Complete Indelible Love Series

by Cee, DW

  Mom spoke, “We are having lunch, then going to a movie. Why don’t you join us, Donovan? I don’t ever get a chance to speak with you.”

  “I’d like to, but I’m quite behind with this one client. I need to draft some proposals.”

  Mom spoke again. “Why don’t you come back and work at our place? It’s beautiful today. I know Laney’s behind in her editing. You both can sit outside, I’ll make some iced tea and lemonade, and I promise I won’t bother you too much. Say you’ll come spend an afternoon with us.”

  “How can I refuse such an offer?” His smile was melting every female in the shop. “Am I going to bother you if we work side by side?”

  I shrugged my shoulders in answer. After the conversation I heard last night between him and Jane, Donovan wasn’t high on my list of favorite people right now. Some days...like today...it hurt even to be near him.

  Mom caught a ride in Donovan’s convertible while the rest of us walked home.

  “Daddy, would it be all right if I stopped by somewhere before going home?”

  “Sure. Where are you stopping by?”

  “Just a few places. I need to walk off all this food.”

  “But you hardly ate. You only picked at your food. Is everything OK, Baby?”

  “I’m fine. I’d just like to take the long way home.”

  My dad let me go and I walked to the park, not so close to my house. Sitting on the swing, I tried to shake this not-so-happy feeling. I despised the fact that my moods rode the waves of Donovan Taylor’s whims. I also despised the fact that I had to work to control my feelings whenever he was around. This was not who I wanted to be, and I was tired of myself!

  “Finally, you’re home.” Donovan looked up from his laptop when I came in from my walk.

  I nodded yes.

  “You want some iced tea, Laney? It’s beautiful outside. Why don’t you bring your laptop and join us?” Mom motioned her hand furiously and had me join them.

  I grabbed my laptop from my bedroom and sat next to Mom, as far away from Donovan as possible. As soon as I sat, Mom got a phone call and left us.

  “Everything good?” Without looking into his eyes, I nodded yes. “What’s the matter? What’s with the silent treatment? I hate it when you girls do that. Rachel and Becky used to do that kind of shit all the time just to drive me crazy.”

  How did I explain to this guy that last night I heard him tell Jane he wanted her and he wanted Kate? How did I explain this without having to explain that I wished for him to want me and only me? How did I do this without sounding pathetic and desperate and having him laugh at me? Simply stated, I didn’t.

  “Here.” I put an envelope on the table. “This is your earnings from the golf pool yesterday. Dad says you’re the big winner. That’s a lot of cash to add to your depleted pile for this month. I’m sure buying gifts for Kate is not an easy undertaking.”

  “Thanks.” He casually looked through the bundle. “Why do you have this?”

  “Dad asked me to give it to you yesterday, but I couldn’t approach you so I kept it and figured I’d give it to Jake.”

  “Why couldn’t you approach me yesterday?” I shrugged my shoulders, again. “Shit, Delaney. Finish the conversation.” He was frustrated.

  “You and my cousin looked to be in such a deep and personal conversation I thought it was best not to bother you.”

  “Is that what you’re pissed about?” He gave me a challenging stare.

  “I’m not pissed about anything. I just don’t have much to say to you.” That came out more defensively than I’d planned.

  Donovan scratched his head like crazy with both hands and declared, “You women all drive me insane! Grab a bathing suit. Let’s go for a drive!” He commanded in his usual domineering way. With pursed lips and raised eyebrows, I let my displeasure in his tone be apparent. “Sorry. If you’ll get a suit on, there’s some place I’d like to take you. I haven’t taken anyone there, yet, and I’d really love for you to see it.” Now why couldn’t he have said this to begin with?

  By the time I came down with a bikini under my tunic dress, Donovan had cleaned up what was on the patio table, and had told my parents we were going out for the afternoon. Mom and Dad waved a silent good-bye from the kitchen table as we left for our excursion.

  “Where are we going?”

  “A surprise.”

  He placed two plastic cups of ice tea Mom had packed in to-go cups in his cup holder, and set us out for our drive.

  “How far?”

  “About 90 minutes.”

  “North, South or East?”

  “North. Do you know how I won all that money yesterday?”

  I shook my head no because I really didn’t understand how and why these men gambled so much over a game of golf.

  “We all had to pick who we thought would be the top three finishers in yesterday’s tournament. As soon as I saw you and Nolan, I changed my original entry and I put Nolan as third-place finisher, me as second-place finisher, and you as the top finisher.” Now that put a smile on my face. “I knew you’d be happy to hear my confession.”

  “Why would you pick me as the top place finisher when you’re a much better golfer?”

  “I am a great golfer, but never when you are around. Thanks to you, I believe I made over a thousand dollars yesterday.”

  “No way!”

  “Yes way!” He laughed. “After we have some fun, I’ll take you out to dinner. It’s only fair I spend this money on you, since you helped me win it.”

  While talking about this and that, it was a short hour plus ride up to the beach, and to a tiny little shack of a home right on the beach. There was actually a cluster of homes across from the water in all different shapes and sizes, but all very tiny. Donovan unlocked the door to one of these shacks.

  “Where are we?”

  “My new home.”

  “What do you mean your new home?”

  “I mean I just purchased this beach house a couple of weeks ago, and it’s actually my first time here since I bought it.”

  He gave me the grand tour of the two bedrooms, one bathroom and really small living room, kitchen and dining room all combined in one. I noticed the bedroom had a tiny fireplace and a magnificent view of the beach. It was perfect.

  “Give me a second, and I’ll get my suit and some towels. I want to go try something with you.”

  This shack was sparsely furnished, but when I looked through the kitchen, every cupboard was bare. “Where did some of this furniture come from if you just bought the place?” I asked while nosing around the place and opening all the drawers and cupboards.

  “The guy I bought it from; he had to leave for another job immediately. So I bought the house and pretty much everything in it.”

  “You know there’s nothing in the kitchen but major appliances?”

  “Yeah. I suppose I’ll get around to buying kitchen ware but I don’t have a clue where to begin.”

  “This is your first time coming here?”

  “Yes. The deal went through while we were in Hawaii. And I haven’t had a chance to come here till today.”

  “It’s really nice here—perfect for a young married couple. You and your wife will have a great time here together.” That last statement was so unnecessary. It was stupid of me to bring up Donovan and his future wife. It also made me sad to think he and I would not have much of a friendship once he got married. Donovan didn’t answer.

  “There are kiteboards outside in the locker. Have you ever been kiteboarding before?”

  “No. I’ve never done that before. What is it? “

  “I think it’s also called kitesurfing. It’s a combination of surfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, and paragliding. It doesn’t look easy, but since you’re such a strong surfer, I think you can do it. Last time I was here, I saw a guy on the beach giving lessons. Let’s go try it.”

  Kiteboarding, or kite surfing, wa
s exactly what it sounded like—a short surfboard + a kite. Our instructor had us blow up the kites with a manual pump, harness the kite to our bodies, and once we understood how to control the handle, he demonstrated what to do. It was harder than it looked. We followed the instructor into the ocean, and let the kite drag us far in. The hardest part of this entire activity was getting both feet into the slipper-looking feet holders on the board. My feet continually slipped out as I tried to stand.

  Finally, we both got up and the ride was thrilling! Our instructor told us that due to the mild winds, we’d be able to ride longer than beginners can usually hang on. I did well for a while till I slipped and the board came loose. Donovan was surfing beautifully and every time he flexed, I got a gorgeous view of his muscular chest. He waved and gave me his iconic smile. I waved back with a silly grin and of course wiped out entirely. It was utterly embarrassing how badly I wiped out in front of Donovan!

  Our two-hour lesson flew by. We both had so much fun learning a new sport.

  “You want to kiteboard some more or do you want to give it a rest for now?” Donovan came over to me and asked when we got back on the sand.

  “Let’s stop for now. I’m starving. Let’s go eat.”

  “What do you want to eat?”

  “Let’s go to that little restaurant over there,” I pointed to the beach shack that looked like it had good seafood, lively music, and a rowdy crowd.

  After deflating the kites and rinsing everything off, we put the equipment back in the locker, quickly “showered” outside, and roughly dried ourselves clean. I put my tunic back on, and we walked over to the restaurant.

  “What would you like to eat, Little Girl?”

  “Oysters, raw and deep-fried, clam strips, crab, fish tacos, any or all sound good.”

  “We’ll order a dozen Hama Hama oysters, a small basket of clam strips, a whole Dungeness crab steamed and shelled, and clam chowder in a bread bowl.” While I looked at him in wonder he asked, “Beer or wine?”

  “Pinot blanc.”

  “There you go.” He finished his order with the server then turned to me. “There’s laughter in your eyes. What’s so funny?” Shoot! My eyes betrayed me. Did I want to tell him? “Speak!” He was so bossy!

  “Back in December when we were all in New York, my brother, Nick, Jane, Max and I went to an all-you-can-eat crab place and at this place, I had mentioned that I wanted to find a man who would shell an entire crab for me and hand it to me on a silver platter.” I laughed and took a sip of my wine. “Doug then proceeded to burst my bubble and tell me I’d be lucky to find a man who could buy me crabs, let alone shell them for me.”

  “So I’m your knight in shining armor who will hand you a mound of crab on a silver platter?” He kidded while drinking his beer.

  I shook my head no. “When you placed the order, I thought maybe I should lower my standards and look for a man who might order it shelled, instead. At this point in my life, I am beginning to think Emily found the only knight in shining armor in America.”

  “Trust me. Jake is not as much of a prince as you’ve conjured him up to be in your head. He can be an asshole, too—just like the rest of us.”

  “I think you’re wrong. Didn’t you see him changing out Emily’s shoes for her because her feet began to swell? The way he tenderly replaced the shoes from her pregnant feet was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen in my twenty-two-years of life. You tell me that wasn’t chivalrous and indulgent.” Donovan showed a bit of caprice in his smile as he listened to me drone on about my cousin.

  “Your knight will come, Delaney. No need to give up hope already. You’re only twenty-two.”

  Our soup came first, and we shared from one big bread bowl. Then the oysters came and I was in heaven. Between the smell of the ocean, the crashing of the waves, and the delicious oysters, I was in my element. It didn’t hurt that Donovan Taylor was a part of this element.

  “You know what’s the best way to eat oysters?”

  “What, Little Girl?”

  “Hama Hama oysters with a slab of uni, a dollop of caviar, a sprig of cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon—now that’s the best way to eat an oyster.”

  “Damn, Little Girl! No knight is that rich. He’s a working class man, not royalty. You better make your own fortune, then look for your knight.”

  “Why Mr. Taylor...I think I will do just that.” I winked at him and ate the last oyster.

  The mound of crab came just as I got a phone call.

  “Hey, Doug.”

  “Where are you? You still with Donovan?”

  “We are at the beach. What’s up?”

  “We decided to go to a later movie, and Jake and Emily decided to join us. You guys up for it? It’s a 7:00pm showing.”

  “I don’t know. I can join but...”

  “What’s up?” Donovan asked when I stepped away from the conversation with my brother.

  “The Reids are going to a 7:00pm movie. They want to know if we’re game.”

  “What the hell? I’ve played all weekend. Might as well finish it off with a bang. We’re in.”

  “You heard that?”

  “We’re going to that fancy theater with the reclining chairs and dinner service. Buy your tickets online.”

  “You’re not buying them for me?” I kidded. There was no way my brother was buying me an expensive movie ticket.

  “Hell no! You’ve got a rich date sitting across from you at dinner. Have him pay for your movie.” There was no hesitation in that statement.

  “Good-bye.”

  “See ya.”

  “What are you doing?” Donovan looked over my phone.

  “Searching for the movie so I can purchase tickets. Everyone has seats already. They want us to get seats right now.”

  “Give me that,” he took over my phone, and punched in his information along with his credit card info. He handed the phone back to me when he was done. “I told you I won a lot of money yesterday, thanks to you.”

  “It wasn’t thanks to me. It was thanks to your gambling skills.”

  “We should get going if we’re going to make it back for the movies.”

  Having done good damage to the meal, Donovan changed back into his clothes, and took the dirty towels and bathing suit back with us. I was pretty grubby, but I put one of Donovan’s college sweatshirts over my tunic, made sure I had no more sand on me, then hopped into the car.

  “Should I put up the top?”

  “Naw. It’s gorgeous out. Why drive a convertible if you’re going to keep the top on?”

  “My sentiment exactly, Ms. Reid.”

  The ride back home was a quick one only because—I fell asleep! I woke up to Donovan opening my side of the door and putting his hand on my head.

  “Princess, we’re here,” he whispered in my ear, and almost carried me out.

  “I’m sorry. What a friend I turned out to be today. You helped me learn a new sport, bought me dinner, and are taking me to the movies, and here I am falling asleep the second we get in the car.”

  He still had his arm around my shoulder as I was a bit dazed getting out of the car. Two hours of an extreme water sport, and a glass of wine put me in a deep sleep.

  “I’ve had more fun with you today than I’ve had on any date in a very long time.”

  Of course he didn’t consider what we did today a date, but it was nice to hear.

  “Laney. Over here.” Emily called us to their seats.

  Originally, our seats were behind Jake and Emily, but we traded with my brother and Nick, and I sat next to Emily.

  “You kids have a good time today?” Jake asked with a quizzical smile—quizzical only to me. “You take our Laney to the hut?”

  “I did. We learned to kiteboard, we had an all seafood dinner, and here we are watching a movie with you. Does that meet with your approval?” Donovan asked with sarcasm.

  Emily and I decided to recline ou
r seats while the men talked around us. This heavenly theater offered fully reclining seats, in-theater dining, pillows, and a plush blanket. Next thing I knew, both Emily and I were being woken up as the credits rolled. I remembered seeing absolutely none of the movie.

  “Princess,” Donovan whispered in my ear. “You’ll never know if the guy you’re with is your knight in shining armor if you keep falling asleep on him.” He let out a deep masculine chuckle.

  “Damn! I fell asleep again. Sorry! What an expensive nap. I owe you a movie.”

  He chuckled again. “I’m holding you to that.” He pulled me up, and we walked out of the theater with his arm around me again. I could get used to this kind of attention.

  “Laney,” Doug spoiled my dream. “What did you do today? You look like hell.”

  “I do?” I asked Donovan whose face gentled upon looking me over.

  “You look adorable,” he declared and walked next to me.

  After the kind of day we had, and after that statement and sweet look he gave me, I was tempted to link my fingers with his and hold his hand, had my cousins and brother not been with us. Donovan’s words made me feel bolder by the second, but as our fingers accidentally brushed, I woke up to the realization that Donovan’s feelings did not equal mine. As much as my heart was already his, I clearly heard him tell Jane last night that he was confused because his heart belonged to both Kate and Jane. These were words I couldn’t and shouldn’t forget—no matter how wonderful the day with Donovan Taylor.

  April 26, 2013 Donovan’s Date

  Our Wednesday carpool and softball game was cut short even before my alarm went off. Donovan called to tell me he would be in Las Vegas all day meeting with a client and didn’t think he’d get back in time for the game. He made sure I had a ride, told me to have a nice day, and went off to earn his pay. Since I had spent almost the entire weekend with Donovan, I did feel his absence even more profoundly than usual. On Friday, Jake and Emily were going out, so I rushed home as soon as classes were over to watch my favorite twins.