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“It’s on.” Someone spoke, but she was too busy looking at Marshall. On TV. In high definition.
“What is this about? What’s going on?” She pivoted and nearly fell over.
She heard his voice, saw his face, but couldn’t believe her eyes.
The cameraman zoomed out a fraction and she could tell he stood where she’d shared her deepest feelings with him.
“What’s he up to?” She pegged each of them with a look that meant business.
She flipped large cushions and tossed pillows until she found the remote stuffed behind an empty pizza box. She punched the button until a Texas baritone drawl filled the room. The news anchorwoman she recognized from the local news station stood with a microphone poised between her and Marshall.
Juniper couldn’t look away though she wanted to turn heel and head upstairs or a shower, uncaring of what the man had to say. Curiosity won out and had planted her feet to the spot.
“Okay, can I begin?” Marshall asked the news anchor who held up a hand.
“We’re gathered at Wish Alley today at the request of Marshall Blackwood.
“Yes,” Marshall cut in and Juniper smirked. He never could wait his turn when he had something on his mind.
The anchorwoman laughed too. “As you can see, Mr. Blackwood has something very important to say.”
“Yes, we can get into the thick of the story later,” Marshall cut in again, taking the mic, much to the anchorwoman’s surprise. “Excuse me, ma’am, mighty sorry, but I need to do this first.”
Juniper drew closer as phones went off behind her. She cranked the TV up a couple of notches, ignoring everyone.
“Juniper Winters.”
Marshall accepted papers from someone off-camera. Her eye darted to the right and immediately recognized the gold pinky ring Shawn wore on his right hand from their first meeting.
“Day before yesterday, when we stood in this spot, I realized you were right.”
“What are you doing?” She climbed over the coffee table as though he could see and hear her.
“You showed me your magic and shared a part of yourself with me that meant the entire world to you. You shared your family with me and a place that gave you the key to who you are inside. I felt selfish taking from and accepting your kindness and generosity even though you gave it so willingly.”
He signaled and Shawn walked into the view of the camera, pen in hand, and waved.
“You placed your world in my hands and now I’m placing mine in yours.”
“No, Marshall, what are you doing?” He was not doing what she feared.
She dove for her phone and before she could punch in his number Shawn turned around and Marshall scrawled his name across the bottom of several pieces of paper. The cameraman zoomed in and her heart dipped to the floor and stayed.
“BlackCo doesn’t need me. I needed BlackCo. My father saw it, and you did too even though I couldn’t. But there’s one thing I do know. In less than twenty-four hours away from you I know without a doubt I can’t live, couldn’t breathe without you in my life.”
He dropped to one knee and looked directly into the camera, the blues of his irises glittering with so much emotion she could feel it where she sat. “Juniper Winters, if you can find it in your heart to meet me where you showed me magic exists, I have a question I would like to ask you.”
“Well, there you have it folks, stay tuned to see if Ms. Winters will come find her smitten cowboy. More on the story of how the single wedding planner found her groom right after this.”
“What are you waiting for?” Ivy, her mom, Callie…everyone rushed her into her bedroom and proved warp speed was possible. In record time she had her teeth brushed, hair pulled back in a ponytail and another dress. This one with tiny pink flowers among gold leaves.
They topped off the soft look with a couple of strokes of mascara and a light pink lipstick to play off the flowers. Someone made sure she had sandals on as she was hauled out the front door.
A whirlwind of motions later, she was standing at the entrance of Wish Alley, the butterflies in her doing somersaults.
“This is too much.” She fanned her face, unable to believe how fast everything was going. Despite the warm ocean air, she needed more. Her lungs couldn’t work fast enough.
She bent at the waist and braced her palms on her knees. She couldn’t grab a breath since she saw Marshall on TV what felt like seconds ago. Was seconds ago. Time didn’t seem all that tangible at the moment.
