“I’m positive.  Candy Clinton was at Cable Beach when we were there.  She was sitting there with some guy that was certainly not Paul Murphy, having some drink with an umbrella in it.”

“I wish you’d said something at the time instead of just rushing us back to the ship.”

Amy was a bit perturbed with the line of questioning.  It had been a wedge between them for a few days. 

“Regardless, your dad said that he thought Paul had disappeared two and a half years ago from his boat in the Bahamas,” Amy said.  “I guess it isn’t unrealistic that Candy was there.  That’s where they went after they left the US.  I wonder what happened to them after that, and where Paul disappeared to in 82,” Jack replied.  He hoped to smooth over the division.  He wanted to believe her, and he had absolute trust in her.  He was just having a hard time with the coincidence of Amy running into her. 

Author’s Note

This was the story of Jonathan (Jack) and Amy getting engaged and married. I loved sneaking in the little tidbit about Candy Clinton. She shows up in another of the short stories from book four, as do Paul and Sean Murphy. We aren’t quite done with them yet.

I hope to have this book edited and out by the end of March. The story of Nicole and Rolf, and what happened with Nicole and Amy that is at the end of book three was originally the closing story in book four, but I felt it was better suited to the other book. That meant I needed to write a good closing story for book four before setting it free…

I hope you’ve enjoyed these and perhaps I will add some more of this content in the future.

At the opening ceremony, Amy was part of a round table discussion on new products and companies.  She gave a five-minute presentation on their new concept in decision-based gaming, as well as the new company.  When she was done, the Master of Ceremonies asked her a few questions.  She was the youngest CEO ever at their show, as well as one of the very rare females running a tech company. 

“Amy, how did you get here?  You’re eighteen years old, and the President and CEO of a rising game company,” Tripp Tyler, the show MC asked.

“Well, Tripp, it might be as much of a shock to me as everyone else.  My boyfriend’s sister… I mean, my sister-in-law… is an amazing chef, but she was having trouble organizing herself to build a business around it.  I offered to help her put together a business plan and procure funding, then build out her kitchen and launch her business.  As we were in the later stages, my father’s company had a computer game that had been mostly developed by one of the programmers in his spare time.  They wanted to get it finished up and I was asked if I could take on managing the project.”

“And that led to this?”

“Largely, yes.  The game was pretty well developed… but I saw it as limited.  I hired some gamers I knew to consult and see if they could push the boundaries of the game… make more decisions, have more valid game paths.  Then I hired another consultant to clean up the story and make it flow more like a book.  Finally, I went back to the programming team with the new material and had them code it all in.  We added some randomization that makes gameplay different each time it is played and made some other tweaks to make play more challenging and not just a matter of making a flow chart of how to get through it.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, I had the opportunity to play a pre-production version of the game and it is really cool.  It reads like a novel, but I was controlling the steps,” Tripp told the crowd before turning back to Amy, “So what’s next for Prince Interactive Gaming?”

“We are hard at work on our next projects.  I don’t want to give away the details yet, but we expect several titles in the first half of next year.  We are going to focus on some educational gaming opportunities, using real historical events and how they could be affected by different decisions.  We are also looking a couple of generations down the road and designing some games for platforms that haven’t been developed yet.”

“I bet everyone would love to hear about that?”

“I bet they would,” Amy said with a laugh, “but I can’t talk about those projects for quite a while.”

There were scattered laughs around the audience at that comment… indeed, any of their competitors would have loved to know what their next steps were going to be. 

“One other thing, Amy,” the MC asked, “your logo is a pig and you have an animation of the Three Little Pigs playing a computer game while the Big Bad Wolf rages outside of the brick house.  Can you tell us about that?”

“Sure, Tripp,” Amy said with a smile.  “The initials of Prince Interactive Gaming form PIG.  We were pretty confident that it wouldn’t take long for everyone to figure that out.  Instead of hiding from it, we decided to get in front of it and have fun.  And the story of The Three Little Pigs is a perfect metaphor decision-based gaming.”

Apparently, she did a good job, because on the show’s first day, they had commitments from retailers for more sales than any other new game presented at the show.  One of the computer manufacturers was also trying to work a deal with them to have the game included with the purchase of their computers. 

***

“Baby, you knocked it out of the park today,” Jack told his wife at dinner after the close of the show for the day.  “You were amazing.  Your presentation was incredible and the poise you showed when you were interviewed was perfect.  I’m so proud of you.”

“You really think so, Jonathan?” she asked.

“Amy, I have seen a lot of leaders that had decades of experience that didn’t come off as smooth as you did today.  In every conversation, in addition to what Jack said about the presentation and interview, you were knowledgeable, confident, humble and well-spoken.  That is a tough combination for anyone to have,” Melody Grafton added. 

“Thanks, Melody.  I really appreciate that.  I was scared to death.”

“It didn’t show, Sweetheart,” her father told her.  “I don’t think anyone could have done it better.”

“I just felt like there were probably people thinking, ‘oh look, the eighteen-year-old daughter of a tech CEO just got handed an opportunity for free, without really deserving it’,” Amy responded.

Ed spoke up, “if they thought that before you presented, they didn’t think it after.  Being as objective as I can, what I saw was a very well put together young woman that knew her product and was at ease with everything around her.”

“Thanks.  And I think I know what we need to do next.”

“What’s that, Amy?” Bill asked.

“Well, the pig logo and the Three Little Pigs thing was a lark, but I think we need to do a mini-game with different options for the Three Little Pigs and offer it up as a freebie.  Maybe when people register their product or something.  That way we can build a database of our customers as we roll out new titles.”

“Bill, she’s smarter than us,” Ed said in response. 

“No doubt, my friend,” Bill replied.

Their plane took off at 3:47pm.  They were scheduled to arrive in Las Vegas at 6:18pm.  There was a limo waiting for them at the airport to take them to the hotel, as well as pick them up in the morning.  She was so glad to have Jonathan by her side.  Not only was he calm and comforting, but he had been incredibly organized getting everything ready for the trip. 

When the plane landed, Amy started to get nervous again.  They were walking through McCarran International Airport when they saw the driver holding a sign for Amy Dixon.  Amy laughed and asked Jonathan if he was the one that had done that. 

“Nope.  Your dad was the one responsible for the limo.”

“Wow,” Amy said, laughing.  “I guess he’s sending a message.”

***

Their limo took them to The Palms Hotel, where they were booked into a top floor suite.  They walked into the room, their bags following them with a Bellhop, and were struck by the amazing view of The Strip from the two-story windows.  The plan was that they would grab some dinner and then relax a little. 

As they walked through the lobby, Amy’s hand holding the inside of Jack’s elbow, Amy had an idea.  They walked through the doors, the driver waiting for them in front of the hotel.  The driver held the door for them.  Amy asked the driver if he could recommend a restaurant to them for dinner.  Someplace quiet and nice.  He had just the place… 

They stepped through the doors of a small steakhouse just west of downtown.  It wasn’t glitzy, but the driver gushed about their steaks.  He knew the owner and was able to get them a nice table.  Amy was hoping it was as good as he said it was. 

“Let’s get married tonight,” Amy said to Jack.

“What?  Tonight?  Are you sure?”

“I think the sign was a sign.  We can go to the same place both our parents were married.  I would guess it’s still in business.”

“Little Church of the West?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”  Then a smile spread across Amy’s face.  “You were thinking about it too, weren’t you?”

“Maybe a little,” Jack said with a grin. 

They finished their dinner and rushed excitedly to the limo.  They asked the driver to take them to the Little Church of the West, which he did.  It was only a few minutes away.  Both Amy and Jack were smiling through the whole trip.  They pulled up in front of the wedding chapel and hurriedly made their way to the door.

“I wish I was wearing something nicer,” Amy said to Jack, “and that you were in a suit.”

“Maybe they have something inside.  I’m sure plenty of people show up with the same thought.”

“I bet you’re right,” Amy said as she walked through the door Jack opened for her.

As she turned and walked through the door, her mother said, “I have your dress, Amy.”

Amy looked around the entryway.  Both of her parents were standing there, her mother holding a wedding dress.  Jack’s parents were standing there next to them, his mother holding a suit.  Nicole was there, as were Gunny and Melody.  After a few moments of stunned silence, she turned back to Jack, “You did this?”

“Kind of…”

“How?”

“We planned it out before I proposed.”

Bill looked at Jack, “How did you convince her to get married tonight?”

“It was her idea.  We started talking about it at dinner and then came over,” Jack replied.  “I think it was the sign you had made that did it.”

“What sign?” Bill asked.

“That would be me, Bill,” Melody chimed in.  “I thought it would be funny to have the limo driver’s sign say ‘Amy Dixon’.”

“That did the trick, Melody.  After seeing that, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.  Me, too,” Jack replied.

Jack looked over at Amy.  She had tears rolling down her cheeks.  She hugged her mother and then her father.  Then she hugged Jack’s parents and his sister.  Then she grabbed Melody and Gunny and gave them hugs, too.  After making sure they were all hugged and letting each of them know how much she appreciated their being there, she went into the Bride’s Dressing room with her mother and Jack’s mother.  Jack and the fathers went into the Groom’s Room so that they could talk while he dressed. 

“Jack, I have to say that was something else.  Your dad and I both managed to surprise our wives with their families when we ‘eloped’, but nothing like this.  It was her idea, you say?” Bill asked.

“Yes, Sir.  I was going to say something, but she beat me to it.”

“Son, I have to say that I am proud of you.  I have seen you grow since you have been with Amy.  I’ve watched you turn into the man I always wanted you to be.  I never thought I would be eager to see my eighteen-year-old son getting married, but I do believe that you and Amy will be as happy as your mother and I,” Ed told his son.

Bill, not to be left out, told the young man, “Jack, I couldn’t be happier for you, or my daughter.  I thought I would dread the day when I had to walk her down the aisle and give her away.  But I am beyond thrilled that the man I am giving her to is you.”

Jack and Ed walked from the room, Bill on their heels.  All three were in dark blue suits.  The two Dixon men walked up the aisle to wait with the Justice of the Peace, while Bill waited for his daughter so that he could walk her up the aisle and give her away.

When Amy stepped into the room, Jack’s jaw dropped.  He’d never seen her look more stunning.  As she came up the aisle, Jack actually had to hold back tears.  So did Amy as she saw him choked up from seeing her. 

They had written their own vows on their planning weekend at Carova Beach… and Jack pulled the slips of paper from his pocket.  They each read their vows to the other.  A few moments later they were married. 

After they ran back up the aisle in a shower of confetti, Bill announced that they would have a reception the next Saturday back in Hampton.  Then he turned and said quietly to his daughter, “check out those business cards I had printed for you.  Only the first few have Prince on them.  All the rest say Amy Dixon.”

“Really, Daddy?  You were that confident?”

“Sweetheart, the two of you have loved each other since you met.  It took you a little while to work out the kinks, but we all knew that it wouldn’t be long after graduation before you got married.  It’s just a bit of a bummer that on the day after your wedding you have to work.  Your boss must be a hard case.” “Don’t you know it… Boss,” she said to her father before giving him a final hug before leaving with her husband. 

They unloaded the groceries they had picked up on the way down and put everything away.  Then they poured themselves a couple of cold drinks and made their way to the balcony that looked out on the beach and the Atlantic Ocean, beyond.  The Banker Horses that roamed the area beaches were walking along the shoreline, ignoring the fishermen and surfers with whom they shared the beach. 

“Can you believe it, Jonathan?” Amy asked.

“We’ve graduated, we’re engaged and we’re sitting in the house where either or both of our lives could have ended a year and a half ago?  It has been an eventful two years.”

“Parts of it are surreal.  Everything that happened the night you were shot is a blur.  Now, it almost seems like it happened to someone else… that I wasn’t part of it.  And then it crashes into me and I have nightmares,” Amy said.

Jack slipped onto the loveseat next to her.  She snuggled into him and he put his arm around her.  “I’m so thankful that we all made it through that night.”

“Me, too, Jonathan.”

“So, we have this wonderful escape and there are so many things we need to talk about.  But all I really want to do is sit here and hold you.  This is so perfect… this moment.”

Both of them had applied to take classes at Christopher Newport College, and both had been easily accepted.  They’d had a discussion a long time ago about taking a year or two locally before “heading off” to finish their degrees.  They’d also had several conversations about what they would be studying. 

Jack had found himself more and more drawn to photography and writing.  He’d started shooting pictures for the school yearbook, and really enjoyed it.  Then, when his sister started turning her cooking into a business, she’d asked him if he could take pictures of her creations.  He found that he loved that even more.  And he’d found that he was pretty good at it.  He also picked up a knack for writing he didn’t know he had.  When Amy’s father was building the pick-up truck that he’d bought at the same time Jack’s dad had bought his Mustang, he photographed the build process.  He documented every step of the build.  But when he contacted a magazine about publishing the photos, they said they needed a write-up to go with them.  He put together a story and they turned it into a six-part series in the magazine.  Since then he’d shot and written several other features on cars and trucks for a couple of different magazines. 

Amy had found a different skill hidden inside.  Nicole needed a business plan and asked her if she could help her put it together.  Ed was willing to finance a real commercial workspace for his daughter, but she needed to have a solid business plan to get the financing.  Amy worked with her and they developed a business plan that both young women were comfortable with as achievable.  And then, as Nicole started to implement it, Amy helped her manage the details of pulling everything together. 

Amy’s father had been very impressed with what he saw his daughter doing and offered her a project.  Steve Evans, the head of programming for Prince Systems, had a side project… a computer game.  Development had kind of stalled as Steve had dived into several other work-related projects.  The game wasn’t moving along.  Amy was tasked with finding a way forward for the game. 

She had only been on it for a few weeks, but Steve had been shocked with her progress.  She managed to get a couple of programmers from the office to work on the game when they had downtime from their other duties.  And she’d sat down with Cy Litton and Bobby Smith… both being drama nerds and computer gamers… to flesh out a more streamlined story.  What Steve had developed was good but limited in the paths that the main character could take.  There were only a couple of outcomes, even after dozens of decisions. After working through the possibilities with Cy and Bobby, they came up with a flow chart that had dozens of possible outcomes and a couple hundred decisions.  They had even added some randomization to make the story different each time it was played.  Finally, she hired Mrs. Foster, the Cheer Coach, to build out the text descriptions.  She taught most of the creative writing classes at school, and Amy thought she might be a good person to tap for writing better story lines. 

It was still a work in progress, but Amy, Steve and Bill were all excited about the market possibilities of the game.  It had gone from a slightly developed idea to a fully fleshed out plan in only a few weeks.  Now it only lacked the programming to be ready for market. 

“You told me last time that you hadn’t made a decision about what you wanted to do after school,” Amy related, “have you worked through that?”

“I want to be a freelance photographer and writer.  My concern, though, is income.  I don’t want to put the burden on you,” Jack answered. 

Amy leaned over and kissed him.  “That’s one of the reasons I love you Jonathan Dixon.  But I’ll tell you what… you give it a shot and we’ll worry about the income later.  You’ve barely turned eighteen, and you already have a dozen stories published.  All the magazines you have worked with are asking you for more.  And you haven’t even tapped anything but car magazines.  I have some ideas that you could produce that would make a splash onto a larger stage.”

“Ok, then I’ll give it a shot,” he replied… relieved.  He’d always been supportive of Amy, and she was just as eager to be supportive of him.  “Still looking at management and business development?”

“Absolutely.  Things are looking up, too, for the project.  I presented everything to Steve and Dad just before graduation, and they are onboard.  We are going to try to have everything ready to launch the first game in the fall.  There is a trade show in Las Vegas in October, and we want to launch there, then be ready for Christmas deliveries.  And we have a second title in planning…”

“What’s that?” Jack asked her.

“Your World War One Bomber story,” she said with obvious excitement.  “We learned so much with this first project that we can apply to that one…  It will be amazing.  And I talked to Mrs. Pellier about a series of educational games about history.”

“Wow.  You have it planned out.  I don’t feel worthy.”

“You’d better be kidding,” Amy said with a grin.  “You’ve inspired me more than I could have imagined.”  She reached over and punched him lightly. 

“Ok, ok.  Just don’t hurt me,” he said jokingly back.  “Are you sure you still want to get married?  I kind of put you on the spot.”

“I was in a daze… but I absolutely want to marry you.  The question for you is when… when should we set the date?  Or should we just run away like our parents?”

“What are we going to do if we need to go to different schools, like you for management and me for writing and photography?  Should we wait to figure that out?”

Amy looked at his eyes.  She didn’t want to wait.  She didn’t want to wait a single minute.  “I’ll go wherever you go.  My place is with you, Jonathan.”

“Funny… I was going to say the same thing.  And, to be honest, a particular school might be more important for you than me.  I can go anywhere you go,” he said back with a grin.  “How about we plan it for next June… maybe here on the beach?”

Jack had something else in mind.  He’d already been talking to both Amy’s parents and his own.  He had worked out his plan before he’d even asked her to marry him.  “A beach wedding would be beautiful.  And starting our life together where our lives could have ended is kind of poetic,” she replied.

As Lori Rose was giving her Valedictory address, Amy went over her speech in her head one last time.  Lori was wrapping up and Amy’s nerves were multiplying.  She glanced over to the beginning of the first row of graduates.  Jonathan gave her a thumbs up and blew her a kiss.  He mouthed ‘I believe in you’ before she looked back out into the audience.  She wasn’t sure where her parents were, but she looked around to see if she could spot them.  She also knew that Gunny, Melody and their whole team were in attendance. 

Lori finished up and Mr. Garrett stepped up to the microphone and introduced her.  Her knees were weak as she made her way to the podium.  She looked out again at the arena.  It sat twelve thousand people, but this evening there were perhaps a quarter of that in the seats, with another four hundred students on the floor, as well as the teachers and other school staff. 

“It was the best of times,” she began, “it was the worst of times. 

“Charles Dickens wrote those words to begin A Tale of Two Cities, in 1859.  It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…

“I think that is an incredibly accurate picture of our high school experience.  Emotional highs and lows, as well as academic triumphs and defeats.”  Amy continued for a few more minutes, recounting the experiences of the Class of ’83.  “In conclusion, this has been the time, and these have been the people that will remain fundamental to shaping our various futures.“

As she finished, from the corner of her eye, she spied Jonathan Dixon walking across the stage.  She turned, not knowing why he was walking toward her.  His stride was purposeful.  The look on his face was both taut and serene. 

Behind him a couple of paces was Principal Garrett.  He was supposed to take over speaking as her speech concluded, but he seemed to be waiting for something.  

As Jonathan got within a couple of steps of her, Amy saw the school’s principal hand him something.  Mrs. Foster, the Cheerleading Coach also walked up behind Jack and handed him something else. 

Jack put the microphone from Principal Garrett up to his mouth.  “Amy Prince, look out into the crowd.”

As she scanned the front row, she saw the message…  AMY PRINCE, WILL YOU MARRY ME?  Then, when she looked up, there was a banner strung across the front of the balcony saying the same thing.  As she looked at the banner, she saw her father at one end, Ed Dixon at the other end, and in the middle were her mom and Jack’s mom, both giving her a thumbs up. 

She turned back to Jonathan, who was now down on one knee, holding out the ring that Mrs. Foster had handed to him. 

“Amy Prince, I have loved you since the very first day I met you.  You walked into Mrs. Garrison’s class, and I didn’t know yet, but my life changed.  As we embark on the next stage of our lives, let’s take the rest of our journey together.  Will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

Amy was in shock.  She knew that Jack wanted to marry her, and she knew that he would propose.  But this… this was a complete shock.  And there was nothing more she wanted than to be Mrs. Jonathan Dixon.  “Yes, Jonathan Dixon.  A thousand times, YES!” she said through tears of joy.

The assembled students let out a cheer.  There was applause from the audience.  Jack stood up and took his fiancé in his arms and twirled her around. 

Principal Garrett stepped to the microphone as Amy kissed Jack just behind him.  As he started to speak, they returned to their seats, Amy on stage and Jack on the first row down on the floor.  “How do I follow that?  But such is the life of a High School Principal.  But I have to say, I’m thrilled to have been a part of their story and wish them the happiest of lives.  This school will not be the same without them.”  After another few comments, he began the process of delivering the diplomas to all the students graduating. 

All too quickly, it was over.  The students headed toward the exit, looking for their families and friends, meeting them on the apron in front of the building.  Many had dinner reservations, others had graduation parties.  Some just wanted to go home. 

The Dixons, Princes, and a few others had booked a party room at Darryl’s 1895.  Amy hadn’t known that it was a two-fold celebration.  Apparently, she was the only one that hadn’t known about the proposal.  The room was decked out for both celebrations. 

“Wow, Son, what would you have done if she said no?” Ed asked Jack.

“Crawled under the stage and died, Dad… I don’t know what else I could have done.”

“It would have never happened, Mr. Dixon,” Amy added.  “I’ve been waiting for this day since ‘the party,’ when Jonathan said those words when he meant to ask me on our first date.”

Jack reddened at the thought.  He flashed back to the embarrassment he felt when, while struggling to ask Amy out, he instead asked her if she would marry him.  That was just about two years before, in tenth grade, and he’d had a crush on her since fourth grade.  It was only poor communication and fear of rejection on both of their parts that kept them apart that whole time. 

“I was so shocked.  I mean… I’d had a crush on him from the moment I saw him, and he was so sweet to me.  Part of me wanted to just kiss him right then and there.  And he turned white as a ghost when he realized what he said.  It was so cute.  I wanted to laugh, but not at him or in a mean way,“ Amy told Jack’s dad. 

“So, when do you kids think will be the big day?” Ed asked.

“We haven’t really talked about a date, yet.  I think we need to sit down and have a long talk about our goals, dreams and plans and see when we want to have a wedding,” Amy responded. 

“Yep.  I mean, part of me wants to do it right away, but the rational side of me knows that isn’t realistic.  We need to have a plan for both of us,” Jack added. 

“Sounds like you two are really wanting to do this the right way.  I’m glad to hear it,” The older Dixon said before walking away to join his wife and Chrissy.

***

“Hey, Bill, Jack’s grandparents still own that house in Vegas,” Ed said to his friend. 

Sharon piped in, “Chrissy and I were just talking… did you know that we all got married in the same chapel in Las Vegas?”

“Seriously?  I had no idea.  Wouldn’t it be funny if the kids eloped to the same place?” Bill added. 

The four parents joked about their own elopements.  Both fathers had managed to pull off a surprise with the aid of their wives’ parents.  Maybe Jack would have the same idea.  Or maybe not… they’d have to wait and find out. 

***

Ross Abbot sat there as an outsider at the table full of old friends.  He’d never met any of these people, aside from Ed and Sharon Dixon, prior to coming to the graduation and dinner with Nicole.  They were in Culinary School together and had been out on a couple of dates.  As he looked around the table, he was a little surprised at the assembled group.  There were a couple of guys, especially Gunny, Ronny and Bobby, that looked like they could break someone in half… and had.  Duke looked and sounded like British Royalty.  Gino was hilarious.  He seemed to always have a joke on the tip of his tongue.  And Melody’s eyes seemed to almost look into his soul. 

All the older adults acted like Aunts or Uncles to Amy, Jack and Nicole.  They were like a big, happy family.  He didn’t get some of the comments between them, and almost felt like an outsider that had intruded on a family gathering.  At the same time, everyone was very welcoming. 

“You go to school with Nicole?” Ronny Torres said as he handed the younger man a beer.

“Yes, Sir,” Ross replied. 

“Come on, Son, call me Ronny.  We’re all friends here,” the older black man told him.  “Don’t let this bunch scare you… unless you need scaring,” he added with a big smile.  “Are you as good a cook as Nicole?”

“No, Sir.  I wish.  She seems to just know what works.  Of course, it probably doesn’t hurt that she has more kitchen experience than the rest of us.  I was pretty surprised when I found out that she was opening a bakery this summer and already has had clients for over a year.” “She is something else,” Ronny replied before sitting down at the table as dinner was being served.