Then it was gone, and Jake was there on the screen. “Speaking as a lawyer, I can tell you that this is a frivolous lawsuit and I’d be surprised if a judge will even hear it.
Speaking as a human being, I think this whole thing is just heartless and cruel.
Speaking as a father, I fully support my daughter’s decision and I’m very proud of her.” The whole salon cheered at that.
“Rachel, this is Mandy.” Emma presented another of her classmates, this one a cheerleader with long blond hair. Rachel knew she was a cheerleader because the teen was actually wearing a cheerleading outfit. Probably for the cameras outside, Rachel realized. “She wants to get her hair cut for Locks of Love, too.”
“Hi Mandy.” Rachel smiled at the girl. “Come sign in.” The list on the wall was growing. So was the line out the door with the professionally printed sign Jake had put up with that same picture on it, the one the news kept using-Emma and Rachel and Liv smiling, their bald painted heads pressed together. Locks of Love Drive – We’re Too Sexy For Our Hair!
It matched the billboard Jake had put up on the freeway.
“This is crazy,” Joshie called on his way by as he directed another Locks of Love donation client back to his stylist’s chair. “I think your boyfriend may have saved the salon.”
“That’s not all he saved.” She smiled, seeing Jake pushing his way through the crowd toward her.
“Did I hear something about rescuing damsels in distress?” Jake slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. She wanted more, and from the look in his eyes, she knew he did too, but there were too many people around.
“Listen, Mr. Cocky, there’s still the lawsuit to deal with,” she reminded him, but she couldn’t help smiling up at him.
“I told you to trust me,” he reminded her.
“I do.”
He nuzzled her neck, no hair in the way. “I like hearing you say those two little words.”
She gave him a sharp, surprised look. “No blue Tiffany boxes.”
“Not today.” He chuckled. “But maybe someday.”
“Maybe someday,” she conceded, whispering her response into his ear and daring, for the first time in a long time, to hope about the future.
Epilogue
“We feel very vindicated.” Jake spoke into the microphone, Rachel at his side.
On his other side stood Emma and Liv, holding hands. Both girls had hair now, cute little pixies just like Rachel’s. “I’ve said since the beginning that this was a frivolous lawsuit that should have been dismissed months ago. I’m glad the judge finally saw reason.” Rachel felt Jake’s hand slip into hers and she smiled up at him. She barely heard the questions being peppered at them.
“No, the judge didn’t award Rapunzel’s any damages,” Jake countered to one of the reporters. “We didn’t countersue for any. But the judge did say that if we had, he would have awarded them to us.”
Rachel glanced out into the crowd. Nina wasn’t there. She’d been in the courtroom but had left almost immediately after the verdict. Emma had tried to talk to her mother but she’d disappeared too quickly. Emma saw her only on the weekends.
Jake’s daughter now lived full-time with her father, a request she’d had to make before yet another judge.
“That’s correct, Olivia Riley is in complete remission.” Jake smiled down at the girl and she smiled shyly back. The news had come just a few weeks ago and they’d taken the girls to Disney for the weekend to celebrate, their choice. “So I guess everyone gets a happy ending after all.”
“What about Ms. Lange?” one of the reporters inquired. Rachel’s head came up at the mention of her name.
Jake’s smile faltered as he glanced down at her. “Well, we’re still waiting for test results, but we’re hopeful…”
Rachel leaned in to the microphone, her heart thudding in her chest. She hadn’t planned this. She’d wanted to wait until after this whole court thing was over to sit both Emma and Jake down to tell them the news. But somehow this just seemed right.
“Actually, I heard from the doctor yesterday.” Rachel cleared her throat and spoke into the microphone, wincing a little at the sudden feedback. Jake’s hand tightened in hers and she glanced up at him, seeing the blindsided look on his face. Her eyes filled with tears. “It seems this happy ending thing must be catching because he told me my cancer is in remission too.”
The crowd around them exploded with cheers and applause-it was even louder than the first wave, when they’d just come out of the courtroom. Jake pulled her into his arms and kissed her so hard she could barely breathe.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” he whispered harshly against her ear, hugging her tight.
“I just did,” she gasped as he held her at arm’s length, his eyes drinking her in, looking at her as if she might disappear at any moment. Emma and Liv were around them, jumping up and down and hugging them both at turns. “Surprise.”
“Daddy’s got a surprise for you too,” Emma whispered as her arms went around Rachel’s neck, but the teen spoke too loudly. Jake heard and shot her a warning glance. “Oops.”
“Surprise? What surprise?” Rachel asked, not realizing they were so close to the microphone.
The reporters heard the word and started asking the same question. Soon the crowd caught on and started chanting, “Sur-prise! Sur-prise! Sur-prise!” Jake flushed and stammered into the microphone, but it was hard to resist pressure like that.
“Okay, okay!” he relented, turning to Rachel in front of the crowd. “Rachel, I have to ask you something.”
“What?” she asked, puzzled. She didn’t fully understand, although she had hoped, had held fast to that hope for months. They both had. “Jake? What are you doing?”
“Loving you,” he replied simply.
Then she did understand, and the hope that had settled in her heart, right under the dove pendant Jake had given her months ago, took flight in her chest as he reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a blue Tiffany’s box.
Then, like a magician, he got down on one knee and turned hope into something with wings.