We walked back toward the houses, the static sound of the waves becoming fainter with every step.
“Sorry if I ruined your peaceful walk on the beach,” he said when my rental house came into view.
“You didn’t ruin it. It was nice.” Nice? Jesus.
“Hopefully you can fall asleep.”
“I think I’ll manage.” I walked up the steps of the porch while Briggs stayed in the sand. I turned around after I’d reached the top step. “Thanks for listening to me out there. And I hope you’re right, you know, about the ocean taking our secrets away. I think, or at least I hope, it might be time for both of us to let them go.”
He was quiet for a moment, his eyes locked on mine, but then he said, smiling as he did, “I’ll see you later, firecracker.”
Chapter Seven
Briggs
I’d been up with the sun that morning. The night was practically restless, only falling asleep for a few hours. I’d lain in bed thinking about Talia, wondering if it was natural to have such strong feelings about someone I’d only known a few days. When I woke, it was to more thoughts of her, but in the bright morning light, the thoughts were more sobering.
I shouldn’t have been thinking about her at all. Nothing good could come of it. Talia, after everything she’d been through, deserved a good guy who could be there for her and treat her the way her dumbass ex hadn’t. And even though there was a small part of me that wanted to be that guy, I knew I was nowhere near ready to be in a relationship. Not with all the animosity that still raged inside me about Cecily.
Talia had infiltrated my mind, thoughts of her making it impossible to think of anything else, when finally, I just had to tell myself to move on. I had to accept the fact that even though I was attracted to her in a way I couldn’t remember experiencing before, I was going to have to move on and try to forget her. She’d be gone in a week anyway. She had a whole life somewhere else and I was stuck there.
I threw on some old clothes that had become designated as only for the remodel with paint splotches and holes in random places, and went downstairs to assess what I could accomplish that day.
I’d just finished sweeping up the main living room area when a knock sounded. I opened the door to see Porter standing on my porch.
“Hey, man,” I said, reaching my hand out to him. “Thanks for coming.”
“Anytime,” he said as he shook my hand. “Mind if I come in and take a look around?”
“Not at all,” I replied, backing out of the way and letting him in the house. Porter and I weren’t exactly friends, but we’d known each other long enough that he was more than an acquaintance. He was close with Patrick, though, so I knew he was a decent guy. “I tried to do as much prep work as I could, but I’m not a contractor and YouTube would only take me so far.”
Porter laughed while his eyes wandered around my house, taking everything in.
“You ordered cabinets yet?”
“Yeah, they’re sitting out in the garage, waiting to be installed. I’ve picked out the countertops, but haven’t placed the order yet.”
“And you’ve got flooring? Paint?”
“Yeah, also out in the garage.”
“All right. Well, it looks like you got a pretty good start. My buddy Matt’s going to meet me here in a few minutes and we’ll get started.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“Yeah, definitely. We can show you a few things.”
“Great.” There was no way he knew how badly I needed a distraction.
An hour later and Porter, Matt, and I were working together to bring in all the supplies for the hardwood floor.
“You coming out to the house tonight?” Porter asked as he heaved a box of flooring up to rest on his shoulder.
“Not sure,” I answered honestly.
“Patrick was looking forward to having you there. And Megan told Ella all about your new friend, and they both want to get to know her.”
“Do all the women in your life meddle?” I smiled so he’d know I was joking, but it was a serious question. Lucky for me, he laughed.
“As far as I know, that’s a trait all women carry.”
“Hmmm.” Surfing kept me fit, but I was definitely not used to lifting forty-pound boxes of wood off the ground. I was no longer astounded by Porter’s massive biceps. I grunted as I lifted the last box and followed Porter into the house.
“We’ve got to let these rest, get acclimated to the moisture in the house, before we install. For now we can paint. With three of us here we should be able to make a pretty good dent and it can dry overnight.”
“Sounds good,” Matt said. “I’ll start taping off the windows.”
Porter and Matt were obviously professionals, and I tried to be helpful, but I really couldn’t step in until the paint was ready to go on the walls. Porter handed me a roller and told me which wall to start on and I was off. Unfortunately, the work wasn’t enough to take my mind off Talia. There was nothing about rolling paint onto a wall that occupied a person’s brain, so it felt free to wander to her. Her hair, her smile, the shorts she was wearing the other day and the fantastic ass that certainly lay beneath.
I also thought about everything she’d told me the night before. And everything I’d told her.
The work went by quickly and before I knew it, afternoon had arrived and the walls were painted a very neutral beige color. Nothing fancy, but a good canvas so potential buyers could see the beauty of the remodel without being distracted by a paint color they’d want to replace. I wanted the house to be move-in-ready.
“We’re gonna call it a day,” Porter said as he used a rubber mallet to seal up a few paint cans. “Those floors should be good to go tomorrow, so we’ll come by early and start laying down the subfloor.” He stood up and crossed his arms over his chest and looked around the room. “The three of us might be able to get the floors done in one day, definitely two. Then we can install the cabinets.”
“Thanks for all your help, man.”
“It’s not a problem. We had a few days between projects.” Matt finished cleaning up his supplies and gave us each a handshake before he left. Porter threw some paintbrushes and folded up drop cloths into a box and then looked back at me. “So, should I tell Ella to expect you and your friend tonight?”
I knew if I sat around alone I would only think about the girl next door. Plus, an evening with Patrick would probably do me some good. “I’ll be there, but I’m coming alone. I don’t want to bother Talia.”
Porter raised one eyebrow at me. “The way Megan was talking, it didn’t sound like you’d be bothering her by spending time with her.”
I laughed at his forwardness. Perhaps we were more than just acquaintances.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to find the easiest way to explain the situation.
“I like Talia. In fact, I like her a lot. But neither of us is in a great position to start anything. I don’t want to give her the wrong idea, and I think inviting her to a party with close friends might do just that.”
“I understand,” he said, picking up the box with all the painting supplies. “Ella will be disappointed she won’t get to practice her matchmaking skills, though.”
“I’m sure she’ll get over it eventually.”
“Probably right. Dinner’s at six, okay? Just a chill barbeque, then games. The girls think we can’t all get together without playing games.”
“Hey, man, I’m down for whatever. Better than hanging out here alone.”
“See ya then.”
I sighed as the silence descended again. The past few months I hadn’t minded being alone in an empty house. It wasn’t until Talia showed up and reminded me what it was like to share a space with someone, even if it was only for a few minutes. Now the house felt lonely. Instead of sitting around thinking about what that could mean, I decided to throw on my swimming shorts and grab my board, hoping it would be less lonely out on the surf.
A few hours later
I pulled up to Ella and Porter’s house. I’d only been there once or twice before, but I was still astounded at how magnificent his house was. I knew he’d built it himself, but looking at it made that fact almost impossible to believe. The house was narrow, but tall. Three stories. Tall enough to see over the trees and have a beautiful view of the ocean.
The lights were on in the house and a few cars were parked in the front. Even from outside the house looked warm and welcoming. I parked my truck and made my way toward the house, stopping when I heard a car pulling up the gravel drive. The car emerged from behind the trees and I saw it was Talia behind the wheel. I stopped on the porch, confused as to why she was there, but excited nonetheless. Even though I said I didn’t want to bring her, it didn’t mean I didn’t want to see her—even if I thought it was a bad idea.
She parked and then walked toward me and I knew I was in trouble. The woman was wearing a green dress that hugged her breasts in the most delicious way, and then hung loose all the way to her feet. It was a typical summertime dress with thin straps and a V-neck that showed a delectable amount of cleavage, but it was modest enough to make me want to see more, to wish there was a little less fabric. She looked incredible. And it was lucky for me and everyone else at that party that all the other men were spoken for, or else I might have kidnapped her and taken her somewhere no one else but me could see her. Like my bed.
“Hey,” she said as she neared me, her voice hesitant and worried. “I hope it’s okay that I came. I don’t want to intrude on your life. I just couldn’t handle the rest of the day with my sister-in-law and so when Megan came over and invited me—”
“Megan came to your house?”
“Yeah, she stopped by a little while ago and asked me to come.”
I had to laugh. It was typical of Megan to stick her nose where it didn’t belong, even if she had good intentions, which was why it was difficult to be angry with her.
“It’s fine with me that you’re here. I’m glad to see you.” And that was the truth. When I’d seen her face, there wasn’t even a twinge of irritation. I was almost relieved to see her. Part of me had been convinced she’d leave before I saw her again, and I was realizing, as she stood in front of me, I didn’t want that to happen.
“Did you get a lot of work done at your house today?” she asked, seeming genuinely interested.
“Yeah, got the downstairs painted.”
“That’s great.”
“Listen,” I started, certain I wanted to make her feel comfortable, to tell her she was welcome, that I was glad she was there, but I wasn’t sure how to say the words. However, I didn’t get the chance to string the right ones together because the door opened behind us and Patrick hollered at us.
“I thought I heard people out here. Come on in, guys. We’re just getting food on the grill.”
I gave Talia a smile and then motioned for her to proceed me, then tried not to look at her ass in that dress as she climbed the stairs.
“Everyone’s on the back patio,” he said as he closed the door behind us.
Sure enough, through the large windows, I could see the whole gang outside. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to everyone.”
She followed me to the patio and as soon as I opened the door, all eyes were on us.
“Talia, you came,” Megan squealed, clearly excited.
Talia smiled, but was obviously a little overwhelmed by the audience.
“Porter, Ella, this is Talia. She’s staying at the house next door to mine,” I said, trying to break the ice with an introduction.
Ella quickly approached and pulled Talia into a friendly hug. “Tilly told me she met you and said you were a total sweetheart,” Ella said as she pulled away. She moved to me next, hugging me the same way she’d hugged Talia. “Briggs, it’s so good to see you again.”
I hugged her back, very aware of Porter coming up behind her, his hand out to Talia.
“Nice to meet you,” he said with a small grin.
“You’re Tilly’s son, right?”
“That’s correct.”
“She was very nice to us the other day.”
“That’s her way,” Ella said, still smiling, her eyes darting between Talia and me. My gaze drifted over to another woman whom I hadn’t ever met. Ella noticed and moved to make the introduction. “Briggs and Talia, this is Kalli. She’s visiting from California. Her fiancé, Riot, was supposed to come too, but he got caught up in some Hollywood scheduling nightmare.”
Kalli walked over and gave us a friendly smile as she shook our hands.
“Hollywood?” Talia asked. “Are you in show business?”
“Kalli is engaged to Riot Bentley, you know, from television’s greatest cop drama,” Megan supplied, her voice high and excited, as though she enjoyed telling people.
“Oh, wow, really?” Talia asked, wide-eyed.
Kalli shrugged. “It’s true. But don’t let the good looks fool you. He’s just like any other typical guy. He’s probably sitting around in his underwear watching some sports game.”
“Like that’s going to stop us from fantasizing about him,” Megan said, laughing. Talia laughed too. As did Ella. All the guys simultaneously rolled their eyes or let out a groan.
“True story,” Ella said, a dreamy look on her face.
“Are you in the business too?” Talia asked Kalli.
“I am, but I work behind the camera. Much less exciting.”
“Kalli’s being modest. She’s one of the most sought-after costume designers in Hollywood.” This came from Megan, and her words held a lot of pride.
“What do you do?” Kalli asked Talia, a curious expression on her face.
“I’m a teacher. Fourth grade.”
How had I spent so much time with Talia and didn’t even take the time to ask her what she did for a living?
“That’s so great,” Ella said, her voice sweet. “Mattie is going to start school next year.”
“Oh, no, someone get the woman a tissue. Here come the waterworks,” Megan said playfully, smiling warmly at her sister.
“It’s not funny, Megs. I can’t believe she’s old enough to go to school.” Ella sniffled, and almost as if that sound alone called to him, Porter appeared, wrapped her up in a hug, and ran his hand down the back of her hair. I got the feeling he’d soothed her in that way often.
“I used to teach kindergarten, but I moved districts and fourth grade was their only opening. Elementary school is a pretty great age group. I don’t think I’ll ever want to teach above fifth grade.”
Suddenly the image of Talia surrounded by children filled my mind. I could picture her, patient and kind, with students listening to her instructions, learning from her. Of course she was a teacher.
“Here you go, man,” I heard Patrick say from beside me, holding out a bottle of beer. “Can I get you anything, Talia?”
“I’ll take one of those too, if you don’t mind,” she said, motioning to my beer.
“We’ve got margaritas and cosmos in the kitchen,” Ella offered.
“Oh, it’s okay, beer’s fine.”
Shit. A beautiful schoolteacher who’d take beer over margaritas? With a fantastic body? This was torture.
“Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Table on the deck is all ready,” Porter said gruffly, kissing Ella’s forehead before walking back outside to man his grill.
Patrick brought Talia a beer, she thanked him, and then he pulled Megan up from her chair and took her by the hand outside. Ella went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and started removing plates and bowls filled with food.
“Is there anything I can help with?” Talia asked her.
“Oh, no, thank you. I’ve got it covered. Briggs can show you the back patio,” Ella replied, trying to slyly sneak a wink at me, as if Talia couldn’t see it.
“Way to be cool, Ella.” I laughed. I nodded my head toward the sliding glass door. “Come on, Talia. Let’s go outside.”
I opened the door for
her and we were accosted by the sound of laughter and conversation. Patrick sat in a chair around a big table, Megan on his lap. Kalli was across the table, closest to Porter, who was at his grill. Kalli and Megan seemed to be in a heated conversation about something, while Patrick seemed to be wholly entranced by Megan’s hair as he kept running his fingers through one particular section.
I pulled a chair out for Talia and then took the one next to her after she sat down.
“I just don’t understand how you can be such good friends with the woman after she spends her entire workday making out with your fiancé.” This came from Megan and she took a healthy drink of her margarita once the words were out.
Kalli shrugged. “It’s their job. Ally is a really great girl, and she’s married to a great guy. They’re happy. Besides, if you’d ever been on set while actors are filming steamy scenes, you’d realize it’s not that sexy.”
“So, it doesn’t bother you that Riot simulates sex with this Ally woman all day?”
“Not when he comes home to me and fucks my brains out.”
Talia practically spat out her beer.
“Sorry, Talia. These two have practically no filter,” Patrick said through laughter.
“No, that’s fine. I admire women who can speak their minds. And besides, if you can’t speak freely around your friends, what good are they, right?”
“Right,” Megan cheered, raising her glass high and Kalli following suit. I watched with a smile as Talia raised her glass and they all toasted each other.
“So, Talia,” Kalli began. “How did you and Briggs meet?”
“The other night the power went out at my rental, so I went next door to borrow a flashlight, and Briggs lent me his.” She looked over at me, smiled shyly, then glanced away.
“So, you don’t live here at the beach?” Kalli asked.
“No, I’m from Bend. Just here on vacation.”
“Alone?” Kalli continued her line of questioning.
“No. I’m here with my family. My parents and my brother’s family.”
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