Beyond Now: The Hutton Family Book 3

by Brooks, Abby

  “Feel like talking about it?”

  Maisie shook her head. “Nah.” She pushed off my lap and leaned on the edge of the boat, staring out at the water. A heavy wind blew in off the ocean, the chill in the air alerting me to a change in the weather. Her phone kept buzzing like a pissed off little hornet and the weight on her shoulders grew with each missed text or call.

  “Is it always like this?” I asked.

  She let out a short little laugh. “This is an easy day.” She shook herself visibly. “That’s not true. Some days are difficult. You know, the cliché of the temperamental artist exists for a reason.” She offered a bright smile that I was starting to think was a piece of armor instead of a genuine expression. “But sometimes we win big. You know? Like when I land that huge deal for an artist or negotiate that bigger payout.” She bobbed her head as if she were trying to sell herself on a story she wasn’t quite aware she was selling.

  “But even then, it’s missing something isn’t it?”

  Maisie frowned, two deep lines etched between her brows. “Sometimes even the successes feel really hollow. Like this guy I’m working for now. He’s so talented. He has more potential in his pinky finger than some people have in their entire body. And at first, it felt like I had found this light to shine onto the world. Turns out he’s such an egotistical prick…” Maisie sighed and shook herself again. “But if all I ever did was focus on the negative side of this business, I wouldn’t be where I am. Things are better for me than I ever dreamed possible.”

  She was lying to herself. I could see it clear as day. She had all the flash and glamor she never had as a kid—which had to feel like a win—but it wasn’t feeding her soul. She was missing something and didn’t even know it.

  Her phone buzzed again and her head dropped just as the low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. “Tell you what,” I said. “You answer that and put out whatever fires are burning back home. I’ll get us back to The Hut before that storm hits and we’ll pick up where we left off later.” I ran a hand through her hair and met those soulful blue eyes.

  My instinct was to throw her phone into the water. To rescue her from the bully just like I used to when we were younger. But we weren’t kids anymore and Maisie could take care of herself.

  At least that’s what I kept telling myself as she dug through her bag, carrying more weight on those slim shoulders than seemed humanly possible.

  Fourteen

  Maisie

  The trip back to The Hut was both choppy and nauseating. The growing storm had the waves increasing in strength and the temper tantrum Collin had thrown when he saw the size of his part in the movie I negotiated for him had my stomach churning. I mean, I don’t know how much more clear I could have been. A bit part was small by definition. It was also one hell of start for a musician who just hit the scene. His lack of gratitude made me angry. I called in half a dozen favors and worked a miracle for him, and he threw a fit because it wasn’t big enough.

  But more than the anger and frustration, more than the nausea, embarrassment boiled through my body.

  I was embarrassed that Caleb saw me barking orders at my personal assistant—as if she had anything to do with what happened. Embarrassed that he saw my boss tear into me like I was a poorly behaved dog. Embarrassed that he saw the ugly underbelly of my perfect little life. He seemed so happy. So content. So aware of what it was he wanted and needed. When I answered that phone, it became clear he and I didn’t operate on the same level.

  Yes, I busted my butt to make other people’s lives better, and yes, sometimes the payout was amazing, but more often than not, my lifestyle took a toll. I had always assumed that was the price I paid for success, but Caleb brought joy to people as well and if he paid for it, I sure as hell couldn’t tell. What could possibly happen in his life that would have him yelling into his phone the way I just did? Hell, he didn’t even have a smartphone. I didn’t think you could be mad while holding a flip phone to your ear.

  We made it back to the dock just as the sky unleashed a holy fury on us. The raindrops fell fast and hard, stinging when they slapped against my skin, and my hair was matted to my head in seconds. I shoved my phone deep into my bag so the rain wouldn’t hurt it even when part of me wanted to throw it in the ocean and be done with everyone it connected me to.

  “What can I do?” I yelled over the wind as Caleb sprang into action, securing the boat.

  He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. The rain ran down our faces. I tasted the elements on his skin and lightening flashed in the distance. “Just that,” he said, then kissed me again. “And that.” Another kiss. “And that.” He drew back, smiling as he blinked the rain out of his thick lashes. “Now, get inside and dry off. I’ve got this.”

  I tried to argue, but he wouldn’t hear it. Before I knew what was happening, I was back in the privacy of my bungalow, drying my face and stripping out of my wet clothes in between answering texts. Collin’s tantrum had escalated and now I had not only him to deal with, but also the studio, his label, and my boss’ boss all acting like they had the solution to the problem. (Pro-tip: There wasn’t a problem. Collin had speaking lines in a movie during his first year of stardom. There were musicians who went their entire career and never made it onto the silver screen.)

  I washed my face, then pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, piling my hair into a messy bun on top of my head. Intending to get to work, I grabbed my laptop and sat on the bed, but my mind spun circles around Caleb.

  Was he angry with me for cutting our day short? (Probably not. The storm was going to do that for us anyway.)

  Did he understand? (Probably. This was Caleb, after all.)

  When could I see him again? (As soon as possible, please!)

  If it was that explosive when we kissed, what would happen when we finally had sex? (I didn’t have an answer for that one, but trying to come up with one was…interesting.)

  Would we finally have sex? (If I have any say in the matter, then yes. Definitely.)

  Or, was it foolishness for me to still be in the Keys at all? (No. I meant yes. I meant…)

  “Damn it, Maisie,” I muttered, flopping onto my back. I stared at the ceiling as my stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and I had no idea what time it was. “Enough with the over-analyzing already.”

  My phone buzzed just as a knock scared the hell out of me. I answered the call, pinching the device between my ear and my shoulder as I moved to open the door and found a smiling Caleb standing there with a bag of carryout in his hands.

  “I’ll call you right back,” I said to Collin, then hung up before he could respond.

  “Ballsy.” Caleb lifted an eyebrow. “I like it.” The sun hung low in the sky, setting it ablaze in a symphony of color. For the first time since I made it back to my room, I became aware of the rhythmic rush of the waves. What else had I missed while I hustled like hell to soothe Collin West’s temperamental soul?

  Caleb held up the bag of food. “I had the kitchen make you some dinner.”

  “You didn’t have to do that,” I said as I took it from him, greedily peering at the stacks of containers inside.

  “Yes, I did.” He leaned against the doorframe and shoved his hands in his pockets, giving me the most charming smile I had ever seen. (And I came from the land of handsome men and perfect smiles, so that was saying something.) “I got the impression you wouldn’t have remembered to feed yourself until too late.”

  He was right. It happened all too often. I’d look up from one of the many screens in front of me and realize it was too late to worry about food. “Oh, yeah?” I asked, curious to see how he’d respond. “What makes you say that?”

  “You take care of everyone else’s needs over your own.”

  “That’s not true.” Taking care of everyone else’s needs was taking care of my needs. That was how I paid my debt to the universe at large, for handing me the tools I needed to dig my way out of my pa
rents’ life.

  “Really?” Caleb cocked his head and drew his eyebrows together. “What time is it, May-bell?”

  I had no clue and he knew it. Laughing, I checked my phone, and there was no hiding the surprise on my face when I saw it was eight o’clock.

  My stomach rumbled its gratitude for the food in my hand just as another call came in.

  Caleb gave me a knowing smile. “Point proven. Answer it. Go on and save the world, Maisie. Just don’t forget to eat.” He dropped me a wink as I mouthed a thank you, before taking the call and closing the door.

  Fifteen

  Maisie

  At some point during a very long night, an idea hatched. I would wake up early and surprise Caleb at the start of his day with coffee and breakfast. Then, after a quick internet search and some hunting around, I discovered I could book space on all the tours he had going out tomorrow. Which I did, grinning like an idiot at his inefficient website. That man really needed to step into this decade!

  Because my work ruined our first real day together, surprising him at his work so we could spend our entire second day together seemed a fitting way to make things up to him. Sure, we would be surrounded by tourists and he would be occupied doing whatever it was he did every day, but we’d still be together and then, as soon as the boat pulled up to the dock at precisely six pm (according to the dinosaur he called a website) the evening would be ours.

  As I pulled the covers up around me sometime after two in the morning, I hoped my sudden arrival at the dock wouldn’t seem too stalker-ish, then laughed off the thought. He was the one that asked (read: demanded) that I stay in the Keys in the first place. Aggression and directness seemed to be the name of the game between us. Which was good. I appreciated directness.

  Obviously, I slept through my first alarm. And my second. So there wasn’t a whole lot of time to get ready when I finally rolled out of bed. I pulled on a swimsuit and sundress, then took a peek in the mirror. My hair had gone wavy after being drenched in rainwater. Normally, I would straighten or curl it into submission, but there was something kind of nice about the relaxed waves, doing what they wanted to do. I didn’t have time for makeup, so I washed my face and called it good enough.

  I wouldn’t dream of leaving my apartment like this in Los Angeles. Too much was riding on me being professional and presentable at any given juncture. But things moved at a slower pace here and as I slipped outside, the sun just barely peeking above the horizon and the wind from the ocean causing my hair to dance around my shoulders, I had to admit, it felt…nice.

  Using the map on my phone, I located what looked like a decent coffee shop and grabbed us some go-juice and grub, then made my way to the marina as the sun started its trek into the sky. I kept the radio off, allowing my thoughts to keep me company as I continued to check off all the ways Los Angeles differed from the Keys.

  More relaxed. Check.

  Slower paced. Check.

  Filled with memories, both good and bad. Check.

  Had people who cared about me…

  That last thought was a surprise. Surely I believed people cared about me in LA. I was Brighton’s maid of honor. Several of my clients owed their entire career to me. But I thought through the list of people surrounding me back home and all I really ended up with was that solitary plant waiting for me on the shelf next to Caleb’s picture. And that wasn’t even a people.

  Hmmm.

  But who did I think cared about me here? Caleb, obviously. I expected the list to end there, but my brain went right ahead and ticked down the rest of his family, even though I had only seen them once, for a few hours, yesterday.

  “And Eli wasn’t even there,” I reminded myself, only for my head to insist he would have been just as excited to see me as the rest of the Hutton crew.

  The thoughts were equal parts comforting and unsettling. Was I lonely? Was I actually lonely, living the dream in the city of angels? It didn’t seem like that could be right—I was literally surrounded by people out there—but the more I thought about it, the more I could see the truth.

  I, Maisie Brown, reverser of fortunes, luck amplifier to the up and coming best and brightest, was lonely.

  Well, okay then.

  I turned on the radio for the rest of the trip and focused on how surprised Caleb would be when I finally arrived. My plan had been to beat him there, but I pulled up beside his convertible just as he killed the engine. He turned to me, a pair of aviators making him look utterly delectable.

  “Hey, you,” I called as I stood, holding out the coffee like a peace offering.

  A wide grin broke across his face. “Well hey there, beautiful.” He stood, closed the door, and met me in front of the vehicle. One arm snaked around my waist as he drew me close. “I didn’t expect to see you today.”

  “Yeah, well, surprise! I didn’t get enough of you yesterday. My fault! I know. Work, work, work. I’m a living breathing Rihanna song.” I grinned, hoping he spent enough time in this decade to get the joke. “I thought I’d make up for it today. I am officially all yours.”

  Caleb frowned and stepped back, looking as dejected as a teenaged boy watching his crush dance with someone else. “I’ll be on the water until six. I’m sorry, May-bell. I thought I said that yesterday.”

  “You did.” I nodded enthusiastically. “And I’ll be on the water with you. I have officially booked all your tours, even though your website is a more of an antique than your phone.”

  It was difficult to read his expression through his sunglasses, but I thought he looked pleased. “You expect me to be able to concentrate on work with you looking like that? For that matter, how in the world am I going to be able to flirt with all the ladies?”

  “Is that your secret to success? Slap on a fake accent, flash those muscles and that smile, then rake in the moola?”

  “You forgot my charming charisma.”

  I pulled back to slap him on the arm. “And your unwavering confidence.”

  “Obviously. Tools of the trade, Maisie. I feel like you should know this.” Caleb took a long pull of his coffee and shook his head. “Well, come on then. You’re here early enough, you can help me get the boat ready, if you’re interested in learning how to handle the ropes.”

  I could handle his rope all day long. “I am at your disposal, Cap’n,” I said with a little salute. “Tell me where you want me and I’m all yours.”

  He stopped in his tracks and turned to me, sliding off his aviators so I could see the devilish look glinting in his playful eyes. “Careful what you say, there. You never know how someone might take it.”

  “Look at you. So sure I said that on accident. Aren’t you cute?” With that, I sauntered on ahead of him, reveling in his deep, appreciative laughter before I turned back. “Oh. I almost forgot,” I said as I held out my phone with a flourish. “This will not be joining us today.” I pulled open the door to my rental and slipped my phone inside the glove box before locking the doors and tossing the keys into my bag. “I am officially yours.”

  Caleb draped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close. “But that’s nothing new,” he said. “You’ve always been mine.”

  He smiled, and I laughed, and somewhere, deep inside my heart, I recognized the truth of his words. For a moment, I worried about the impossibility of our situation before burying those fears in a box in the back of my mind.

  Today was ours and nothing was going to get in the way of that.

  Sixteen

  Caleb

  Having Maisie on the boat with me all day was better than I could have imagined. I used her as a model when I demonstrated how to use the gear. She sipped on drinks as I steered the boat through the water. Sometimes we talked, and sometimes we just sat together, enjoying each other’s company. I frequently found her staring at me, looking both happy and sad. The moment she caught me watching her, the look would vanish and I’d be left wondering what was going on in her head.

  She was even more beautiful today th
an she had all week. All the LA polish had worn off last night, leaving nothing but her pretty features on display. Her blond hair hung in soft waves down her back, free to move as she turned her head. Her warm, blue eyes stood out from her natural face. Somehow, the makeup she usually wore took away from her beauty and I wondered if she knew how little effort she needed to actually be stunning.

  She watched as I fielded drunken questions and selfie requests, catching my gaze with wide eyes. “Cap’n Caleb has real star power,” she said during a moment of quiet.

  “I like to have fun. People appreciate that.”

  “Sure, like your stunning good looks have nothing to do with it.”

  I brushed off the compliment. “It’s the accent and you know it.”

  At the end of the day, she helped me get the boat back into the marina, securing her to the dock while I shut everything down. All in all, having Maisie around was easy and made a wonderful day even better. It was like she turned up the volume on all the stuff I normally enjoyed. I said as much as we made our way back to the parking lot and she laughed.

  “So this will sound weird, but back home…I kind of consider myself a luck amplifier.” She blushed in a rare moment of embarrassment and looked down at her feet, as the wind blew her hair into her face. I tucked a strand behind her ear. She leaned into the touch and glanced up at me. “Maybe I’m just an amplifier,” she offered with a delicate smile.

  “Maybe,” I replied. “Seems like it to me, anyway. Things are just better when you’re around.”

  Again, the next logical question would be so how long are you going to be around, anyway? But I didn’t want to ruin the moment, so I shoved the question away.

  I was breaking all my rules to be with her. Nothing short-term. No one-night stands. No tourists.

  But this was Maisie.