twenty-one
The red Lamborghini looked like it had never been driven. Candace snuck a peek at the odometer: 8,942. It hadn’t.
“This was the best I could do for a coach. All the pumpkins were tied up for Halloween parties this weekend. My mother even took her limo to a party.”
So Mrs. Ogilvie would not be in attendance. The revelation didn’t shock Candace. Although Candace suspected they cared about each other, mother and son didn’t have a particularly close relationship. His mother had probably never figured out a way to talk to a boy who held conversations with computers. She ran her hand over the supple leather seat. “I think this will do very nicely. I only worry that my green dress looks too Christmassy with the red of the car.”
“Well, you look stunning in it. I only wish I had more people to invite to the ball. But at least with Araceli and Kyle we will have four couples.”
“I am glad they could come since Tessa and Zoe couldn’t.”
“I still don’t see why they couldn’t just fly over for the night.”
Candace laughed at his fake pout. Zoe was now publicly dating Nick, who’d managed to have his fair share of paparazzi hounds—not as many as Daniel, but still enough that Zoe’s photo had made it into the gossip vlogs this week. “I think they had prior engagements. Not everyone keeps an open social calendar.” It was lucky Mandy and Abbie and their husbands were free.
The mansion was a fantastic specimen of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship. Colin parked in the circular drive, and a man wearing what seemed to be British-style livery opened the doors. “Uniforms?”
“Mom likes them for special events. Since we are having a ball, Mandy thought it would add to the theme.”
“Does that make me Cinderella?” Even on the magical bucket-list night in the castle, she never felt as much like a princess as she did when the butler opened the door and announced them into the ballroom, where the three other couples waited. Overhead, electric candles twinkled from the chandelier. Where she expected to see some sort of electronic speakers, a quartet played.
As Colin led her to the center of the floor, she looked at Mandy and momentarily dropped her jaw. Her friend got the message and giggled. Colin nodded to the musicians, and they started to play a waltz. Candace let her eyes flutter closed, knowing that Colin’s expert leading would do all the work. She felt like a princess in his arms. When the tempo changed, she opened her eyes to find Colin studying her.
“I don’t know that I have ever danced with a woman who closed her eyes before.”
“I just wanted to just feel everything for a moment. But it looks amazing, too.”
The other couples joined them. Colin twirled her in the direction of the terrace. What would a ballroom be without a terrace for lovers to sneak away to?
The cool air teased at her, and she leaned into Colin for warmth and the promised kiss.
Colin led her to a bench in the corner. “I didn’t plan this very well. In my mind it was warmer.” He knelt in front of her, and her heart began to race. No, not yet.
“Candace Lucy Wilson, will you dance waltzes with me all the days of your life?”
The diamond glistened in the light that poured out the door to the ballroom. She tried to speak. No was the wrong answer. Yes was impossible. Wasn’t it? She tried to force the acceptance out, but it was caught in a grip of fear.
Colin waited, the furrow in his brow deepening.
She tried to breathe and couldn’t.
His shoulders slumped. He mumbled something, and his face faded as darkness overcame her.
Colin caught her just as she tumbled off the bench.
“Daniel!”
Colin’s yell brought not only Daniel but the other couples and some of the staff.
Mandy reached his side first. “Did she faint?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen anyone faint before.”
“What were you doing out here?” Daniel took off his coat and placed it over Candace.
“Proposing?” Colin answered as quietly as he could, but it was evident from the gasps that everyone had heard him.
“I think she is coming around. Let’s get her inside,” said Abbie.
Daniel helped him stand. Candace was lighter than he thought she would be.
Araceli took the pillows off a nearby davenport. As Colin set Candace down, she moaned.
“Everyone step back to give her some air.” Abbie’s bodyguard personality came out as she ushered everyone back.
Colin turned to the other men. “Your wives didn’t faint, did they?”
Preston covered his mouth with his hand, but his eyes still held laughter. “I’ve proposed several times and never seen that reaction. Although I did have one end up in a fountain screaming.”
Colin kept one eye on Candace. Mandy handed her a glass of water. He couldn’t hear what the woman was saying.
Abbie came over. “I’ll take Candace home. She is still feeling a little shaky. Colin, she said she would talk to you soon.”
The women left.
“Well, guys, I guess the ball is over.” Colin searched for something he could offer them. But even his mother’s etiquette drills didn’t help. His brain refused to process anything. He wanted to be alone, afraid one of his friends would discover the source of Candace’s distress. He couldn’t face the humiliation. “Perhaps you should see to your wives?”
“Whose car did they take?” asked Kyle. “Did they take a driver or a bodyguard?”
Daniel and Preston laughed at the same time. “Abbie.”
Kyle shook his head. “I hardly ever think of her that way.”
“Well, it looks like I need a ride. Daniel?” Preston asked.
Within minutes, Colin was alone with a dozen staff members.
He trudged up to his old bedroom and tried to figure out what he’d done wrong.
Candace woke up with the biggest headache of her life. She wandered out to the kitchen in search of an ice pack. Advice—she needed some. She went back into the bedroom and found her phone.
She dialed Reverend Cavanagh’s number, but it went straight to voicemail.
She scrolled down and hit the icon for Dad.
“Morning, sweetie.”
“Dad can I come visit for the weekend?”
“Sure, why?”
“I’ll explain when I get there.”
Candace hung up and called in sick again. At this rate, Nick was going to fire her.
The ice wasn’t touching her headache, so she dug through her essential oils until she found a blend she’d had success with in the past.
Tossing a pair of jeans and a couple of shirts into a bag, she headed out. At the door, she whispered, “Sabrina, don’t tell him,” just in case the AI was watching her apartment, too.
All weekend, Colin waited for Candace to return his calls or texts, but a reply never came. Her car wasn’t in the garage, and according to security, she’d left early Saturday morning. Her disappearance could have had something to do with the fact that Zoe and Nick were all over the news. Even if it wasn’t really them. No doubt Candace was somewhere dealing with the fallout. Colin had been so busy yesterday preparing for his proposal that he had missed the media circus wrongly accusing his friend of assault and dredging up Zoe’s past.
Even if he had seen it, there was little he could have done to help.
He hoped Candace was with Zoe. The other alternative was that she’d run from him after his proposal.
Late Sunday afternoon, Colin texted Nick.
Sorry I couldn’t bury Zoe’s life deeper.
—Not your fault.
Is she talking to you?
—She left me a goodbye note.
Colin wasn’t sure how to respond to that.
I’m not sure if the carousel will be finished anytime soon. The artist may or may not have quit.
—Candace? Why?
I proposed. I thought she would be willing after she came back from Blue Pines. I guess I don’t understand women. Colin typed the understatement of the year.
—You and me both, my friend.
I was serious when I said it is easier to hack the Pentagon than it is to understand a woman.
—My guess it is easier to hack North Korea’s military servers.
Nah. Only took me two hours. Just kidding. Haven’t tried that one.
—-I’m relieved to know that. Don’t.
Not that desperate. I still have Mandy, the secret weapon. She’s calling. Bye.
“Hi, Mandy.”
“Hey, how are you holding up?”
“Fine. Please tell me you’ve heard from her.” Any little clue, please.
“She went to her dad’s. She says she will meet us in Blue Pines.”
“She is taking the week off?” He rubbed his forehead. Day 564 wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be a countdown to day one of the rest of their lives.
“Sorry, Colin.”
“Do you think it’s a no?”
“She didn’t say no, which probably means she is working through things. I know fainting isn’t the best response, but she has a lot going on right now. Since she didn’t respond, there is still a chance she will say yes. Sorry.”
Colin hung up. He wanted to know more, to hear how she was in her own voice.
An hour later, he got a text from her.
Please come to Blue Pines. Premiere—November 2. I am visiting Dad.
—I’ll be there.
Thanks. 1 2 3
Maybe all was not lost. He went in search of Janie and found her in the kitchen. “What does it mean when a girl tells you one, two, three?”
She stopped stirring the pot on the stove in front of her. “I don’t know all of your young-people lingo. But when I counted at my children, it was never a good thing.”
The housekeeper could have added or counted at him. How many cookies had he lost over the years for not listening the first time?
There had to be another answer. Colin retreated to his office.
“Sabrina, what could one, two, three mean?”