Riley didn’t even bother to answer, knowing anything she might say would probably sound equally as ridiculous. She allowed Vanessa to lead her down the sidewalk and into a small coffee shop a few doors down. Neither of them said anything until they had cups in hand and found a vacant table in a back corner.
“So, Megan tried to call you and you didn’t answer. She wanted to tell you that Vic is at your house. And Vic, of course, didn’t even bother calling because she said you never answer anymore when she does.” Vanessa took a tentative sip of her coffee and sighed. “So, Vic phoned me to come and try to find you.”
“Why is she at my house?” Riley asked, stunned. “And where did she move to?”
“Again, if you’d answer your phone, you’d know these things.” She tapped her manicured nails on the table as she seemed to think on it for a moment. “Okay, let’s start over. I need to apologize to you. For so many things. First, for treating you the way I did in high school. You never did anything to me, or to anyone I knew, to deserve it. We were bored and wanted someone to pick on. You were there. I’m not trying to excuse any of it but am simply stating a fact. I fully intended to say that to you at the reunion, but you and Vic ran off, and I barely saw you again after that.”
“I appreciate the apology,” Riley said, looking down at her hands which she had wrapped around her warm cup. “I’m not sure I can ever forgive some of the shit that happened, especially the taunts that I should just kill myself. I almost did, you know.”
“Fuck,” Vanessa said, shaking her head. Riley met her gaze and was surprised to see she was on the verge of tears. Vanessa dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “I really am so sorry.”
“Thank you.” Riley felt tears of her own threatening, but she somehow managed to keep them from falling.
“And thank you. For saving my life. It scares the hell out of me to think I could have actually died that night. And you rushed right in there without any thought to your own safety and pulled me out.” Vanessa glanced down at Riley’s arm and reached out to touch the scars before her eyes welled up again. She grabbed another napkin. “Shit. I haven’t cried this much in I don’t know how long. Even at my wedding. So anyway, I’m sorry you got hurt saving me.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” Riley shook her head and touched the hand that was still on her arm. “I saw the accident happen. I knew when I saw the fire in your car that you’d never make it if you had to wait for the paramedics.”
“Did you know it was me?” Vanessa asked, chuckling. “I’m sure if you had you wouldn’t have risked your own life.”
“I didn’t know until I got you away from the car, and even then, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure if it was you or Vic. But nothing else mattered in the moment besides getting you out of danger.”
“I feel like the next one might be the biggest apology,” Vanessa said, sitting back in her chair. “I didn’t know you were in the bathroom that night at the movie theater.”
“How…” Riley began, but stopped because she wasn’t even sure what to say.
“Megan told Vic, and Vic was furious at me when she called to ask me to find you.”
“Would it have made a difference if you’d known I’d overheard you?”
“Yes, even if you don’t want to believe it.” Vanessa leaned forward and stared at her coffee cup. “There are still a lot of people in the world who are ignorant and hateful when it comes to gays and lesbians. When I’m in Wolf Bay, I feel like I need to make those people believe Vic isn’t really gay. I hate that I feel that way, but I think a lot of it comes from my mother being so disdainful of her. I feel like everyone in that damn town is the same way. I’m so sorry you overheard what I was saying, and I hope someday you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Riley stared at her for a moment before finally looking away. Vanessa reached across the table and touched her arm again, and Riley looked at her, trying to tamp down her anger. This woman couldn’t know the feelings her words had brought to the surface for Riley, and even though she was dealing with them, it still hurt.
“What about the night in New York City?”
“I can’t take the blame for any of that. The things that were said to you were way out of line, and I had no idea what Tara and Lisa said until the next day. I think Tara’s always been attracted to Vic, and she let her jealousy show.”
“I overheard Vic telling Lisa I was leaving the next morning, and they should have dinner or drinks, or something, after I was gone.” Riley held Vanessa’s gaze to see if she was going to make up some excuse, but she just smiled, which irked Riley. “Are you going to try and tell me it was all innocent?”
“It was,” Vanessa said with a nod. “Lisa is our cousin. Her part of the family has always resented us because our father inherited the business instead of his brother. We try to keep the lines of communications open through her.”
“Well, it certainly seemed as though you set it all up,” Riley said.
“I know, and believe me, I heard it all from Vic that night because she thought the exact same thing. Honestly? We haven’t spoken a whole lot since.” Vanessa sighed and then offered a rueful smile. “I just hope she and I can get past this somehow. And you, too. I swear to God, if you two talk things out and end up back together, I will be your biggest champion, especially when it comes to my mother.”
“I should go,” Riley said, seeing by the clock on the wall it was approaching four o’clock. Not that traffic was ever any good in the city, but if she waited much longer, she’d end up in the worst of it. “Thank you for this. I appreciate you taking the time to clear the air.”
“For what it’s worth, I hope you do end up with Vic.” Vanessa stood and pulled her into an embrace, much to Riley’s surprise. It took her a moment to relax into it, but she finally hugged her back. “I’ve never seen her as happy as she was with you.” She stepped back and laughed softly. “And I’ve never seen her as miserable as she was this past month without you.”
“Thank you,” Riley said again, mostly because she didn’t know what else to say, and if she had to deal with much more of Vanessa being sappy with her, she’d probably start crying. She rushed outside and headed for her car, intent on driving straight home without making any stops. She pulled her phone out as she walked and dialed Vic’s number. She answered on the first ring.
“Riley?” she said, sounding frantic.
“Jesus, Vic, are you sitting on your phone?” Riley asked with a chuckle. She unlocked her car door and slid in before closing her eyes and letting the sound of Vic’s voice wash over her. God, she’d missed her.
“Pretty much, yeah,” she answered. “Did Vanessa find you?”
“She did, and I’m leaving the city as soon as I can fight through the traffic. Will you still be around when I get home? We need to talk.”
“Megan told me to wait here for you, so I’m watching your TV and eating your junk food.”
“I wish I were there with you,” Riley said with a smile.
“You will be soon enough. Drive carefully, all right? Those people in the city are shitty drivers.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.” Riley started the car and they said their good-byes before she dropped the phone on the seat next to her and headed out of the garage she’d parked in. She knew she was smiling like an idiot, and she didn’t even care.
Chapter Thirty-one
Vic began pacing when the clock said it was eight fifteen and Riley wasn’t there yet. She went to look out the window at the driveway, but hers was still the only car there. She paced a few minutes more before she heard a car door slam. She knew she should be sitting on the couch and acting as though seeing Riley again wasn’t affecting her, but she couldn’t help it. She stood just inside the front door and waited.
Riley jumped back when the door opened and she was face-to-face with Vic, and she placed a hand over her own heart.
“Jesus Christ, you scared the hell out of me,” she said. Vic grabbed her by the ha
nd and pulled her inside before pushing the door closed. Riley smiled at her. “Hello.”
“I’ve missed you so much, Riley,” Vic said as she held her close and nuzzled her neck. “I hope you weren’t coming here to tell me you never want to see me again, because that would be a little awkward now.”
“Technically, I was coming here because I live here,” Riley said, hugging her back just as tightly. “But there is something I want to tell you.”
“Uh-oh,” Vic said, stepping back a couple feet. “Maybe we should sit down for this.”
Riley didn’t argue, which worried Vic a bit. She hadn’t realized how off kilter her world was until she held Riley in her arms just now. Everything felt centered again, but now the dread of what Riley might say was threatening to tip everything again. They sat next to each other on the couch, and Riley held her hand as she faced her and met her eyes.
“First of all, did Megan tell you my mother died?” Riley asked.
“Oh, my God, Riley, I’m so sorry,” Vic said, fighting the need to pull her into an embrace. “Megan didn’t say anything, but she did tell me what my mother said to you.”
“I handled Vera,” Riley said with a small grin. “Well, Nancy did, anyway. You should have seen it. She was swearing like a sailor.”
“I’m sure Vera was appalled,” Vic said with a chuckle. “I’m glad you didn’t let her get the better of you. I’ll deal with her and make sure she knows not to bother you again. So, how did your mother die?”
“Believe it or not, she was killed by a drunk driver.” Riley laughed, because how could she not? The irony of it all was too much. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, just holding hands and looking at each other. Riley took a deep breath before speaking again. “Why didn’t you tell me you were moving out of the city in any of those messages you left?”
“Would it have mattered?” Vic asked with a shrug. “Why didn’t you answer any of my calls?”
“Point taken. But, yes, it might have mattered. I certainly wouldn’t have wasted an entire day driving there and back to find you. Where did you move to?”
“Vanessa didn’t tell you?”
“We got sidetracked with apologies and she never did even though I asked. I was so ready to head back here I forgot to ask again before I left.”
“When I was here for the three weeks leading up to her wedding, I was in touch with a Realtor to see what the market had to offer in the area.” Vic looked at their clasped hands as she spoke, not trusting quite yet that Riley would react favorably to what she was about to say. “They showed me a house in Summerville, and I fell in love with it. I closed on the sale about five weeks ago, and there are contractors there doing some renovations as we speak. I’ll be moving into it in a couple of weeks.”
“Wait, what?” Riley was obviously surprised, but Vic couldn’t tell if it was a happy surprise or not. “Summerville? Like twenty minutes from here? That Summerville?”
“Yes. I moved out of the penthouse a couple of weeks ago and have been living in a hotel ever since. I quit my job, Riley.”
“Not because of me?”
“No, but I’ll admit knowing you were here made it an easier decision. I first contacted the Realtor before I ever saw you again, and I’d been thinking about quitting for quite some time. I just needed the right motivation to finally do it.”
“Not many people could be unemployed and buy a new house at the same time.” Riley sounded skeptical, and Vic finally looked at her. She was happy to see a smile on her face.
“Are you okay with me not having a steady income?” Vic asked and held her breath waiting for the answer.
“I told you I don’t care about your money,” Riley said, smoothing her fingers along Vic’s jawline. “I’ve lived my entire life not having more than a few hundred dollars in the bank at any given time, and I can do it for the rest of my life if I have to.”
“I love you, Riley,” she said, staring into her eyes. Her heart had never felt so full. “I think I fell in love with you back in high school.”
Riley straddled her and framed her face between her hands as she kissed her. Vic was instantly aroused when their tongues met in a duel for control. Her hands went to Riley’s ass and squeezed, causing Riley to surge against her which effectively broke the kiss.
“I love you, too,” Riley said with a smile. They were both breathing heavily, and it was all Vic could do to not rip her clothes off and have her way with her right then and there. Riley ran a thumb along Vic’s lower lip. “I fell in love with you the first time you tried to stand up for me against your sister and her friends. I just wish I’d had the courage to tell you then.”
“I’m just glad you have the opportunity to tell me now.”
“Come upstairs with me?” Riley asked. “I don’t want to let you go just yet.”
* * *
“Hey, baby?” Vic said quietly, not wanting to wake her up if she was sleeping. It was after three in the morning according to the clock on the bedside table, and they’d only fallen asleep about thirty minutes earlier. “You awake?”
“Hmmm,” Riley murmured as she pressed her ass into Vic’s hips, causing Vic to catch her breath. “What time is it?”
“It’s after three,” she answered as she tightened her hold around Riley’s torso.
“Just can’t get enough of me, huh?”
“Never,” she said, not surprised in the least to realize it was true. “But that isn’t why I asked if you were awake.”
Riley turned in her arms so she was on her back and Vic was looking down at her. Vic ran the backs of her fingers across her cheek and gazed into her eyes. She fought the desire to take her again, because there was something she needed to tell her, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to react.
“Is everything okay?” Riley asked, looking concerned.
“Perfect.” Vic smiled at her before placing a quick kiss on her lips. She decided to just say it and get it out there. “I talked to Steve, the guy who owns the movie theater you work at. I inquired about purchasing it.”
“You did what?” Riley sat up and leaned against the headboard but didn’t bother to cover her breasts when the sheet fell away. “Why the hell would you do that?”
“I know how much you want it, and I want to give it to you, if you’ll let me.” Vic sat up and folded her legs underneath her so she could face Riley.
“No,” Riley said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you’d go behind my back like this. I told you I don’t want your money.”
“Just listen to me for a second, all right?” Vic waited and watched as Riley looked like she was going to blow a gasket, but she finally nodded and folded her arms over her chest. “If it makes you more comfortable, I can loan you the money. You can make payments to me if you want to, although it seems kind of silly.”
“Silly?” Riley blurted out. “Why the hell would it be silly?”
“Because I want you to move in with me,” Vic said softly. She watched in amazement as all the fight went out of Riley’s expression. “I love you, and I can’t imagine living my life without you being there every day. I want to build a life with you, Riley. I want us to grow old together.”
“You aren’t proposing, are you?”
“Someday I probably will, but no, not right now.” The thought had crossed her mind, but she knew it was way too soon. Maybe in a couple of years she’d revisit the idea. “And the reason I want to buy it for you is because you don’t want my money. It doesn’t matter if I ever work another day in my life. I have more money than we could ever need or want. But what I want most is to make you unbelievably happy.”
“Megan told you she’s moving to California, didn’t she?” Riley was crying and trying to wipe the tears away that were falling faster than she could deal with.
“What? No, she didn’t say a word,” Vic said, moving to sit next to her and pulling her closer so Riley had her head on her shoulder. “I swear she didn’t.”
“I wa
sn’t going to be able to afford this place on my own. I thought I was going to be homeless. Or be forced to move back into that damned trailer, and that would have been a horrendous situation all the way around.” Riley laughed through her tears, and then she had the hiccups. “You really want me to move in? Are you ready to live with me twenty-four/seven?”
“I just spent the last month without you twenty-four/seven, and I thought it was going to kill me.” She pressed a kiss to Riley’s head and closed her eyes. “I really, really want you to move in with me. If you think you can stand me being around all the time.”
“I don’t suppose it has a rooftop pool?” Riley twisted to look at her with a wry grin.
“No, but there is a huge pool in the very private and secluded backyard. And did I mention the hot tub? Heated floors in the bathrooms and the kitchen. Your own walk-in closet is almost the size of this room. And floor to ceiling windows with views to rival that of the cityscape.” Vic looked into her eyes and smiled. “I love you, Riley Warren. More than I could ever put into words. Will you move in with me?”
“How can I pass up everything you just described?” Riley asked as she straddled Vic’s hips and leaned over so her breasts were close to Vic’s face. “The fact you’ll be there too? Just icing on the cake. I love you, Victoria Thayer.”
She covered Vic’s mouth with her own then, and Vic did all she could to convey exactly how she felt in that kiss. But how could she, really? The reality of being with Riley far exceeded all of the hopes and dreams she’d ever had.
About the Author
PJ Trebelhorn was born and raised in the greater metropolitan area of Portland, Oregon. Her love of sports (mainly baseball and ice hockey) was fueled in part by her father’s interests. She likes to brag about the fact that her uncle managed the Milwaukee Brewers for five years, and the Chicago Cubs for one year.
PJ now resides in western New York with her wife, Cheryl; their three cats; and one very neurotic dog. When not writing or reading, PJ enjoys watching movies and spending too much time playing on the Playstation. She’s still a huge fan of the Flyers, Phillies, and Eagles, even though she’s now in Sabres and Bills territory.
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