“So,” I said after swallowing a delicious piece of bacon. “Are you girls ready to go to Florida?”
Bella nodded eagerly. “I miss the beach.”
“We’ll have time to spend the day there,” Rein said. “I’m excited to lie in the sun and read my book.”
“We have to build sand castles,” Bella said.
“Well, of course, we do,” I agreed. “It wouldn’t be a beach day if we didn’t build sand castles.”
Bella giggled and dipped her bacon in her maple syrup.
“Have you both packed your bags?” I asked.
Bella nodded while Rein gave me a guilty look. “I haven’t completely finished packing. Just a few more last-minute things. Like shampoo and stuff.”
“Uh huh,” I said. “And if you have space left over, I’m sure you’ll find other things to bring.”
Rein looked down at her plate, but I caught the smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “Maybe. Or maybe I’ll leave space so I can bring new things home with me from Florida.”
I laughed. “A strategist, I see.”
Rein gave me a smug look.
“Don’t be so impressed with yourself,” I said.
She shrugged and pushed a piece of pancake around her plate. “I’m always impressed with myself. I married you, after all.”
Braxton slapped his hands playfully on his tray and distracted us. We all looked at him, and he smiled gleefully. Then the silliness started, and we were all making faces at him. Bella always managed to get the biggest laughs out of him when she opened her eyes real wide and stuck her tongue out. He would burst out in hysterical fits that would leave us all clutching our sides with aching ribs from laughing so hard.
This time was no different. Bella amused him to no end. She was a great help. She kept him preoccupied as Rein and I began cleaning up the kitchen.
“Why don’t you girls go and make sure you packed everything? I’ll get the kitchen cleaned up, and we can head out in forty-five minutes. The plane will be waiting for us.”
Rein went to the tips of her toes and kissed my cheek. “All right. We’ll be fast.”
She went and lifted Braxton out of his booster seat. She cooed to him as she took Bella’s hand, and the three of them left me in the kitchen and made their way to the bedrooms upstairs.
I had purchased a new home on the outskirts of Valdez shortly after proposing to Rein. I wanted us to have a real, fresh start, and I wanted her to live in the type of luxury she deserved. The home was perfect for what we needed. We had a patio out back that was nice to entertain during the brief summer months. A hot tub sat in one corner, which Rein and I used diligently all year round. Eventually, I wanted to put a heated in-ground pool in the backyard for the kids, but with everything going on back in Florida, I decided not to spread myself too thin just yet. After the dust settled and everything was sold, I could focus on completing our first family home.
For now, I was going to try to enjoy myself in Florida. I was excited to go as a family and spend time in the sun with my children and my wife.
It took Rein and Bella almost an hour to finish packing. In the meantime, I changed Braxton’s diaper and made sure we had everything he would need for the week. I started loading up the truck, and by the time it was filled with everyone’s suitcases, we were ready to hit the road.
We listened to upbeat pop songs on the way, as per Bella’s request. Both she and Rein serenaded Braxton and me until I parked the truck on the tarmac and turned the ignition off. I took Braxton’s carrier off the base of his car seat, and Rein helped Bella out of the truck. Then the four of us climbed the stairs to the private jet as the attendants loaded our luggage.
We sat down in plush leather seats that all faced each other, and I set Braxton’s carrier down between my legs. The flight attendant on shift was named Sherry, and she appeared with a glass of champagne for Rein and me and a glass of orange juice for Bella. She served my daughter’s juice in a champagne flute to match mine and Rein’s.
We toasted to our first vacation as a family together, and to new beginnings.
After our drinks were finished, the plane was in the air and we were bound for Florida.
Bella fell asleep forty minutes into the flight. Braxton was dozing in his carrier. Rein stood and took the open seat beside me. I held out my hand to her, and she took it.
“You’re sure that moving to Alaska is what you want?” she asked, her face turned away from me as she watched the clouds pass out the window.
I nodded, even though she wasn’t looking at me. “I’m sure. I’ve never been happier than I am with you, and my home is wherever you are. Valdez is the perfect place for us to raise our family.”
She rolled her head to look at me. The smile she wore was beautiful. I would never get tired of admiring her. “You won’t resent me in ten years for making you leave a city you loved?”
I rubbed my thumb across the back of her hand. “Florida pales in comparison to you.”
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you, too.”
This was a conversation we had many times over the last few months. I knew Rein felt guilty; she felt like she was forcing me to choose between my old life and my new life. No matter how I tried to explain it to her, I couldn’t seem to get her to believe that all I wanted was to be with her and my kids. I was happy, happier than I had ever been in my entire life. I wanted to give her that same happiness every day until I died.
I was going to start by helping her get her painting business up and running. She didn’t know it yet, but I had plans that would help her spend more time in the gallery, which I knew she missed dearly. Having a toddler didn’t make it easy to step away. She needed time, and I had a way to grant her that.
Couple that with my business savvy experience, and I knew we could create something great for her. Something bigger than she had ever even dreamed.
I squeezed her hand as clearer skies began to appear outside. We were getting close. Soon, she would be able to look down and see bright blue ocean sprawling beneath us.
I waved Sherry back over and ordered us more champagne. There was much for us to celebrate. Why not start early?
Rein
I stopped at the top of the stairs that descended to the tarmac. The sight before me was stunning and so much more than I ever could have dreamed from the photos Brayden had shown me leading up to our trip.
The sky was a brilliant shade of blue and free of clouds. Palm trees swayed in a gentle breeze that chased away the dampness that formed on my skin from the humidity. It smelled like salt water and car exhaust and sunscreen, and I loved it.
“Go on,” Brayden urged from behind me, pressing his hand gently into the small of my back.
I stepped forward and gripped the handrail as I descended. When I hit the pavement, I looked up to watch Brayden coming down behind me. He had Braxton in his carrier, who was awake now and looking curiously around. We had changed him into a thinner onesie before landing so that he wouldn’t overheat.
Bella came down behind her father. She practically skipped down the stairs and then ran a circle around me. “It’s so warm!” she cried happily.
“It is,” I said. I had never felt anything like it. The sun beating down on my face was one of the most pleasant sensations I had ever felt. I tilted my chin back to bask in the warmth and let the sun kiss my cheeks.
Brayden chuckled beside me. “Come on. It only gets better from here. I promise.”
My stomach swirled with excitement as I followed him across the tarmac to a pearl white limousine. The driver, a tall man with graying hair, had us leave our luggage at the back of the limo and then opened the door for us. We piled in and he packed the trunk with our suitcases. The air conditioning was running, and it was the first time I had ever felt that I needed it.
We drove straight toward the ocean. I could see it every now and then between buildings and palm trees, but it was elusive, and it disappeared as we to
ok corners and followed traffic. Finally, we pulled up out front of a sprawling hotel with a terracotta roof and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Brayden tipped the driver and handed off our luggage to a bellboy who came out to meet us. Then we went inside.
The lobby was dazzling. An indoor fountain bubbled peacefully beneath a shimmering crystal chandelier that stretched all the way to the check-in desk where Brayden was discussing the details of our reservations with one of the hotel staff.
Moments later, we were ushered away to an elevator. Our room was on the fourth floor, which was the top floor. Unit number 410.
Brayden smiled as we piled into the elevator. “It’s the best suite in the place,” he said.
I was too excited to say anything. I endured the short elevator ride in silence and then followed Brayden and Bella down the hall to our room. When Brayden pushed through the door, I got a glimpse over his shoulder, and all I could see through the massive glass patio doors was glittering turquoise ocean.
“Oh my God,” I breathed, putting a hand to my chest as I stepped into the room. “This is incredible.”
Our “room” was not a room by any means. It was a full-sized suite with three bedrooms, a kitchen bigger than the kitchenette in my gallery, and a massive bathroom with a rain shower and clawed foot bathtub. Sheer white curtains covered the windows, which surrounded the living room and dining room area. I promptly walked around the room and pulled them open.
I went out onto the balcony to breathe in the smell of the ocean. We were so close to the water, I could feel the saltiness forming on my skin. It was strange to be standing outside with bare arms and legs. I felt exposed in the most wonderful way.
Brayden came out beside me. “Nice, isn’t it?”
“It’s amazing,” I whispered. Then I looked up at him. “But it only makes me more confused as to why you want to live in Valdez.”
Brayden shrugged. “Florida has its downsides, just like every place does. Rein, just because we’re choosing this now doesn’t mean we’re choosing it forever. We have the freedom to change our minds whenever we want. If either of us ever becomes unhappy, we simply have to say it, right?”
I chewed the inside of my cheek. “Right.”
He took my hands in his. “Now, I want to be with you in Valdez. I want to get away from the crowded cities and focus on my family. But right now, we have a whole week to enjoy the sun. Trust me, home will feel good to go back to.”
I nodded. He was right. He was always right. My husband was my rock; my everything.
“Now come on,” he said, tilting his chin to the doors. “Bella is going to lose her mind if we don’t get down to the beach soon. I rented us a private cabana with bottle service.”
“You didn’t have to—”
“Stop,” he said, resting his finger upon my lips. “I know I don’t have to do anything, Rein. But I want to. My money is our money. There’s no point in having it if we aren’t going to enjoy it.”
Right again.
I smiled. “Okay, let me go put my bathing suit on.”
He grumbled deep in his chest. “Too bad the kids are here. The cabanas have curtains…”
I giggled and slipped inside. “Mind out of the gutter, sweetheart.”
Brayden followed me in and tended to Braxton as I rummaged through my suitcase to find my bathing suit. Bella changed too, and soon we were gathering our towels and finishing packing our beach bags. I’d never packed a beach bag in my life, and I was glad Brayden was there to remind me to bring the essentials like sunscreen and moisturizer. And water. Lots of water.
We left our room and walked down to the beach, which took less than three minutes. I couldn’t believe how close we were. Never in a million years did I think I would be able to stay at a resort on the ocean.
We found the cabana Brayden had reserved for us, and I stopped to stare at it in awe. It was a raised platform on the sand, surrounded by white curtains that blew in the breeze. A wooden tray had been placed upon the white bed, and it hosted a menu of drinks and snacks. Brayden climbed up with Braxton and rested against the pillows at the back of the cabana. He placed Braxton in his lap, who was content to look around the beach.
There was a lot to see.
Colorful towels and umbrellas were everywhere. People in bright bathing suits were playing volleyball down by the water. The waves rolled in and danced up the sand, engulfing the ankles of people who walked along the beach. Dozens of people were out in the water, swimming in the section that was roped off and safe to swim in.
I climbed up into the cabana and Bella followed me.
“This is so awesome,” I said, sitting beside Brayden and crossing my legs. I grabbed the menu and read through it. “You can’t be serious. You can order Pina Coladas here?”
“Of course,” Brayden said simply.
“I’ve never had one,” I said.
Brayden blinked at me. “Well, that’s about to change. I’ll flag a waiter down. Bella, do you want anything?”
Bella rolled up onto her knees and slid between us. She peered down at the menu in my hands. Her bare shoulder pressed to my arm instantly made me start sweating, which was weird and surreal but strangely pleasant. It was something I had never felt before.
“Can I have a virgin strawberry margarita?” Bella asked
“Of course,” Brayden said.
“Are either of you hungry?” I asked, my eyes roaming over all the options of food we could have delivered to our cabana. Burgers, fries, wraps, sandwiches—even appetizers like shrimp rings and cheese platters were an option.
“I’m always hungry,” Brayden said. He leaned over Bella and glanced at the menu. “Why don’t we get the sampler platter at the bottom there? Something for everyone.”
The decision was made. I closed the menu and tossed it to the end of the cabana. Brayden flagged down a waiter and placed our orders. I took Braxton out of his lap when he got fussy and bounced him on my knees.
“What do you think about the beach?” I asked my son before making goofy sounds and kissing his cheeks playfully.
He squealed and giggled, and I continued to play.
Our food and drinks arrived in less than fifteen minutes. The waiter set everything on the tray, and Brayden and Bella didn’t hesitate to dig in. I stared at my Pina Colada. It was everything I could have hoped it would be, and I hadn’t even taken a sip yet. The rim of the glass was covered in grains of sugar that looked like crystals. A pineapple wedge was skewered on the rim of the glass and coconut shavings covered the top of the drink.
I sealed my lips over the straw and took a sip.
Cold, delicious, fruity, tangy goodness filled my mouth.
“Holy shit,” I gasped.
Brayden looked back at me and arched an eyebrow. Bella giggled furiously.
“Bella, pretend you didn’t hear that,” I said hurriedly. Then I laughed and looked at Brayden in awe. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“Then we’ll make sure to order you another one,” Brayden said, beaming.
We all sat and enjoyed our drinks and our food. I probably enjoyed it more than anyone else because of how new everything was to me. Sitting on a cabana and eating chicken wings while the wind blew the smell of the sea toward me was, without a doubt, the most magical thing ever.
At least, it was my definition of magical.
My mind raced a mile a minute with new ideas for paintings. I couldn’t wait to go home and start painting the view before me. White sands, bright ocean, and my daughter building sand castles in the sand at the foot of our cabana.
Braxton fell asleep beside me after I made a makeshift bed out of a towel for him. Brayden wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and we leaned back, sipping our drinks.
“So, I have another surprise for you,” Brayden said.
“Another one?” I asked, looking up into his handsome face.
He nodded. “I wanted us to have some alone time while we were here. I have
a nanny coming to stay with us so we can have a night out on Sunday. What do you think?”
I considered what he was saying. On one hand, I was thrilled at the prospect of being able to go on a date. It had been a long time since he and I had dinner, just the two of us. On the other hand, I wasn’t too keen on the idea of a stranger watching our children.
“I like the date idea,” I said slowly.
“But?” he asked, sensing my hesitation.
“I don’t know if I’m comfortable with a stranger watching the kids. Am I being paranoid?”
Brayden laughed and shook his head. “Not at all. In fact, I thought you might say that. That’s why I thought two steps ahead.”
I propped myself up on my elbows and looked him straight in the eyes. “What did you do, Brayden Hennie?”
He sipped his drink and gave me wide, innocent eyes.
I laughed and slapped his shoulder playfully. “Tell me!”
“Alright, alright,” he said. “I bought a plane ticket for Gracie. She lands tomorrow afternoon, and she already agreed to watch the kids for us on Sunday night. We’ll pick her up after I sign the sales papers for the house.”
I blinked at him. Then I started crying. I hadn’t seen Gracie in over eight months. She had finally bitten the bullet and moved to California to open her yoga studio. We talked almost every day on the phone and missed each other dearly. Realizing that I would actually see her tomorrow was the last straw.
Everything in my life was too good to be true.
I threw my arms around Brayden’s shoulders and cried tears of joy. He rubbed my back and kissed the side of my head.
“You’re too good to me,” I said.
Brayden
Rein had been a mass of excited nerves all morning. All she could talk or think about was how excited she was to be reunited with her best friend. I was glad to play a part in arranging their impromptu reunion, but I was beginning to wonder if I had bitten off more than I could chew.
My Last First Kiss Page 21