He held his hand out to me, and I walked forward, taking it without thought.

He gripped my hand hard, and pulled me into his chest.

Effortlessly, I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked up into his eyes, seeing my face reflected in his gla.s.ses.

My face looked just as confused as I felt.

"Wanna come for a ride in my helicopter?" He asked with a smile.

Tilting my head, I said, "I'm working."

His face lifted, and his eyes caught on something behind me. "Do you mind if I steal her for an hour?" He yelled to someone behind me.

I looked over my shoulder to see nearly the whole ER behind me, all watching the show.

Danita waved her hand in a shooing gesture. "She's all yours."

With that, he turned and started walking towards the helicopter, dragging me in his wake.

"Nonnie didn't die, did she?" I asked worriedly.

He shook his head. "No, she's still hanging on. I have something to show you."

I followed closely behind him, coming to a stop near the side door which he opened.

He picked me up easily, and sat me down on the seat before grabbing the helmet at my feet and placing it securely on my head.

After strapping it on, he started on my belts, anchoring me down securely before he closed the door, and walked around to his own side.

I watched in silence as he did much the same, strapping himself in, followed by hitting b.u.t.tons then flipping switches.

The large blades above us started spinning, the noise getting louder and louder as the blades spun faster and faster.

Once it reached a crescendo, we started rising, my belly crawling up into my throat as I watched the ground get further and further away.

Cleo kept his eye on the gauges, and his hand on the stick between his thighs as he lifted up, and turned a hard right, taking us out of town.

"Where are we going?" I asked again, my disembodied voice sounding funky through the mic's speaker in my helmet.

He looked over at me, grinned, and didn't say anything.

So I sat in silence, watching the buildings pa.s.s under my feet.

Something changed once we were fifteen minutes out.

The air in the cabin seemed to thicken, and I turned when I saw Cleo's hand move from the stick between his thighs.

"You wanna fly?" He asked.

I looked at him, remembering the time I'd asked him if he'd let me fly nearly six months ago, and shook my head animatedly. "No, way! You said you'd never let me fly your multi-million dollar machine."

He grinned, and looked back towards the horizon.

"I can't ask you to marry me if you don't hold my stick," he teased.

I blinked, unsure if I'd heard him right or not.

"Say what?" I clarified.

He looked at me like I was a dumba.s.s. "You heard what I said."

"No, I don't think I did. Repeat it one more time," I instructed quickly.

Sighing, he reached over and took my hand, placing it on the stick between his legs.

I froze as he lifted his hand from the stick, causing adrenaline to pour through my body as I watched the sky in front of us.

"Cleo?" I asked nervously.

He reached into his flight suit, and came out with a velvet box.

I started hyperventilating.

He opened it, presenting me with the diamond that was nestled in the folds of velvet.

It was black and hot pink; exactly what I never knew I wanted.

"Holy s.h.i.t," I breathed, causing him to beam at me.

"I've waited a long, long time to ask you this. Rue Delaney Loden, will you marry me?"

I nodded emphatically. "You betcha'!"

G.o.d, I was such a dork.

He leaned forward, placing the ring gently on the finger that was laying against his stick.

"That's what I wanted to hear. Let's go for a ride," he said as he took over the helicopter, flying us East.

He didn't have a destination in mind, and I was happy to be where he was at, even if it did only last until they got a call.

Cleo's partner was a silent presence in the back seat. Making the best use of his time since he had to be there anyway.

I had looked back at him a few times, noticing that he was taking pictures with his phone at one point.

And I knew I'd have some of the best memories of my life forever memorialized in a frozen moment of time.

Epilogue.

How to celebrate a wedding: Beer, hot s.e.x, and donuts on your bike in the clubhouse.

-Bikers do it better Cleo 6 months later "What's her dress look like?" I asked Molly.

Molly shrugged. Most of the wedding guests were seated and we were all talking as we waited for the wedding to start.

She was beginning to p.i.s.s me off.

Torren had ignored her all day long, and she really didn't like that.

Which, if I was being honest, was a good thing.

Torren had been crushing on my sister for a long time, as had my sister for Torren, and neither one of them had done a d.a.m.n thing about it.

My sister had a lot of growing up to do at twenty, and Torren deserved better than Molly stringing him along.

However, it was none of my business, even if Rue liked to say otherwise.

"I'm betting she's wearing black. You know...'cause it is the end of her life and all," DP teased, punching me in the shoulder and knocking be sideways slightly.

I shot him a glare. "No, it's the beginning," I quipped back.

He winked. "Just keep telling yourself that."

"She's wearing a dress. A dress is a dress is a dress," Molly said stiffly.

Molly's words were heated, and I looked over at her to see her looking at Torren.

Who had his eyes on another woman for once.

A shy-eyed blonde with wavy hair down to her waist. She was wearing a slinky black dress that was really quite modest.

Tru?

I think that was what Rue had introduced her as.

She was a COTA, or a certified occupational therapist a.s.sistant.

The two of them had met at the hospital while Torren had gone through occupational therapy.

Tru worked in the therapy department of Christus Health.

Their paths had crossed from time to time, and they'd become friends.

I'd met her only a few times, but what I knew of her, I liked.

Even the part that captured Torren's attention.

I loved my baby sister and all, but I cared for Torren, too.

They weren't good for each other, and it was nice to see Torren moving on instead of staying in the same rut he'd been in for the last couple of years.

The music changed from the normal wedding s.h.i.t to the bridal march, drawing my gaze from Torren, and placing it on Audrey as she walked down the steps of my back porch.

She looked great.

She'd been doing great, too.

After Tunnel had died, Audrey had withdrawn into herself for a few weeks, and it'd only been because of Cord, of all people, that she'd come out.

The two had struck up a friendship, that I could very well see morphing into something more given just a bit more time.

Then my soon to be wife showed at the top of the stairs, and all thoughts, except her, flew out of my brain and left me speechless.

I could, however, laugh.

We'd decided not to have a formal wedding.

Instead, we decided to have a backyard affair at my place, going for casual.

I'd been certain that Rue would dress up.

Don't get me wrong...she was wearing a dress. It just wasn't what I'd expected.

It was black and pink, to match her engagement ring and wedding band.

The dress was short, and tight.

She wore black cowboy boots, and had her hair up high on her head.

Oh, and let's not forget the property patch.

She was wearing that, too.

By the time she made it to stand beside me, I was practically beaming.

"You look good in my patch," I observed, once the music stopped and Reverend Spano started the ceremony.

She smiled. "Thanks. I wanted everyone to know I was yours. Lock, stock, and barrel."

I'd given her the property patch, which was a leather vest with 'Property of Cleo' on the back, before we'd separated for the night.