Beautiful Mine (Beautiful Rivers #1) (21 page)

Connor

I was in San Francisco a grand total of twelve hours before I had to rent a car and drive home so I could be back in time for a morning meeting. I had texted Lizzy so she wouldn’t think I just up and disappeared (permanently anyway).

I’ll drive back up on Friday and bring Whitney here on the boat, weather permitting. She gave her boss plenty of notice, so she won’t move down here for another month, but she’s going to look at houses with me this weekend, now that I’m finally ready to find a place.

Right now I’m at Rayce’s, dropping off Lizzy’s espresso machine that I don’t want and she doesn’t need, since Mom and Dad had one too. We’re finally starting to sort out what to do with everything, which we hadn’t done yet. It’s made me realize just how much everyone’s lives were on hold while I tried to figure out what was what.

We’re sitting at the wet bar in his basement, but we’re keeping it simple with a couple of beers. Rayce lives in a sprawling ranch house that, frankly, could really use a woman’s touch.

Speaking of women, just before he takes a swig of his beer, he says, “I ended it with Taylor.” We’ve talked more in the last few days than we have in months, but other than an acknowledgement that an affair was, in fact, happening, he’s said little about it and I haven’t pushed. I’ve thought about it though, and I suspect it his way of trying to avoid dealing with our parents’ death, a little piece of self-destructive behavior that was, at least, better than turning to alcohol or drugs.

“That’s good,” I say.

He looks at me and hesitates. I think he’s waiting for me to chastise him about this, which I’ve yet to do. “I know it was stupid,” he says.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You’d have every right to. It could affect you guys too. Everything really.”

I know what he’s talking about. Even though the relationship was consensual, she could decide to sue for sexual harassment because Rayce is her boss. Dad would’ve kicked his ass all over California if he’d been around to do it. But Rayce is kicking himself plenty over there, I can see.

“I know,” I say.

Rayce gives me a serious look. “I won’t do that again.”

I already know this, now that the old Rayce is back. But this is a serious situation, and a little extra insurance never hurts. “Is that a promise?”

He nods. “I promise.”

“All right then. No more needs to be said.”

He sighs and takes a drink. “Sometimes something will come up at work and I’ll think, ‘I should ask Dad about this.’ Then I remember I can’t.”

“I do that, too. With both of them.”

He looks at me “Really?”

I nod.

“Huh,” he says, taking another drink. “Well, it sucks.”

I nod again. “I really wish they could’ve met Whitney.”

“Yeah. They’d like her.”

“I think so too.” I tell him about Whitney’s tortured big heart and how it’s so like Mom.

“She’s the kind of person you want running a foundation or something,” Rayce says, and finishes off his beer.

Now it’s my turn to say, “Huh.” That’s not a half bad idea.

“Wanna play Super Mario Brothers?” he asks, gesturing toward his game room. He’s never entirely outgrown his love for old video games, but I don’t think he’s touched any of it since Mom and Dad died. “We could order a pizza.”

I smile. “You’d better get wings too. It’ll ease the pain of me kicking your trash all over Mushroom Kingdom.”

As we head into Rayce’s game room, I think how remarkable it is to feel so content and settled. Is this what people feel like when they grow roots? Maybe I’ve been the one missing out after all.

I recall again the conversation I had with my mom, the day I told my family I was leaving the business. She had reassured me that it was okay to pick up and go, but she also told me it would be just as okay to come home one day and drop anchor. I can hear her voice now, and smile as I remember: “If you ever grow tired of the tumbleweed thing or decide you want something more, don’t sweat it kiddo. It’s just another bend in the road.”

What a beautiful bend it’s been, too.

I can’t wait to see what’s down the rest of this road I get to travel, with Whitney by my side.

Whitney

After a day spent house hunting, Connor and I are at Lizzy’s house for the monthly dinner with his family. Connor and his siblings are lounging on the couches, swapping stories and laughing, and Corrine and I are at the little table by the window overlooking the backyard and playing gin rummy.

Corrine gives the first impression of being a delicate flower. Maybe it’s her slight build. Or maybe it’s just an assumption I made about her, after having seen pictures of her wasted away in a hospital bed. A few games of gin rummy with her blew that impression right out of the water. This girl is a gin rummy ninja.

“Gin,” she says, laying down her hand and grinning.

Shit. See what I mean? “How do you keep doing that?”

She shrugs and starts gathering up the cards, still smiling. I smile too. She’s so endearing, it’s hard to get
too
mad at her.

“Wanna play again?” she asks.

“Anyone else want to get stomped on over here?” I say with a grin, and they laugh.

“I’ll play the next winner,” Lizzy says.

“Okay,” Corrine says, shuffling the cards like a Vegas blackjack dealer.

“She’s already assuming she’s going to win,” I say, teasing and Corrine shrugs with faux innocence.

“Okay, so go on with your story,” Lizzy says to Connor. He just started telling them the one about the marijuana guys he met at a remote campground in Washington, but I’m only half listening because I’ve heard it already and I’m trying to finally win a hand against Corrine.

“So these guys had been friends for forty years or something,” Connor continues as Corrine deals the cards, “and they ride their racing bicycles all over the place. This time they started in Couer d’Alene, Idaho and biked fifty or sixty miles a day to get to the coast. They didn’t have the physique you’d expect, either. Their legs were as skinny as all get out, but they all had these beer bellies on them. Maybe from drinking so much, because they were really putting it away. They were high-style drinkers too. Cognac.”

“Good choice,” Rayce says, nodding. As for first impressions, I’ve found it a lot easier to relate to Rayce after I saw him get stomped all over by Corrine himself.

“One guy had it in a shot glass, but the other guy had a big water glass full of it,” Connor says, holding up his hands to indicate. “He was the one who offered me a joint.”

“Which you claim you turned down,” Lizzy says, teasing.

“I totally did. So we’re around the campfire and they’re telling the most raucous stories and getting hammered and I’m just trying to figure out how they do that at night and still function enough to ride so many miles the next day. Well we get to talking about the legalization of marijuana, and the guy tells me where he goes to get his hashish oil to smoke. ‘But,’ he says,” and Connor takes on the old guy’s voice for affect, “ ‘That’s not for everyday use. Just special occasions, like the symphony.’ ”

They all start laughing but I’m trying to figure out if I should pick up the five of spades or draw. Corrine’s watching me with an amused grin.

“So then he starts telling me that he smokes it for medicinal purposes, and that he didn’t smoke much after he quit in his twenties. His friend calls him out on it and says, ‘Bullshit. When did you ever quit? You’ve been smoking for as long as I’ve known you.’ ”

I finally pick up the five and discard my eight of hearts. Quick as lightning, Corrine picks it up and discards a king of diamonds. Dammit.

“So then,” Connor continues, laughing, Rayce and Lizzy laughing with him, “he says, ‘I read this article that says as you age, marijuana will eat the stuff in your brain that causes Alzheimer’s.’ I said, ‘Oh yeah? Where’d you read that?’ He says, ‘I don’t know. I forget.’ ”

Corrine starts laughing and looks over at Connor.

Rayce is laughing and says, “You’re making this shit up.”

Connor raises his hands, “I swear to god.”

I’m smiling too, but I’m too distracted to laugh with the others thanks to the lousy card I just drew. What the hell am I supposed to do with a ten of clubs?

The story concludes with Connor declaring, “Those old guys were quite the characters,” and the laughter settles down.

“Well, I better go pick up dinner,” Rayce says, getting off the couch. It’s his turn to cook, so I’ve learned that means he either picks something up or has it delivered.

Connor gets off the couch too and heads over to us as Corrine picks up yet another one of my discards. “How’s it going over here?” he asks, planting a kiss on top of my head.

“I’m getting my ass kicked, that’s how it’s going.”

Corrine shrugs. “I’m trying to go easy on her,” she says, but her happy grin betrays her lack of remorse.

“You Rivers kids are brutal,” I say, and Connor laughs.

I start pulling a card out of my hand to discard but he stops me. “Not that one. That one,” he says pointing.

“Hey, no cheating!” Corrine says, pulling her cards close to her chest, even though neither one of us can see them anyway.

“I’m not cheating. I’m helping.”

“Did you look at my cards when you came over?”

“No. Stop being a poor sport.”

She grins. “Me?”

He laughs and points to the card. “That’s the one,” he says again.

I shrug. It can’t hurt. I discard and she draws off the deck. Then she gets that gleeful look on her face I’m getting all too familiar with. “Gin!”

While Rayce goes out for food and Lizzy takes on the challenge of Corrine, Connor and I settle into the couch for some G-rated snuggling, since we have an audience and all. I lean against his chest and rest my hand on his stomach. He plays absently with my hair, stroking my shoulder in between.

Even sitting here on Lizzy’s couch, Connor gives me those feelings that should be contradictory, but aren’t. He makes me feel peaceful and alive, all at once.

“I want to go somewhere with you,” I say impulsively. “Once I’m down here.”

I haven’t started looking for work here yet. Connor’s encouraged me to take a short break after I move so I have some time to really think about what I want to do next. It’s not a bad idea, so I won’t start looking until I’m moved and settled. That would be the perfect time for us to take a longer trip together.

“Where do you want to go?” he asks easily, still playing with my hair.

“I don’t know. Japan?”

He chuckles and wraps his arms around me, settling deeper into the couch. “Hmm. Good choice. I’ve never been to Japan and that one’s been on my list for a long time.” He’s got that honey-sweet pull to his voice. I look up and see that adventurer’s glint in his eyes.

“We could go right now,” I say.

He laughs, strokes my cheek, and gives me a kiss. “Or we could get out a calendar and do it that way.”

“A
calendar?”
Corrine says, acting shocked he isn’t just jumping on the boat two seconds after realizing he wants to go somewhere.

He shrugs, not at all bothered from what I can tell. “She told her boss she’d stay until August 14. Anyway, I’d like to get a contractor finalized for the renovations to the teen center first.”

Lizzy’s giving him a fond smile. “I think you’re all grown up, kiddo.”

“Don’t call me kiddo.”

I put my mouth next to his ear. “She wouldn’t call you kiddo if she knew what you can do with that cock of yours.”

Connor laughs and holds me closer.

“What are you two giggling about over there?” Lizzy asks, but forgets all about us when Corrine lays down her cards and yells, “Gin!”

“Dang it.” But Lizzy is smiling easily. As she gathers up the cards and starts shuffling, Connor tucks his finger under my chin so I’ll look at him.

He gives me that tender look, and I soften against him, smiling.

“I love you,” he mouths silently.

“I love you,” I mouth back, feeling safe and secure in his arms, with no fears about where he might go or what he might do next.

It’s only been four days since Connor showed up dripping wet, declaring his love for me and calling me his anchor. Maybe a reasonable person would wait to see if he really means it or if he’s going to end up getting restless later after all, but I don’t need to wait.

I see it in his eyes. I feel it in his arms and in my heart.

I’ve tamed the wind, and made it mine.

The End