Page 76 of Escape Girl

I’d mentioned the walk to him months ago: how I wanted to do it in my mom’s honor, how my friends and I were going to form a team and do it together. He’d listened. Then he’d sort of harumphed and changed the subject. I hadn’t brought it up again.

Now he was going to walk it with me? Could he really handle sixty miles? Had he prepared? Did he bring his medication?

“No need for that concerned frown, Emily. I’ve been training every week since you told me about the walk,” he said stiffly. I doubted he was super comfortable in all that jazzy pink.

“Oh.” I blinked at him. “I had no idea.”

Bobby danced between us and threw a pink lei over my father’s head and a string of silver beads over mine. “Of course you didn’t,” he said. “Sven wanted to surprise you.”

Prodded by Bobby, my father nodded. “I thought maybe we could talk about your mother,” he said quietly. “There are stories—” his voice broke and his eyes went wet, even as a sly grin formed “—a lotof stories that I haven’t told in years.”

I could hear her in my head, cackling with glee. “I want to hear every single one,” I whispered. “I love you, Dad.” I threw my arms around him and held on tight until we both grew too embarrassed and broke apart.

Jo and Jamie waved some paperwork in the air and called, “Sven, come get your walk credentials.” My father raised a hand in greeting and ambled over.

Over the loudspeakers one of the officials announced a five-minute countdown until the beginning of the walk. Bobby put his hands on my hips and used his thumbs to dig into my lower back. I leaned into his embrace.

“In case you need something extra to think about over the next three days,” he said, “how about getting engaged soon after you cross the finish line?”

My shoulders shook with laughter. I’d found the engagement ring weeks ago, hidden in the refrigerator. I’d been wondering what the hell he was waiting for.

I turned to beam up at him. His eyes were bright but strangely serious, and my heart flipped over.Aw.Even though we rarely spent a night apart, even though we were closer than we’d ever been, part of him had been nervous to ask again.

“Engaged, schmengaged. What would you think about getting married soon after I cross the finish line?”

As a rule, Bobby was hard to surprise. Which made it an ultra-satisfying joy to see all expression vanish from his face. “What?”

“Something foryouto think about,” I said, patting him on the cheek. “Our friends and family are here. We were planning to have a party anyway. I’m sure one of them would like to officiate. I bought the wedding dress I really wanted from that boutique in San Francisco and had it delivered three months ago.” I whirled around, waving at the festivities. “This is a celebration of my mom’s life, so it’s kind of like she’d be there.”

I stood on my tiptoes and smacked him on the lips. “I’m ready when you are, love.”

The End