Only it’s not my dinner on the other side. Allison stands before me, her hair shiny and bouncy with curls. Her dress is smart and business-like. Her heels are killer high and sexy as fuck.
“Allison, how did you know I was here?”
My heart is doing something irregular. I have to lean against the doorframe for support.
“I own this hotel. I saw you checked in when I was going through the cliental.”
I should have remembered this was a Bailey-Vaughan business. I guess I got too used to them owning everything. She doesn’t make a move to come inside, and I don’t attempt to invite her in.
“Why are hiding out here?” she blurts out.
“I’m not hiding.”
“Were you planning to come see me while you were in town?” she has the nerve to ask.
“Why would I? You made it perfectly clear where we stood.”
“I wasn’t thinking clearly, and when I came to apologise, you were gone. You disappeared on me, on the boys.”
“You make me sound like I was something to you, Allison. We both know I wasn’t.”
“That isn’t—”
“The truth? Yes, it is, and it’s okay. I should never have put more on you because of how I felt. Five months away from this town has me seeing everything clearly for the first time since I fell for you back in school.”
Her mouth opens, but nothing comes out.
“You were right. I needed to live my own life, and I am now, Allison. I have a good life, something I’m building for myself.”
My blood is rushing so fast, it’s deafening, but what’s worse is her silence. Even worse than that is the hurt in her eyes. I don’t know if it’s hurting or angering me. How dare she show up and expect me to fall at her feet.
“It was good of you to come say hello, but I need to get back to work before I head out in the morning.”
Collecting herself, she plants a smile on her beautiful face, forgetting that I know her well. This is her pushing her pain down for the sake of appearances.
She turns to walk over to the elevator, and I force myself to push away from the doorframe to close the door. I don’t watch her leave. I don’t wait for the elevator to take her away.
I have to keep my distance and not lose my head just because she showed up at my door. I won’t lose it, not again. Yet a small voice reminds me, she said she came for me the next day, but I was already gone.
Clenching my hands into fists, I punch the bed as I pass and sit back at my laptop. I click on the file I need, ignoring the knocks. This time, it’s probably my dinner, but for the life of me, I can’t take the chance it won’t be her again.
Allison
It’s warm out today, the breeze softly wrapping around me as I stroll through the cemetery. Clutching a bunch of white roses and a white stick candle, I follow the directions the worker gave me and find Kayleigh’s grave in the shade of a huge oak tree. Her headstone is expensive, and no doubt paid for by Huxley. He would have had to keep up appearances for the sake of the town, even though he killed her and covered it up.
The grass tickles my knees as I kneel down, resting on my shins. I place the flowers on the grave and the candle on the headstone.
“Hello, Kayleigh.”
I didn’t know what I expected before coming here, but the need to face her, if only her grave, was growing stronger by the day.
“It’s been so long, and I don’t know if I’m angry with you or if I feel sorry for you. Why? How? What possessed you to fall for him?”
It’s strange. I should be frustrated because I’ll never hear her answer, but it’s still soothing that I can’t.
“Trenton misses you terribly. He remembers so much about you. Even though you had shitty taste in men, you did right with your son. He’s a credit to you, and I suppose I wanted to tell you that I’ll look after him and do everything in my power to make Huxley fade into the past.”
“She missed you so much. She’d tell me often.”
I jerk my head around to find Mrs. Dwyer hovering two graves over.
“Why did she go to him?”
“I can’t answer that, but I knew very quickly she wasn’t happy. It was Craig she loved, not Huxley.”
“Why did she stay?”
“Trenton, of course.”
Of course.
“If I didn’t run away, she’d still be here—”
“And Trenton wouldn’t be. My husband would still have gotten sick. Some things would have been different, but some things would have remained the same.”
The smell of wine floats on the breeze, and on closer inspection, I can see her eyes are glassy, and the bags under her eyes are heavy. Pity and shame creep along my spine, and I cast my gaze to the ground.
“I heard from the town cronies that you’re Trenton’s adoptive mother now.”
“That was Huxley’s doing. I wasn’t aware until after he died.”
“Yes, well, he did always play by his own rules,” she snaps, then checks herself. “I know you know the truth about my husband’s actions. You know I had nothing to do with the bloodshed that day. Can I see my boy? I miss him so much.”
Trenton hasn’t spoken about his grandparents since he locked himself in the bathroom after his nightmare. I know he misses them, even though he saw his grandpa do what he did.
“I’ll talk to him. It’s up to him if he wants to see you.”
“Why wouldn’t he want to see me?” she asks, seeming confused.
“Mrs. Dwyer, Trenton has had many nightmares since the wedding. He doesn’t understand why his grandfather killed his father.”
“Have you not told him I had nothing to do with that?” she gasps.
Guilt consumes me, and I have to look away from her. I put the boys into therapy a month ago, and I’m still waiting for them to share what they talk about with Dr. Peterson.
“I’ll talk to him when I get home.”
The wind picks up and whips my hair over my face. Tucking my hair behind my ears, I tell her, “I’ll let you know how it goes.”
I don’t wait for her to answer as I stand up to walk past her, heading for the gates.
Back at the house, I sit for a moment in the car and bask in the overwhelming craziness that my life has become. When I first came to this house, I never for one second thought it would be mine one day.
A van pulls up behind mine, and I watch as the driver climbs out, opens the side door, and hauls out a huge bouquet of flowers.
My heart jumps with hope that they’re from Ryder, which is ridiculous. Grabbing my purse, I throw open the door and trail behind him.
“Hello?” I call out.
He turns. I’ve clearly surprised him.
“Oh, are you Mrs. Bailey-Vaughan?”
My heart plummets. Ryder wouldn’t use that name. I’m not interested in who they’re from. Using Huxley’s name, it would no doubt be someone wanting to do business with me. They’ve all been coming at me, wanting this or that— money, my signature.
“Get rid of the card, and please, take the bouquet to the hospital. It’ll be a little something to brighten their day with, or whatever.”
He raises his eyebrows and I walk inside, shutting the door after me. It was stupid to think Ryder, after all these months, sent me flowers. He’s not coming back, and his absence is weighing me down more than I thought it would. I have to move on. Although, he didn’t exactly play fair. He integrated himself into my life, opening parts of me I didn’t know were on lockdown. Being in this house wasn’t as bad when he was here in some ways I guess. Looking around, I find nothing has changed since I first walked through the door. I don’t want my life to be like that, never changing, only thinking about money, accepting flowers because someone in town wants to sweeten me into a deal to benefit them. I don’t want that for the boys either. Huxley once said this was their legacy, but I’ll be damned if they relive this life, his life, their grandfather’s life, and so on. Dash told me after the funeral not to make
any rash decisions. I’m going to sell everything that ties us to this town and take the boys and find Ryder.
Regina’s laugh echoes around the foyer, and I follow the sound into the game room. She takes my breath away. I don’t think she stepped foot in the game room before this week. It was where Huxley and his friends hung out, and as long as they were in there and not breaking her things around the house, she left them to it.
She’s sitting on the corner sofa with the boys on either side of her as they play.
“Oh, you’re home.” She beams and gets up, ushering me into the kitchen. She’s fit to burst with joy.
“What’s going on? I’ve only been out for a couple of hours.”
“You’ll never guess what I heard today. It’s such good news, sweetheart.”
“Where you’re concerned, Regina, you’re right, I’ll never guess.”
“The Durrell’s have lost everything. Julian was arrested on tax evasion and fraud charges.”
“How is that good news?”
Just when I think she’s changed so much, she shows me her true self is still in there somewhere.
“Because they’re the talk of the town and Huxley’s not.”
For now, and she knows that, but neither of us say it out loud.
“I saw Mrs. Dwyer at the cemetery. She wants to see Trenton,” I say, changing the course of the conversation.
“Is that wise?”
I shrug. “I’m leaving it up to him.”
I dump my purse on the island and leave Regina to pour her lunchtime wine. For once in my life, a plan forms. I can see a future for us, and nothing is in our way to stop us.
Ryder
* * *
Three Months Later
I roll onto my side, the sheets wrapping around my thighs as the silk slips over my hip. The clock reads 3 a.m. I blink and it reads 5:30 a.m. Every single fucking night. I can’t remember the last time I slept through until morning. A long time ago, that’s for sure.
I blink once more, and my phone is vibrating across the nightstand. At first, I think it’s my alarm clock, but I grab it before it slides itself off the edge.
Dash.
We’re still in the same time zone, so I know we should both be sleeping.
“Did you piss the bed or something?” I laugh, my voice thick with the sleep I didn’t get.
“You need to come back to Bailey Cove,”
he declares. No apologies for calling at the crack of dawn. “You there?”
“Yes, Dash, I’m here. I answered, didn’t I?”
Sitting up, I put the phone on speaker and throw it on the bed beside me.
“Why are you calling me this early?”
“Allison is auctioning off everything. She won’t listen to reason.”
“So? It doesn’t have anything to do with me.”
If anything, my father will be happy to finally be able to get his hands on the marina.
“Ryder,” he sighs, and sounds ten years older than he actually is. “You have to come home. She’ll listen to you.”
“You’ll have better luck bringing Huxley back from the dead than to tell her not to sell. She won’t listen to me. Hell, I haven’t spoken to her in months.”
“If you’re right, then why does she ask me about you every time we have to meet?”
The call ends. He can spew all the bullshit he wants, I’m not going back to Bailey Cove.
I get up and take a quick shower to get washed and dressed for work. I’m not going back to Bailey Cove.
I eat my breakfast, knowing I’m not going back to Bailey Cove.
I slip into my finest jacket and slide my feet into my shoes, knowing I’m not going back to Bailey Cove.
I climb in my car and start the engine. I pull out into the busy street of traffic, but where I should make a right and drive to my office, I take a left and drive to Bailey fucking Cove.
I can’t believe my eyes when I drive into town. The town square is crammed with what must be every person who lives here. Parking up by the bank, I walk through the crowds, listening to the chatter, and end up at a makeshift stage in the middle of the town gardens. A podium has been set up, and two police officers are standing guard.
What the hell?
Dash wasn’t wrong. An auction like this has brought everyone out, and judging by some of the fashion, some people from out of town as well.
Jumping on the old railing surrounding the fountain, I scan the area and look for Allison and the boys. If she wants to sell for good prices, she’d be out here schmoozing the town. Then again, that wouldn’t be her style. She wouldn’t care about the money.
Joe Bracknell, the town’s only realtor, steps up on stage and taps the microphone at the podium. No wonder he looks like the cat who got the cream. The commission he’s about to receive will feed his family for the next five generations.
“The auction will begin at three,” he announces, getting everyone’s attention. “If you don’t have your guides, you can collect one from the stall near the police station.”
I head for the station and grab up one of the guides and flip through the pages. She’s literally selling everything, including the Bailey mansion.
I head back to my car and drive with ease out to the mansion.
Even if you aren’t buying, today is a day that will go down in the town’s history. Anyone and everyone will want to say they were there.
The gates to the mansion are open, and when I pull up outside the house, I’m surprised to see Dash’s car isn’t here.
I let myself in, and the house is so quiet, it’s like a tomb. I look up the stairs before walking through the foyer toward Huxley’s old office. Not one sound can be heard, and then I find her, sitting in the chair its predecessor sat in and lorded it up like he was a king.
A flicker of surprise hits her, and it brings me a feel of satisfaction. Time alone has served her well. She looks healthier and stronger.
She rises from her chair, but she doesn’t move from behind the desk.
“Why are you here?” she asks, but I answer with my own question.
“Why are you selling everything?”
“This town is a curse. I took time, like you advised, and I still came to the same conclusion.”
“This is the boys’ legacy.”
“No, their legacy is what they build for themselves.”
“He’s dead. Selling everything won’t make you feel better, and it won’t piss Huxley off because he’s fucking dead.”
“I know that!” she yells, and it feels fucking fantastic.
“Do you? Because it’s like you think you’ll be free if you get rid of everything about this place. You won’t, though. He’ll follow you to the ends of the earth if you’re still letting him rent space inside your head.”
“Shut up,” she warns, but I can’t stop.
“You hated him, you couldn’t stand him. Why are you letting him still control you?”
I’m now standing in front of her, and I rest my hands on her shoulders. She’s warm, and feels smaller under my touch since I’ve been gone.
“Why are you really back?” she questions, taking a new turn and a softer tone.
“Dash called me.”
“So you came back to save the town? The last time we spoke, this town and me were a noose around your neck.”
I knew that hit her harder than she let on. When I got her text, I nearly turned the car around and came back to her.
“What do you want me to say, Allison?” I can’t do this back and forth with her any longer. “Do you want me to tell you I love you, because I do. It’s you, it always has been. Every minute of every fucking day, it’s you, and you know I do.”
Finally, she softens and her eyes water.
“I know you don’t love me the way I love you, it wouldn’t be possible. Whether I’m here or not, you’re the one in my head. And even if I put a thousand miles between us, I won’t ever stop loving you.”
“Ry.”
Every single time she shortens my name, it’s something else and drives me out of this world.
Winding my fingers through her hair, I pull her against me, my heart beats over the top so fucking dramatically. She doesn’t fight to get away from me.
“The boys and I can’t stay in town. This town means sadness and suffocation for me, even with him gone.”
“Then come with me. I have more than enough room for you and the boys.”
“Ryder, I’ve missed you so much, but we can’t rush this. So much has happened. I don’t want this to be like everything else that has gone rotten in my life.”
“That’ll never happen, I promise.”
“You seem so sure.”
“I am, because it was meant to be us, together. It wasn’t fate who came between us, it was Huxley. Fate is bringing us together now, and you can’t mess with that.” I grin.
Her lips stretch into a smile as I press mine to hers and swallow her happiness. This kiss, with all the others to come, belong to me. She’s first to break away, but I keep my hold on her.
“I have to make a call.”
Her breathless pants make me hard, but I let her go and she moves to the desk. I envision bending her over it just to piss him off if he’s watching over us. I have to stop thinking like that, though. He’s gone, and it’s not a competition for her. One, it never was, and two, he was incapable of winning, only he didn’t see it.
“I’m keeping the school, the mansion, and the private beach. Everything else is still for sale.”
She murmurs a few more instructions into the phone, and then hangs up.
“Where are the boys?”
“In the game room. I was debating whether we should head into town and watch the auction. It’s not like they’d understand what was happening.”
“I’m sure they’d understand their trust funds going up.” I laugh and reach out for her.
She’s nervous and I like it. It takes me back to that day in the lunch hall where I made her blush for the first time.
“We have forever.”
Her fingers latch onto my shirt as she raises herself up on her toes. “I like kissing you,” she tells me, pressing her mouth to mine.
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