Page 55 of Something New

* * *

Wyatt remained on one knee, watching the emotions play across Anna’s face. She thought she was so circumspect, so placid on the outside, but he knew her so well, knew what had been going on inside of her. Teaching at UT, working with the community theater on Whitby Island, had all been nice for her, fun for a while. It gave her time to think about what she really wanted to do. She had been burned out from her years in California, from the direction her career had taken her, but that was only a speed bump, not a complete off ramp. Anna would never be happy unless she was working. He understood that. It was exactly like him with football. He wouldn’t be happy unless he was working with football. He didn’t need to play to be fulfilled, but Anna was brilliant on stage or in front of the camera and she needed to get back in front of the cameras again.

Maybe he shouldn’t have proposed, though. Maybe she thought he was trying to tie her down and not let her be free to pursue her dream. He cursed inside as he replayed his words over in his head as the silence dragged on. Yeah, he could have chosen better words to let her know he wanted her to follow her dreams, but he would always be there. How to fix it now, especially with a crowd of tourists watching, and probably filming it? Shit, he wasn’t normally impulsive, but he thought this would be the perfect grand gesture for the woman who was the queen of them.

After what seemed like hours but was probably only a minute, she reached out and tugged him to his feet, pulling him close. “Wyatt, there are things you don’t know.”

Her voice was quiet, hesitant, not carrying beyond the two of them. He cupped her cheek in one hand, while trying not to drop the roses and ring box in the other. “You mean like the film contract? Yeah, I know about that. You’re not as secretive as you think. Your agent called the house a couple of weeks ago and talked to me. She probably shouldn’t, but she assumed I knew about it.”

Anna’s eyes widened, and she bit her lower lip. “I’m sorry. I was going to tell you, but I wanted to read the script. I wasn’t sure it would get funded. I had to be sure.”

He rested a finger on her mouth to stop her from speaking. “Anna, is it something you want to do?” She nodded. “Then go for it. I would never stop you from your dreams. I just want to be a part of them. I never want us to grow apart, to live separate lives. Hell, we could live somewhere else, if you want. It may not be Texas, but I could find a job. I just want to be with you. My home is with you. Always.”

Her eyes shined with tears, and one rolled down her cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb. “Did I fuck up? Was this a horrible idea? I can pull it back.”

She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. “Hell no, cowboy. You can’t take back a proposal. It’s in the rule book. You’re mine now.”

“You never actually answered me. So, I believe we’re still in limbo, along with the whole crows out there,” he murmured against her lips.

She glanced at the crowd of people, half of whom had their phones up, filming or about to take pictures. “You just had to make a scene, didn’t you?”

“It’s the Anna Costado way,” he replied.

“Yes, I’ll marry you, you impossible man.” She kissed him and flashes went off around them, accompanied by thunderous applause. The wedding march played over the speakers and the cast came out to congratulate them.

* * *

Finally, she pulled away and let him put the ring on her finger. “I can’t believe you pulled this off. It’s beautiful, Wyatt. You should have waited for the weekend when our friends were here.”

“You didn’t think they’d miss it, did you?” He pointed to the base of the stage where their friends all stood, clapping.

Tears poured down Anna’s face and hopped off the stage to hug everyone. “You all said you couldn’t make opening night.”

“Someone had to fool you. If we were all coming, you’d wonder if something was up, especially during the week,” Brigid replied.

Anna looked around at all of her friends, together again, the crew from college, once all broken up and separated by life and circumstance and pain, now brought back together by a matchmaking bride and ties that could never truly be broken. The bonds of love, of friendship, strengthened anew by a wedding and by the reminder of what was really important. Love, friendship, truth. Anna never wanted to lose them again. And she never would because these people wouldn’t let her or each other get lost again.

Wyatt pulled her to his side, his arm wrapped around her shoulder. “Shall we take this back to the cottage? We could have a bonfire.”

“I have that ugly lamp we could finally burn.”

Delaney laughed. “You still have it?”

“Of course. I won the competition and had to display it all year in my home. I brought it here for the past two weeks. It’s been in Caroline and Matthew’s cottage. I think maybe I had hoped we would all make it out here this summer for one last hurrah.”

“Thank God. Let’s burn that thing forever. It was giving me nightmares,” Wyatt said fervently.

“Let’s make a pact,” Caroline said. “To spend at least one week every year on Whitby. No matter what happens. Every year, we come to Whitby together and never lose touch.”

Brigid nodded. “It’s too easy with how busy life can get to forget to reach out. But at least once a year we can be sure to connect with each other.”

All eight of them put their hands in like a team huddle and called out, “Whitby!”

They all laughed and headed for the exit, following the crowds that had thinned considerably.

They all might have changes coming in the next several years, as they grow and have families. But Anna knew they wouldn’t allow time, distance, or circumstance separate them again. They knew the value of their friendship and the cost of being apart. They would fight to remain together as couples and as friends. The times would be tough. Life was never easy, but the best things never were. But they’d help each other, be there for each other, and support each other as needed. And they’d have Whitby Island.

And she had Wyatt by her side forever.