Worth the Wait

by Jamie Beck

  Before she left, he grabbed her arm and whispered, “Meet me out front at midnight.”

  Her eyes widened. “Why?”

  “Just dress warm and don’t tell anyone. It’ll be an adventure.”

  He released her and she left him in the kitchen, glancing back over her shoulder with a puzzled expression. When he finally followed her, he noticed Laney observing them with a troubled expression. Shit.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Vivi crept out of the house and found David sitting on the stoop with two paint cans at his feet. He raised his finger to his lips to silence her, then handed her a flashlight and picked up the paint.

  “What are we doing?” she whispered.

  “Follow me.” He grinned as she fell in step beside him.

  It took her twenty seconds to realize they were headed toward the Painted Rock, a well-known tourist attraction situated near the St. Jameses’ house. Vacationers routinely painted the small boulder on a whim. She’d seen it repainted more than once within a week during her former vacations. In her teens, she and Cat had once made it look like a giant smiley face.

  “We’re going to the Painted Rock?” Vivi asked. “When did you buy paint?”

  “It’s leftover house paint I found in the shed.” He raised the cans to her eye level. “Interior white and something called Calypso blue—not much to work with. I’ll count on you to be the creative director.”

  When they arrived at the rock, it resembled the American flag. The most recent artists probably created this graffiti over the past Fourth of July holiday. Funny no one else had changed it since then.

  David pulled two old, stiff paintbrushes and a can opener out of his sweatpants pockets. “Here, see if you can do something with these bristles while I open and stir the paint.”

  “Yikes. Without vinegar or linseed oil, there’s not much I can do.” Vivi tried to manipulate the bristles with her hands. “At least they don’t have old paint caked on them, but whatever we do will be streaky.”

  David stood over the open paint cans and put his hands on his hips. “Well, so be it. Now tell me, what can we do with white and blue paint?”

  “Not much!” Vivi laughed until David grinned. Seeing him relax with her almost made the troubling secret worth knowing. “Okay, give me a minute to think.”

  He stretched out on the damp ground, propping himself up on one elbow, watching her as she circled the big rock. Once again, a hopeful smile tugged at his mouth and the corners of his eyes, although the sorrow beneath the surface lingered.

  “Did you bring me out here to talk about your dad . . . about how to find a way to forgive him?” she asked. The night was oddly quiet except for the crickets’ song humming around them.

  “No. I only told you all of that so you would forgive me. There’s no point in discussing it further.” David’s face contorted as he sat up and hugged his knees. “I’ve been drowning in old memories this week. For the first time, being here has been painful. Tonight I wanted to create a new memory instead of dwelling on the past.” One corner of his mouth quirked upward. “As for why now, with you . . . well, for one, it’s the only time we can spend together without everyone else being involved. Two, I hated being left out when you and Cat did this years ago. Three, who better to kick off new happy memories with than you, the person who’s always pushing me to have more fun? I can’t imagine what a crushing bore I might be if you’d never come into my life.”

  “Total stick in the mud.” She lightly kicked the sole of his shoe and then turned back to the rock to hide the swell of emotion inside. She stared at the monument, searching for inspiration. Another minute or two passed before it came to her. “Okay, I’ve got an idea. First we have to paint the whole thing white.”

  “What’s the idea?”

  “Just paint, David.”

  Fifteen minutes later, the white rock appeared to glow in the dark.

  “Now will you tell me what you plan to do with the blue paint?” David asked.

  “Take a seat.” She pointed to the ground before crouching down to paint a scrolled symbol resembling the script form of a capital letter L with an extra loop on the bottom-right swish.

  “What are these?” David asked as she began painting another series of scrolled marks with curlicue tips on the other side of the rock.

  “Zibu symbols of friendship”—she pointed to the first one, and then at the second—“and of beginning anew.” She peered up at him from over her shoulder and smiled when his lips parted.

  “I love them,” he said softly, eyeing them more carefully. “They’re perfect. Where did you learn about Zibu? I’ve never heard of it.”

  “Zibu symbols connect the love, inspiration, and healing energy of angels.” Vivi stood up to stretch her legs, grinning at David’s incredulous expression. “I forget the name of the woman who created them. She claims to have been visited by angels who explained their meaning to her after she started drawing them. I know, kooky, but you never know. Maybe it’s true. Can’t hurt, and they’re pretty, too.”

  David removed his phone from his sweatshirt pocket. “Sit there beside the rock,” he instructed. Vivi poked fun at her artistic choice by kneeling and folding her hands in prayer while looking up at the sky.

  “Very funny. Now please look at the camera. I want a nice picture to remember this by.” He snapped a photo of her beside each symbol and then shoved his phone back in his pocket. “Guess we can throw these old things away.”

  “Yes, they’re useless.” Vivi stood up and brushed the bits of stone and mud off her butt. “We should probably get back soon. Laney might get angry if she discovers our little midnight run.”

  David resealed the paint cans and then picked them up and began walking back to the house. “Don’t worry about Laney.”

  “Well, she might get the wrong idea and make it uncomfortable for us to be friends.” Vivi kept her eyes glued to the flashlight beam ahead of them as they crossed the road back onto the St. James property.

  “She won’t interfere,” he said without looking at her. “Girlfriends come and go, Vivi, but you will always be part of my life.”

  “Oh.” Her heart beat one thousand times in the following ten seconds. The old Vivi would read way more into that remark than he’d actually said. The new and improved Vivi focused solely on his words. If girlfriends come and go but she will always remain, then he clearly never intended to make her his girlfriend. “Still, it’s better not to rock the boat. I don’t want to cause problems.”

  David bent over inside the shed to put away the paint. He shut the doors and turned to Vivi as they reached the front steps. “Thanks for coming with me tonight.”

  “Thanks for asking.” She sighed, quelling the tide of “what ifs” rising inside. Stop it. “Now I need to catch some sleep. Big performance tomorrow.”

  David grabbed her hand and kissed it. “Good night. Sleep well.”

  She padded down the steps to her room, exhausted by the extreme emotional swings of her day. Now, if only she could finally stop her heart from wanting more than the friendship he offered.

  At the crack of dawn, Vivi realized mere hours stood between her and potential disaster. Seized with a touch of panic, she couldn’t remember the titles of the set list, let alone the lyrics. The impulsive decision to perform with Disordered ranked on her top-ten list of harebrained stunts. Given her long list of exploits, that was really saying something.

  Her stage experience consisted of a few dozen performances in the trendy, intimate setting at Winegasm in Astoria, where customers enjoyed supporting local musicians. Tonight would be very different from that venue, mostly because David would be watching. Franco and Laney were additional sources of anxiety, but David’s opinion mattered most.

  It’s only nerves, Vivi repeated to herself. After all, yesterday’s rehearsal went rather well. Everything would be fin
e. It would. Wouldn’t it? Her hands bunched the coverlet up to her chin. She drew a deep breath in through her nose, held it, and then released it in one slow breath. When it didn’t work, she repeated the ritual several times.

  Hopeless.

  Lugging herself from bed, she climbed the stairs in search of coffee and found Hank, David, and Laney conversing at the dining table. Once again, Laney was squeaky-clean and dressed for the day. Of course.

  “Interesting hairstyle. Does it come naturally?” Laney’s teasing couldn’t suppress the hint of malice.

  Perhaps Vivi hadn’t imagined her becoming decidedly less polite last evening, or perhaps Laney had awakened in the wee hours of the morning and wondered where David had gone.

  “Would you like the name of my stylist?” Vivi lifted her tangled locks with both hands and flashed a wicked smile. “Of course, not everyone can pull it off quite this well.”

  She noticed David scowl at Laney. Turning her back to hide her own nasty expression, Vivi meandered across the room to open the deck doors. She tipped her face toward the sun and grinned, knowing Laney’s insults would provoke David’s protective instinct. Beautiful Miss Smarty Pants would soon sink her own ship.

  “You all set for the big night?” Hank thankfully interrupted the unpleasant repartee.

  “Sure.” Vivi feigned calmness. “One way or another, it’ll be a night to remember. At the very least, the DJ will offer quality entertainment. Will you save me a dance, Hank?”

  “I can’t wait to hear you perform,” David interjected. He grinned while holding her gaze. “I still can’t believe I never knew you sang.”

  Before Vivi could respond, Laney shook her head. “I still can’t believe you committed to this performance.”

  Whoa! Vivi’s body stiffened and heated at the not-so-subtle insult. After burying her own feelings for days, she snapped.

  “I lead with my heart, not my head.” Vivi stared at Laney.

  “Interesting strategy.” Laney’s smirk tipped Vivi over the edge.

  “Laney—” David began before Vivi cut him off.

  “Yes, I’m sure it’s inconceivable to you—you’d need a heart to understand it.” Vivi’s nostrils flared. “But thanks for your vote of confidence.”

  David blinked in surprise. Darn it. So much for Laney sinking her own ship. Vivi grimaced at Hank before bolting downstairs. As she fled, she envisioned herself looking like a cartoon character, with steam spewing from her ears and trailing behind her.

  Given her history as target practice for bitchy girls, why didn’t she have elephant hide by now? In any case, she’d never understand what motivated girls with everything to be hostile toward those with less. If she had been born beautiful, intelligent, and graceful, she’d have used her gifts to lift others up, not drag them down.

  She flung open the bedroom door, sending it crashing against the wall, before sagging onto her bed. At this point she couldn’t care less whether her noisy entrance woke Cat.

  “What’s wrong?” Cat rolled over. “You look like you might eat me.”

  “Laney’s unsheathed her claws,” Vivi scowled. “She pushed my buttons and I bit back. I’m hiding until I’m ready to apologize.” Regret had already arrived to crowd out her self-righteous indignation. She thrust her face into her hands, mumbling, “Can I blame it on my nerves?”

  “What did she say?”

  “Hmm . . . basically that I’m an ill-prepared idiot who’ll probably humiliate myself tonight.” Vivi’s gaze drifted north. “Not that I needed anyone to point it out, mind you. It’s all I’ve been thinking about for the past hour.”

  “I’m so sorry. You only agreed because I begged. It’s messed up our trip, too.” Cat frowned. “I’m not a good friend.”

  “Oh, shush.” She faced her contrite friend. “You know perfectly well I always leap before looking. I could’ve put an end to it at any time. Honestly, it’s been fun to sing with the band. And Franco’s a bonus, although I’ve not yet spent time with him alone. He seems nice, though.”

  “I’ll be glad to have you back tomorrow. And I know you’ll be great tonight. If you forget some of the words, just smile and do a little ‘la la la’ kind of thing.”

  “Oh, yes, the ‘la la la’ trick. No one will notice!” Vivi groaned and fell back on the bed, lost in thought. One would never accuse Laney of being particularly friendly. Until this morning, she hadn’t been cruel, either. “Laney’s attitude toward me has definitely taken a negative turn.”

  Cat raised a brow. “Maybe she and David are having problems?”

  “Why do you suspect that?”

  “Duh! She moved around the world and no diamond ring.” Cat shook her head when Vivi failed to make the connection. “Maybe she’s feeling insecure and sees you as a rival for his affection.”

  “Oh, then please clue her in.” Vivi laughed out loud. “There’s no one less likely to be her romantic rival than me. If she knew how spectacularly I’ve failed to win his heart, she’d relax.”

  Cat nodded. Vivi felt the sting of Cat’s thankfulness on that score, but the point was moot.

  Following five minutes of sulking, Vivi extended her arm and pointed upward with her thumb. “Get up. I need moral support while I apologize.”

  Cat obediently followed Vivi upstairs and stood by her while she faced her foe.

  “I’m sorry I snapped at you, Laney. I’m nervous about tonight.” Vivi ran her tongue along the roof of her mouth to keep from biting it off. “But that’s no excuse.”

  Laney glanced at David and then replied, “And I’m sorry if I undermined your confidence. It wasn’t my intent.”

  Oh, right. Vivi nodded, struggling to keep her fist from landing squarely on Laney’s nose. She glanced at David. A flash of frustration streaked through her limbs. Why was Laney the type of woman he wanted to date? Not that Vivi’s opinion mattered one lick. Laney was his girlfriend, at least for now. Vivi would just have to avoid the woman as much as possible for the remainder of the trip.

  “Shall we join Jackson and Hank on the deck before I have to leave for rehearsal?” Vivi asked Cat.

  “Sure,” replied Cat, who shot David an annoyed glare before going outside.

  Jackson and Hank were discussing plans for some kitchen remodel. Vivi only gave them half of her attention. Her other half couldn’t resist watching David and Laney through the windows. David pressed his lips together as he stared across the table at Laney, who was jabbing her finger at him. She contorted her face, then pushed away from the table and ran up the steps. Rather than follow her, David clamped his hands behind his drooped head and squeezed hard.

  Given what she now knew about the severity of David’s dilemma, Vivi couldn’t stand seeing him endure additional suffering. She excused herself from the deck and slipped inside. He looked up from the table when she entered the room. For a heartbeat, their eyes locked like magnets as palpable energy passed between them. She slid the door closed behind her.

  “I’m sorry, David. Did my tantrum cause you problems with Laney, or was it our midnight adventure that pissed her off?”

  He shook his head, sighing, before he stood and approached her. His eyes assessed every inch of her face. He brushed a section of hair behind her ear.

  “Don’t apologize.” He stroked her upper arms with his hands. Despite her vows to disengage, she still loved his touch. “And don’t let her ruin your day, or your anticipation of tonight.”

  “Honestly, Laney’s not the reason my nerves are on fire.” She refrained from swaying into him. Always the pull. Always. “I wish I could be confident like you. You never sweat.”

  David’s lips quirked upward. “You couldn’t be more wrong. I second-guess myself often, especially lately.”

  “Present circumstances aside, I don’t believe you for a second. But thanks for trying to make me feel better.” She glan
ced at the kitchen clock and sighed. “I’ve got to change and head to the final rehearsal.”

  He clasped her hand, firing tingles of pleasure up her arm. “This band wouldn’t have gone forward with you if you weren’t up to it. ” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.

  He’d often performed these tender ministrations in the past. Now it felt different. He held her hand, staring at her intently as if he wanted to say more. Jackson’s burst of laughter on the other side of the window broke the spell. David squeezed her hand before releasing it and walking outside.

  She left the house wondering what else he’d wanted to say.

  Three hours later, the band completed its final run-through. Joe seemed pleased and thanked her multiple times. Vivi glanced around at the workers, who were scampering around putting the finishing touches on the tent and setting up the party supplies.

  “Will you join me for lunch?” Franco asked as she hopped down from the newly constructed stage.

  “Sounds great.” She’d made very little progress this week in her battle to get over David. Lunch with Franco would be a step in the right direction. Plus, more time away from everyone meant less chance of accidentally exposing David’s secret, and less opportunity for Laney to hurl more insults.

  Franco suggested they return to Beachhead, which suited her fine. A girl on vacation could never eat too many lobster rolls. As before, they dined outdoors. Several flags on the porch snapped in the steady ocean breeze. If she closed her eyes, she could pretend she was on a sailboat.

  After ordering lunch, Vivi launched into an interrogation.

  “Do you have family in Italy?”

  “My parents moved back two years ago. They live outside of Florence.”

  “Do you go home often?” She leaned forward, resting her chin in her hands. He mirrored her movement.

  Up close, she noticed the golden highlights in his brown eyes. His dark lashes were short and thick instead of long and curled like David’s.

  “Probably twice a year. More if I’m on assignment nearby.”