Aspen puts a hand over her eyebrows and looks up.
Under the music, the thrum of a helicopter cuts through the air. “What the hell…?”
Emmett runs over, holding my phone. “Here.”
I look at the screen.
–Dad: I told you I’d come!
–Dad: And I arrive in style!
–Dad: You’ll never forget this entrance.
–Dad: Or the wedding.
–Dad: I know dramatic.
–Dad: Majestic, too.
Oh, you bastard.What the hell does he think he’s doing? It looks like a re-enactment ofApocalypse Now.
I should’ve known he was going to pull something like this. I tried to keep the details of our ceremony quiet, but it’s nearly impossible to hide charting an entire yacht for three days.
“Tell them to start the festivities early,” I shout to Emmett, so he can hear me over the chopper and the Wagner roaring over us as Dad buzzes around the yacht.
“Got it!” He grins and runs off.
“Wow. I guess your dad really wanted to come,” Aspen says, squinting at the helicopter in the dusky air.
“Yes, but he’s not going to be able to join us.”
The chopper circles and starts to return.Oh no, you don’t. I look in the direction Emmett ran off to.Come on.
Suddenly there’s a hugeboom!and the sky lights up.
Yes!
The chopper swerves. Out of a thousand flowers of light, a huge heart appears in the sky. The crew continues the fireworks.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Aspen asks, her eyes wide.
“They aren’t going to hit the helicopter. Just scare him a little.”
And sure enough, Dad’s pilot is smart enough to know what’s good for him. The chopper turns and starts to fly away.
“Wow. That was…something.”
“Sorry about that.” But I’m not. I’m proud I managed to scare Dad away, so now we can wrap up our ceremony and have a good time with our family and friends.
She laughs. “It’s something we can tell our grandkids.”
“You’re the best.”
“And the luckiest. And the happiest.” She puts her hands over my cheeks. “Because I have you.”
Chapter Sixty-Two
–Heath: Is it true you blocked all my funding options?
