Chapter Eleven

 

Parker closed her eyes and drowned out the flurry of activity around her. After Damon finished his run, she was up next. It had been nerve-racking being the final contestant again. She knew it was for dramatic effect for the cameras, but she’d also seen the performance and race times of all the challengers before her. Everyone had put forth a great effort. Melissa had been outstanding and was currently in first place with a record time, but so far no was able to get to that flagpole that marked the completion of the course. She was proud of her new friend. Participating had given her a level of confidence that had been missing when she’d first met her. Melissa had just needed to find her voice. She was pretty confident that Autumn and Summer would love her and would hire her to work for their company.

Once Jax was taken into custody, the show was determined to have their grand finale. So the crew and security team had re-examined the obstacles, and he’d indeed had sabotaged two more. Jax’s bitterness about missing out on his big opportunity to get the prize money and the other perks had driven him to psychotic behavior.

The final course was made to be especially challenging, but she knew she could make it through. She just had to be mindful of the time, careful about where she expended her energy, and keep focused on that flagpole she needed to reach. She was determined to do it. She was a Carson, and Carsons didn’t quit. They powered through and gave it all they had until the bad guys were caught. And in this case, until your objective had been achieved. The money and the bragging rights would be nice, but knowing Mackenzie was back home cheering her on touched her heart. Morgan had told her once that the women in the family showed the little girl that they could do anything because they were smart, strong, and had an iron will.

She jumped when she felt a touch on her shoulder. She opened her eyes and removed her earplugs. It was Riley, and he had company.

“Babe. I have a surprise for you.” Riley smiled.

It was Wyatt and Avery. She hugged them both.

“I can’t believe you’re here!”

“I know you didn’t think I wouldn’t be here for your final performance,” Avery said.

“We are the official family delegates. The whole family sends their love.”

Avery fastened a bracelet around her wrist. “Mackenzie asked me to give you this.”

Parker looked at it. “My final good luck charm.”

The buzzer sounded, which meant Damon had gone as far as he could but didn’t get to the flagpole.

“I’m up,” Parker said with a touch of nervousness in her voice.

“We’ll go get front row seats,” Wyatt said. “Best of luck to you.”

Avery hugged her again. “You’re going to be great.”

They walked away, but Riley remained.

“Before you say anything, I know you’re going to say some encouraging words. And I love that you’d do that, but right now I need Psycho Riley.”

“Psycho Riley?”

“I need a speech from the guy who’s pissed after his defense let him get tackled. I need the Riley who swears like a sailor when the team’s three points behind in the fourth quarter and there are two minutes on the clock and they need a touchdown to give them the win. I need that guy.”

“OK.”

Parker was surprised at how easily he agreed to do it.

“What the hell Carson?” Riley yelled so loud that everyone in the vicinity stared at him. “You look like the neighborhood bully just swiped your bicycle on the way back from the park. You go and give it all your all and kick that bully’s ass, then you take that bike and ride over his face. No excuses. If you don’t come back with that bicycle, you’re a wimp, and there’s no room for wimps on this team. You got me?”

“Yes, sir!” Parker yelled back, her adrenaline kicking into overdrive. “I’m kicking that bully’s ass and coming back with my property.”

“Good,” he said in his regular tone of voice.

Parker threw her arms around Riley and gave him a bear-hug. He knew exactly what she needed to hear. She needed to be fierce and competitive right now, and he was the best person to coax it out of her. She felt the curious eyes on her as she pulled back.

“No worries,” she said loudly. “It’s a thing we do for motivation.”

“Carson you’re up!” a crew member yelled.

“I love you, Bruiser.”

“I love you too. Now go get a good seat so you can cheer me on.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her hard, then walked away.

Parker took off her jacket and did a few stretches. This was it. The final moment. It seemed to go by so fast. As she walked toward the gate that led to the first obstacle, the crew and contestants began cheering her on and shouting out encouraging words. If she won, this would be the first time in history that someone had snagged the prize, and having a woman achieve it would be extra icing on the cake. She’d always downplayed what competing on the show meant to her, but suddenly it meant everything. Win or lose, it was definitely a character-building moment.

When she reached the gate, the sound of the audience calling her name was even louder.

“Bruiser! Bruiser! Bruiser!”

It was one hell of a nickname to have, but it always sounded the best when Riley said it to her. The audience was in a tizzy, the commentators were talking a mile a minute, and the tiki torches were sending up wicked flames. It was quite the eye-catching spectacle, but she focused on the task before her.

She took her place on the starting mark and quickly searched the crowd. Her eyes locked with Riley’s. She smiled at his T-shirt which said Parker’s Boyfriend. As soon as she gave the signal that she was ready to begin, the starter pistol sounded and the numbers on the big clock started moving. It was time to show everyone what Parker Carson was made of, and she was definitely up to the task.

She grabbed onto the rope and swung across the moat of water and landed on the platform. She leaped from one moving landing to another and safely made it to the mat. She took a metal pole and propelled herself up until she was able to grab onto another rope and swung so she’d grab onto the monkey bars from hell. They were arranged in an array of heights and distances, but she quickly recognized the pattern. It was a hard push forward, which would tire out her arms. Her arms were long enough to simply extend them in one long stride to move from one bar to the next.

She moved a rogue strand of hair out of her face, took a deep breath, and attacked the obstacle. Once she’d done that, she moved on to the cliff dive, which required her gaining momentum to run, and then jump from one platform to the other, which was a good six feet apart from each other. She did and did a somersault as she landed on the mat. Next, she scaled the rock wall, reached the summit, then did a slow jump down the descending levels to get to the final obstacle.

She grabbed onto the handles of the incline contraption and began pumping the bars that acted as a pulley as it propelled her upward each time she thrust the handles up. Once she reached the summit, she swung herself onto a platform and quickly assessed her last obstacle. She had to suspend her weight while crawling along two narrow walls while using both her hands and feet. She jumped up on the trampoline and stuck the landing as she had her feet and hands on each wall. She was beginning to feel the burn in her arms as she moved along. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes. She remembered Riley telling her that it was the times when you felt most anxious that you should hit the reset button in your mind and erase any defeatist thoughts. She continued, making the final push until she was able to jump and stick the landing on the mat. The final challenge involved another rope, but she was ready for it. She did an awkward swing with all her might and disengaged, then tumbled onto the mat. She did it! She didn’t fall. She went over to the flagpole, reached up, and claimed the big red flag that had the words Ultimate Champion on it. She waved it for the crowd.

The commentators went wild. “She’s done it! She’s done it! Parker Carson, the tough filly from the Lone Star state, has done it! She is the Ultimate Champion first ever person to claim that flag!”

The mobile drone camera appeared and did a close up of her. Parker gave a thumbs-up signal and smiled. Looking at that sea of people, she honed in on Riley again. He blew her a kiss and mouthed the words I love you. She blew one right back and said to the camera. “I love you too, Riley Sloane.”

She descended the stairs and followed the arrows to the post-interview marker.

“Parker you’ve done it! How do you feel?”

“Elated that I could achieve my goal.” She panted into the microphone. “And I’m excited to have achieved this with a wonderful person who also had an awesome performance tonight. Where’s Melissa?”

The commentator looked around. “Here she comes!”

Parker gave Melissa a hug. “When Melissa and I first met, we were both newbies feeling our way through the competition. She’s a great person and an example of what determination and grit looks like. She came in right behind my time, and she didn’t have any athletic background when she started. She wanted to have fun and test her limits. And that’s what this competition has been about: friendship, setting goals, and giving it all you’ve got. I couldn’t have asked for a better training partner. Melissa is the real Ultimate Champion.”

“There you have it. Parker Carson, humble champion and a great friend. We can all take a lesson from this rise to a championship.”

Parker looked up, and Riley was coming her way with Avery and Wyatt trailing behind him. He picked up the pace, so she started toward him. When they met in the middle, she jumped into his arms.

“You did it, Bruiser!” Riley swung her around in the air.

She laughed. “Well, I really wanted that bicycle back.”

“I am so proud of you.” He kissed her.

“Thank you.” Her voice cracked. She suddenly choked up. “I don’t see how you do this for a living. The pressure alone would send me to an insane asylum.”

“It helps that I have a hard head and I’m prone to bouts of tunnel vision.” He smiled. “Just like a certain woman I love. I guess that’s why we’re a match made in heaven.”

“You’re damn right.” She hugged him tighter.

Avery and Wyatt came along, and they all had a group hug. She was grateful to be able to share this moment with the people she loved the most.

 

* * *

 

Riley watched as Parker walked from the surf with a pail in her hand. It was a beautiful day to lie on the beach and build sand castles. The competition had ended a couple of days ago, but the group decided to stay on and have some fun. Long walks on the beach and fruity tropical drinks were just what the doctor ordered after the week they’d had. The two couples ate together and explored the island and had been having a blast. They’d snorkeled and parasailed and were looking forward to trekking to the island’s inactive volcano.

The Ultimate Champion show insisted on throwing Parker a big party the night of her win, and they continued to be relentless in getting her attention the next day. In addition to the prize money, there was the offer to have a more prominent role in the organization. There were promotional opportunities and endorsement offers, but she’d turned them down. He was proud of her for beating back the vultures who were offering to make her a star. They even dangled the carrot of having her and Riley do a commercial together. He stood proudly next to her when she’d found a way to get Jen and Wes to back off.

“My family is full of superstars. I’ve had a taste of that life, and it’s not for me.”

“You’re killing me, Parker. You could be on commercials and get lots of exposure.”

“I saved your life. I think I fulfilled my show requirements.”

“How about we work something out?” Jen interrupted. “Parker, we’re willing to work with you in any capacity you like. I know you don’t like the spotlight, but what if we worked something out to your liking?”

“Like showcasing the other show stars like Melisa and other people who aren’t part of the Golden Clique that overshadows the real heroes?”

“Yes,” Jen said.

“OK. We’ll work something out. I’ll endorse one product as long as it’s a joint venture with Melissa. She deserves to shine too. We can haggle out the details later.”

“It’s a deal.”

Jen and Wes walked away happy.

Riley smiled. “I should have you for an agent.”

Now they were free to have some time alone and finally have that talk. He wanted her to know he’d been thinking about their future together.

“You’re doing a pretty good job. It looks like our sandcastle is turning into a sand mansion.” Parker plopped down on the sand and set the bucket of water next to her.

“You keep forgetting I’m a California boy. The beach and the ocean was my playground.” He stood up and stepped to back to assess his handiwork. “OK. I did go a bit overboard, but we needed the space.”

“I like the garage.”

“We may need to make that bigger. If you keep crashing cars, we’ll need the room.”

“Ha ha.” She scowled at him. “I’ve reconciled the error of my ways. I will not be doing risky stunts with Blue Lightning.”

“Blue Lightning?”

“I decided to name the Corvette, since I’ll be keeping it.”

“I like it.” Riley scratched at his five o’clock shadow. “Why Blue Lightning?”

“Lightning strikes fast and without warning.” She flashed a cheesy grin.

“Try not to crash this one up.” He gave her a kiss.

Riley’s cell phone pinged. He looked at the display. He had a text message.

He picked up his phone and smiled. It was his little sister checking in as promised. “It’s from Aubrey. She says I was right about camping, and she’s having a great time in Nashville.”

“Nashville?”

“Apparently she didn’t mind toughing it out until the S’mores maker went on the fritz and she didn’t want to wash her hair in the river. Theo took her back to civilization, and she’s staying at The Blake Hotel in Nashville until the hiking expedition is over. He’s hitting it off with Chance, so it looks like they’ll be doing business. And Bridgette joined her. She said they’re having a great time.”

“I can’t believe she said all that. It’s a pretty long text for Aubrey.”

He laughed. “She didn’t. She sent me a text with about ten emoticons. I cobbled the story together.”

“The Internet age is sending mankind back to the dark ages with symbols. Emoticons are nothing more than state-of-the-art cave paintings.”

“Tell me about it. I’m glad she’s enjoying her summer vacation. Maybe she doesn’t need constant watching after all.”

Parker gave him a funny look. “Quick, let’s take shelter. If you’re willing to admit that, there must be a tsunami coming to hit this island.”

“A man can grow and change. You were right. If I hold tight, she’ll want to be away from me even more. I love my sister, and I want to be in her life.”

“I knew you’d come around. It’s nice that Aubrey and Bridgette became friends. And good for Theo.” She clamped down on her floppy hat as the sea breeze blew by. “He’s slowly showing signs of respectability.”

“He’s getting there.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I had a long talk with Aubrey. She’s not interested in anything serious right now. She just wants a boyfriend who’s committed and focused on his future. Pretty mature for a young adult.”

He grinned. “Maturity runs in the family.”

“I think that trait skipped you.” She grinned back. “You still fight the kids for the last piece of chocolate cake at the family barbecues.”

“That’s not a good example, but lucky for me, I have you to keep me on the straight and narrow.”

“I promise.” She held up her hand like a scout saluting a pledge. “I’ll always keep you on the right track.”

He looked into her eyes. It was the happiest he’d ever been in his life. Parker was the reason for the joy that filled his heart. She was unique, fun, and had an adventurous spirit just like him. She was the one. “Marry me.”

“Excuse me?”

“Marry me.” He gently took her face into his hands. “Parker, I love you. I’ve been trying to have this serious talk with you for a couple of months and then it hit me. We’re not ‘let’s have a serious talk’ kind of people. We’re shoot-from-the-hip smartasses who have been blessed to find each other. I want to spend the rest of my life chasing after you, making sure you’re OK. And someday, when we’re both ready, we can have a few kids.”

She put her hands over his. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

“Woohoo!” he yelled and twirled her around in his arms. “You have made me the happiest man in the world. Hell, the universe!”

She smiled. “I can’t wait to be married to you.”

“Why don’t we do it now? Here on the island?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes. Let’s not wait. I want to get married now. We have everything we need right here. A beautiful backdrop. Our best friends are here.”

“Do you think we can pull it off in such a short amount of time?”

“Anything is possible when you put your mind to it.”

“OK. Let’s do it.” Parker clapped. “I have so much to do. I need a dress. We need rings. What about the family?”

“The hotel has a wedding package. There are shops on the island, and we’ll deal with the family when we get back to Texas. Right now, I just want you to concentrate on being a happy bride.”

“I can do that. We can do this.” She threw her arms around his neck.

Riley held her close, so happy she’d said yes. He loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

He waved wildly to get Wyatt and Avery’s attention. They waved back and began to walk back toward the blanket.

“We’re getting married!” Parker yelled.

Avery screamed, then ran to Parker and gave her a hug. “Congratulations!”

“Congratulations.” Wyatt gave Riley a hug. “I knew it was only a matter of time.”

“Thanks, man.”

Parker beamed. “We’re getting married here on the island.”

“Oh my gosh. We have so much to do.” Avery’s eyes widened. “We have to go shopping ASAP.”