Barefoot in the Sun (30 page)

“If I’m hearing the real letter. Otherwise…” She looked at the torn pages. “I’m never going to know what it said.”

“This is exactly what it said,” he assured her, clearing his throat to recite again. “After I realized you weren’t coming back, I started a search for you. A search I doubt will ever end.”

The sound of tearing paper—and of breaking hearts—punctuated that sentence. Nope. She’d never know what was in that letter now.

“And?”

He took another breath, still looking at the water. “Zoe, I want you to know that unless you come back, I’m going to make a life-changing decision that you might not understand or agree with. But I know it’s the right decision, at least I hope so.”

“The decision to marry Adele and be a father to Evan?” she asked.

He nodded.

“It was the right decision,” she whispered.

“I’m making this decision with full knowledge that I currently do and probably will always love you.” He had the letter in very small pieces now, his fingers still. “And I believe that, even though you never told me, you love me, too.”

“I did.”
I do.

“And no matter that everyone and everything is against us…” He turned his head to look at her. “We are meant to be together.”

“We are.” The words came out in a hoarse whisper, caught in a sob.

“Forever.” Once last time, he tore what was left of the letter, the pieces no bigger than an inch by now. “So if you ever find it in your heart to come back to me, Zoe, I will change my life in whatever way is necessary to make you the biggest, best, and most wonderful part of it.”

Was this Oliver’s letter of yesterday or Oliver’s heart of today speaking to her? She didn’t ask because she was lost in his eyes.

“Many things will change in our lives,” he continued, “but one thing will never ever change. I’ll make mistakes that I can’t fix and so will you, but through it all, Zoe Tamarin, I will love you. I love you now and forever. If there is any way you’ll spend your life with me, I want you to know I am yours. Always.”

“Always?”

“Love, Oliver.”

He opened his hand and twenty tiny pieces of paper fluttered into the wind, like those ashes she’d just released. Zoe reached for one and snagged it, glancing at the white square and the three words it captured:

life-changing decision

And another, fluttering next to her foot, that said
come back to me
.

“So you didn’t make that up? That’s really what the letter said?”

“It is.”

“Why wouldn’t you let me read it?”

“Because I wanted to say it to you.”

She watched one more piece picked up on a breeze float on the wind, like she loved to do. “Why couldn’t I keep it?”

“It’s history, honey.” He touched her chin and turned her face toward his. “You can’t be a prisoner of history when it’s time to look forward and start a new life.”

New life.
“That’s why Pasha gave me the name Zoe. It means new life.”

He leaned forward to kiss her. “Zoe Bradbury. You know what that means?”

A little thrill danced from her scalp to her toes. “It means new life…with the man I love.”

He kissed her so tenderly the tears threatened again.

“Was that all that was in the letter?” she asked.

“P.S.” He cupped her jaw and held her face. “I bought some land in Barefoot Bay and I’m going to build a house. Would you marry me and make that our home forever?”

Our home forever.

Chills washed over her skin like certainty over her heart. She closed her eyes as his mouth touched hers. “Yes.” When they broke the kiss, she searched his face for the truth. “Did the letter really say all that?”

He eased her back on the sand, blocking the sun with another kiss. “Every word except the P.S.”

“That was the best letter I never read.”

“And you’re the best woman I never seem to be able to pin down.”

“You’re doing a pretty good job right now.”

He smiled, satisfied, and kissed her again. “You want to go up and share the good news with all your friends?”

“You know what I want to do?” She caressed his cheek and brought him closer.

“Hmm?”

“I want to stay right here. I want to…stay.”

I
now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Zoe turned to Oliver and took a deep breath. “You ready for this, doc?” she whispered over the loud cheer of the crowd.

“I am so ready.”

“Another kiss!” someone in the crowd yelled out.

“Are you sure?” Zoe asked. “Because you can back out, even now. I can do this alone if I need to.”

“Alone? Not a chance. I’m all in, Zoe.”

“It’s gonna be scary sometimes.”

He shook his head. “Not worried.”

“We could have turbulence.”

He shrugged. “A few bumps don’t bother me.”

“You ready to face your fears?”

He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her lips. “Remember our motto?”

“Don’t let fear stop you,” she replied.

“So I’m ready.”

“Then we’re good to go.” She grinned at him, swiping back a lock of hair that had blown over her face from a much stronger than usual Gulf breeze, a reminder of just how wild this ride was about to be. She glanced over her shoulder at the crowd still clapping and calling for kisses. “You’ve got about five seconds to change your mind.”

“Zoe, stop worrying about me and get this thing ready to fly.” He heaved a sandbag and let it fall next to the basket, a fine sheen of sweat on his face from the full-out labor of inflating the snow-white balloon tethered on the beach at Barefoot Bay. “Lacey wants a million pictures for the brochure, not to mention a bride and groom who think they’re about to get the ride of a lifetime. Stop worrying about me.”

“Actually I’m more worried about the wind,” she said. “We’re right at seven knots, which means a rough ride.”

She’d only had her new balloon up a few times since she’d purchased it and started taking passengers for Sylver Skies and Casa Blanca. All the trips had been smooth, including the maiden voyage when she’d taken Jocelyn and Will up after their small beachfront wedding. But today’s winds would challenge the best of pilots.

With the loud cheer from the crowd on the beach, they both turned and watched about sixty people part to let Gloria and Slade glide through. The newlyweds waved, then kissed, then laughed their way across the beach, the setting sun creating a stunning backdrop of orange, blue, peach, and purple.

This should be a perfect flight…except for the damn wind.

Two photographers flanked the couple as they kissed and walked barefoot over the sand. One cameraman was taking pictures for Gloria’s album, but the other was shooting exclusively for Casa Blanca’s destination wedding package that Lacey, Zoe, Jocelyn, and Tessa had spent the last four months creating.

“Look at that scene,” Tessa said, carrying a tray of hors d’oeuvres that would feed the newlyweds, best man, and maid of honor once they were airborne. “You know, if this idea takes off, Casa Blanca could be booked with intimate, high-end weddings for years.”

“What needs to take off is this balloon,” Zoe said.

“You can do it,” Oliver said quickly, his hand on her back. “Unless you don’t feel okay.”

“I’m fine,” she said quickly, slipping away before Tessa heard the exchange. “I’m concentrating.”

Around the gondola, the ground crew steadied the four-story balloon and the top-of-the-line basket that could hold up to ten people. It was no mean feat in this strong breeze.

Zoe turned to the picnic table about twenty feet away, where her very favorite weather genius tapped a tablet and then held his digital anemometer to the sky, measuring air velocity, direction, and humidity.

“What do you have, Evan?” she called.

He popped up from the table at the same time as Moonbow, the stray dog he’d found at the beach that no one ever claimed. She smiled, still in agreement with Evan that the dog was Pasha’s parting gift.

Moonbow wasn’t the only permanent addition to Barefoot Bay. After one month back in Chicago, Evan had pleaded with his parents to change the custody arrangement so he could live primarily with Oliver. Adele’s surprising agreement had been one of the highlights of the past few months. Along with …

Zoe glanced down at her newly protruding stomach. They were going to have to make the announcement soon. There was no way to hide her secret under flowing skirts and frilly tops much longer.

Evan interrupted that thought, waving an instrument. “Fly east, Zoe. It’s gusty over the Gulf.”

“I plan on it, kid. Don’t forget to text the velocity and humidity readings to your dad and be sure to come along with the crew when we have a landing spot, okay?”

Tessa joined them, straightening the vest of the sharp white tux she wore as the official steward of the flight. “It’s showtime, folks.”

Gloria and Slade reached the balloon with a wake of wedding guests and a flurry of hugs and congratulations. As Gloria gathered the skirts of her flowing white gown, Slade easily scooped her into his arms to lift her into the gondola basket, every move captured on camera.

Tessa welcomed them, getting the couple, plus the maid of honor, best man and the two cameramen situated safely while Zoe handled the piloting duties.

The crewmen directed the other guests away from the balloon, and, over the crowd, Zoe could see Lacey and Clay watching like proud parents, giving her all kinds of thumbs-ups.

When everyone was ready, Zoe fired a burner to create a brilliant balloon glow, the golden light turning the “wedding-white” balloon as bright as the sun setting behind them.

Everyone oohed and aahed as the crew let go of the lines and the Casa Blanca speakers played “Love Lifts Us Up” as the takeoff song. Zoe hummed, the satisfying hiss of her burner valve drowning out the corny but cute lyrics.

Up they floated into the wild blue yonder. And, damn, it was wild.

The gondola rocked, but they held steady, floating over the crystal-teal waters and white sands of Barefoot Bay.

“Good luck!”

“Fly safe!”

“Happy Ever After!”

The cheers rang through the air as Zoe concentrated on the most difficult part of her flight. Another mighty gust pushed them east, earning a loud gasp from the passengers but not a sound from her right-hand man.

Zoe stole a glance at Oliver, who looked nothing short of stoic. He winked at her, giving her a thrill unlike anything she’d ever gotten from ballooning.

At fifteen hundred feet she turned off the main burner and the loud hissing stopped, bathing them all in a shocking silence that was almost instantly filled with gasps of delight from the passengers.

From behind her Oliver wrapped his arms around her, and she let her head drop onto his shoulder. “My goodness, you are one calm flyer,” she said.

“I’m in good hands.”

“And so am I. Very, very good hands.”

He squeezed her a little. “How’s Junior holding up?”

“Shhh,” she said, glancing over at Tessa. She was pouring champagne, but sound traveled in this silence.

“Come on, Zoe, let’s tell her. She’s your friend and she’s going to be happy for us.”

“I know but…the only thing she hates more than secrets is her BFFs getting pregnant.”

“She’s going to be furious you kept another one from her, then.”

“I can’t tell her now.”

“You love to give away your secrets in the sky,” he whispered.

He was right; she couldn’t wait another minute. What better place than up in the clouds, warmed by the sun and—
Whoa!

Another unexpected gust buffeted the basket, knocking everyone a little sideways.

Oliver’s eyes widened. “Is that normal?”

She managed a smile and a nod, then went over to the passengers and made sure they were calm. And so was Oliver, who leaned over the side of the basket and looked straight down at the eastern side of Barefoot Bay.

“Look at that foundation,” he said. “That house is going to be amazing.”

She stepped to the edge of the basket to see the first wave of construction of their new home, the waterfront lot trimmed by a hundred tiny hummocks and islands and threaded with narrow, shallow canals. “That house is going to be a home,” she said softly. “Our home.”

“You, me, our kids, our dogs, our whole life.”

“Kids? Plural?” Tessa was right next to them, surprising Zoe.

For a moment, the two women didn’t speak as Zoe’s stomach—and the baby inside it—took a little dive at the look on Tessa’s face.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Really?” Tessa raised both brows. “ ’Cause I figured you were waiting until labor and delivery.”

“You know?”

She rolled her eyes. “You might love a good secret, but your fiancé hasn’t been able to wipe the smile off his face for two months.”

“She wanted me to wait to tell anyone.”

Tessa waved her hand. “You’re off the hook. Evan spilled the lima beans.”

“Evan knows?”

“You guys suck at secrets.” She leaned over and pressed her cheek against Zoe’s. “Congrats, my dear friend. I’m thrilled for you.”

“Really?”

“Really. I love babies.” She grinned. “I’m having one myself.”

“
What?
” Zoe and Oliver asked the question in perfect unison.

Tessa laughed. “Not all by myself,” she said. “I’m interviewing surrogates.”

“A surrogate mother?” Zoe asked. “What about the father?”

“He’s on his way.”

The basket swayed in the wind, making Zoe grab the side. “When? Who is it?”

Tessa angled her head. “I don’t know yet. But Pasha told me a long time ago he’d be here after the next blue moon.”

“Are you sure she wasn’t
drinking
a Blue Moon?” Zoe asked.

“And reading the beer foam?” Oliver teased.

“Joke all you want, but a lot of her predictions have come true, and you two are proof of that.”

The basket listed left, then right, earning another whoop from the wedding party.

“Here’s to love!” the best man called out. All the champagne glasses shot into the air, the crystal clinking.

“To love!”

Zoe looked up at Oliver. “To love.”

He kissed her. “To love.”

Tessa smiled. “To the next blue moon.” She scooped up the champagne bottle and made her way to the passengers to refill the empty glasses.

Zoe turned to Oliver. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world and I’m the luckiest guy on earth. And I’m not even scared even though we are basically suspended in midair, held by nothing but more air.”

She laughed. “I meant about Tessa.”

He angled his head, considering it. “I think what Pasha probably said was that love is rare and only happens once in a blue moon.”

“You really don’t think her predictions were true?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, I, for one, will be watching the men who come in contact with Tessa from now on.”

He pulled her closer. “Hey, the only man you should be watching is the one in front of you.”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him one more time. “I am.”

“And not just once in a blue moon. Forever.”

“And ever.”

“You promise?” he asked. “You’ll love me forever and never leave?”

She waited a moment for a voice in her head to tell her what to do.

Run, Zoe, run.

But all she heard was sweet, blissful silence. “I promise.”