. No one else. Same goes for Harper. We can handle ourselves.”

“I’m so fucking proud of you,” he tells me, and I know he means it.

“Thanks. I’ll meet you out in the hall.” I leave the room to give him a few seconds to himself. And I selfishly need a minute, too.

As I stand in the hallway, waiting for my father to exit, I slide the Moleskine notebook that matches Autumn’s from my pocket. It has the same number of pages, and we promised one another that we’d trade when they were full. Eighty pages, front and back, 160 haikus. The theme? Each other.

My beautiful wife.

You are all I think about.

You give me purpose.

When my father emerges, I return the book to my pocket. “Ready?”

“More than ready.”