When Sparks Fly (First-Responders Book 1) (13 page)

“That’s wonderful.” I can hear her smile through the phone. “You deserve someone special, Seth.”

“Thanks, Abigail. I’m glad I called. This conversation has honestly straightened up a lot of things in my head.” I think about Macy and wonder if maybe this wasn’t meant to be. If maybe this
needed
to happen this way.

“No problem, Seth. Be safe out there.”

“Bye.” I hang up, a little less confused and a little less depressed. But definitely not any less buzzed. I head into the kitchen and start a pot of coffee and grab a half liter of water in the meanwhile.

Sitting at the breakfast bar, I look out the dining window and take in the Pacific Ocean as the sun starts its downward run toward the horizon. Maybe it
is
time for me to start moving in a different direction. Did I really think that a threesome was a true, permanent reality?

I let my mind focus on Macy and myself. The possibility of a long lasting relationship, on permanency. Could she be the one that I spend forever with? She was the first one to say
those
three little words after all.

At least, I think that’s what I heard.

“Where are we going?” I can’t see anything since Seth has blindfolded me.

“Just wait, and NO peeking.”

Seth took some vacation time and grabbed me in the middle of the night. We’ve been together for seven and a half months now and my birthday is this upcoming weekend. Since it is the first week of Christmas break, he decided we should be spontaneous.

“Seriously, where are we going? You’re not like taking me out to the woods somewhere, far away from Santa Barbara where no one would ever find me and chopping me up into little pieces, are you?”

I love the sound of Seth’s laugh. It makes me warm all over. “I work for a fire department. Trust me; there are much closer and easier ways to get rid of a body.”

He suddenly sounds very serious, and I hate that I can’t read his facial expressions. I go completely quiet as my heart rate and breathing picks up.

Apparently, Seth notices. “Geez, Macy. Take a chill pill. You should already know by now that I would never let any harm come to you. I’m just giving you a hard time.” I swing a blind fist and connect with something. “Fuck that’s gonna leave a mark on my forearm.”

I cross my arms over my chest, quite pleased with myself. The Hummer begins to decelerate and eventually comes to a complete stop. “What’s going on? Are we there yet?”

“Yep,” he says, removing the blindfold. The sun has just started to come up, but after being blindfolded for God knows how long, it’s still brilliant and blinding. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust, and I suddenly realize where we are. “Vegas! Oh, my God. This is just perfect!” I undo my seatbelt and lean across the console, throwing my arms around his neck and pressing my lips to his. “Thank you so much.”

“Well, it was the best Christmas present I could think of to give the woman I love after all the hints you’ve been dropping over the past few months.”

Love? Did he really just say it?

“You
love
me?”

“Of course I do, Macy. You’ve been the light that’s helped bring me out of the darkness after Robbie left. You were there when you didn’t have to be and made sure that I moved on. The years I spent with Robbie is a lot of time to invest in someone, but the future I’m looking at with you, well, I hope it will be a lot longer than that.”

I start to tear up. I’ve been waiting for months to hear those three little words from him. Now, without warning it happens. Seth reaches down into his pocket and pulls out a little blue velvet box with ‘ZALES’ on top of it.

No, no, no. This is too soon.
I start to shake my head when I start to put things together; where we are, what he’s just confessed, and what he’s just placed on the console in front of me. I start to shake, visibly. “Seth, no, it’s too soon.”

“Just open it.”

I take the little box that I know is going to contain a beautiful golden band with a sparkling diamond sitting on top of it. I hold it with both hands and take a deep breath. I grasp the bottom with my right hand and the top with my left thumb and forefinger. Slowly easing the lid back and open, I let it snap back down.

“Seth, I can’t. I love you too, but here in Vegas? No. This is not how this is going to happen.”

“You stubborn ass.” He takes the box from me and pops the top. Inside is the most beautiful set of diamond and ruby earrings. “Look, I love you too, but if you think my mom would ever let me live down a weekend marriage in Vegas, well…I would say you should know better, but I haven’t even introduced you two yet. I was hoping, however, that I could change that next week after Christmas.”

Relief washes over me. “Yes, oh my gosh yes.”

“Well, I paid for last night, that way whatever time we arrived, we could immediately check-in. What do you say we get out?” I realize we are in Vegas, but it didn’t dawn on me immediately as to what resort we were in. “I’ve got us a one-bedroom Sky Suite at Aria for the next three nights.”

“Holy crap. You spoil me way too much.”

“I know, but I bet it just means you’ll spoil me too.” He winks playfully.

“Yeah, you’re probably right. Okay, so you promise there’s not going to be an Elvis impersonator waiting in the room when we walk in to marry us?”

“Yes, Macy, I promise.” He takes my hand and kisses it; then proceeds to pop me on the leg. “Now get your sexy ass out and let’s go get the next seventy-two hours of fun started.”

We both hop out and are greeted by concierge service. “Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Avery. Welcome to Aria. How long will you be staying with us?”

Seth and I smile at one another. “We’re not married,” I try to explain, but Seth butts in with ‘Yet.’ “Quite sure of yourself there aren’t you,
Mr. Avery?
”

“Let’s just say, I’d be willing to place a bet on it.”

“Well then,” I turn to him and with a flourish of my hands, I repeat one of my favorite recent movie lines, “
May the odds be ever in your favor!”
Seth looks at me like I’m crazy. “Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games?”

“Oh, sorry. Never saw it.”

I gape at him. “Back the fuck up! You never watched The Hunger Games? I just…. I don’t even know who you are anymore.” I play my absolute best poker face.

“Macy, I’m sorry. I, uh,” He stutters, totally caught off balance.

I crack under his uncertainty and start to laugh at him. Holding my hand over my mouth, I try to stiffle my incessant giggling as best I can. Turning to the concierge, I apologize. “Sorry guys, this is just ‘us.'”

“Here is your ticket sir.” They hand Seth a small slip as he tips them. “Your bags will be delivered to your room shortly. Enjoy your stay with us.”

After checking into the hotel, we head straight to the breakfast buffet and gorge ourselves on French toast covered in fresh strawberries, omelets, bacon, sausage, juice, and coffee. We spend a few hours in the casino, an hour at the pool, and two hours walking The Strip. I’m absolutely exhausted.

I shower off in the massively oversized, glass-walled walk-in shower as Seth lounges on the bed, watching some sports news show. The citrus scented shampoo is heaven to my senses as I rinse it from my hair. The lemongrass facial soap scrub is absolutely amazing, and I feel like I’m washing away years of stress from my face.

Once I feel like all my cares in the world have swirled down the drain, I grab the world’s largest and softest terry cloth towel, and wrap myself up tight. After roughing my hair up with a hand towel, I grab the hair dryer and blow-dry it to my satisfaction. Dried, refreshed, and completely naked, I walk to the doorway into the bedroom, “Hey babe. See anything you like?” I get no response.

Walking to the edge of the bed, I rub his back, and he falls off the arm he had his head propped up with.
Are. You. Kidding me?
Seth straight up passed out on me at six in the evening. I’d be mad, but he’s done such a sweet thing for my birthday that there’s no way I can be. I take his shoes off and grab a blanket, curling up behind him on the bed. Turning the TV over to FXX,
Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part One
is on. I’ve seen it at least twenty times, so I can easily fall asl...

Five Months Later

Oh, my god. I’m not sure who’s more ready for summer vacation now, me or the kids. It’s been a crazy, eventful, eye-opening first year, but I honestly wouldn’t trade it for anything. We’re outside today for Field Day after the Awards Day ceremony we had this morning. All the kids are running around having a fantastic time, and all I can think about is closing my classroom door for the last time this year, jumping in my Jeep, and heading down to the beach to catch some waves.

“Hey, girl!” I hear from behind me. Rachel has shown up out of the blue.

“Hey!” She runs up and gives me a hug.

“Congrats on making it through your first year. I got you something.”

“Ah, Rachel. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Well, actually Dad and Mom got you something, and I get to play delivery girl. Can you come out to the SUV for a minute?”

“I can’t, I’ve got to keep an eye on my class.”

“Can’t you get another one of the teachers to watch them for just like, two minutes?”

She seems awfully pushy and insistent, but she wouldn’t be Rachel otherwise. I tap Mrs. Andrews on the shoulder. “Can you keep an eye on my class for just a couple of minutes, please? There’s something I need to take care of real quick.” Mrs. Andrews has been my go-to for all questions this year. She’s in her nineteenth year of teaching, so she knows pretty much EVERYTHING.

“Sure thing, sweetie. I’ve got them. Go take care of it.”

“Thanks. I’ll be back quickly.”

Rachel and I head through the building and out to the teacher’s parking lot. Being one of the new teacher’s, my spot is all the way on the backside, and Rachel is parked on the grass next to me. “So, how are you and Zander doing?”

“Great. Really great actually. We’re going to head to Cabo next week actually.”

“Hard to believe, Miss Rachel Upton is still with the same guy after, what now, nearly ten months?”

“I know right,” she says as she opens the door to her Audi. She rummages around in the back seat for a minute and shuts the door. Moving to the back, she opens the liftgate, sifts through a few boxes of stuff and closes it back up. “Well crap, I thought they said they put it in here. I wonder if I misheard and they told
me
to put it in. Oh well. You’re really going to like it I promise.”

“Well, it’s the thought that counts, right? I need to get back to the kids. There are only thirty minutes left until summer freedom, and I don’t need to end the year with some unattended kid falling off of a slide or something.”

I turn to start walking back and Rachel trots along beside me. “You don’t think they’ll mind if I just hang out with you for the last bit, do you?”

“Nah, it should be fine.”

As we make our way through the building, Rachel and I make plans to hit the surf tomorrow morning, first thing. Upon clearing the back double doors to the playground, the scene is completely different. All of my kids are lined up against the fence. Almost as if the entire class is in a time-out. I walk over to Mrs. Andrews, “What’s going on? Why is the entire class in a time-out?”

“They’re not dear.” She points to the kids who all bend down to pick up poster boards I didn’t see at first. Board by board, the kids lift them up in teams, and my eyes begin to mist up. ‘Macy. Will. You. Marry. Me?’

I see Seth walking through the throng of children on the playground, dressed in a tailored black suit, and a brilliant royal blue pencil-tie. My favorite color. I whisper to Rachel, “You knew, didn’t you?”

“We needed a five-minute window of opportunity to get things set up. Mrs. Andrews was in on it too.” Rachel smiles her beautiful, full-mouth smile at me.

Upon reaching me, Seth takes my hand in his and stoops to a knee. “Macy, I’ve known for a couple of months that I wanted to marry you, but I needed to wait for a special day. Do you know what today is?”

I look at him perplexed, “The last day of my first year as a teacher?” I answer with a question.