Candy Crush Page 9

  Oz’s mother pulled back and wiped her eyes, then glanced at Alicia and did a double take. “Alicia? What . . . what are you doing here?”

  “I actually work at the same place where Oz works now,” Alicia explained. “It’s kind of a long story, which we can tell you later, but it’s not really important at the moment. It’s good to see you, Mrs. Burton.”

  “You too, dear,” she replied. “Can we sit down and talk? I’m not clear on what happened.”

  “The waiting room’s over here, Mom,” Oz said, leading the way. Alicia followed, but after Oz’s parents sat down, she volunteered to get coffee for everyone, and made her escape as quickly as she could. The awkwardness was just piling on thicker and thicker—the last time she’d seen Mr. and Mrs. Burton had been the day when Mrs. Burton had told Angie she’d found out that Cam was cheating on her. And Cam laughing like the whole thing was a big joke.

  Instead of going straight for coffee, Alicia decided to make some phone calls and to check on Tamlyn. She figured that Oz would appreciate a few extra minutes of privacy with his parents, and she needed a little time to brace herself before facing them again. She was sure the memories were crashing down on them just like they were on her. Memories were stinkers that way.

  She called Whitney, sure that Oz would want her kept in the loop. Then she updated Heidi. That call was definitely longer—especially by the time she shared the news about Tamlyn being the other driver. Then she asked the information desk for Tamlyn’s room number and was directed down a long hallway.

  “Knock, knock,” she said as she stuck her head into the room.

  Tamlyn was half sitting, half lying on her bed, a magazine in her hand, and she looked up when Alicia came in. “Have they got you drugged up?” Alicia asked as she took the seat next to the bed.

  “They do, and I’m very glad of it,” Tamlyn replied. “Hey, is your boyfriend all right? I felt so bad, telling him who I was.”

  Alicia smiled at hearing the word “boyfriend.” It warmed her up from the inside out. “He’ll be all right. His parents are here now, and he’s had something to eat—and I think it was good for him to meet you and to see that you’ll recover.”

  “Good. He seems like a really great guy.”

  “He is.” Alicia leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. “I’m sure I’ll bore you to tears telling you all about him while you’re trying to recover. Did they say how long you’ll be laid up?”

  Tamlyn shrugged. “I’ll have the cast on for about two months, from what they were saying. The concussion? Who knows. That part’s trickier.”

  “I’m sure. You’ll let me help however I can, right? And your sister’s planning to stay with us, I hope—the apartment’s not huge, but we’ll figure it out.”

  “Thanks, Alicia. I really appreciate it.”

  Alicia stayed for a few more minutes, but she could tell that Tamlyn really just wanted to sleep. She said her goodbyes and went in search of coffee, deciding it was time to stop feeling awkward and to be there for Oz.

  ***

  “I just can’t believe this day.” Oz flopped onto his couch, and Hershel immediately jumped on his lap. “Thank you again, Alicia.”

  She sat on his other side and slid her arm through his. “I didn’t do much. Just what I thought would be the most helpful.”

  “And it was.” He kissed the top of her head. “I hope Mom’s comfortable enough in that hospital chair they brought her—I know it folds out into a cot or whatever, but it looked like some sort of medieval torture device.”

  “Yeah, not too cozy, but she probably won’t be able to sleep anyway. She’ll probably be staring at Cam all night, like she was when we left.”

  Oz had made reservations for his parents at the hotel closest to the hospital, and his father had gone over there for the night. His mother, on the other hand, refused to leave until Cam was fully awake. He’d come to from the anesthesia and looked around a bit, but then he’d dropped off again. The doctor felt that was the best thing for him, but it was difficult when they all wanted to see him up and talking. Oz, in particular, wanted some answers. Especially after meeting Tamlyn and seeing the pain in her eyes that she’d tried to mask.

  “What about you? Are you going to be able to sleep?” Alicia asked, turning her head to look at him.

  “I think so. Knowing my parents are here will help. Kinda funny how you never really outgrow needing your mom and dad.”

  Alicia smiled and touched his cheek. “You’re kinda cute when you’re worried.”

  “Am I?”

  “Yeah. I never noticed before because you’re usually pretty chill.”

  He grinned. “I’ve got all kinds of hidden attractiveness going on. Wait until you see me perplexed.”

  “Oh? That good?”

  “Very. I believe I even channel a little James Dean.”

  “That I’ve got to see.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You should get some sleep. Take advantage of your mom being on watch.”

  “I will, but first, we have some unfinished business. I found these this morning when I was getting ready for work.” Oz leaned forward and picked up a small plastic sack from the coffee table. He handed it to Alicia, and she laughed.

  “The conversation hearts you bought.”

  “Yup. We were going to try having an actual conversation with them, remember?”

  “Definitely.” She sat up a little straighter on the couch, faced him, and opened her box. “Who’s going first? You or me?”

  “Um, how about you.”

  “All right.” She poured her hearts into her hand and poked through them with her finger. “How about this for starters?” She handed him a purple one that said Let’s Kiss.

  “My goodness. And you look like such an innocent little thing.” He bent forward and kissed her, smiling when she giggled against his lips. “All right, my turn.” He found one that said How Nice. “That’s my rating of that kiss,” he explained.

  “That seems like a polite way of saying it was boring,” Alicia retorted. “It was better than that, wasn’t it?” She handed him Hot Stuff.

  He laughed out loud. “Okay, yes, it was better than nice. Anything with you is better than nice.” He placed a pink heart reading You Rock on her knee.

  She grinned and replied with You Rule.

  The way she was sitting there, with her hair coming out of her braid and tumbling on her shoulders, studying the candy in her hand, made Oz’s heart thump a little harder, and he shook his box, looking for just the right ones. Hershel’s ears twitched at the sound.

  “What are you looking for?” Alicia asked when he didn’t hand her a heart right away.

  “Patience, patience.” He finally found what he was looking for. “Okay, hold out your hand and close your eyes.”

  “That sounds suspicious. Are you going to put a snail or something in my hand?”

  “Where would I get a snail in Idaho in early February?”

  She tilted her head. “I notice that you didn’t say you wouldn’t do it. Only that you wondered where to get one.”

  He sniffed. “I can’t believe you doubt me.”

  “Fine, fine.” She closed her eyes and held out her hand. “But if it starts to do that snail crawl thing, I’m throwing it across the room.”

  Oz laughed, then placed three hearts in her hand. “You can look now.”

  She glanced down, but didn’t read them. “Three? I think that’s cheating. Weren’t we going one at a time?”

  “I don’t recall that we established actual rules. Just read them.”

  “All right, but I’m going to use thirty-seven next time just to teach you a lesson.” She looked down at her hand and gasped. The one on the left said Soul Mate. The next one read Love You, and the third said Marry Me. Her eyes flicked up to meet his. “Are you serious?”

  “More serious than I’ve ever been about anything. I know that we’re different now—five years is a long time, and we’ve had a lot of experi
ences that have changed us, but I know your soul. I know your goodness, and you’ve continued to remind me of it over and over again the last few days. You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, Alicia, and I know from experience that you’re completely unforgettable. You’re in my heart, and that’s where you’re going to stay.”

  Her lips twitched, and she held up one of the candies. “Would you say that I’m stamped on your heart?”

  “Ha ha. Stamped, engraved, embossed, dyed—whatever you want to call it, yes.”

  She looked down at the candies in her hand. “I don’t have a good one.”

  “I’m willing to accept your answer verbally. It goes against the rules of the game—of which there are none, apparently—but we can make an exception in this case.”

  “But I like keeping the rules.”

  “But there are no actual rules,” he reminded her. “The only rule is that you have to answer me fast before I have some sort of aneurism from wondering and collapse right here on the floor and smash my rabbit under the weight of my falling body.”

  “Well, I couldn’t let that happen to Hershel, so I’d probably better say yes.”

  “Yes?” He wanted to be sure he’d heard her right.

  “Yes.”

  He reached out, slid his arms around her, and pulled her close. “I like that word very much,” he said, then kissed her until Hershel got bored and wandered off to find his blanket in the corner.

  Chapter Twelve

  “I’m in a lot of trouble, aren’t I?” Cam looked toward the window of his room. Oz didn’t think he could actually see anything, but it was better than making eye contact. Oz wasn’t ready for that either.

  “Yeah, you are. The police have been here, and they filled Mom and Dad in. You’re facing jail time, Cam, as soon as you’re healed up enough to take it. You’ll have a court date and all that, but there were witnesses and a breathalyzer test, and they did a blood alcohol test on you when you got here. It’s not a question of innocence or guilt. You won’t be getting out of this.”

  “I don’t want to get out of this. I know what I did.” Cam stirred a little bit, then winced. “Mom cried for a good hour when I woke up. I’ve never seen Mom cry.”

  “That’s because she’s always tried to put on a strong face for you. I’ve seen her cry a lot.”

  “Because of me.”

  Oz wasn’t going to lie. “Yeah, because of you. You have to understand something, even if you don’t get anything else out of this. It doesn’t matter what you do—she will never stop loving you. She will always want what’s best for you. She’s not going to cover up for you or make excuses for you, but she will love you until the day she dies. And I want you to start living up to that.”

  Cam nodded. “You’re probably wondering what happened.”

  “It’s crossed my mind a few times.” Oz crossed one leg over his opposite knee. He was glad that Cam was awake and ready to talk, but he wasn’t sure if he was ready to listen. Part of him wanted to lash out and shake his brother silly, and another part of him said that he should find ways to make peace with the reality of it and move on. That part sounded an awful lot like Alicia.

  “I’d been in the hotel room all day, watching stupid movies, and I started thinking about Angie. Alicia looks a lot like Angie did back then, and seeing Alicia reminded me about the wedding, and I felt like crap. Angie was the best thing that had ever happened to me, and I threw her away. I didn’t deserve her, and I knew it, but instead of telling her that and letting her go, I cheated, thinking it was better if she found out and dumped me. And when it happened, I felt like I’d just gotten what I deserved.”

  He picked at the blanket. “So, anyway, I was thinking about Angie, and there’s a mini bar in my hotel room, so I started drinking. I ran out, so I decided I’d head over to the store and grab some beer. The next thing I know, I’m crashing into this car, and I can hear the crunch of metal, and I see the woman’s face, and she’s screaming. And then I woke up here, with Mom crying all over me.” He swore. “What did I do, Oz? How did I let my life get so . . .?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “She came in here this morning.” Cam nodded toward the door. “Tamlyn. The woman I hit. She actually came in here to see me and make sure I was okay. She was being discharged, but she didn’t want to go until we’d spoken. And you know what she said? That she wished me the best. And she sounded like she meant it. Crap, Oz. She forgave me. I broke her leg and I gave her a concussion, and she paid me a visit like we were friends.”

  “Not everyone’s full of hate,” Oz replied. “Some people are built differently.”

  Cam rubbed a hand across his face. “I don’t deserve her forgiveness.”

  “But she gave it to you anyway. It was hers to give, her call to make.” Oz stood up. “Listen. I don’t have any answers for you. I only know a couple of things. First off, you’re my brother. That’s not going to change, regardless of where you are or what you’re doing. Second, life’s full of second chances. You’ve got to decide which ones you’re going to take.” He hesitated, then reached out and touched Cam’s shoulder. “I’ll be back tomorrow, and I’ll be at your hearing. The police say your sentence will likely include some rehab, too. You should get some tools to start over.”

  “Thanks, Oz.” Cam nodded, his eyes full of emotion. “Thanks for . . . well, being my brother.”

  “That’s why God made families,” Oz said before turning and leaving the room. He leaned against the wall in the corridor and closed his eyes. He could finally feel his burden lifting—some good would come of this. He just had to trust that it would.

  ***

  “Are you sure this is going to work?” Alicia whispered.

  “It better, or Jaclyn will skin me alive,” Oz replied.

  “Then I think we’re ready.”

  “Thanks for helping me.” He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

  “Are you kidding me? How could I miss out on all the fun?” She grinned, then disappeared around the corner of the floral shop.

  Oz pulled out his phone and sent Mike a text. We’re almost in position.

  Mike replied, Coming now.

  Oz looked up. Alicia had climbed the fire escape on the back of the building, and now she peered at him from the roof, giving him a thumbs-up. He was glad to know she’d made it there safely. He’d already climbed up several times to get everything ready, but he hadn’t been sure how long it would take her. We’re set, he texted.

  Through the shop window, Oz could see Whitney inside, sweeping the floor. She had the craziest habit of throwing stems all over the place when she worked and then cleaning up afterward. He guessed it worked for her—she was a really fast designer, and everyone had their quirks, right?

  Mike pulled up in front of the shop and hopped out. He was wearing a suit, and he sucked in a few deep breaths as he walked up to Oz. “I can’t thank you enough for your help,” he said. “I really want this to be special.”

  “Oh, it will be,” Oz said with a grin. “I might have embellished on your original idea a little bit.”

  Mike instantly looked worried. “What did you do?”

  Oz waved his hand in front of Mike’s face like a Jedi master. “Trust me.”

  “Um, okay.”

  Mike squared his shoulders and turned to face the door of the shop. Oz stepped to the side where he wouldn’t be seen. “All set,” Oz said after glancing up at Alicia.

  “Here goes.” Mike reached out and knocked on the door, and Oz pushed record on his phone. No way was he not filming this for posterity.

  A moment later, Whitney opened it. “Hey, Mike. The door wasn’t locked—why didn’t you just come in?”

  He responded by going down on one knee on the sidewalk and holding up a ring box. “Whitney Dearden, ever since that first moment when I walked into your shop and you insisted that you weren’t singing Christmas carols, even though you were singing them, and rather off key, might I add, I’ve known
there was something special about you. You’ve proven that to me over and over again, and now I want to make my love for you official.”

  Oz looked up and waved. Right on cue, Alicia loosened the rope on the pulley Oz had mounted there earlier, and Hershel, wearing a pair of Cupid wings, lowered down from the roof and dangled in front of Whitney’s face. She burst out laughing.

  Mike hadn’t been told this part of the plan, but he played right along with it. “Even Cupid himself has decreed that our love is perfect,” he said, leaning to the side so he could see around Hershel’s harness. “Will you marry me, Whitney?”

  “Yes,” she said, still giggling. “Absolutely yes.”

  Mike jumped up and swooped her into a kiss. Oz put his phone away and stepped forward to unhook the rabbit’s harness from the rope. Then he edged away, winged rabbit in his arms, hoping he wouldn’t be noticed, and joined a laughing Alicia at the base of the fire escape.

  “That was amazing,” Alicia said, wiping tears from her eyes. “The look on their faces when they saw Hershel . . .”

  “That was definitely a proposal for the books,” Oz replied. “Mike wanted memorable, and memorable was what he got.”

  They walked toward Oz’s car. They’d come back later to collect the rabbit cage and take down the pulley. Hershel seemed perfectly comfortable in his Cupid wings. It had been a little tricky to find a pair his size, but Tamlyn had been an excellent resource, cutting them down to suit him and affixing elastics to go around his middle. As she’d put it, her leg was broken, but her hands weren’t, and it had been a fun project for her.

  “How do you feel about summer?” Oz asked, leaning against the door of his car, rabbit held to his chest.

  “Summer is a very nice season. I’d say it’s one of my top four favorites, actually.”

  “I’ve always felt the same way. How do you feel about it as a time to get married?”

  Alicia seemed to consider that. “Summer means ice cream. We could serve ice cream at the reception.”