Chapter 16

“She’s here.” Sweet Louise’s voice came from the walkie-talkie.

Dane had a new respect for the woman.

When she’d knocked on his hotel room door almost an hour ago and told him she had a plan, he’d had no idea it would be this big or elaborate.

He pressed the talk button. “Okay, send her up.”

He had some serious apologizing to do to Susie. He’d jumped to conclusions, and that wasn’t like him. He’d been unforgivably rude to her, but here she was helping out anyway. Besides Rachel, Angie, and Romero, the only other person in the world whom he could count on was Susie, and he hoped he hadn’t completely messed that up.

He shook his head. Why had he ever thought she would sell them out?

“She’s going to forgive you, but you should really start off with groveling.” Rachel had on a T-shirt and some jeans. Her eyes were swollen from all of the crying, but ever since she’d spoken with Susie, she’d stopped acting like her life was over. She hadn’t said anything, but Dane suspected she was relieved that the news was finally out.

Rachel slipped her feet out of her running shoes and slid them into her highest heels.

“I don’t understand the shoe choice.” Not that he really cared, but if she needed to run to the car, it would be easier in the running shoes.

“I’m not running. I’m walking out of this hotel arm-in-arm with my fiancée. This is my life and I’ll live it how I want.” Rachel was all I-am-woman-hear-me-roar.

“What did Susie say to you?” The change had been immediate. As soon as she’d hung up with Susie, the old Rachel had been back.

“She reminded me that I’m Rachel Mays and nobody is going to tell me how to live my life.” Rachel was all righteous indignation. “It’s interesting, don’t you think, that people we don’t know are helping us just because Susie asked them?”

“We’ve lived in Hollywood too long.” Angie rolled her suitcase up behind Rachel. “We’ve forgotten what it’s like to be around nice people.

Romero followed behind his sister. “I agree. We’ve all forgotten what it’s like to have normal people around us.” He glanced at Dane. “If you don’t lock Susie down with an enormous ring soon, I’m never going to speak to you again.”

Dane smiled nervously. “She is pretty great.”

“That’s an understatement.” Romero thought about it for a second. “I mean, if you love her. Don’t do it because you feel like you owe her.” He shook his head. “No one wants that.” He glanced at his sister. “Our parents have an obligation marriage. We can tell you that it’s unpleasant.”

“Yes, if you don’t marry for love, don’t marry at all.” Angie winked at Rachel. “I can’t wait to get married.”

“Me too.” Rachel returned the wink. She grabbed the handle of her own rolling bag and propped a hip on the sofa. “I would just like to point out that I’m not running away. I’m retiring to the country for a much-needed break. Although I’m walking out the front door with my head held high, I’m okay with the distraction.” She squared her shoulders. “The studio can kiss my ass. If they try to fire me for getting married, I’ll sue for discrimination, and then I’ll own the studio.”

This was more than just bravado on Rachel’s part. This was the real Rachel. She was ambitious and tenacious and resourceful.

Dane loved her for it.

There was a knock on the door. He looked out the peephole and saw Sweet Louise flanked by Susie and Uncle Milton.

Susie looked amazing. He opened the door, sidestepped Sweet Louise, and pulled Susie into a hug. “I’m so sorry. I trust you, and I should have known you would never call the press.”

Rachel pulled them into a three-way hug. “He’s an idiot, but he loves you. Make him grovel first, but you should forgive him. He meant well … sort of.”

Susie laughed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Okay, is everyone ready?” Sweet Louise waved everyone out into the hall.

“I love her.” Romero pointed to Sweet Louise. “Can I be Sweet Louise when I grow up?”

“Get in line.” Susie patted Sweet Louise’s shoulder. “She’s a force of nature.”

Sweet Louise blew them both air kisses. “Y’all are all family now, which means we will be in each other’s lives constantly.” She looked from person to person. “Let’s go.” She lifted her walkie-talkie to her mouth and pressed talk. “We’re leaving the building. Cue the picketers.”

“Picketers?” Uncle Milton looked at Susie.

She shrugged. “I told Sweet Louise to create a distraction. I thought the football players were the distraction.”

“The Lone Stars were just the appetizer.” Sweet Louise grinned. “January mobilized the La Leche League, who are walking in support of more public acceptance of breastfeeding. Nina organized the National Pilots’ Association, who are picketing for longer rest periods between overseas flights. Charisma called all of her personal coaching friends to come out in support of the City of Austin’s new fitness initiative. My son, Devon, got the National Livestock and Beef Board to organize a march to bring attention to the need for the USDA to reorganize the food pyramid. Laney is in surgery today and is sorry she couldn’t have helped.”

“You have more than exceeded my expectations.” Susie hugged Sweet Louise. “What’s this about it being National Kiss an NFL Football Player Day?”

“I needed to give the girls time to gather their troops for the different marches. I figured the biggest bang for my buck was kissing football players.” Sweet Louise pushed the down button on the elevator. “My boys have raised almost ten thousand dollars for Dress for Success. They provide interview clothing and career coaching so that women in poverty can achieve economic independence.”

Dane kissed the older woman’s cheek. “I think you should run for president.”

Sweet Louise shook her head. “No way. I wield way more power than any president.”

They all got in the elevator.

“Now, there are a few photographers left, but I’ve taken care of that.” Sweet Louise spoke into the walkie-talkie. “Cue the flag.” She waited several seconds. “Cue the national anthem.”

As they exited the elevator into the hotel’s lobby, they heard the national anthem blasting out of invisible speakers. All of the football players and picketers closed ranks to form a double line creating a pathway between the human chain of bodies. The picketers and players put their hands over their hearts and sang the national anthem.

Sweet Louise pointed to the pathway. “Here we go. Just walk between the lines of people. It will take you directly to Susie’s car.”

“Thanks for doing this.” Susie kissed Sweet Louise on the cheek and then whispered something in the older woman’s ear.

Sweet Louise caught Uncle Milton’s eye. “I’m counting on you to get them all to the car safely.”

Milton straightened up to his full height and became the most important man alive. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll make sure everyone’s safe.”

Susie winked at Sweet Louise.

“Y’all go ahead and start dinner without me.” Sweet Louise waved. “I’ll be by later.”

Susie laughed. “And that’s how you avoid the paparazzi.”

With Milton in the lead, they made it to the car in record time. Everyone squeezed in. Just as the national anthem was coming to a close, they pulled out of the parking spot and into traffic.

Thirty minutes later, they pulled up to Susie’s house.

“If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I wouldn’t have believed it.” Angie hopped out of the car and grabbed her bag from the trunk. “I’m still not sure how Sweet Louise pulled that off.”

“Me either. It was brilliant.” Rachel grabbed her bag and headed up the steps into the house.

Romero waggled his smartphone. “I took notes in case there’s a movie adaptation, but I don’t think anyone could recreate that.”

Dane hung back and gently tapped Susie on the shoulder. “Can I talk to you? Maybe we could take a walk.”

“Sure.” She shaded her eyes and pointed to the lone figure walking away from them down her driveway. “I guess he’s starting guard duty early.”

“What does that mean?” Dane really didn’t want to talk about Uncle Milton.

“We own all of the land on either side of that road. Technically, we own the land under the road, but since the county maintains it, it’s a public road. But if anyone so much as steps a toe off the road, they are trespassing on our land. My guess is he’s going to wait down there in case any photographers show up so he can dare them to trespass on his land.” She tilted her head to the left and then to the right. “I’m fairly certain he’ll fire a warning shot before he goes all target practice.”

Dane had had enough of the paparazzi. “I’m sorry. I was an ass. I shouldn’t have assumed it was you who gave Rachel and Angie away. It’s just that we’re super careful and …” He was making this worse.

“And what, you thought I was gullible enough to rat out a friend?” Susie didn’t seem mad; she seemed hurt, which was way worse.

“I don’t know what to say. Tell me how to make this right.” He shoved his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. He took a deep breath and jumped off into the deep end of the pool. “I love you.”

Her face scrunched up like the idea made her mad. “I love you too.”

“Why does that make you angry?” She loved him, but it made her angry. He was pretty sure that wasn’t good.

“I’m not angry, I’m just confused.” She opened her mouth to say something and then closed it again.

“Is this about earlier?” It took all he had to keep his hands in his back pockets and not to touch her. They’d always been good at the physical part, but he wanted it all—emotional and physical.

“No.” She waved it away. “I understand that before you were just reacting to a bad situation. No big deal. Clearly, we need to work on trust, but I think that’s always going to be a work in progress.”

He took a deep breath for the first time since he’d answered her phone call. She was right, what had happened was minor, but he couldn’t lose her. She was his everything.

She looked more confused than ever. “I just realized something about myself. I’m a romantic. I want the hearts and flowers. I want the happily-ever-after.”

“Why is that a bad thing?” It was time to reveal his secret—one that he’d only shared with Rachel.

“It’s not. I’m just used to being a realist. I like being a realist.” Four rows of lines dented her brow. “I’m not sure how to be a romantic.”

“Lucky for you, I’ve got that covered.” He pulled from his pocket the tiny blue box he’d picked out with Rachel’s help and bent down on one knee. “Sweet Susie Sweet. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life showing you. Will you marry me?”

Her eyes went huge and her hands went to her mouth. Tears streamed down her face. She nodded. “Yes.” She swiped at the tears running down her cheeks. “Yes.”

Everything in his world turned bright and sunny.

“I didn’t even have time to open the box.” He flipped the lid and pulled out a three-carat heart-shaped diamond. “While Rachel and Angie split a heart, I want you to know that you have all of mine.”

He slipped the ring on her left ring finger. It was a perfect fit, just like Susie was his perfect fit.

She held her arm out straight, admiring the ring. “I promise to love you forever as long as you never call me Sweet Susie Sweet again.”

“Deal.”