Page 61 of Take Me to the Wedding

“There you are.” He tugged on the main rope. “All trussed up like a Thanksgiving turkey.”

I gave him a look.

“A cute turkey.” He winked. Which made me incredulous because how could he crack jokes now?

“I really wish you’d?—”

“Bye,” he said with a satisfied lift of his brow. Then backed up into view of our friends and gave the thumbs-up sign to everyone above. Suddenly, with a jerk of the rope, I was on my way.

Being pulled up was awkward even though I could brace myself with my legs and arms to keep from crashing into the jagged rocks. Not to mention the harness dug into my skin. But Brax and Gabe and two EMS guys from the local fire department got me to the point where I could crawl up the rest of the way on all fours.

Everyone was yelling and cheering. The other guys were on the distal part of the rope—Jason, and Tyler—steadying it with their weight. Mia stood with three more paramedics, whose white SUV was parked nearby. Lilly was off to the side with Marin, wringing her hands and gingerly looking over the drop-off. Fortunately, Tater was nowhere to be found. Good thing, because I was feeling uncomfortably feral impulses toward him and his mom.

Gabe gave me a hand up.

“Caleb’s so damn stubborn,” I said. “I don’t know how he’s going to get himself into that harness without help. He insisted?—”

Gabe reached over and gave me a big, calming hug. “He’s going to be fine.” He pulled back and looked me over. “Pretty ballsy of you to try jumping overboard to save him. You okay?”

“I’m good.”

“You’re worried about him.”

“Yes.” I couldn’t make light. I couldn’t lie.

I wandered over to the edge. Somehow Caleb had gotten the harness around his middle and was suspended, his good leg out to protect the rest of him from the jagged cliff face. “Hope you guys ate your protein for breakfast,” he said as the guys hauled him up.

As soon as he rounded the crest, relief flooded me. I moved toward him, ready to—I don’t know—do something, anything, to help him into the waiting ambulance.

But Lilly ran straight in front of me. “Oh, Caleb, Caleb, I’m so glad you’re okay.” She ran to his side, crying, instantly grabbing his hands. “I’m going in the ambulance with him, okay, guys?”

I backed up, stunned at today’s sudden zeal, her studied indifference all but vanished.

All my emotions toppled around inside me like clothes in a dryer. I was torn between worry and the intense emotional hit from being kissed—and kissed well. I was afraid and agitated andjealous, all at once.

Caleb had decided to navigate away from Lilly when she was indifferent. But what would he do now?

Marin ran up to the back of the EMS vehicle, Tater in tow. “Dr. D’Angelo,” she said, “I am so sorry for this. And I can’t thank you enough for what you did for my son.” She turned to me. “You too, Dr. Bashar. I’m so sorry.”

She pushed Tater forward. His face was beet red from embarrassment. “Yeah. What my mom said. I’m sorry.”

I couldn’t see Caleb’s face, but I saw him reach out a hand, which yet again made me understand what kind of man he was. “Hey, buddy,” he said. “It’s okay. Just be safe.”

Caleb grasped Tater’s hand and shook it and then slid his hand back in some complicated hand thing in that way guys do. To Tater’s credit, he backed away and hugged his mom tight.

“We’ll be happy to cover whatever your insurance won’t,” Marin added as the EMS team closed the doors. “And Tater will be cuttinga lotof grass this summer.”

As Caleb was whisked off to the hospital, Lilly glued his side, I turned to find my backpack. It appeared that I’d abandoned it somewhere, along with my common sense.

* * *

Caleb

“There, is that better?” Lilly asked as she pulled and pushed pillows behind my head, jerking my neck accidentally in the process. Which in turn maligned the rest of me and sent a shock wave of pain radiating from my throbbing leg.

We were in the ER, and I didn’t even know how she’d managed to confiscate three pillows from somewhere. It was embarrassing. “Thanks,” I said, “but I really only need one.”

“But three is so much better for your spine.” She rearranged them all again. “Trust me on this.”

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