His Scottish relatives had sent their regrets and good wishes, as he’d expected. His father, stepmother and sisters had happily replied they would come. More surprisingly, his mother and stepfather had RSVP’d that they would attend, as well, which had made him happier than he’d anticipated.
Now that he had Win in his life, he found that he could let go some of his old grievances.
“You’d better not try for my girl again,” he said, only half joking.
“I won’t. Need to find someone who wants me as much as she wants you, though.”
“Have you ever thought about staying on here?”
“Not enough action. Win’s going to put in a good word for me with Fulsom, and I’ll see what happens then. If nothing pans out, I’ll go back home, but as soon as I get there, I’ll figure out how to get back. I’m going to make my mark on this country, one way or another.”
“Tell me how I can help,” Angus said, clapping him on his back.
“I will,” Douglas promised and went to rejoin the others.
His father, Maureen and his sisters found him next. They’d arrived the day before, participated in the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and gotten to meet Win.
“I’m proud of you, son,” his father said.
“We’re all proud of you,” Maureen said, enveloping him in her trademark warm embrace. “I’m going to cry all through the ceremony,” she promised him as his sisters crowded around them to get in on the hug.
When his mother and stepfather caught up with him, Angus wasn’t sure how to react. He’d never quite gotten over his stiffness with John—or his mother, for that matter.
“Angus, look at you—you’re so handsome,” his mother cried and threw her arms around him. “We’ve watched every episode of Base Camp, and I swear I feel like I finally know my son. I hate how distant we’ve gotten. I loved getting to see who you’ve really become—rather than the stiff phone calls and stilted emails we send each other. I wish I was part of a reality television show, too, so you could get to know me.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Angus told her as a camera crew bore down on them, but he relaxed a little.
“Let’s do better,” she implored him. “I want to know you—and Win. I want to know my grandchild when he or she arrives. Is that all right?”
Angus found he could answer in the affirmative with little hesitation. “I’d like that,” he said. “Kids need to know where they come from.”
His mother embraced him again, and his stepfather stepped closer to pump his hand.
“Congratulations. I hope your marriage leaves you as happy as mine has me,” he said. “Your mother is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“Win’s the best thing that ever happened to me, too.” For the first time, he felt a connection with his stepfather, and all at once he realized that his mother hadn’t left New York in order to abandon him—she’d gone to Canada to be with a man she’d fallen in love with. Maybe—just maybe—he could forgive her for that and forge a new relationship with her now. He wondered if he’d been making everything too complicated for a long time. Time for simple things. His wife, his family and his community. That’s what mattered.
He caught up to the other men of Base Camp in one of the large guest rooms at the manor, where everyone was putting the last touches on the Revolutionary War–era uniforms they traditionally wore to their weddings. Angus quickly changed and joined Walker in front of a large mirror to check that everything was right. The large man nodded at him. Before Angus could greet him, Boone burst into the room, holding up a single straw in his hand.
“You know what time it is,” he said to Walker, crossing the room to present it to him.
Walker sent him a disgusted look but plucked the straw from his hand and held it up for all to see. It was short, of course. Walker was the only one left to marry.
“Think you can pull it off?” Boone asked him, his tone even but deadly serious. All their futures rested on what Walker did next.
“I’ll get it done,” Walker said. Angus thought of the fan he’d placed in Avery’s hands. Avery’s tears. He hadn’t seen the two of them together since then, but he hoped that exchange was a symbol of what was to come.
“It’s time,” Boone said to Angus. “You ready?”
“Hell, yeah,” Angus said.
It was strange not to have her parents at her wedding, and even Andrea, whose bridesmaids’ weekend was the event that had brought Win first to Base Camp, stayed away. Win knew she’d been excised from all good society back in San Mateo. Her parents were under investigation, and the media was having a field day with the knowledge that they’d orchestrated their daughter’s kidnapping, but she had a feeling it was only a matter of time before her father’s star would rise again. Meanwhile, she’d learned Lenore was campaigning hard, making the most of the opportunity. Win wished her well in the endeavor but was glad to get away from politics herself.
Meanwhile, Maria, Rosa and Maria’s daughters had accepted her invitation to attend. They all helped her dress in the beautiful silver-white gown Alice Reed had hand-stitched for her. It was a far cry from the royal gown her mother had ordered for her wedding to Leif, but Win thought she’d never felt so close to being a princess as she did today.
“It’s lovely,” Avery breathed, setting the veil on her head.
“You’re stunning,” Maria affirmed.
“I hope I get to wear a dress like that someday,” Maria’s oldest daughter chimed in.
“You will,” her mother promised her. “And I’ll attend your wedding, not like some people I know…” She trailed off into muttered imprecations.
Win waved them off. “I’m
