by Marni Mann
But trips to Florida aren’t something I need anymore. My parents have been to our new place. They more than approve of West and our relationship, and Dad even likes talking sports with him. That was something he never had the chance to do with Cannon. But, no matter how often I see them or don’t see them, we always pick up right where we left off. And, when they invited us to town, West jumped on the opportunity.
I, on the other hand, am cautiously optimistic. A day at the beach is never just a day at the beach in this town.
“Baby, did you put enough lotion on?”
I glance at my shoulders, noticing how pink they are already. Did I even put lotion on?
West stands up and rubs some into my skin. It is cold and makes me jump, but I love that he even thought to ask.
“Thank you,” I tell him.
My head’s been all over the place since we got here. I’ve scoured every inch of the sand and water, looking for them—Tilly and Cannon. The house I lived in with Cannon is in walking distance, and we’re not far from the water sports business Tilly’s family owned. But, since she sold it, I don’t expect to cross paths with her today.
I ended up coming clean with my parents about why things didn’t work out with Cannon. They were surprised, even a little shocked, at the drastic measures we took to repair our relationship. But they know all about how I met West and that he was married to Tilly.
They’re the ones who told us the business was only in her possession for a month before she handed the reins over to the highest bidder. It shouldn’t have surprised me. Tilly isn’t the working-girl type. She has expensive taste and would rather spend money than earn it. Last we heard, she found herself a new sugar daddy and was still living nearby.
“Stop worrying,” West tells me. “They’re not here.”
West can always read me like a book. If my body language doesn’t give it away, my eyes always do. And he sees the worry and pain before I ever say a word.
“I might take a walk. Do you care?”
“Do you want me to come? I have that call in a half hour, but I can still go with you.”
“That’s okay. Just relax. I won’t be long.”
“Which way are you headed?”
I point down the beach, and he nods. He knows why I picked that direction and not the other. Because I want to see the house. The one I shared with Cannon.
He watches as I stand up and brush the sand off my legs.
“Had to wear the black bikini, didn’t you?” he says with a smirk.
“It’s your favorite,” I tell him as I lean down and press a kiss to his lips.
Not caring who sees, he grabs a handful of my ass and squeezes. “Stay out of trouble.”
“I will.”
West knows I need to do this. That I won’t be able to concentrate on anything else until I see things for myself. I don’t know what I expect to find. As far as I know, nothing’s changed with the property or Cannon since the divorce was finalized.
We haven’t kept in touch. Things didn’t end on the best of terms either. He was angry, as he had every right to be, and I felt the same way. Through the grapevine, I heard he was still seeing the lawyer, the one he’d brought into our home. I don’t know if he’ll ever move, but I don’t know how he can stay either. As far as I’m concerned, too many memories are locked up in those walls. Too many reminders of where we were and how much has changed.
The closer I get to the property, the more the wind shifts. It’s hitting me right in the face, and I have to squint my eyes to shield the sun. Faces blur, and I can’t get as good a look as I’d like, but I know this stretch of beach so well from my runs with West that I know I’m almost there.
The jetty forces me closer to the houses and away from the water, and once I’m on the other side, I hear his voice long before I spot him. He’s tossing a Frisbee back and forth with a girl, and two guys are on a blanket nearby. One, I instantly recognize, but the other, I can’t place. He could be almost anyone.
I automatically put the woman and the other guy together until Cannon charges her and grabs her around the waist, pulling her against his chest. She laughs and curls into a ball while he spins her around and then runs them toward the water. Squealing, she begs him not to throw her in. He does anyway, and then he follows her.
Splashing around, they’re the epitome of a perfect couple, and they have the attention of everyone around. I take a minute to watch the two guys on the blanket and notice the way they’re glancing at each other. It’s not platonic. Not at all the way two guys would sit and relax. There are subtle hand movements, brushes against one another, and looks that hold very little back.
My ex-husband is bisexual. He could be having sex with all three of them. I don’t know what his tastes are these days or what he’s into. But I can’t stop watching. I want to ask questions and quiet my racing mind, but I can’t.
Cannon and his girl drift in the water, and by the time they come back out, they’re right in front of me. At first, he doesn’t see me, but then he does a double take and grabs her hand.
“Piper,” he says. “What are you doing here?”
He usually called me Pipes, rarely Piper. He liked to save my full name for the serious moments, not the playful ones. But he’s not here with me. He’s here with her.
“Just taking a walk. I’m visiting my parents for a couple of days.”
Nodding, he whispers, “Go dry off,” to his girl.
She gives him a sweet smile before running off to join the guys on the blanket.
“So, things are good?” I ask him. “With everything?”
“Yeah,” he says with a smile. The kind of smile I haven’t seen on his face in so long. “Really good.”
“I’m glad you’re happy.”
My ex-husband isn’t a bad person. He had rough moments that made him morph into a different version of himself, but that was when he was hiding. From the looks of things, he’s not doing that anymore. He’s finally free to be exactly who he’s always been. I’m just sad he never thought he could tell me. That he had to live, pretending to be someone he wasn’t.
He would have broken my heart had he told me sooner, but I still deserved to know the truth about the man I married. At least then, it could have saved us even more pain, and it would have been my choice if we stayed together or not. Cannon wouldn’t have made that decision for me.
“How about you? Still with West?”
“Yes, we’re in Boston now, full time.”
“I know,” he says. “I’ve seen him on TV.”
“You’re watching sports these days?”
He laughs and shakes his head. “Zakk likes to watch. I just absorb some of the stuff they’re talking about.”
“His name’s Zakk?” I glance at the blanket and stare at the lawyer whom I briefly met in my living room.
“That’s Hayes,” he says. “Zakk’s the one on the left.”
Of course, I have so many things to say, but it’s none of my business whom he’s sleeping with anymore. When we split, I lost the right to ask questions.
But Cannon can tell my mind is overflowing and throws me a bone. “Zakk’s a friend. I’m seeing Hayes, and I spend a lot of time with Zakk and Sage, too.”
“Does Zakk know you’re seeing Hayes?” I question.
Zakk and Hayes look way too friendly to just be friends.
Cannon looks at me, like really stares into my eyes, and he can tell I’m not buying what he said. “Piper, my life isn’t cut and dry. Not like your relationship is with West. But what I have with Hayes isn’t a joke. And what I have with Sage isn’t either. I’m just living my life the only way I know how. And as honestly as I can.”
“I know, Cannon. I just want you to be happy. And to get what you deserve.”
“Hopefully, that’s all good.”
“It is.”
Zakk yells for Cannon, and he smiles. Hayes just watches us because he knows who I am. I don’t think he could forget me if he tri
ed.
“Go,” I tell him. “Enjoy your day.”
Surprising me, he reaches out and takes my hand. And then he pulls me into a hug, his wet swim trunks cold against my warm skin. “Be happy, Pipes. You deserve it, too.”
As Cannon walks away, I pray he’s getting the fresh start he wants, a chance to show the world who he is without boundaries. Because I know, once the fog lifts and the pain of our past completely disappears, he’s going to see the world in a whole new light. I only wish we were still friends, so I could watch it happen.
With one last glance over my shoulder, I start my walk back down the beach. It’s as much closure on this chapter of my life as I’m ever going to get, and I’m satisfied with that. I can fall asleep a little easier now that I know Cannon and I are both headed in the right direction, that he doesn’t hate me for taking the advice of that swinging article all those months ago.
The afternoon sun is hot, so I walk with the waves crashing over my legs. I’m so caught up in watching the little white sudsy bubbles continuously lap over my toes, I don’t notice I’m back where I started until West’s by my side.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I saw him.”
West isn’t mad. He nods because he knew all along what my intentions were. “Do I need to go set him straight?”
“No, he’s happy. Just like we are.”
“No regrets?” he asks.
“Things are exactly how they’re supposed to be, West. I’m sure of it.”
His dimple pops when he wraps his arm around me. “I’m glad. I’m never letting you go, Piper.”
“Promise me, it’ll always be this good.”
“I can’t,” he says. “Because it’s only going to get better.”
And he’s right. We have so much to look forward to. Getting here was the hard part. Now, it’s time to really start living. Just the two of us, in Boston, doing what we love, together.
We started out as a story of secrets.
But, now, West is so much more than my lover.
He’s my forever.
West
One Year and Nine Months Later
I step outside the airport and climb into the back seat of the SUV, giving the driver the address to my building. My travel schedule has been ugly the past month. Boston made the playoffs. So, for the first round, I was flying back and forth to San Jose. They won that series, and now, they’re playing Ottawa.
This is my third season commentating, and Boston made the playoffs all three years. They never went past the second round, but this year, they’re going to win the Stanley Cup. The team is so solid. The draft pick they scored is proving to be an outstanding forward, and the trades they made have cut their only weakness, packing the lineup with some heavy talent.
My boys were so fucking smooth out there on the ice tonight.
One more win, and they’re on to round three. I hope their opponents won’t be far from the East Coast. A shorter flight means more time I can spend at home.
I pull out my phone, hit Piper’s number, and hold it to my ear. “Baby,” I say when she answers.
“Viktor is dead to me,” she snaps. “He literally almost gave me a heart attack tonight. That spin move he made near the goalie when the two defensemen rushed at him toward the glass, and he slipped around and barreled through the zone? And then that hit? Did you see that hit? West, I can’t take it. I was on the edge of the couch, and I don’t think I breathed the entire game.”
“I need you to breathe for me.”
I’m not asking. I’m telling. And I’m not playing around even though I love that she’s so into hockey now. The last thing my girl needs is stress over a game. It’s my job to handle all that and to make her life as stress-free as possible.
“I’m sucking in plenty of air now; don’t worry.”
“Maybe I should take all the TVs out of our condo until the playoffs are over.”
“You do that, and you can say good-bye to my vagina until the playoffs are over.”
“We’ll keep the TVs.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that.” Her voice softens. “Where are you?”
Our place isn’t far from Logan International Airport, and fortunately, at this hour, there isn’t any traffic. That’s the only good thing about traveling home this late after the games.
“Not far,” I tell her.
When I first went on the road, we made a deal that I’d call whenever I landed, no matter what time it was.
“I hoped you’d be asleep by now, and you wouldn’t answer.”
“You know it’s hard for me to sleep when you’re not here.”
She’s been saying that for years, and every time, it fills me with guilt. Guilt for leaving so often, guilt for keeping her awake. Especially now. But, whenever I bring up the subject of retirement, even if it wouldn’t be happening for quite a few years, she won’t discuss it. She loves my job as much as I do, which is a relief.
I watch our building come into view, and the driver pulls up alongside the curb.
“You need your sleep, Piper.”
“Just hurry home. I’ll be asleep the second your arms are around me.”
“See you soon,” I say, opening my own door and grabbing the suitcase the driver hands to me.
I wave to the doorman on my way through the lobby as he sits behind the desk. “Did you catch the game, Ralph?”
“Jesus,” he groans. “I almost forgot to bring Mrs. Salamander her dry cleaning and Mr. Rolland his Chinese takeout because I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. The team is looking so sharp.”
“As long as we stay healthy, I think we’ve got this round.” I step inside the elevator.
“Hope so. I’ve got a hundie riding on it.” He smiles as he stands from the desk, leaning into the edge like he wants to tell me a secret. “Don’t worry; I’ve been checking in with Mrs. Holden while you’ve been gone—real inconspicuously, like you told me to. The Mrs. is doing just fine.”
I hold up my hand in thanks, and then I press the PH button and insert my key, which is the only way the elevator will open on my floor. “You’re a good man, Ralph.”
I watch the numbers light up as I climb each level, wondering if she’s going to be in bed or on the couch, what she’s wearing, if she’ll smell like she just got out of the shower or like that vanilla-scented lotion she’s been putting on lately.
When the door slides open, I see Piper on the couch—her legs stretched out, her feet on the ottoman, a blanket wrapped over her, and a pillow on each side, one of which she’s cuddling. I leave my suitcase near the entrance and move over to her.
“Don’t get up,” I say when she tries pushing herself out of the nest she built. I shove the ottoman out of the way and get on the floor, setting her feet in my lap so that I can rub them.
“Oh my God,” she moans, her head falling back into the cushion. “Whatever you do, don’t stop.”
I run my thumb up and down her arch, using my other hand to knead each of her toes.
“You’re going to put me to sleep.”
“That’s my hope.”
“But I’m on the couch. I need to be in bed to do that.”
“I’ll carry you there, Piper.”
“Let’s not try that. For one, if you wake me up after I’ve already been asleep, I’ll turn into a bear, and I’ll probably try and eat you. Not the sexy kind of eat. I mean, I will literally eat you. Meat is no longer safe in this condo. And, two, you’ll pull your back out. Let’s be honest here; I’m the size of a moose. I refuse to injure my husband because he’s trying to make me feel like I’m the weight of a squirrel.”
I set her feet on the floor, and I’m immediately met with a sad sigh. “I’m not done rubbing them. I just need to taste your lips.” I kneel between her legs, grab the sides of her face, and bring her mouth toward mine. “Mmm. You taste so good.”
“It’s chocolate. I had a cupcake.”
I suck the end of her tongue. “It’s
not the cupcake I taste. It’s you.”
I take the blanket off her, so I can see what she has on underneath. A tank top, no bra, and a pair of cotton shorts—just how I like her dressed when she’s home.
I kiss down her chest, making sure my teeth don’t go anywhere near her nipples, and make my way across the roundness of her belly. Eight months pregnant, and she’s as gorgeous now as she was on our wedding day when she wore a simple white dress and walked down the sand to where I waited for her near the water. I cried like hell when I saw her. She was so fucking beautiful. And, in front of our closest friends and family, she became my wife. That was a year and a half ago, and I cried again when the doctor called and confirmed what the fifteen pregnancy tests had already told us.
This woman makes me emotional.
Both of them do.
Emmy’s kicking like our goalie did tonight as I hold the side of Piper’s stomach.
“She hasn’t stopped since you left,” she says. “I think she missed hearing your voice.”
“I’m back now, baby.” I kiss all around where my hand is, up to Piper’s ribs, and down to the waist of her shorts. “I missed you, too.”
“See?” she says, putting her hand on top of mine. “She stopped. It’s you she wants. Not the package of cupcakes I’ve been feeding her all day.”
“What does her mother want?” I hook my fingers into the cotton and begin pulling them down her legs.
“West, this is the worst angle. I can barely even see you, so when you look up, you’re going to have a giant belly button in your face.”
I drop her shorts on the carpet and wrap my arms around her thighs, keeping my mouth high enough so that it isn’t hidden. “I find that belly button hot as hell.” I press my lips on top of it, then an inch lower, and slowly a few inches further down.
“I thought you wanted to taste my lips? Can’t we go back to that moment? When you weren’t about to get suffocated by my belly.”