Rowan Revived

by Colbert, Taylor Danae

  “Can’t wait.”

  As soon as her car disappears from the driveway, I head to the barn to grab the cooler I packed. It has a few beers, and a chocolate pie for later. I drag it down the dock and load up the boat. I go back inside and change into a nicer button-up and some khaki shorts, then head back down to the boat. I’m lying on the back seat while the wake from a passing boat rocks me back and forth, when I hear her coming down the dock.

  She’s got on a little sundress again, some sandals, and her hair is pinned back, spiraling down her back. I sit up and smile.

  “I wasn’t sure if this was nice enough, for where we’re going,” she shrugs, looking down at her ensemble. I stand up and offer her my hand, helping her onto the boat.

  “You look perfect.”

  She smiles and kisses my cheek, then settles down in one of the seats. I untie us and push off, then start the engine.

  “So, where are we headed?” she asks. I smile and shrug as I pick up speed. It’s like the Bay knows I’m trying to sell it. The sky is streaked with pink and orange, and the Bay is reflecting them back onto us. The air is warm but not clammy, and the water is weirdly calm. We ride for a while before we see the lights ahead.

  “What’s that?” she asks, leaning forward.

  “Good old Nap Town,” I say.

  “Nap Town?”

  “Annapolis,” I smile. “It’s where we’re having dinner.”

  A few minutes later, I pull the boat into the public dock, cut the engine, and tie it off. Her eyes are gleaming, reflecting the lights of the bars and businesses, and I can’t help but smile as she takes it all in. I step off onto the dock, then help her follow me, lifting her by her waist. I take her hand and start leading her down the picture-perfect streets of Annapolis.

  “This is so cute,” she says, looking up and down at all the shops and windows. Finally, we get to the spot I’ve been looking for, Blu’s. I made a reservation for eight o’clock, and Carson, the owner, never lets me down. He greets us at the door and shakes our hands, leading us to the back of the restaurant, and out onto the patio. He takes us to a table all set up in the back corner. I smile and shake his hand again.

  “Thanks so much, Carson,” I say. He smiles and claps my back.

  “You got it, man. Let me know if you need anything while you’re here. Lena, so nice to meet you,” he says, before swinging back around and heading into the busy restaurant.

  My parents used to give out coupons and flyers for Blu’s. It’s a quick drive or boat ride to Annapolis from Baycrest, and Mom and Dad did a lot of advertising for them, and vice versa. Carson’s mom passed away from cancer a few years back, and his dad has advanced Alzheimer’s. We’re sort of brothers in arms in that we both have a huge, beautiful burden to carry on for our families.

  “Do the Rowans just know everyone on this Bay?” she asks, settling into her chair. I smile.

  “Only the good ones.”

  Carson’s staff brings our food in record time, and we shovel it down hungrily—me more so than her. I’m anxious to get to the rest of the night. I pay our bill, leaving a generous tip since I know that Carson already comped half our meal, and we head back to the boat. We take off again, and she’s leaned back against the seat with my jacket over top of her, breathing in the cooler night air.

  I take a detour on the way home, steering us out toward the open water. Only a few other boats are in sight, and they’re all strung up with bright lights. When I see Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, I cut the engine. I make my way toward her, grabbing the cooler and pulling out two beers on my way. I spread a blanket out across the bench seats at the back of the boat, and motion for her to come back. She does, we clank bottles, and throw back a swig.

  “It’s amazing out here,” she says, and I smile as I pull her into me. I look around at the water, getting darker as it mimics the sky. My Bay is doing its job tonight. She leans over to set her beer down, then turns back to me, putting a hand on my face.

  “Thank you for this,” she says. “This is amazing.” She pushes up to kiss me. Our lips part and she rests her forehead on mine. “Ugh. I don’t ever want to leave this place.”

  My heart begins racing in my chest at the thought. I’ve been doing a good job at suppressing it.

  “Josie’s working on it,” I tell her. I use my finger to tilt her chin up. “Because I don’t want you to leave, either.” Her eyes search mine, and she traces my lips with her thumb.

  “Let’s go back to pretending everything’s taken care of,” she whispers. I smile against her lips as she presses them onto me.

  To my surprise, she lifts up her dress slightly so that she can straddle me. She squeezes her thighs against me as she runs her fingers through my hair, gently tugging it to tilt my head back. She kisses my neck and gently bites my earlobe, and immediately, the rest of my body springs to action...if you know what I mean.

  She moans against my ear as she bites, and it sends a shock down my spine. My grip on her thighs tightens as I pull her closer.

  She pulls away for a moment, and I clear my throat.

  “Ms. Winter,” I say, staring down at her lips, swollen from their conquest of my neck and ears. “You’re getting me excited out on open waters.”

  She smiles, leaning down to take my bottom lip in her teeth.

  “Then I guess you’re just gonna have to fuck me on open waters.”

  My jaw drops as she leans back. She takes my hand, slowly dragging it up her thigh to her panties underneath. She reaches out and unbuttons my shorts, tugging them until she has the access she needs. Her hand strokes me a few times, getting me ready. She reaches her hand up, using a finger to pull her panties aside, then slowly, painfully slowly, she slides down on top of me, taking all of me in. She moans and throws her head back, and I swear I’m about to bust right this second. It’s unbelievable how fast she can make me this way. And how when we’re done, I want nothing more than to be with her again.

  She begins to ride me, and I know neither of us are going to last long. With the cool breeze, the last of the sunlight, and the small danger of someone seeing, it’s way too intense to make it last.

  But we don’t need it to. Because I know we’re going to last. We have to.

  She moves up and down a few more times, clenching around me until I can’t take it. I worry I’m going to leave fingerprints on her ass from clutching it so hard, but judging by the way she’s digging her nails into me, I think I’ll have some marks of my own. Finally, as she rocks back and forth one more time, she pulls my head into her as she clutches on, letting my name escape her lips in the sexiest way it’s ever been spoken.

  “Yes, baby,” I whisper into her hair, as she slowly comes down off of her high while I’m finishing, too. When she opens her eyes again, I smile and kiss her lips gently. Then her jawline, her neck, her cheekbone, her nose. She shimmies off of me, and I reach for a napkin for her. She collapses back onto the seat, curling up against me.

  “Well,” I say, letting out a long sigh. “That’s the hottest fucking boat ride I’ve ever been on.” Her face bursts into laughter and my heart swells.

  “Me too, Captain,” she says with a wink. A few moments of silence pass, then I feel her grip around me tighten. “What if Josie can’t fix this?”

  I’m not sure what to say. I don’t know how to answer her. So I don’t. I just pull her in close to me, praying to the high heavens that my smart-ass sister is figuring this out as we speak.

  After another hour or so, the air is getting uncomfortably chilly, so we head back to the inn. When we dock, I help Lena off the boat and we stroll down the dock together, my arm draped over her shoulder. It’s late, but as we make our way to the house, I notice the kitchen light is on.

  “Huh,” she says. “That’s odd. Millie’s usually in bed by now.” I nod and follow her to the parlor door. We walk into the kitchen and Millie jumps at the sound of the door creaking. She’s sitting at the kitchen table, one foot up on her chair. Tears a
re staining her face, and she’s clutching something in her hand so hard that her knuckles are white. On the ground next to her, a shovel is leaning up against the table.

  “Mill? What’s going on?” Lena asks her, striding over to her and rubbing her shoulders. “What is that?”

  Slowly, Lena reaches for the piece of paper that’s been crunched to oblivion, and slides it out from Millie’s fingers. She unfolds it, and her face goes pale. Slowly, Lena sinks down into the chair next to Millie as she hands it to me.

  The note is scribbled on a napkin in chicken scratch.

  Time’s up. Tiger’s coming for his boy.

  My hand starts to shake.

  “Is this from the brother?” I ask, my voice stern. She nods.

  “He probably never left. Tiger’s not dumb enough to trust us to stay once he knew that we realized we’d been found. He’s probably been watching us this whole goddamn time, ready to follow us if we left.” Millie’s lip is quivering. The tears are streaming down her face, and she makes no attempt to stop them. I snatch my phone off the counter and storm out into the front yard.

  “Jo?” I ask, the second she picks up. “Jo, listen. The brother is still here. He left a note on her car while she was at the Shell tonight. I think he’s been watching us.”

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Josie says. “We’re applying for custody and for the restraining order. If he’s already there, we can ask for another protective order, but if no one’s there to enforce it...”

  I pause. I know Josie’s mind is racing as fast as mine is.

  “I am,” I say.

  “Jess, no. You don’t know this guy or what he’s capable of, or who he’s got with him. There’s no use in you getting hurt. What good would you be to them then?”

  Fuck. Big sister wins again. I sigh, rubbing my temples with my thumb and pointer finger.

  “There’s got to be something, Jo. Please,” I whisper. She sighs.

  “I’m working on it, Jess. For now, hang tight. Maybe let the sheriff know what’s going on so he can set up his own surveillance. And Jess?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Get dad’s shotgun.”

  I sigh and tell her goodnight.

  I make my way back into the house. Millie’s sitting on the couch, and Lena has her arm draped around her.

  “Josie’s working it out,” I tell them. “But for now, I’m going to stay in the house with you all. I’ll drive you to work until we know this is sorted out.” Millie nods, and Lena reaches for my hand, giving it a squeeze.

  “Thank you,” she says.

  “When I was a kid, and we used to get those real bad thunderstorms out here, it’s scared the shit outta Josie and me,” I say. “And mom used to say, ‘don’t worry, the Bay will protect us.’”

  They both look up at me, eyebrows knitted together.

  “I think it was all bullshit, honestly,” I laugh. “But she’d say that the Bay turned the inn into a fortress, protecting it from all the bad stuff. Of course, we realized years later she was full of it when the first bad hurricane hit.” I smile, and thank God, so do they. “But anyways, whenever it would storm real bad, she’d bring us in here, deal a hand of gin rummy, and tell us to just ride out the storm.”

  I walk over to the desk in the corner of the living room and open the top drawer. I grab a pack of playing cards and walk over, sitting down on the floor on the other side of the coffee table from them. I deal a hand, and look up at them.

  “Let’s ride it out,” I say.

  28

  Lena

  I’m kneeling behind my sister on the bed in the room next to the one Caleb’s sleeping in, tugging her long hair into a braid. When we were little, after our dad would finish his display of dominance over our mom, she, Millie and I would all take turns braiding each other’s hair. It was a mind-numbing task that seemed to help us forget how ugly his so-called “love” could be. Millie’s staring blankly ahead, and I know no amount of braids will keep her mind off the Bentley brothers tonight.

  “We’re gonna be okay, Mill,” I tell her, knowing damn well that there’s no way to be sure of that. At least for tonight, we have a big, hulking, handsome bodyguard. Although, the thought of him standing between me and harm makes me queasy, too. Millie doesn’t say anything for a minute. As I fasten her hair, she turns to me.

  “I think we need to leave tomorrow. Let Caleb get some sleep tonight, pack up tomorrow morning, and leave tomorrow night. Maybe while Jess is working the night shift,” she says. Her voice is low and trembling, but she’s holding strong to her words.

  I swallow, staring at our reflections in the mirror. My hands drop to my waist.

  “But, Josie...“ I say, my voice trailing off as I desperately try to formulate a plan on the spot. Millie’s eyes drop, and when she lifts them, they are full of tears.

  “She’s doing what she can,” Millie says, “but we both know that there’s no judge or stupid piece of paper that’s going to stop him from getting what he wants.” She turns to me, taking my hands in hers. “This kills me, because for the first time in our lives, you have something—someone—you actually want. And who’s so, so good to you. So I can’t ask you to come with us.”

  My eyes widen and I take my hands out from hers.

  “What?” I ask. My brain is spinning. On one hand, I’m hurt, feeling like an outsider to the two people that mean the most to me. But on the other hand, it’s an out. It’s the approval I need to be with the guy who has turned me into the best version of myself—who I’m damn near falling in love with.

  Actually, I think I already have. On the dock, on the bay—shit. Maybe the first damn time I laid eyes on him, his asshole front and all.

  “I mean it, Lee,” Millie says. There’s something in her eyes that’s not usually there—I think it’s assertiveness. I like it, but then, it also means something—it means she doesn’t need me to be assertive for her. It means she has found the strength she’s never had before. And although I can’t quite figure out what it means for me, it’s a beautiful thing. “Look, Lee, I am in no way trying to push you away or sound ungrateful. Do you think I don’t know how sad it is, that after all these years, after all this time, my little sister still takes care of me? You’ve halted your life for us so many times. I’m not asking you to do that again. I’m just asking you what your next steps are. Because for the first time ever, I need to know if they are going to match up with mine. I have to do what’s right by Caleb. And if Tiger is still out there, I have to keep moving. I know running isn’t the best option, but right now, it’s the only one.”

  My heart is beating in my stomach and my throat. I try to swallow the lump that keeps rising, but it’s forcing its way to the surface. And my sister knows. She knows me. She takes my hands again, then presses her palms to my cheeks.

  “Little sister, you’ve been nothing short of an angel to me for our whole lives. I’m not built like you. I’m built like... like mom,” she says, her eyes filling with shame. I squeeze her hand. “But I like to think that you’ve rubbed off on me a bit. I know how much you love us. I know what we mean to you. But Caleb, he’s my life. And it’s because of me and my life that you haven’t really gotten to live yours. I don’t want that to be the case this time. Not if you want something else. So tomorrow, Caleb and I are leaving. But if it’s not your path to keep running, please, please don’t come with us.”

  She kisses my forehead before sliding off the bed and walking down the hall back to our room. “Our” room, although, I haven’t slept in it for days. Millie told Caleb that I was having a slumber party with Jesse because he was lonely in the barn. That seemed to be enough for him before his four-year-old mind moved on to asking about something else. I walk down the hall slowly, the tears falling from my face. How in the world am I supposed to make such an impossible decision?

  I creep to the door of Caleb and Millie’s room, opening it quickly to avoid the creaking sound it makes when opened too slowly. I sta
re at them for a moment, watching as their breath moves their chests in sync. I stare at Caleb, his angelic little face, like the perfect little cherub as he snores away, still clutching onto his little dinosaur that he hasn’t put down since he got here. I think of everything I’ve been through with him. We’ve done a lot in his short four years, and I can’t imagine missing a moment of his life going forward.

  And my sister. My true life partner, the one who’s been to Hell and back with me. The bags under her eyes are prominent, even in the minimal light of the moon. She’s right. They have to go. The Rowan Inn is no longer a safe place for them.

  I close the door quietly and creep down the hall to the big master suite where Jesse’s staying. I open the door and close it behind me quickly. He’s fast asleep, his shoulders moving up and down in the pale moonlight. I strip off my shirt and slink into the bed next to him, curling up against his warmth. I want to feel his skin on mine, let him keep me safe and warm. Just for tonight.

  He doesn’t wake up fully, but he turns so that he’s spooning me. He pulls me into him, his arms wrapping around me as if it’s instinctual. Because it is. Everything with us is instinct. That’s why it’s so damn hard to walk away.

  But I know I have to.

  I know I will.

  Tomorrow.

  I turn my head to stifle my cries against his pillow. My tears saturate it, but I don’t dare to move. He can’t know I’m going, because he’ll try to stop me. And if he asks me to stay, I just might.

  The next morning, I wake up with a knot in my stomach. I roll over to get a good look at him, but he’s not there. I feel around the sheets as if he might appear. I hear a shriek of laughter coming from the backyard, and I trudge over to the window. Millie’s perched on a chaise lounge, watching as Caleb and Jesse play.

  Meanwhile, I’m standing here, my heart crumbling in my chest. I look at the smile on Caleb’s face, and I know my heart won’t be the only one that breaks tonight.

  I make my way downstairs, grabbing two cups of coffee for Millie and me, and sit next to her. She turns to me slowly. I know what she’s asking, no words necessary.