"That's the gist of it," I say quietly.
"Then he has nothing to explain," Wyatt says as he turns to look back at me. His blue eyes are so light in the morning sun, his dark lashes making them pop even more brilliantly.
Seriously, I could get lost in those eyes.
"Yes, his position was clear," I admit as I turn to look back out at the water. "I guess... I guess I just wanted to know why he didn't bother to talk to me about it. Just gave me a unilateral decision without giving me a chance to make things work."
Wyatt leans back in the sand, punching his elbows down deep and then bending his legs.
"Let me ask you something," he starts out. "Could you have fixed it? Were you ever going to pull that application? Were you going to stunt your FBI career and agree to live out said career in Pittsburgh?"
I don't even have to give serious thought to those questions. "No. I was not going to pull that application. It's been my dream to work in the BRIU since I was a little girl."
Wyatt jerks up from his position and turns to me with a shocked look. "Really? I don't know many little girls that aspire to be in a particular unit of the FBI."
I smile at him and push up from the sand until I'm standing. As I look down at him, I say, "Well, my dad was a member of the BRIU. He was killed in the line of duty when I was six months old, so I didn't even remember him, but I wanted to follow in his footsteps. Became obsessed with it actually."
Wyatt stands up from the sand, brushing his jeans off. He holds his hand out to me, and I take it.
As we stroll down toward the water, and then angle south, he says, "That's tough about losing your dad so young. At any age really. But I can see how that would totally drive your goals."
"Or maybe it was a silly pipe dream for me to be chasing after a career my father had. I mean... he's virtually unknown to me. Maybe I sacrificed a relationship over something that shouldn't have been important to me to begin with."
Wyatt squeezes my hand. "And yet... it seems to me that the fact you didn't know your father at all makes you getting in with the BRIU all that more important. It's the only way you can connect with him."
I turn to look at him... surprised that he would make that leap. I mean... I know deep down inside that's what's driving me, but I didn't expect Wyatt to get it because David clearly didn't. I had started doubting myself, figuring my reasoning was stupid.
"Thank you," I say as I stop our walk and turn to him. "For validating my feelings."
Wyatt's hands go to my waist... With a tug, I'm pressed up against him. I wrap my arms around his back and hold him tight.
"Listen," he says with his chin resting on the top of my head. "There is nothing your ex can say that will explain his actions away. He had his reasoning. You had yours. He disrespected you by not giving you the chance to talk about it... to at least see if it could be worked out. You following me?"
I nod against him and press in closer, because he feels so good to me.
"He knows he fucked up. I suspect the reason he wants to talk to you is not to check in on you and give you an explanation. I suspect he's back in touch with you because he's missing you. I'd bet my last dollar that if you were to call him right now, he'd want to get back together. I'm even betting that he will be more than willing to move away with you."
Pulling back, I arch a skeptical eyebrow at Wyatt. "No way. You don't know David. He was adamant about not leaving Pittsburgh. That's his home. He loves it a lot... clearly more than me."
"Maybe that was his initial reaction to your refusal to pull the application, but Andrea... I've only spent a few days with you, and I sure as hell don't want you to leave. That's because I've come to understand what an amazing, beautiful, and talented woman you are. Trust me... this dude is seeing the error of his ways. I can almost guarantee you that he's wanting back in with you."
My hands drop away from Wyatt's waist and I turn away from him, rubbing my finger against my chin in thought. Could that be it? Does David want to just forget about what happened and try to start over?
Turning back to Wyatt, my face flushes red with anger and I grit my teeth hard.
"Um... I'm guessing by that look on your face, that's not something you're interested in?" he says with a smirk.
"That really pisses me off," I say indignantly. "If that's what he's thinking... that he could just break my heart... dump me... cast me aside, and then when he's a bit lonely or probably not getting any pussy, he comes crawling back to me."
Wyatt's eyebrows raise sky high, and he starts laughing about the time the word "pussy" comes out of my mouth. He reaches out and pulls me back into his arms, his shoulders shaking with humor.
"My girl has a dirty mouth when she gets mad," he observes.
"You're fucking right I do," I grouse, and because that makes Wyatt laugh even harder, I can't stop the chuckles that come out.
We resume our walk and the laughter dies down. Then Wyatt says something that makes my heart melt just a little bit more for him.
"Seriously though... if you need to explore this with him, you should. I wouldn't hold you back from that."
I turn to look at him. "I don't want to."
He rewards me with a bright grin and loops his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in so our hips bump as we walk along the shore. "Good. I don't want you to either, but I thought I'd be a gentleman."
And that right there sort of sealed my fate where Wyatt Banks was concerned.
Chapter 21
Wyatt
I pull into the parking lot of the Last Call and see Hunter's car. Figured he'd be here and he's just the person I need to rant to. There are three other cars in the lot, but it's too early for any of his employees to be here so I'm assuming those were from patrons of last night's crowd too drunk to drive home.
Still bristling with anger, I shut the car off and get out. I stalk up to the entrance door and pull on it, but it's locked. That's easily fixed by a swift banging on the tinted, Plexiglas door and in less than fifteen seconds, Hunter's there opening up to me.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Hunter asks with surprise as I stomp past him.
"I'm here because of your annoying and completely frustrating fiancee. Dude, you have to get her under control," I grit out.
Hunter starts chuckling and walks past me. I follow him back to his office. "She must have done something really annoying then. I seem to recall you warning each and every one of us before you left the bar Saturday night that you would rain--what were the words--hellfire and destruction down on any of us if we disturbed you and Andrea for the next four days. The fact you'd leave your woman to come here to complain to me about Gabby means that she's really on your shit list."
He walks around his desk and sits down, leaning back in his chair. I flop down in a chair opposite his desk and kick my legs out. "Yeah... I didn't leave my woman to come complain about Gabby. Gabby stole my woman out of my house this morning."
"What?" Hunter asks, trying desperately to hide the amusement on his face.
"That brat showed up half an hour ago, banging on my door again. I wouldn't let her in, of course, but she stood on my porch and demanded that Andrea had to come out to breakfast with her."
"Wait?" Hunter exclaims, sitting up straight in his chair. "You mean she invited Andrea to the exclusive girls' club breakfast every Monday at The Sand Shark?"
I nod... painfully.
"You mean... that hallowed establishment that has seen Gabby, Casey, and Alyssa meet exclusively for breakfast every Monday morning for like a millennium?"
"They did let Savannah into the club," I mutter.
"Yeah... but like only because she had to sign some sort of blood pact or something," Hunter says, shaking his head in amazement. "This is huge, dude. You know that right?"
"Fuck yeah, it's huge," I agree and sit forward angrily. "I now have to figure out how to rain hellfire and destruction down on your fiancee without ruining our friendship."
Hunter laughs and
leans back in his chair again. "Seriously, Wyatt... this is huge in another way. She's been accepted."
"To breakfast," I add on.
"No... she's been accepted into our circle. No woman you've ever dated before has been afforded that. That means they're keeping her. I suggest you figure out a way to do the same."
And that is the source of my true frustration.
Not only have I decided that Andrea needs to remain a fixture in my life, but my friends have equally done so. This is big... a huge endorsement, and on the one hand, it helps to validate that my feelings for her are strong and true. They would never accept her so easily if they didn't think she was the right one for me.
I think she is... the right one, that is.
And now, apparently, the girls do too, and of course, the men will follow right along, because fuck... every one of my bros are heart whipped.
The frustration comes from knowing that Andrea is leaving on Saturday morning, and I don't need Gabby kidnapping her from my house to know that there is something special going on between us.
I have no clue what it means for the long haul, but I do know that it won't be over when she gets on that plane to fly back to Pittsburgh.
"Listen, man," Hunter says confidently. "Long-distance relationships suck, but they are workable. Y'all will find your groove."
"Oh yeah?" I ask skeptically, because the real reason I'm here is because Hunter actually has some experience with this concept. "You chose to give up your surfing career so you could stay here with Gabby."
"That's true enough. But I didn't give up my career to stay here with Gabby because I was afraid the long-distance thing wouldn't work. I know it would have worked, because when you love someone, you simply find a way to make it work."
"So then why give up the career? If you're so sure it would have worked," I ask, and this is a really important question, so I listen raptly for his answer.
"Because I just didn't want to deal with the hurt of being away from her. And besides... I was ready to give up my career. I had already retired if you'll remember and came back home to open up Last Call. I had already walked away from surfing before I fell in love with Gabby. I just chose not to go back after."
Well, shit... that doesn't really help me at all. I'm unfortunately very tied to an active and satisfying career. I'm also very tied to this community. While Andrea isn't tied to Pittsburgh, she's tied to the FBI, and that includes a very sought-after position in Quantico, Virginia. Even if she doesn't get into the BRIU, the closest she could ever be reassigned--if she did want to be reassigned--is the Raleigh field office. That's still three hours away, which would still make this a long-distance relationship.
And shit... for all I know, feelings here are one sided. Here I am, thinking of potential ways to keep this relationship alive, and Andrea may not feel that way at all.
Sighing with more frustration, because Hunter didn't really provide me with anything helpful, I stand up from the chair. It seems to me that what I really need is a frank conversation with Andrea. I just have to figure out how to broach it with her.
"Where are you going? Want to help me do inventory and stocking?" Hunter asks as he stands up from behind his desk.
"Um... that would be a big fat, fuck no," I tell him with a grin. "Besides... I'm hungry. Going to go get some breakfast."
"You are not going to The Sand Shark?" he asks with a mock gasp and his hand over his heart. "You'll get shanked by those girls if you show up. Men are not allowed."
"Brody ate with them one time," I counter confidently as I walk out of his office and head for the front door.
"Yeah... but I heard a rumor they put poison in his food or something. Maybe it was a laxative, I'm not sure. Just be careful, dude... those girls are dangerous when you encroach on their territory," he says in all seriousness.
"Want to come?" I ask as I step out into the parking lot.
"No fucking way," Hunter says as he prepares to close the door and lock it behind me. "I like my balls intact."
I step into The Sand Shark, do a quick sweep of my eyes, see about ten different people I know, and then pin my gaze at the far back of the restaurant.
Gabby and her kidnapping posse are sitting at a round table that seats five. Her back is to me with Alyssa to her left and Casey to her right. Andrea and Savannah round out the table and are facing my way. As if she can sense me standing there, Andrea's eyes cut over Gabby's shoulder to meet mine.
Her eyes light up in happiness--over seeing me--and it's like a homing beacon. I start walking toward her, nodding distractedly as a few people call out "Good Morning" to me.
It's inevitable, really, that Gabby notices Andrea's attention has gone elsewhere because she's turning in her chair to look my way. Then she's out of her chair and by the time I reach them, her hands are out in front of her and she's saying, "No, Wyatt. Absolutely not. You are not invited, so go away."
I ignore her, step to the right, and start rounding the table, never taking my eyes off Andrea. Her smile lights up and then turns into a big grin.
"Petey," Gabby yells to the short-order cook behind the counter. "Get me your rolling pin. I need to bash this guy on the head."
I hear Babs, the senior waitress and person you do not want to piss off, hiss back at Gabby. "Pipe down, Gabby Ward, or I'm going to tan your hide."
Glancing across the table, I see Gabby sit down in a huff but she still tries to hold me off. "You can't stay, Wyatt. Say hello, give her a kiss, whatever... but then get gone."
I give her a lazy smile and then turn to the table beside theirs. "Hey Mac... Carl," I say to the two men sitting at a four-seater table. "Mind if I borrow a chair?"
"Help yourself," Mac says with a grin, completely enjoying the show.
I slide the chair out and over, pushing it right in between Andrea and Savannah. "Scoot over a bit, Savannah. Give a man a little room to sit next to his girl."
Savannah sighs, because she's definitely a romantic at heart, and dutifully moves over.
When I'm ensconced at the table, I wrap my hand around the back of Andrea's head and pull her to me for a slow, long kiss. I do this mainly to piss Gabby off, but also to hear that little breathy sigh that I know Andrea will give me.
She does, and I release her.
With a bright smile, I turn back and give the women a big smile. Leaning my elbows on the table, I say, "So what are we talking about today?"
Gabby crosses her arms over her chest and gripes, "Men aren't allowed in on our conversation here."
"You let Brody eat with you one time," I shoot back, and I see Alyssa lower her face, covering her mouth with her hand to suppress a laugh.
"He paid for it," Gabby shoots back.
"Yeah... I heard you put laxative in his food or something," I say as I reach over to Andrea's glass of water and pull it toward me for a sip.
"It was poison," Gabby snaps.
"Whatever," I say dismissively. "The point is... I'm staying so I can spend as much time with my girl as possible. Deal with it."
"That's so romantic," Savannah breathes out.
I turn a grateful smile toward her. "Thank you," I say sincerely. "I think so too."
I know this is pissing Gabby off royally, and I know I shouldn't take such immense pleasure from that... but damn it... this is fun.
"Well, you know I think romance is generally for the birds," Casey butts in, "but I spent all day and night yesterday with this man that really tried to woo me with romance. He brought me to his yacht... and there was champagne, flowers, and a personal masseuse. He went all out."
"Wow," Alyssa says in surprise. "I didn't think you'd ever be romanced, Casey."
"Oh, I wasn't," she says dismissively. "I mean, it was a nice effort... bonus points and all that. And sure... I gave him a stellar blow job in appreciation, but--"
"Okay," I blurt out, repressing the urge to slap my hands over my ears. "I do not want to hear that. You're like my little sister, for God's sake."
I hear Andrea giggle beside me, and Gabby's arms uncross as she looks like this could start to get interesting.
Casey just stares straight at me, completely disregarding my request. "Well, we didn't invite you here, Wyatt, and sorry... but this is what girls talk about. If you can't handle the fact that I like sex with wealthy men, and I like it a lot, and I also like to share the deets with my bestie girls, then you need to just leave."
I snap my mouth shut, because I know my jaw had sunk almost down level with my collarbone over her proclamation. I look around the table, and each woman stares back at me with resolve. I am encroaching on their girl time, and if I'm going to be a temporary member of their little gang this morning, I need to accept the things they talk about.
Turning to Andrea briefly, I narrow my eyes at her. "What exactly have you shared with the girls about us?"
She smiles at me sweetly and pats me on the knee. "Nothing other than how we met."
I let out a breath of relief because the way we met was highly unconventional and the ways in which we "explored" our attraction to each other before we left Raleigh still causes me to feel guilty. It's not something we've talked about but that will get rectified before she leaves.
Rewarding her with a relieved smile, I turn back to Casey and sweep my hand out in a grand gesture. "Then by all means... continue on with your story."
And she does.
For the next five minutes, I listen to Casey give the details about some young, rich playboy who is yachting down the coast and who she apparently had a very raunchy time with last night. According to Casey, he's the perfect man because he's rich, hung like a racehorse--which fuck... that caused me to blush--and most importantly to her, he was leaving town today.
I always knew Casey shunned relationships, preferring men to come and go out of her life like a revolving door. I have no clue where that stems from because she has a wonderful home life with devoted, loving parents and two brothers that have fallen deeply in love. She has a lot to offer, but I have to wonder... what is it keeping her from settling down?
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