In a matter of moments, my day had gone to the worst in my life, to the best ever.
“Thank you, God,” I whispered again.
“FOUND! Missing Son of Z McCartney Found in His Residence After Day Long Search, Sheriff Says!”
~Nightwatch News~
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Z
Relief flooded through me, as the video call connected, revealing the face of my beautiful Aubrey, along with our son. Emotion choked me, and I battled to get the words out.
“I love you, Dustin,” I whispered, not caring that I was standing in the middle of a team of airport personnel who were trying to help me get back home. “I’m so happy you’re okay. You really scared your mom and me, you know that, right?”
His head drooped a little and I immediately regretted my words. I didn’t want to shame him. What I wanted was to hug, hold, and kiss his sweet face. Just in the short time since I’d heard the news, I’d known terror the likes I’d never felt before in my life. No matter how brave I’d tried to be for Aubrey, I was a complete mess inside.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“I know. You aren’t in trouble. Your old dad is just really relieved to see you. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” My heart swelled. It was the first time he’d ever spoken those words to me.
“If you ever need to leave school, you call your mom first and ask her. Don’t ever go anywhere without telling her.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Let Momma talk to Daddy for a minute, Dustin,” Aubrey said. “Go get ready for bed.”
“But I’m hungry,” he whined, sounding exactly like a little boy who had no idea of the trauma he’d just caused everyone.
“Get ready for bed and I’ll make you a sandwich.”
“Okay.” Waving at the screen, he vacated the room and Aubrey’s face was my sole focus.
“You look like hell,” I said, knowing she’d been through the wringer.
She nodded. “I feel like I’ve been in Hell most of the day, so it’s fitting, I guess.”
“I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through, babe. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.” I simply wanted to wrap my arms around her and hug her. I hated that I wasn’t there.
“If you’d have been here, we’d have known he knew how to get to the penthouse and I would’ve had someone stay. I just assumed he’d go straight to my house.”
“Babe. Maybe we shouldn’t wait. Maybe you guys should come live with me permanently, instead of waiting until Dustin is out for the summer. I know you don’t like commuting from my house with him since traffic is always so bad during that time of day. I just wonder if it would better for him to be put in a school closer to my place. I know you don’t want to pull him out of school so close to the end of the year, though.”
“Yeah, about that. This has caused me to do a lot of soul searching.”
This didn’t sound good. “About what?” Trepidation began creeping over me.
“Zane, I’m leaving.”
Fear as bad as a few minutes ago gripped my heart again. “What do you mean?”
“I mean our son could’ve been really hurt today, all because people who want to get the scoop on you are trying to use him to do it. He was terrified, Zane. He ran away from school! I don’t want him living with that kind of fear. It’s not normal, and it’s a lot scarier to a little kid. So I’m going to take him away from here for a while. I don’t want him around this circus anymore.”
“What are you saying? Really?” Panic welled inside me.
She pursed her lips together as tears welled in her eyes and dripped over the rims. Wiping at them with the back of her hands, she blew out a large breath. “I guess I’m saying I love you, but I can’t be with you. Dustin has to come first.”
“Aubrey.” Clenching my teeth, I glanced around, wondering when everyone had slipped out of the room, giving me privacy. I sank into the nearest chair. “Don’t do this—not when we just found each other again.”
“I . . . I don’t want to, but I’m putting my foot down. I won’t let him be subjected to this again. I can’t. I need to know my child is safe.”
“Our child,” I corrected. “And I want that too. Please don’t do anything rash. Think about this for a few days and give your emotions a chance to cool down some. Everything is too crazy right now.”
“It’s always crazy. It’s the nature of your profession.” She sounded frustrated.
“Then at least wait for me to get home. We can talk and decide what to do together. Now that I know he’s all right, I’ll finish up the filming this week and come home. Otherwise, I’ll just have to come right back, if I come home now.”
“No, stay there and finish your work. The studio is already hounding you for making them fall behind. I don’t want you to be accused of breach of contract.”
I hated this helpless feeling. I didn’t want to be here. I wanted to be there, with my family. “As soon as I get home, we’ll figure out a plan that works for all of us.” I was anxiously trying to calm her down.
She shook her head. “I’m leaving, Zane, end of story. I’m taking Dustin away to someplace safe. I’ll let you know where we are as soon as I talk to my parents and figure out a plan. They’re on their way over here right now, as well as the police, so I can’t stay on the line too much longer.”
I was losing her, I could feel it—as if she were slipping right through my fingers and I was desperately grasping for anything that might stop her. “Aubrey, I love you both so much and want you both in my life. I want to see you and Dustin every day, not for some sporadic visitation. I love you.” I didn’t know what else to say to make her change her mind.
Sighing heavily, she ran a hand through her tangled hair. “I know you do. And we both love you. It’s just . . . not good enough. I’m sorry.” She turned and glanced away for a moment, before looking at me. “Someone is trying to come up. I need to go.”
“I love you,” I said again, lamely. “Call me again as soon as you get a chance.”
“I will.” More tears fell from her eyes. “Goodbye, Zane.” Her words were so final sounding.
The screen went black and in that moment, I felt like I’d lost everything that had ever mattered in my life. Pain like none I’d ever experienced burst through my chest, overwhelming me.
Hanging my head, I cried like I never had before.
Stepping out of the rental vehicle, I stared up at the farmhouse in front of me, one I hadn’t seen in many, many years. This was the Wellington’s house, Aubrey’s aunt and uncle. Aubrey, her parents, and Dustin were all in this house, where they’d come to stay after the incident in LA.
Aubrey said Dustin seemed to be fitting in at his new school in the week he’d been attending, and was making lots of friends. I was happy he was finding peace here, but that had left a lot on the table for Aubrey and I to discuss. We needed to talk, and I hoped she’d be receptive to what I had to say.
She wasn’t expecting me tonight. I was supposed to fly straight to Hollywood and attend another award show where I was up for Best Actor. I’d been to way too many award shows to care at this point. Already aware that I was the winner, I’d recorded an acceptance speech via video from Paris and it would be played live at the awards. Then I’d changed my plane ticket to Montana. I wasn’t waiting one more minute to see my family.
Quietly, I walked up the steps to the porch, pausing near one of the windows when I caught sight of my little family sitting in there with their loved ones. I only had eyes for Aubrey and Dustin, who were snuggled together on the couch, watching the award show. They looked so happy together. I wanted them to always look like that—even if that meant it was without me. Their happiness was more important to me than anything—even my own.
Moving to the door, I knocked and shoved my hands into my pockets, waiting.
“I’ll get it!” I heard Dustin shout, followed quickly by running footsteps. The door swung open an
d I squinted as the porch light was flipped on, illuminating me.
“Hey there, kiddo,” I said with a smile. “Got a hug for your old man?”
“Dad!” he yelled so loudly it hurt my ears and he launched himself through the screen door so fast I had to step backward to avoid being hit by it.
Laughing, I crouched down, holding my arms out to him and he ran into them, hugging me tightly. Words left me as I hugged my son for the first time since I’d left for Paris. I blinked several times, trying to man up and get rid of the tears sneaking into my eyes.
“I missed you!” Dustin said, not releasing his hold on me.
“I missed you, too, kid. You have no idea how much.” Glancing up, I saw Aubrey appear in the doorway, shock on her face.
“Zane?” she whispered, her hand going to her throat, and she glanced back at the television. “Aren’t you supposed to be in LA tonight? We’ve been watching to see if you won. They’re almost ready to announce it.”
Releasing Dustin, I stood. “I couldn’t wait one more day to see you, so I changed my ticket and came straight here. Shall we watch the ending together?”
I couldn’t tell if she was happy to see me or not. She seemed . . . stunned.
“Sure, come on in.” Holding the door open for me, I stepped inside and glanced around the room at the others.
“Hi, ladies. Good to see you both, again.” I nodded and smiled.
“Well, Zane McCartney!” Aubrey’s Aunt Ida spoke up, rising and coming to give me a hug. “We haven’t seen you around these parts in years. Looks like time has treated you well. You’re even more handsome than you were before.”
“Thanks,” I replied with a laugh. “It’s good to see you, too.”
Daphne stood as well, coming to give me a hug and I was surprised. It was the first time she’d ever hugged me since seeing me again. It warmed my heart and I hoped that it meant she was coming around.
Releasing me, she stepped away and there was a moment of awkward silence, as we all tried to figure out what to do next.
“Where’s Brent and Jim?” I asked, making small talk.
“Oh, they’re off down the road at the Johnson’s helping to bring in a new foal for a mare that’s having a difficult time.”
“Well, Brent always was one of the best when it came time to foal. Hopefully it will all work out.”
More awkward silence as everyone stared at me.
Ida moved first. “Here, let me turn this noisy TV off and we can all catch up.”
“No!” Almost everyone shouted in unison, causing her to pause.
“We want to see if Dad wins the award first!” Dustin said, bounding over to the couch.
“And maybe afterward we can talk?” I asked, staring at Aubrey and she nodded. The fact that she’d made no move to hug me didn’t settle well with me. My arms were currently aching for her.
“And now, it’s time for Best Actor in a Motion Picture,” a man’s voice said, causing us all to turn and stare. I couldn’t have timed my arrival any better, even if I’d planned it. “The nominees are as follows: Blake Denton, for The Mystery of Mrs. Pike.”
Cheers sounded and the camera switched to Blake Denton. He was a great actor, and I’d enjoyed getting to know him over the years.
“Brady Ford, for A Man Named Raoul,” the presenter continued to more applause.
“Ethan Sauntry, for Make Me.” The camera flashed to Ethan.
“And, last, but not least, Z McCartney, for Unveiled.” A picture of me popped up on the screen before cutting back to the presenter. There was a slight dramatic pause as a prettily dressed young woman handed the man an envelope. He opened it, quickly scanning the contents inside. “And the winner of the Golden Academy Award is . . . Z McCartney, for Unveiled!” Massive cheers and applause filled the auditorium.
“You won!” Aubrey said, clapping her hands together and smiling widely. She seemed truly happy for me.
“Z McCartney is unable to be here this evening, but he has sent a message via video from where he’s filming his next movie, Soldier Force, on location in Paris.”
The video feed I’d recorded earlier, popped up on the screen behind the presenter, and the camera zoomed in before clicking to an actual feed stream.
Watching as I held up the trophy, I listened to the words I recorded yesterday. “First off, I’d like to say that this award is for all my fans.” Screams could be heard from the theater. “You’re the ones who put me on top and kept me there for so long, and I want to thank you so much for all your support. But now I think it’s time for someone else to get their turn in the limelight. As soon as I finish my current film contract, I’ll be leaving Hollywood permanently.”
“What?” Aubrey said, her eyes moving from the television to me, and then back to the TV before I could say anything.
The video continued. “I’ve learned a lot of lessons during my time in Hollywood. Some of them were really hard, others not so much, but I realized I could care less about money, glitz, and glamor. What I want most is to be with the people I love more than anything else in the world. As many of you know, my son was missing for several hours this week. I’d never been so frightened in my life. It made me reevaluate things and I can clearly see what needs to be done. So, that brings me to this next part.”
I raised the object in my hand up to the camera.
“Aubrey Hart, I’m asking you to marry me on national television and I hope to high heaven you’ll say yes! Be my wife. I’ve been too long without you. I need both you and Dustin to be with me for the rest of my life.”
Spinning to face me, her eyes dropped to the ring I was now holding out to her in person. “What he said,” I added with a grin as I sank to one knee. “Will you make me the happiest man in the world?”
Hands over her mouth, the shock of my proposal was evident. Tears flooded her eyes and she nodded. “Yes! Yes!” Flinging her arms around me, she both cried and laughed at the same time. “I can’t believe you did this. You don’t have to do this for me.”
Holding her tightly, I buried my face into her hair. “Yes, I did. What you said was true. We need to know our son is safe. Trust me when I say there’s nothing more important to me than the two of you.”
“I love you. I love you so much!” Moving so she could stare at me, her eyes were overflowing. “I love you!”
Grinning as I stared into her eyes, I’d never felt so happy. “There’s more.”
“More?” She appeared totally stumped, now.
“Yeah. I entered into some negotiations this week, and, well, I bought back your parents’ farm. I thought maybe we could all move back here. They can live in their old house, and I’ll build a nice, big brand new one for our family, right next door.”
Tears continued to flow as she stared at me in amazement. “You got our home back?” she asked, her voice sounding choked.
“I did. If you don’t want to live there we can sell it again.”
“No! No, that is our place. All the good stuff happened there. I definitely want to live there!” Turning, she glanced at Daphne who was sobbing tears of joy.
“I need to go call Brent!” Daphne said, quickly leaving the room.
“So we get to stay in Montana forever?” Dustin asked, glancing between the two of us, and I nodded.
“If that’s what you and your mom want, buddy.”
“We want,” Aubrey said again, placing her hand out in front of me. “Now are you going to put that ring on my finger, or what?”
Smiling widely, I took her hand and slid the ring on. It fit her perfectly. “Sorry I took so damn long to make this happen. I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to you.”
Holding her hand out, she observed the massive diamond ring in the light and it sparkled like mad. I was pretty sure she had no idea how much money was wrapped around that finger and I wasn’t about to tell her, knowing she’d freak.
Stepping closer, she slid her arms around my neck. “I don’t want you t
o try and make up for anything. You owe me nothing. Everything I ever wanted is standing right here in this room with me.”
Heart swelling with more love that I could ever imagine, I kissed her again, this time not caring who was watching and giving it to her like a man who’d been missing her for over a week.
“Get a room!” Dustin said, and we broke apart laughing, both of us turning to bring him into our hug.
I was the luckiest man on the planet, and it had nothing to do with fame, awards, parties, and fortune. My fortune was right here, in the arms of my gorgeous fiancée and our wonderful son.
“Z McCartney Buys Montana Farm and Marries High School Sweetheart!”
~Celebrity Times~
Epilogue
Zane McCartney—Six Months Later
“What are you doing?” I asked, surprised as I watched her climb the ladder to the loft in the barn. “You’re going to ruin your wedding dress.”
“Come with me,” she replied, reaching the top and stepping off.
She didn’t have to ask me twice. It took me a whole two seconds to climb up beside her. Slipping her hand into mine, she led me over to the open loft doors, and we stared together at the people partying at the wedding reception below us. Lights twinkled in the darkening sky as sunset turned into night. Dustin was running about happily, showing his friends his new puppy. Daphne and Brent were dancing together, along with several of the locals. Penelope, Mike, and Luke were all visiting with Dr. Bentley and Dr. Wilson, who’d brought their wives. At another table was Andy Scott and his boyfriend laughing together, both invited after Aubrey suggested it. I thought it might be a nice olive branch in both our recoveries.
Everywhere I looked was our friends and family, all mingling and having fun together in the lavishly decorated space. I’d spared no expense, wanting this to be Aubrey’s dream wedding, decorating everything in red roses and the two of us exchanging our vows just before the sun began to set. I’d planned it all myself, giving her sunshine and roses, just like she’d wanted in the past. I’d never forgotten her words. Everything had been perfect and I was now the happiest, and luckiest, man alive.