Page 66 of A Fall to Remember

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JIM

Jim spent the entire night scouring every nook and cranny of the internet. He’d ruined things with Miranda. He had to find proof that he was as much in the dark about the accidental marriage proposal as her. He reviewed the footage until his eyes were blurry and he couldn’t see straight. It had been a sleepless twelve hours, drinking bad hotel coffee to try and stay awake.

Sunlight seeped in through the shades.

Damn.

It was already morning.

His flight was in six hours, and he had to drive to San Francisco, which meant he had less than four hours at most to convince Miranda he hadn’t used her. It wasn’t a setup. It wasn’t for likes or for Voyager at all.

He only had one angle of the video from his perspective. He understood why Shelby thought he’d staged the shot. It did seem contrived, but it wasn’t. Not in the slightest.

If only he could find another angle.

He’d run out of options.

It was time to call an audible.

He had too much to lose.

Miranda was his future.

If he lost his job at Voyager for what he was about to do, so be it. He could find another job. There was only one Miranda Brown.

Jim didn’t even need to work up the courage to craft a plea to Voyager’s ten million followers, calling on anyone who may have witnessed the proposal to reach out to them. That in and of itself wasn’t a fireable offense, but what he did next was.

Calling all lovers,

If you were at the Half Moon Bay Fall Harvest Fest yesterday, we need your help tracking down the happy couple. DM us with your pics and videos and be entered to win an all-expenses paid trip to next year’s Harvest Fest. Details in caption. Link in bio.

Jim made sure to repost the original video, and then he clicked share.

It was done.

This had to work.

He felt jittery. Probably from way too much coffee and no sleep, so he jumped in the shower to shake off his nerves. By the time he’d showered, changed, and packed, there were dozens of responses to his post.

Along with a text from Shelby.

WTH Jim?!? Who approved that post and a budget for a giveaway? Why am I the last to know everything?

He felt bad for keeping her in the dark, but this wasn’t her problem.

This one is on me.

Three dots appeared immediately and then vanished again. He could picture her pacing in her hotel room, probably ready to throw her phone against the wall.

Meet in the lobby for coffee?

He extended an olive branch.

His career with Voyager was likely toast anyway. He might as well tell her the truth.

Five minutes.