Forever With You (Silver State Series) (32 page)

“Want company?” Macary asks.  I look at her, masking my expression so my internal debate won’t be quite so obvious.  It’d be rude to say no, but going out on a photo excursion with a girl reminds me of things I don’t want to think about right now – it’s bad enough I’ve been searching the face of every single female I come across, hoping to bump into a certain someone.

I hesitate too long – Macary clears her throat and begins to stand from the chaise she’s been sprawled on.  “Or I don’t have to,” she adds.  Now it’s her turn to stare out at the ocean while I study her face.

To hell with it –
however fucked up my emotions may be at the moment, I still care about Macary, and I hate acting like a bastard around her all the time.  “Yeah sure,” I tell her.  “Come with me.”

Tawny – 9:45 AM

T
oday we’re going jet skiing – another first for me.  Vivian and I are back in our room after eating breakfast, changing into our swimsuits.  I throw on a strapless silver one piece, then yank on a pair of shorts over it.  Finally I sit down on the edge of the mattress to fasten my sandals.

“Hey,” says Vivian as she sits down on the bed across from me.  “You doin’ okay?”

I let out a short sigh and offer her what I hope is a reassuring smile.  “Yeah, I’m fine.”  Viv skeptically raises an eyebrow.  “Really – I’m okay.  I just wanna enjoy what’s left of our week and forget last night even happened.”

She nods, seeming to understand.  “At least he seems sorry, you know?”

I chuckle as I stand up from the bed.  “Yes, I’d say he’s sorry.”  Aiden’s been groveling all morning, apologizing profusely for his behavior last night.  He said he wants to do something special with me tonight to make up for it – just the two of us.

We take a shuttle from the resort to a marina about a mile down the beach; in the distance I can make out “Land’s End,” the rocky arches pictured on all the brochures.  As we strap on life jackets and listen to instructions from our guide, I can’t help becoming distracted by the beauty of our surroundings.  The weather is perfect – warm but not hot, with a spotless blue sky and a white sun that glitters over the turquoise water.

We go out on the jet skis in pairs – Logan and Christie, Aiden and me, and despite Vivian’s adamant protestations, she and Brady ride together.  We spend the next two hours exploring the bay and the pools of crystal clear water in the Sea of Cortez.  First I let Aiden drive, but after a while I pinch him in the side and insist I’d like a turn at steering.  It isn’t as easy as it looks, but after a few minutes I begin to get the hang of it.  I like to go fast – chopping and slicing over the surface of the ocean, imagining how far we could get before running out of gas.  We circle around the rock formations and even spot a couple of dolphins swimming together not far from shore. 

With fifteen minutes remaining in our allotted time, I hit a rough patch of surf and lose control of the Jet Ski, sending both of us flying backward into the water.  We sputter and kick, fighting to catch our breaths while the machine bobs on its side some ways off.  At first we gape at one another in shock, but then we both begin laughing.  Aiden seems giddy with excitement at the fact I’ve forgiven him enough to have a good laugh.  The way he’s held me tighter than strictly necessary on the back of the Jet Ski makes it obvious he’s been worried.

I let him drive back.  We beat the other couples by a few minutes, so Aiden tells me he’s going to use the restroom.  Meanwhile, I unbuckle my sodden life jacket and hang it on the designated line.  I’m still too wet to put my shorts back on, so I just sit down next to the water and stretch my legs out in front of me, letting the white sand stick to them.

A minute passes.  As I wait I look down the beach a ways and see a Mexican man in a straw hat leading a beautiful saddled quarter horse into a makeshift corral.  Slowly I rise to my feet and start walking, ever the sucker for a pretty horse.

When I reach the corral I’m greeted by a sign that reads “Horseback Tours” and five more horses in addition to the one I saw moments before.  I look over at the man with the straw hat and nod toward the blue roan he’d been leading, raising my eyebrows in question.  He nods once, granting me permission to touch her.  I make my way over to her, smiling to myself and missing Queenie back at home.  I pat her silky snout, then run a hand along her smooth, shiny neck.  Back home she’d be a show-worthy horse; here she’s just a beast of burden, a means of milking money out of the tourists.  Seems like a waste for such a beautiful horse, but I can’t fault the owner for capitalizing on her other strengths.

I hear voices coming near, and a moment later a group of people close to my own age round the corner into the horses’ enclosure – they must be the ones going on the tour.  I glance back down at my new friend, whose eyes are closed as she nuzzles into the palm of my hand.  “Bye, baby,” I whisper, giving the horse one last pat on the cheek.  “Don’t let them ride you too hard.”

I pull myself away, seeing my friends have re-convened on the beach and are probably looking for me anyway.  As I turn, I see a pair of familiar, light chocolate eyes, their corners crinkled in a smile that’s directed at the man with the straw hat.  My breath gets caught in my throat, then escapes in a strangled gasp; suddenly I feel like I’m in an episode of “The Twilight Zone.” 
Is that
Kyle
?  What could he be doing here?
 

Before I can question my sanity any further, my eyes land on another familiar face.  It’s the girl from the diner
. 
I’d know those features anywhere, because unfortunately they’ve taken up permanent residence in my brain – same green eyes, same silky brown hair.  I inhale sharply; all I can do is stare like an idiot and wait to be noticed by one or both of them as nausea builds in the pit of my stomach.

“Tawny!”  The sound of my name rouses me from my stupor.  I swallow, suddenly feeling parched, then tear my eyes away from Kyle to find Aiden coming toward me.  Without looking back I break into a run, loping toward Aiden as fast as my long legs can carry me. 

“You scared the shit outta me,” says Aiden, an edge of concern creeping into his voice.  “I about had a panic attack – I thought you’d been kidnapped or something.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, willing myself not to turn back around, even though I want to so badly it’s almost painful.  “I was looking at the horses.”

Aiden hugs me to his side; I trip along beside him as he steers us back toward the marina.  “Take somebody with you next time, okay?”

“Uh huh.”

When we reach the rest of the group Aiden starts talking to Brady while I stand still, mustering the courage to turn back around.  When I finally look back over my shoulder, I see Kyle standing at the entrance to the corral, staring out across the sand at me like he’s trying to figure out whether he recognizes me.  My heart thuds faster –
Lord,
he’d looked like a freaking sun god with his deep tan and bulging arm muscles showcased by his sleeveless shirt –
Is it just my imagination, or have those gotten bigger?
 

I lick my lips as I continue to stare, but again I’m startled by the sound of my name.  “You ready?” asks Aiden, slinging his arm around my shoulder.

“Ready,” I agree, trying but failing to sound perky and normal.

As we head back up the beach toward the shuttle, he shakes his head and chuckles.  “God, I had no idea how much of a horse fanatic you are.”

Kyle – 12:45 PM

I
hadn’t been sure until I saw Tawny that she still had feelings for me.  In fact, as I’ve replayed in my mind the way things just sort of
ended
between us last fall, I’ve often wondered whether she ever had real feelings for me in the first place.  I mean, clearly she’s out of my league – her sudden cold shoulder had made sense in a way. 

Seeing the effect our mere proximity had on her just now, though, makes me question all of that.  She’d seemed so physically shaken – that’s not the way you react to bumping into someone who’s just an old friend, right?  Of course, then she’d noticed Macary, and it was evident from the pain that registered on her face she remembered exactly
who
Macary is…
Fuck
.  I’d hoped that if and when we came across each other, we’d both be alone – but of course chances of that were always going to be slim. 

I can’t imagine what Tawny had been doing in the corral, away from all her friends and the moron she apparently calls her boyfriend – then I remember she rides horses.  She must’ve been visiting with them.  I’ll bet she’s some kind of horse whisperer – she’s so angelic and soft-spoken, I could see one of these giants lying down for her.  God, she’d looked so amazing in that wet swimsuit, with miles of tanned legs and her auburn hair hanging in a damp curtain past her waist.

Needless to say, I’m distracted.  My horse seems to pick up on the fact I’m not totally into it, because he (or she?) keeps dipping his head and shaking his mane while letting out a low snort, almost as if he’s disgusted with me.  I can’t blame him.  
I’m
pretty disgusted with me, too – mostly because I didn’t run after her.

Chapter 30 – Violated

Wednesday, March 22

Tawny – 8:00 PM

I
comb my fingers from the roots to the ends of my hair as I stand in front of the mirrored closet doors, then wipe my sweaty palms against my short denim skirt and tug on the hem of my yellow racerback tank top.  Aiden will be here any minute to walk with me to the restaurant he chose for our romantic evening out.  What I can’t figure out is,
why am I so nervous
?  I’ve been on
dozens
of dates with Aiden – why should this one feel any different?

The truth is, deep down I know the answer.  Scarcely a minute has passed all afternoon when I wasn’t thinking in some way about seeing Kyle earlier…with that girl. 
Macary
– as if I could forget the way her name had sounded when Kyle had spoken it that day.  They must be down here together, the way Aiden and I are.  God Almighty, how I
wish
I didn’t care – but I do.

I turn and walk over to my bed to grab my purse and slip my feet in a pair of slingback wedges – the same ones I wore for my photo shoot with Kyle.  I sit on the foot of the bed to wait, breathing slowly in and out in an attempt to slow my pulse.  Vivian already left with the others to find food in town, so thankfully I have the room all to myself.

Just as I begin to regain command over my heart rate, a loud knock at the door sends it spiraling out of control again.  Aiden waits for me on the other side in a white button down shirt, worn untucked over a pair of dark jeans.  His sleeves are pushed up to his elbows, showing off his veiny, muscular forearms.

He lets out a low whistle.  “Damn, babe.  Turn around.”

I obediently spin around in a slow circle, feeling self-conscious as I do.  As soon as I’m facing forward again, Aiden slips an arm around my waist and pulls me up against his hard chest.  “You look really hot,” he says huskily in my ear.  As I look into his eyes, I can’t help noticing I’m almost the same height as he is in these shoes, whereas Kyle had still been a couple of inches taller.  I squeeze my eyes shut, mentally berating myself for making the comparison.

“Thanks,” I reply, straining ever so slightly against his iron grip.  For a moment I think he might push me backward into the room and lock the door behind us, dinner reservations be damned.  I have to admit, the thought makes me squirm a little.  I drop my head to the side as he plants a hard kiss against the side of my neck; my breathing comes out shallow, and my eyes are wide open, staring out into the empty hallway behind Aiden.

Gradually he loosens his hold on me and shoots me a tortured look as he drops his hand to tangle with mine.  “To be continued,” he murmurs.  I try for an effortless smile as he tugs me out into the hallway and the door shuts and locks behind us.

Don Miguel’s is a part of the resort; it’s a swanky restaurant that serves steaks and fresh Mexican seafood.  Floor-to-ceiling windows wrap around the side of the restaurant that faces the ocean, while the opposite wall is lined with private cove seating – a wall curves around the back of each table for two, ensuring privacy for the couples seated there.  A man in a crisp white shirt and black sport coat leads us to one of the alcoves, and Aiden and I both slide in behind the linen-draped table.  I notice the wall also seems to be soundproof – from here it’s almost possible to forget the restaurant is packed with other people.

Our server is a Mexican woman with long black hair pulled back at the nape of her neck in a neat ponytail.  She recommends a vintage bottle of white zinfandel, which Aiden promptly agrees to.  I try not to think about how much it must costs as she pours the chilled liquid in each of our glasses.  I’ve never cared much for wine, but it looks like I’ll have to choke some down tonight to keep from hurting Aiden’s feelings.

After we’ve placed our entrée orders, Aiden tucks his hand between the seat and the small of my back and begins kneading his fingers into the taut muscles there.  “So, are you glad you came?” he asks in a low voice.

“Yes, I am – thank you for inviting me,” I reply.  “Otherwise I’d probably be in Winnemucca right now, eating popcorn and watching ‘Cosby Show’ reruns.”

He chuckles.  “Nah, if we hadn’t come here I would’ve taken you back to Vegas with me.  You could’ve met my folks, and then we’d stay at one of the casinos on the Strip.”

I force a smile.  Aiden’s never talked to me about meeting his parents before; he’s also never expressed any interested in meeting mine.  I remind myself not to read into it – we’ve been dating for close to five months now, after all.  That’s probably an acceptable amount of time to start thinking about meeting each other’s families. 
Besides,
I think,
at least he’s already met Rhiannon
.