Slimy wetness rubbed Zoe’s cheek over and over again, working its way toward her nose. She groaned, swatting it away. But this only seemed to make it worse. It increased in both speed and enthusiasm.
She brushed her hand in the general direction of her face, but her limbs didn’t seem to be working as well as they should be. She ended up slapping her face instead. Her nose throbbed as she hit it, taking her breath away.
Slowly, she half-opened an eye to peek at her attacker. It was Freddy dancing on top of her blankets—although, they couldn’t be hers because she didn’t recognize them. His wiry goatee tickled her face as he persisted in kissing her.
As she squirmed weakly away, pain shot down her chest and left arm. She froze, holding her breath, bracing against the pain. Her body may not have been cooperating, but she managed a very serious quirk of her eyebrow at the doxie.
Freddy jerked like he’d been shot then flopped against her, exposing his belly in surrender.
Sleepily, her eyes blinked one at a time while she took in her surroundings. A white ceiling and ugly green curtains stared back at her. Her nostrils stung, both from the scent of antiseptic and the dry air hissing into her nostrils. There was beeping and whirring and chiming and … snoring.
Zoe raised her head, grimacing as fire spread through her chest like she’d inhaled hot ashes. She found the source of the snoring half way down her bed. It was Levi.
He sat on a stiff, plastic chair, head resting on her raised bed. His arm stretched across her legs as though still holding on since … well, since the wedding. Whenever that was.
She reached out a tentative hand and ran her fingers through his locks. She noticed he had none of his usual gel making it stick up. He inhaled deeply and his eyes fluttered open. They were bright and clean, not ringed in dark makeup.
Those eyes met hers and he smiled sleepily, like they’d just woken up after a crazy night together. Well, they had, but not the kind of night Zoe would have preferred.
Levi blinked, as though he suddenly realized where they were—which Zoe was only just staring to figure out.
“You’re awake.” He reached for her face.
She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his touch, the gentleness welcome after so much pain. The pain …
As she took a few deep breaths, her head began to clear and images accosted her. Memories, sights, sounds, smells, fear. She recalled the wedding, the body, the woods, Holly.
Someone dropped something nearby and the bang made her wince. Her chest spasmed as though reliving the moment the bullet tore through her. Once she caught her breath, she raised the scratchy hospital blanket, tugging at the neckline of her gown to peek under it.
She wasn’t sure what she’d expected to see. Blood and gore? A gaping hole in her chest, maybe? Instead, there was an oversized white bandage on the left side of her chest. A thick clear tube ran out from under it.
“The doctor said you were very lucky,” Levi said, startling her. She still felt a little dopey. Maybe the IV dripping into her arm had something to do with that.
“I should buy a lottery ticket.” Her voice croaked, and when she swallowed, her throat was dry.
“It was just a small handgun, so it didn’t go all the way through,” he said, ignoring her joke. “It hit just below your collarbone. Any lower and it would have hit your lung.”
Her eyelids fluttered for a moment, imagining the bullet was still in there, rubbing against her lungs with each breath. She’d had a lot of close calls in the last couple of weeks, but nothing could have been closer than that. A centimeter, maybe a millimeter, and she wouldn’t have been there.
She dropped the blanket, unwilling to look at it anymore, to imagine how close she’d been to not having, well … what did she have? Sure, she and Levi had only just begun, but she was acutely aware of the potential she would have missed out on, the hope of so much more.
She’d practically put her life on hold for six years, like she’d been holding her breath. And now that she’d found Levi, had found that hope, she could finally move forward. She could finally breathe again. And she was more grateful than ever that she had the lungs to do it.
“How do you feel?” Levi asked her as his thumb caressed the side of her face.
“Like I’ve been shot.”
“I can’t say I know how that feels.” He frowned, his hand cupping her face like he wanted to grab more of her but was afraid to hurt her. “But I almost did.” He shook his head, his face screwing up. “Why? Why did you do it?”
She shrugged, but then grimaced as a fresh wave of pain spread through her. “What can I say?” she choked out. “I grab life by the balls.”
Levi passed her a cord with a red button on the end. “Hit this. It will give you pain medication.”
She jammed the button three times. Her IV machine whirred, and a few moments later, she felt a little woozy. It wasn’t enough to take the pain away, but it certainly sanded down the edge a little.
“Well, it was definitely ballsy,” he said at last. “But I wish you wouldn’t have. It should be me lying there. It hurts to see you like this.”
She gave him a wry look. “I’m so sorry for your pain.”
He chuckled, but the humor in his expression didn’t last long before he turned grim again. “You saved my life. If it had been me, I might not have made it.”
“That’s true. I know how you feel about pain.” She reached up and ran a thumb over his naked eyebrow. There was not a glimmer of metal anywhere on his face. “But I’m tough. I can handle it.”
“I know you are.” Sighing, he turned his head to kiss her wrist, stubble tickling her sensitive skin. Those blue eyes held hers for a moment, as though waiting for something, searching.
After a moment, he sighed. “You’re hiding from me again. You’ve got your mask on.”
“No.” She shook her head until it made her dizzy. “No more mask. It’s gone. I think you’ve proven that I can’t hide from you. No matter how hard I try. It’s just…” There was so much to say, but she wasn’t sure her foggy brain could put it in the right order.
“You’re right,” she said at last. “Life is too short. Maybe it’s the drugs talking, but right now I’m just happy I’m here. I have my friends, my life,” she laid a hand on his cheek, “and I found my heart.”
He pressed his palm over her hand to keep it there. “Thankfully that’s still intact.”
She smiled. “It’s better than ever.”
Tired of being ignored, Freddy snaked his way up the bed, trying to lick the oxygen tubing laying across Zoe’s cheek. I came too. I came to see you. Pay attention to me.
She giggled, wincing as each shake sent shooting pains down her arm. “How did you get Freddy in here?”
“The nurse let me smuggle him in,” Levi said. “He is a local hero, after all.”
“Is that so? Freddy, do you have an alter ego I should know about?”
He tucked his tail between his legs, but wagged it back and forth, unsure if he was about to get praise or heck. She gave him a scratch beneath the chin, and he sat in the crook of her good arm, jutting his barrel chest out to make sure she got every last spot.
Levi pulled out his phone and cued up a video from the Channel Five News website. In front of the camera, as usual, was Holly Hart. Only, this time, she was in handcuffs. And lying on a stretcher.
As the camera panned out, the brunette who normally did the weather segment stepped into the shot, microphone at the ready. Although the scene was grim, her smile was so big you could see her molars. She’d obviously been promoted.
“What does a wedding, a wiener dog, and a rock star have in common?” she asked. “They were the keys to uncovering the identity of the serial killer, our local tormenter, the San Fran Slayer. AKA our own beloved Holly Hart.” She turned, inviting the viewers to watch the downfall of Holly Hart’s regin as she was placed into the back of an ambulance.
“I am happy to report that the Slayer mystery has finally been solved at the location of this year’s most anticipated event, the Summers-Caldwell wedding.”
A recent photo from The Gate’s announcement section popped up on the screen. It was a snap of Piper and Aiden shortly after news of their engagement went public.
“After murdering her cameraman and crashing the bash, Holly Hart attempted to take out the blushing bride in the hopes of replacing her as Mrs. Caldwell.” The reporter walked slowly and the camera panned with her until she stood in front of the Dachshund Rescue Center.
“As we already know, the deranged ex-reporter had an obsession with the CEO of Caldwell and Son Investments. As it turns out, the obsession went beyond your average red-carpet crush. She’s been stalking him for months, possibly years.”
“That I can believe,” Zoe said.
“Thankfully the bride’s maid of honor and local wedding planner, Zoe Plum, of Plum Crazy Events, found Holly before she could do any harm. But when things didn’t go as planned, local rocker and front man of Reluctant Redemption, Levi Dolson, tracked them down with the help of Zoe’s dog, Freddy.” She smiled as though it was the cutest thing in the world.
The scene cut away. Her youthful face was replaced with a photo of Freddy. It was the one Zoe had posted on the center’s website. Next to it was a video clip of Levi’s band on stage.
“Tonight, the lead singer performed the biggest hit of his life by taking down Hart, but not before Zoe Plum was shot and seriously injured.” She paused dramatically. “I’m happy to report that she’s in stable condition and will recover from her injuries to plan another day.”
Behind the weather girl-turned-reporter, the ambulance sped off down the rescue center’s long, winding driveway. “With Holly Hart on her way to prison for a long time, our city is safe once again, thanks to a wedding planner, a rocker, and a wiener. Reporting this rockin’ ending for Channel Five News, I’m Fiona Fair.” She gave a sassy wink to end the segment, looking overjoyed. But that probably had less to do with the positive resolution of the mystery than it did her sudden promotion.
Levi tucked his phone away in his back pocket. “Did you hear? The reporter called me a rock star.”
“I call you rock star all the time,” Zoe said.
“Yeah, but now the whole city knows. And she mentioned your business. Imagine all the brides that will want to hire you if you’re willing to take a bullet for them. You can have a slogan, like ‘Zoe Plum, wedding planner. For when things don’t go to plan.’” He used a deep, movie trailer guy voice, like she was the Arnold Schwarzenegger of wedding planners.
She snorted. “That’s great. But I’m not sure I want to take bullets on a regular basis.” The idea brought back the image of Holly’s gun trained on Levi’s chest. She swallowed hard thinking how close he’d come to being shot straight in the heart.
“So how did you know where to find us in the woods?” she asked to take her mind off it.
“It was Freddy,” he said. “The boys and I were taking a break. When I couldn’t find you, I texted you. I heard the chime from your tablet and followed the noise, but all I found was your purse by the doghouse. That’s when Freddy found me. He was able to follow your breadcrumb trail through the woods.”
“Freddy. Did you hear that?” she asked him. “You’re my hero.”
Freddy’s ears perked up at his name, but he was too busy shoving his snout beneath her arm, trying to find a hole to crawl into. She could tell he was growing restless.
“So does that mean you’re going to keep him?” Levi asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “I think we’re good for each other. A perfect match.”
Freddy began to wedge himself beneath Zoe’s blankets, burrowing down where it was warm. His tail slipped under until all she could see was a lump fidgeting beneath the linen.
Every time he crawled over her shins or nudged her thigh, he seemed to find a bruise. She winced, but laughed.
Levi chuckled. “You’ll need to get used to having music in your life to keep him happy.”
“That’s okay. I planned on having music in my life to keep me happy.” She gave him a meaningful look.
His face warmed, but it was like he was holding back a little, maybe trying not to be too pushy. “You know, I just so happen to be a musician. I could help you out with that.”
“That’s good. I’ll be needing a lot of music, for a long time,” she said seriously. “Maybe forever.”
His face erupted in a smile. “I can do forever.” He leaned over the bed to kiss her gently.
The green curtain behind him swished aside. When they turned to look, her mother stood at the foot of the bed. If she was surprised to see Zoe in the midst of a lip lock, she seemed too happy to see Zoe awake to comment.
She rounded the bed, spreading her arms wide to embrace her daughter. Then she thought better about it and held her face instead. “Zoe.”
“Kaasan.” Zoe reached up and hugged her mom, ignoring the pulling sensation from her chest tube.
By the way the arms around her tightened, she felt like she was comforting her mother more than the other way around. When they pulled away, the look on her mom’s face said enough. She’d obviously been very worried.
“Gomennasai, Kaasan.”
“Don’t apologize to me,” she said in English. “You were very brave. Stupid. But brave.”
She smiled. “Mom.”
“Baka,” her mom said with a teasing smirk.
“Mom! I’m lying in the hospital. You’re not allowed to call me names.” But Zoe was laughing. And somehow she’d started crying at the same time.
“I’ll leave you two alone for a while,” Levi said. “Your overnight bag is in my van. I’ll go grab it.”
He began to pull away, but Zoe squeezed his hand, as though afraid to let him go. She hadn’t even realized she’d done it until he squeezed back. Wasn’t it only three weeks earlier that her instincts had her shoving him away?
“I’ll be back,” he told her.
Zoe’s mother watched him leave with a shrewd look. “I see you and the musician are getting closer. What about Kimura-san?”
Zoe could tell her mother was broaching the conversation cautiously. At least she could show some restraint while her daughter was laid out in the hospital. Now that she was definitely going to live, Junko was right back to worrying about the long term.
“I told him it wouldn’t work,” Zoe said.
Her mother sighed. “I had hoped … Maybe if you give it some time?”
“I don’t think he’s the one for me. I’m sorry.”
Zoe worried that the conversation was about to become as painful as getting shot. Actually, I think I’d rather be shot again, she thought. But she became even more concerned when her mother began … smiling.
“Why do you look so happy? I thought you would be upset.”
“Because you make it sound like you think there is one for you,” she said. “That’s more than you thought a few weeks ago. It means we’re making progress.”
Zoe chuckled. “I guess you helped me to start seeing it as an option. I’m sorry that there won’t be anyone to save us from money issues.” Not that Zoe would have let a guy bail her out, but her mother had certainly been hoping for it.
“It’s not about the money,” she said. “I didn’t raise a daughter who depends on other people to do everything for her. I raised an independent, competent woman. A woman who can take care of the bills, who can even take care of me.”
She took Zoe’s hand in hers, much like the way Zoe had when the roles were reversed. “All I wanted was for you to have someone who will take care of your heart. Who will be there for you during tough times, as you have been for me.”
Zoe smiled as she realized that’s exactly what Levi was doing. What he’d been trying to do all along. She’d just needed to learn to let him. Instead, she’d fought it right from the start. But it wasn’t because she didn’t want him. It was because she’d wanted him too much. Now that she’d embraced her growing feelings, the affection, the love, it was enlivening.
“Mom, how did you know dad was the one?” she finally asked.
Her mother’s mouth curled into a smile as she gazed at nothing in particular. “I remember the first time I met your father. He was brash, and loud, and arrogant, and thought himself very charming.”
“Well you obviously thought he was charming too,” Zoe teased.
“No. I thought he was ridiculous.” She chuckled at some memory. “I tried to ignore him, but I couldn’t. I told myself that he was wrong for me, that I was happy where I was, with my family, surrounded by everything I’d ever known and loved.” She sighed. “And yet, despite all the reasons why I couldn’t be with him, why it was hard to be together, it was impossible to be without him.”
“Were you scared?” Zoe asked. “To let yourself fall, I mean?”
“Oh yes. But I was more scared to let him go. How can you ignore a feeling like that, like … destiny?”
“Destiny?” Zoe huffed a quiet laugh so it wouldn’t hurt her chest. “How very Western of you, Mom.”
Zoe’s mother had given up everything to be with her father. Except for her sister, her family had cut all ties with her. To have leapt into the unknown, put her heart and her life in the hands of someone else, to have trusted him completely, that had been bravery. Meanwhile, Zoe had been afraid to even go on a date with Levi because she was afraid to get hurt.
Maybe her mother had known more about love than Zoe all along—not that she’d ever admit that out loud. And here she’d been worried that her mother needed her because she was getting older. But it turned out that maybe Zoe needed her mother more than she’d thought.
“So does this mean you are considering Levi?” her mother asked. “Is he your destiny?”
After only a few weeks, Zoe couldn’t imagine being without him. How could she ever go back to her old self, to suppressing her emotions? Now that Levi had freed her from that prison inside herself, had smashed her bottle-o-crazy, she could never forget what she felt for him. Like her mother had said, it felt “impossible.”
Before she could answer, the curtains swished as Levi returned. Her mother assessed him as he rounded the bedside to resume his post next to Zoe. After a moment, she nodded, as though it were decided.
In Japanese, she whispered, “He will make me beautiful grandchildren.”
“Oh, Mom!”
“Look who I found on the way here,” Levi said. He nodded toward the parted curtain.
The ugly green fabric shifted with movement before a parade of people filtered into the space: Piper, Aiden, Addison, Felix, Naia, Marilyn, and Bob. Gentle hugs were given before everyone stood back, circling her bed.
They were still dressed in their wedding attire. Piper’s hair was falling out of its half-updo, her dress tattered and stained from their trip through the woods and with Zoe’s blood.
Zoe wondered how long it had been, if it was still the same night. Or maybe it was the next day.
She took in the group of people who were the nearest and dearest to her, who knew her better than anyone, and also who she’d hid so much of herself from. The very things she’d hid from herself. And yet there they were, by her side to support her. Taking them all in, Zoe realized that they were the people she needed.
Maybe it took facing death to realize how much there was to live for, to recognize the things she’d been taking for granted for so long, had been hiding from. But now she knew. She could admit it and felt her repaired heart overflow with their presence.
“Thanks for coming, you guys,” she said at last.
Piper crossed her scratched arms, dirty manicured nails digging into her skin as she hugged herself. Her red eyes began to tear up as she took in the sight of Zoe. “Holly was after me the entire time. I should be the one in that bed. I’m alive because of you.”
Aiden wrapped a protective arm around her, as though needing the reassurance of physical contact with his wife to know she was safe. “Thank you,” he said to Zoe.
“It was a joint effort,” Zoe said. “Besides, I wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t taken care of me after I’d been shot,” she told Piper. “Holly had been there all along, popping up each and every time something went wrong. I just assumed she was being her nosy self. I should have put the pieces together a long time ago.”
“You mean I should have,” Bob said. “This city owes you a debt for uncovering the San Fran Slayer. Holly was the last person we would have considered. She was a respected member of the community, a figurehead. She was supposed to be reporting the crimes, not committing them.”
Marilyn slipped her arm through Bob’s, and his tensed shoulders relaxed. Clearly, he’d been beating himself up over it.
He inhaled long and deep through his nose before speaking again. “Holly had access no one else would have, she had people’s trust, a reason to be lurking around every crime scene. She had us all fooled.”
The furrow between his brows relaxed as he struggled between his professional role to inform her of events and his personal concern for Zoe. “We’ll have a lot more questions for you, but for now, on behalf of the city police department, and San Francisco, thank you.”
“Well, it was really in my best interest at the time,” she half-joked. “I thought I was the one being carted away to jail. Then I stumbled on her cameraman’s footage.” She suddenly realized all the things she’d have to review with the police. “Did you end up finding that?”
“Don’t worry,” he said. “We found it. And the body.”
Addison gasped and covered Naia’s ears. She gave a playful glare at Bob and Zoe as though in warning. Felix chuckled next to her.
“Sorry,” Bob told her.
“What happened to Holly?” Zoe asked.
“She’s recovering. She…” He glanced at Naia, as though choosing his words carefully. “She won’t be the same. But either way, she’ll never be a free woman. We won’t have to worry about her ever again.”
Zoe frowned, remembering the clang of the guitar strings as Levi had brought it down on the reporter. She shook it off, trying to focus her drug-heavy mind. “And Chelsea?”
“She’ll definitely face charges for attacking you. And while she wasn’t directly involved with Holly, she did provide her with copies of your ex-assistant’s planner, knowing full well the harassment that lay in store for you. Maybe not the attempted murders,” he said, “but she might be considered an accessory. At the very least, she actively aided in sabotaging your business. Your lawyer will have more suggestions regarding her.”
Zoe rubbed her forehead like she could massage the thoughts from her mind. She tried to work through all this new information, tying it into the events of the last few weeks—which was tough to do while on whatever was in that IV.
“So Natalie didn’t have anything to do with it?”
Bob shook his head. “Apparently not.”
Natalie probably hadn’t even been the one to call Astrid that day at the wedding dress shop. It easily could have been Holly posing as her ex-assistant. Well, Natalie may not have had anything to do with the attempted murder, but from Chelsea’s confession, she knew her ex-assistant wasn’t exactly innocent, either. But that was a much smaller concern for another day.
Zoe’s eyes must have been drooping, because she couldn’t remember anyone talking for a little while. Then Marilyn said, “Well, we’d best let you get your sleep.” She laid a hand on Zoe’s foot, squeezing warmly. “We’re so happy to see that you’re all right.”
People began to give hugs, preparing to leave. Addison’s hug was especially long. She still hadn’t said anything but by her pink nose and bloodshot eyes, Zoe suspected it was because, if she did, she might just start crying.
When Felix dipped close for a gentle hug, he whispered in Zoe’s ear. “You’d better hurry up and get better. You’ll have another wedding to plan soon enough.”
Zoe gasped, and her mouth fell open. “Have you?”
Felix subtly shook his head, tapping his finger to his lips to say it was just between them. He was going to propose soon.
The secret had Zoe grinning stupidly, happy for Addison, who was officially going to get the family she’d always wanted. Fairy-tale themed wedding ideas were already flitting through Zoe’s head.
“And don’t worry about a thing,” Aiden told her. “You’re going to get the best care money can buy. Physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists. You name it, I’ve hired them. The next few months of your rehab have already been coordinated.”
Taking out his phone, he began flipping through screens rapidly, opening documents. “The schedule has been set out in a calendar, color coded, labeled, and alphabetized as per your preferences.” He gave her a facetious look, as though daring her to ask if it came with footnotes.
But she smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
Zoe’s mother had been silent, maybe a bit shy among the large group, but now she automatically bowed to Aiden in thanks.
Being a handshake guy, Aiden stiffened a little before giving his own awkward bow in return. When he stood up, his hand reached for his tie—a self-conscious tic he had.
“It’s the least I can do,” he told Zoe. “I owe you”—he kissed the top of Piper’s head—“more than my life. I’ve got a printout of your rehabilitation schedule in the car. Do you want to see it?”
“That’s okay,” Zoe said. “I trust that you did a great job. I’m sure it will all work itself out.”
Levi’s head snapped to her, but he didn’t say anything until everyone had said their good-byes and left. When they were finally alone, his eyes narrowed as he laid a hand on her forehead. “Maybe you’re not doing so well, after all.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Zoe craned her neck to look at the monitors, as though the numbers and squiggles flashing across them were announcing her impending death.
“You’re clearly very sick,” he said with a smirk. “You’re not yourself at all. What happened to things working out because you make sure they do?”
She laughed, recalling how laid back Levi had been the first day they’d met, how much it had irritated her. But despite everything that had gone wrong that day—hell, over the next few weeks—everything really did turn out for the best.
Piper’s wedding turned out fantastic—well, except for the whole attempted murder thing. Zoe had cleared her name, she was finally a property owner, had adopted a lifesaving doxie, and she’d found her heart in the form of a rock star.
Zoe laughed in disbelief. “Turns out, life doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes, it’s better.”