by Gina Watson
“Thank you for bringing us.”
“You’re welcome.” He smiled sweetly. “All right kiddo, one piece left and then we go inside.”
They were seated at a table. The waitress clearly knew Everett, and Fiona was more than a little irritated as she blatantly flirted with him at the table in front of her and Ryder.
“We’ve got a few new drinks.” Amber said before she leaned forward and her incredible melon breasts almost spilled from her top. In comparison, Fiona may as well have been blessed with two olives for a chest. However, Everett and Ryder seemed oblivious and Fiona could have sworn she saw the beginnings of a pout form on Amber’s lips.
Everett skimmed the menu. “Would everybody be okay with Swamp waters?” Fiona and Ryder nodded. They weren’t picky. “We’ll take three swamp waters and an order of gator bites.” Everett handed her the menus without looking at her.
“How’s your mom?” She lingered.
“Great.” He glanced up at her that time and offered a cordial smile.
“I still have the paper I wrote in her English class.”
Everett’s brow rose as he nodded. “Cool.”
“Mom, can I go over there and watch the video?”
She looked in the direction he pointed and saw a group of boys a little older and a littler bigger. The middle of the restaurant formed an island set up with the intent to inform children about the coastal wetlands.
“Sure, baby. Just be careful with your arm.”
With Ryder and Amber gone, Everett and Fiona were plunged into awkward silence.
“I was”—they both began speaking at the same time. Fiona giggled. “You go.”
“I was pulled from my assignment here in Baton Rouge.”
Fiona’s heart sank. She hadn’t known that kind of information would make her so sad, but it was doing a number on her emotions. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I broke some kind of attorney-client confidentiality code.”
He seemed anxious as he rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “The thing is, the assignment involved my cousin’s estate.”
“Oh, the plantation with the beautiful landscapes.”
“That’s the one.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It is.”
That was the moment Amber returned with their drinks and gator bites that looked more like fried pickles. Once her tray was emptied she lowered it to her side and leaned against Everett, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I brought you gator sauce instead of ranch dip because I know how much you like it.”
He frowned. “It may be too spicy for Ryder. We’ll need the ranch dip.”
“Okay.” Amber’s lips tightened as she straightened. “What can I get everybody?”
Everett looked expectantly at Fiona.
“What do you recommend?”
“Even though it’s more of a seafood place, with the exception of the fried alligator entree, I always get pizza.”
“Sounds great. Why don’t you order for us?”
“They actually have a good variety. Do you like Margherita?”
“It’s my favorite.”
“We’ll have a Margherita pizza, and how about a plain cheese for Ryder?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Amber nodded and walked away.
“You were saying you lost your cousin’s assignment.”
“Right.” He sipped the glowing green drink from a straw. “Ugh, that’s awful, but Ryder will love it.”
Fiona sipped hers. “Tastes like really sweet Mountain Dew.”
“Last night after I left your house he called, insisting I come over. Harmony was at the house, visiting Mom I think. Anyway, Ashton and Harmony used to date. That’s an understatement. They were in love, the kind of love that disgusts everybody around.”
Everett placed a pickle in his mouth while Fiona thought about the graceful movement of his long fingers and enjoyed his excellent table manners. He didn’t even speak until his mouth had been cleared of food. He sipped the drink again with a slight grimace and she chuckled, relieved he hadn’t invited Harmony over for a booty call.
“They broke up when something bad went down. I’m a little hazy on all the details, but I know her father was the deputy that instigated some kind of felony action against Ashton’s father. Needless to say, they broke up. It wasn’t pretty. She’s pined after him all these years and thought it might be the right time to make contact again, so she accompanied me. Hell, I thought it would be good for him to see her.”
Fiona’s eyes grew large.
“Exactly. It was a fucking disaster and he reported my lack of discretion to the managing partner of the law firm. I woke up to a nice little ass reaming, so I apologize if I’ve been less than accommodating today.”
“Didn’t you tell me that Ashton is your first cousin?”
“I did.”
“And he reported you anyway?”
“He’s gravely serious about his privacy, it turns out. I feel terrible about the whole ordeal because he really upset Harmony. His behavior is uncivilized. Shit, even I was scared after he threw a ten-pound glass ashtray through a window.”
“Oh, my God.” Fiona sucked in air through her teeth.
“I’m completely flummoxed. I can’t believe his issue with me has anything to do with the breach of his privacy, because I had you over there. And the first day I had Courtney there, and she respects no one’s privacy.”
“What do you think upset him?”
“I think it must have something to do with Harmony, although I can’t imagine him getting that upset unless he is still in love with her.”
“Well maybe she can drag him out of his funk.”
He nodded. “A good woman can do that. I’ve seen it with both of my brothers. However, after his performance I doubt Harmony will ever want to see him again.”
Fiona sipped the toxic swamp water, and then cleared her throat. “Are you anxious to get back to Boston?”
“I am.” He smiled sincerely at her. Leaning back in his chair he said, “I’d like to invite you and Ryder up.”
“Yeah, maybe we can do something like that.”
“If not Boston, I’d like to invite you guys to my house for Thanksgiving. You said he loved it. Maura and Bailey will be big additions to our usual party of seven.”
“Oh? Maura will be in attendance?”
“I assume she’d come to be with Bailey. What are you hiding? You know what she’s up to?”
“I do. As for Thanksgiving, I’d hate to impose.”
“It’s not an imposition, I’m inviting you because I would like to see you and Ryder again.”
“I don’t know—Thanksgiving is for family. I’d hate for him to get the wrong idea.”
“Do you have family that visits you?”
“No.”
“So the two of you go and visit family then?”
“No.”
“What about your parents, Ryder’s grandparents?”
“I haven’t seen my parents since I announced I was pregnant with Ryder.”
“Why?” His look was one of astonishment.
She rolled the paper napkin round and round on her finger. “I don’t know. I assume that’s what Southern Baptist ministers do when their daughters become pregnant—disown them. In Atlanta it would have been a scandal if he’d been accepting of my sin. When I refused to get an abortion, he told me to leave and not return.”
“Your father is a Southern Baptist minister and he wanted you to get an abortion?”
“Yeah, in secret. He’s pro life of course. Except when it means his daughter made such a mistake.”
“That’s a terrible story.”
“It is. Could you imagine if I’d done it? I wouldn’t have Ryder and isn’t he perfect?” They both turned to watch her little brunette pumpkin fully enmeshed in the video playing overhead.
“He is wonderful, and so is his mother.” Fiona thought she heard Everett’s voice crack. “I hate to pry,
so just tell me to butt out if you like, but what of his father?”
Hmm, Ryder’s father’s story was a long one. Or, actually it wasn’t so long. She sighed long and low. “Ryder’s father moved into town when I was sixteen. He was a drifter who set up his RV behind the bowling alley where he also worked.” She cleared her throat. “The thing was, he played guitar and he gave lessons out of his RV when he wasn’t working at Galactic Bowl.”
Everett nibbled his bottom lip as he eyed her intently. She chewed a fried pickle. “Mmm, good.”
She wiped at her mouth with a napkin. “There was a guitarist in the worship band at our church and his skills had been improving. He’d mentioned guitar lessons with Dylan, who worked at the bowling alley. I had been strumming on my mom’s old Taylor six-string for a while and I begged for lessons. Turns out, Galactic Bowl wasn’t far from our house—two blocks. He was twenty, I was almost eighteen. We had sex, and then I had Ryder.” She shrugged off her embarrassment. She guessed he thought her foolish to allow herself to get into that kind of situation.
Next to her, Everett sat extremely still. Too still. He didn’t even blink as his gaze penetrated her. “So he knows about Ryder but never comes to visit.”
“He knows I was pregnant.” She sipped her drink. “We were so young. When I told him about the ultimatum dealt to me by my father we left in Dylan’s RV. Things were great while I was pregnant. We didn’t live anywhere for very long. For an almost eighteen-year-old girl who’d never been anywhere, our lives seemed fantastical. We were in New Orleans when I started to have contractions. He dropped me at the emergency room and went to park. I was in the hospital for three days before they discharged me. Dylan never returned from parking the car.”
***
The pizza arrived and they never broke gazes, even when Amber asked if they needed anything else.
“We’re fine. Thanks.” He was desperate for the rest of her story. “How did you manage?”
“There was a daycare. I worked around the clock for a meager pittance, but also lived there. No one knew. It’s how we got back on our feet. I used their food, diapers, and medications. I saved the money I earned. This state has amazing provisions for single mothers. I completed the GED and through loans and grants was able to enroll in college. I rented a small place, where we lived like royalty compared to how we’d been living. We didn’t have a lot, but Ryder was cared for and our place was clean. Cloth diapers saved our lives. I had a woman come in twice a week to watch Ryder while I attended classes.”
As Everett watched Fiona tell her story he saw unparalleled passion and fierceness. She’d been unwavering in her efforts to provide a good home for Ryder.
“I’m determined to give him everything. If he tells me he wants to be an astronaut, I’m prepared to drop everything to help him achieve his dreams. He’s my world.”
“Everyone should have a mother like you for at least a day.”
She nervously laughed, diminishing his compliment, her insecurity from the night before still evident. He placed his hand over hers and squeezed. “I mean it. It’s rare to witness one person sacrificing their life for the life of another in such a selfless, undiluted way.”
She shrugged. “He’s my son.”
“I know, but I suspect you’re that way with any and every person who crosses your path—selflessness unparalleled. To be close to you is to be close to divinity.”
Her head lowered and a blush bloomed across her cheeks.
“Did you know that the wetlands are shrinking at the rate of a football field every hour causing the land and wildlife to be exposed, and depleting their food and refuge resources?” Ryder asked as he took his seat at the table.
His mother was unable to speak, still affected as she was by Everett’s words. “That’s a disturbing statistic. What solution was proposed?” Everett asked.
Ryder placed two slices of cheese pizza on his plate and topped it with a handful of gator bites. He read from a brochure, “The levees aren’t great because they push the sediment, rich in nutrients, out to the Gulf instead of depositing it along the marshes. Wood harvesting is further shrinking the marshy wetlands.”
It would be easier if Everett was able to lie to himself, but he’d always been a realist and prided himself on accepting reality in all situations. It was for that reason as he drove the petite Fiona and her darling son back to the David estate, he was able to recognize that he would deeply miss them once he returned to Boston. In fact he suspected the burning sensation in his chest was not from the swamp grub he’d recently consumed, but from his impending departure and resulting disconnect from Fiona and Ryder.
At the estate the trio had just exited the car when Fiona turned and said. “Thank you for sharing your morning with us. We had a wonderful time.”
“It was the best Sunday ever!”
They laughed at Ryder’s enthusiasm. “He’s right, it was. In fact, I’d like to spend some additional time with you and Ryder before I leave for Boston.”
At his proposal all eyes gazed at Fiona. She’d dropped her chin to her chest and chewed at her bottom lip with her teeth.
“Mom, can we?”
She pulled her son to her chest and kissed the top of his head. Turning her gaze to Everett’s she said, “We would love to spend time with you before you leave for Boston.”
Her tight eyes and lips bespoke worry. He calmed her anxiety with a hand on her artfully decorated shoulder. “No matter what happens, you’ve made a friend for life here. You and Ryder—if you ever need anything at all—whatever it is, I’ll be here.”
She nodded meekly and Ryder smiled up at him with the faith of a child—believing every syllable that spilled from his mouth.
Chapter 7
Fiona awoke on day four of Everett’s extended sleepover wrapped in a blanket of him. Her skin had been made hot by him as he used his entire body to clutch hers tightly to him. Her throat was dry and she needed something to drink. She spent several seconds delicately prying his arms and legs away from her body before she was able to slide from the bed.
“Where are you going?”
“To get a drink.” What a funny guy. Had he been awake the whole time she fought to wiggle from his hold?
In the kitchen she poured cranapple juice into a glass and drank it down—the tart bite quenching her thirst with efficiency.
“I apologize for treating you like a body pillow. Did I wake you?”
His even, sleep-hazed voice was low and raspy. She turned to see him leaning against the countertop in nothing but a pair of athletic shorts—his bronzed chest a perfect canvas for ink.
“I like being your body pillow. I got a little too warm is all, but I have a solution.”
“Oh yeah, what’s that?” He held his hand out for the glass in her hand and she passed it to him.
“I’ll be turning the thermostat down on the nights you’re in my bed.”
At her words he pulled the glass from his lips. Several drops ended up on his smooth, muscular chest. Instinctively her fingers reached out to play in the drops of juice. As she massaged the cranapple into his skin using her fingertips she said, “You know what you need, don’t you?”
“I know what you’re thinking.”
Her eyes widened, further waking her, and she found herself more alert. “Do you?”
“A tattoo.”
“Would you let me ink you?”
“I’ve never desired a tattoo … until you.” His gaze simmered.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“So you think you’ll let me?”
“I’m seriously considering it. Would you sketch something for me?”
“I’d love to. What do you want?”
He dipped his head and smirked at her as he pulled her against him. “I want you to design a scene for me based on what you know about me. I was hoping for something that would define me symbolically. Are you up for the challenge?”
“As I said before, I have some
ideas. But first I need to know that if I design it, you’ll get it in ink.”
“I will.” He kissed her nose.
“What if I define you as a black roof rat?”
“I’ll know where I stand in your life, but I already gave you my word so I’d get it.”
Her hands curled into his hair. “Hmm, lucky for you I don’t define you as a roof rat.”
“I’m glad.” He kissed her lips, and then pulled her to the bedroom.
She turned the bedside lamp on and pulled out her sketchbook. “What are your favorite colors?”
“Blue and green.”
“Do you have a hobby?”
“Sadly, between law school and making partner at the firm, I don’t. I do maintain membership at a club in Boston that I frequent daily to swim laps and box with a trainer. You know I enjoy running.”
“And you like tailored suits and expensive watches.”
“Who doesn’t?”
“True.” She smiled.
“What makes you instantly irate?”
“Animal cruelty.”
“What three things do you have to take with you when you leave the house?”
“Sunglasses, iPhone, debit card.”
“Favorite food?”
“Sushi.”
“Mmm, I love sushi.”
“Today we must have sushi.”
“What makes your heart melt?”
“Until recently, not very much. Now, it’s watching you with Ryder.”
She dropped the pen. His words startled her. “Really?”
“The way you love him is primal, honest—it’s real. It makes me want to be loved that fiercely by someone.”
The intensity of his gray stare seized her in its grip. She wanted to fulfill his need to be loved by her. Only her. The sketchpad hit the floor with a thud—forgotten—as Everett’s arms snaked around her upper body to embrace her in a heated kiss. Thick chestnut hair spiked through her fingers and smelled of the rich cologne that she’d come to associate with him.
Standing on her knees in the bed she was eye to eye with him. “You’re so petite.”
“You say that a lot. Does it bother you?”
“Quite the opposite. I find it fascinating how well you fit in my arms.”