Who am I to question it?
Chapter Five
Plaid
She’s going to be my wife. I never once thought about marriage before, but the second I saw her in the forest, silent tears streaking down her face, I knew that’s where this was headed. It just had to. I thought I would die alone in this world, but she has given my life a new meaning.
Unfortunately, the phone worked this morning. I had prayed that we could stay isolated together forever, but that was not to be. She called her parents, who still had not left. I listened as she cried. Her mother was talking loud enough that I could hear her crying too.
As soon as the phone call is over, we make love, and it feels like we’re saying goodbye. I don't like that feeling one fucking bit. I pull on my flannel shirt and button it up. After she fell asleep last night, I washed and dried her clothes for her. They are pretty torn up, but they will do the job until she can get to her suitcase. I just have to trust that she’ll still come home with me once she sees her family. I am not above kidnapping her, though.
“Ready,” she says, coming into the living room. She’s fresh-faced, dressed, and so fucking beautiful it hurts.
On the porch, I see that the sun is shining and the sky is bright blue. You wouldn’t think it rained all night long. Silently, we walk out to my truck, and I help her up into it. The drive to Rock Creek is silent, but she holds my hand the whole way. When we get there, she jumps out of the truck and runs into the hotel. I get out and follow her at a slower pace.
Her parents and Sheriff Rawlings are waiting in the lobby. Off to the side is a man and another girl, both a little older than Raleigh. I watch as she runs into her mother’s arms.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again. Do you hear me, Raleigh Jane Jones?”
“I hear you, ma.” Talking to her mother, her New York accent comes out a bit thicker. “I want you to meet someone,” she says, gesturing for me to come closer. “This is Plaid. He rescued me.”
“Thank you, son,” a man I assume is her father says, extending his hand to me. “Jason Jones. Nice to meet you.”
“Plaid McCleary,” I say, shaking his hand.
“Whoa, accent alert,” the girl says, earning a growl from the sheriff.
“My wife, Ella.” I go to shake her hand, but she pulls me into a hug instead.
“You saved my baby,” she says, crying again. Women crying are my kryptonite.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“None of that ma’am business. Call me Ella.”
“Ella,” I repeat.
“And these are my brother and sister, Boston and Adelaide,” Raleigh says.
“Nice to meet you,” I say, shaking their hands as well. “Sheriff.” I shake his hand as well.
“Plaid. Two trips to town in as many days. You’re going to have people thinking that it’s been a month,” he says, laughing at his own joke. I join him. When he drops his hand back to his side, I can’t help but notice that Adelaide brushes her fingers with his but pulls away before anyone can see.
“I can’t wait to get home,” Ella says.
“About that… I’m not coming home.”
“What?” Ella screeches. Others in the lobby turn to stare at us.
“Um…” she begins but takes my hand before continuing. “I’m staying with Plaid.”
“What?” Ella shouts. “You just met him yesterday. Think about that. Yesterday.”
“I know.”
“That’s insane.” My fingers tighten around hers.
“Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t you and Pops get married in Vegas the first night you met?”
“That’s completely different,” she says.
“How is it completely different?”
“It was the fucking eighties, for fuck’s sake. I was drunk. They may have been some Long Island Ice Teas involved,” she sputters.
“Okay, ma. Whatever you stay. I’m still staying.”
“But, I thought you died.”
“I didn’t die. I’m perfectly fine. He asked me to marry him.”
“What? You got engaged. Before Me?” Adelaide blurts out.
“Hold your damn horses, Addy,” Sheriff Rawlings says, and I bite back a chuckle.
“We’re only two hours from Manhattan.”
“Still.”
“I’m heading back to the city,” Boston says, pulling his sister into another hug. “I’m real glad you didn’t die, Raleighwood.”
“Thanks, Bostonian. You could buy a place up here, Ma. It looks like Adelaide might be moving here too. Hold up. Addy? I can’t believe you let him call you Addy,” she says to her sister. “You hate nicknames. We’ll have to come back to this later.”
“You try stopping him from doing something,” Adelaide replies, pouting. She’s taller than her sister, but not by much. Her hair is blonde as can be, though. The women laugh.
“Married? My baby is getting married,” Jason says. It sounds like he’s far away.
“I know it’s sudden, but it feels right, pops.”