Deception

by Ordonez, April Isabelle

  "Good job," I say, patting Matthew on the shoulder. "You had a good week."

  "Thanks. Let's hope we can wrap this up next week."

  "Yeah."

  We leave the courthouse and head back to the firm. I gather my messages from Julie, and slump down in my chair, spinning it around and around while staring into space. I have to snap out of this, it's so unlike me that I don't know how to respond to it. I need some cheering up and there is only one person that can do that for me right now, so I text Travis.

  Me: Hi

  Travis: Hi there, beautiful girl. What are you up to?

  Me: At work. Rough day in court. Needing some cheering up.

  Travis: Everything okay? Want to call me?

  Me: I’d rather see you. Seeing you would cheer me up. Where are you?

  Travis: At work. Can you leave work and come?

  It is Friday, my day in court is over, the messages and emails can wait until Monday, and my aunt and sister are staying with my mom today. Nothing is standing in my way of going to see him. I could use a slice of the Love Shack right now.

  Me: Yes, and yes. I'm coming to you.

  I gather my things and tell Julie to head home. Laura walks out of her office as I’m leaving. "Hey, I haven't seen you all week. How are things going?"

  "Good. It's been busy here this week. We took on two new cases, and they should be good ones."

  "That's great. How's everything besides work?"

  She shrugs. "Good, I suppose." It appears like she wants to say something more, but decides not to. I'm sure her sister has made her life interesting in ways I have no desire to know.

  "Good. Well, have a good weekend. Call me sometime so we can chat. I miss you," I say, hugging her. Since telling me about her sister and Rich, she's been distant. I imagine it must be difficult for her. I hope she knows that I still consider her a good friend, regardless of what happened.

  Under an hour later, I walk into the Love Shack and a sense of relief washes over me. I never imagined a place―a bar none-the-less―could do this to me. Seeing my boyfriend talking with customers at the bar, I wander over. He's too busy talking to see me, so I sit a stool at the end of the bar, admiring the man before me. This is certainly what the doctor ordered to get me out of my slump. His laugh alone is the right medicine.

  The bartender greets me, placing a napkin in front of me. "What can I get you, ma'am?"

  "A red raspberry martini with Chambord, please.” Travis instantly turns his head in my direction, his eyes meeting mine. A beautiful smile plasters his face, and it sends my heart racing around the track of the Daytona 500. He quickly ends his conversation with the customers. "I got this," he tells the bartender.

  He prepares my drink, while holding his gaze on mine the entire time, looking away long enough to pour the martini into the glass. He grabs a bottle of beer from the cooler, and walks to me with our drinks in hand. Making his way around the bar, he cocks an eyebrow and tilts his head, motioning for me to follow him. I oblige without hesitation. His gaze is mesmerizing. I'd follow him to the ends of the earth.

  He leads us to my table on the patio. After setting our drinks down, he quickly turns to me, wrapping his arms around me. "I missed you," he whispers, brushing his lips against mine. I breathe him in and kiss him passionately.

  "Aren't I the lucky girl to be kissing the boss," I remark, slowly pulling away.

  He smiles. "That's how we treat all of our VIP guests here at the Love Shack," he says, with a sly grin. I laugh.

  "I don't even know the story behind why you called this place the Love Shack."

  "Well, I’m hoping you don’t want some grand love story because it's quite a boring reason. That was the name of the place before I bought it. I didn't change it because a lot of the residents in the area seemed to like it. I also wanted to continue hosting weddings out on the beach, like the previous owner did, so I thought it was appropriate. Sorry. Boring story, I know."

  "It may be a boring reason, but listening to you tell it is just as satisfying," I say, reaching up and kissing him again.

  "Maybe I could change my story now though."

  "What?" I ask, not following.

  "I could say that the reason it's called the Love Shack is because this is the place I reunited with the love of my life," he responds, tilting an eye up and grinning. Wait a minute, did he just say he loved me without actually saying the three official words? I mean, is saying you're the love of my life, the same as saying I love you? I don't know, but it sounds nice coming from him.

  "I love that story much more.”

  Pressing his lips to mine, consuming my mouth, I melt in his arms.

  He pulls my chair out. "Court wasn't good today?"

  "The case is going good—really good. But I had a tough time listening to my client on the stand. This case is really affecting me personally, for some reason."

  "Given the case, I can see why. You’re only human for having an emotional response to it."

  "I suppose you're right, but I've never reacted like this before," I say, dragging his chair close to mine and grabbing his hand. "I'm feeling better now, though."

  "I'm really glad you’re here. I actually have to be somewhere at four-thirty, and I would love for you to come with me." I look at him, squinting. He winks in return.

  "Where are we going?"

  "I have to go see something in Half Moon.” My heart sinks in response to his words. His parents lived in Half Moon, and I’m not sure what he would want to go there for after all that has happened.

  "Oh―Kay," I say hesitantly.

  "No worries, Sweets. I can sense what you’re thinking. Where we’re going is all good," he consoles, rubbing my arm.

  "All right. I'll go wherever, as long as it's with you.”

  We finish our drinks, while enjoying the breeze of the ocean in each other's arms. Getting up from the table, Travis takes my hand in his and we walk over to the bar. He tells some guy that he's leaving for the day and asks him to call when he locks up tonight.

  When we get outside, he holds the car door open for me and then climbs into the other side behind the wheel.

  Twenty-five minutes later, we’re in Half Moon. We pull up to a beautiful house that has a for sale sign in the large front yard. I look at him, narrowing my eyes. "You're buying a house?"

  He grins. "Possibly."

  "This looks like a really nice place," I say, peering out the window. It looks to be an old restored home, with a lot of character on the outside. I'm taken aback because you don't find many of these types of homes in California. It's quite breathtaking.

  "Yeah, wait until you see the inside.”

  When we exit the car, a woman approaches Travis. "Mr. Cashman, nice to see you again," she says, shaking his hand. Travis introduces us, and then she leads us up the long stone walkway and up the stairs onto a wide, stone porch that wraps around two sides of the house. A green wooden swing hangs on one side and thoughts of spending time swinging with my grandmother on her porch as a kid flood my memory.

  The woman unlocks the door and motions for us to go in. Standing in the entryway, I’m left speechless. The most gorgeous wood lines the floors and the walls are painted in a clay color, giving off a calming feel. The living room is lined with large windows, inviting the sun through them. "This is really nice, Travis," I say, awe-struck.

  "I can’t wait for you to see this kitchen," he says, tugging on my arm. We walk in and my jaw drops. The kitchen in my house pales drastically in comparison. Stone covers the wall around the large stove, and the rest of the walls are lined with beautiful cream cabinetry. Even the floor is stone.

  "Wow," I say, excitedly.

  "I'll leave you two to wander around. I'll be outside if you should need me," the woman says.

  "Thanks," Travis responds, nodding.

  I walk around the kitchen, running my fingers across the marble counter tops in complete amazement. I never imagined I'd be drawn to a house like this before. "Com
e check out the upstairs," he says, reaching out for me to take his hand.

  Standing at the top of the stairs, I look into the bedroom. Large windows line the back wall that overlooks a large backyard, with nothing but woods beyond it. On the wall to the right is a beautiful stone fireplace. And the floors are lined in hand scraped hardwood. It's stunning.

  He takes my hand and leads me to the master bath. The entire room is in white, with a stone lined shower and matching floors. And in the corner sits a beautiful claw footed tub.

  "This is incredible."

  "I'm glad you like it because I bought it," he says, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

  "You did?" I say, shocked and impressed.

  "I'm signing the papers on Monday."

  "What made you decide to buy a house in Half Moon? I mean, your bar is in Pescadero and I thought Amanda liked it there?"

  "Yeah, but she's been missing her friends in Half Moon. She's been spending a lot of time here lately, and she's expressed that she'd like to come to high school here next year so―"

  "Well, that makes sense."

  "And it's closer to San Francisco," he says, grinning.

  "You'll be closer to me. That's always a plus.”

  "And, well, maybe someday, you would want to move in," he says, shrugging and attempting to gauge my reaction. His words both scare and comfort me―at least that's what I think these emotions are that I’m feeling. "Does that scare you?" he inquires hesitantly. I contemplate his question, and realize that it's not fear I feel, it's more uncertainty.

  "No, not scared. But I can't help but think what moving in with someone resulted in for me. I can't say that I've had a good experience with moving in with a guy," I respond, looking down reflectively.

  He places a hand on both sides of my head, tilting my eyes up to his. "Don't ever think that you and I will turn out like you and him. I know that you may be scared of what may come of us, but we share something that people rarely get the chance to experience in their entire lives. If life has reunited us after all of these years, you have to know that we’re meant to be." His words reach into my chest and speak directly to my slow beating heart. He whispers into my ear, "I love you, Sweets." My heart jumps out of my chest and starts doing the cha-cha right there on the beautiful stone floor. I swallow hard.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't hear what you said. What was that?"

  "I love you so much, Sweets. I've loved you since I can remember, and I will love you for eternity," he whispers, not moving his head from my ear.

  Chills run up and down my body, causing goose bumps from both his words and the feel of his breath on my ear. I'm filled with so much desire and love for this man holding me. I turn my head to his and can see the passion flood his eyes. "I'm glad you said that because I was afraid I was the only one feeling that way. I've wanted to tell you that I love you for a while, but I was scared I'd push you away. But hearing those words spoken from you makes me want to yell it on the roof tops. I love you, Trav. I love you so much."

  He puts his lips to mine and kisses me with so much hunger. This kiss feels different than all the others before them. I push up against him harder, feeling like he's not close enough―like I need to jump inside his body or it won't feel close enough. Our hands explore each other, our mouths consume each other, and our breathing is in sync with each other’s. I’ve missed this man so much that I don't want to live another day without him.

  "I love you, Travis Cashman. I love you," I say in panted breaths.

  Those words seem to spark his desire for me even more. He pushes me up against the wall, while running his hands through my hair, down my back, and down the back of my thighs pulling my legs up around his waist. We get lost in each other.

  Quite a while later, he slowly pulls his mouth away, taking in deep breaths and releasing them. He looks at me for a moment, and then he closes his eyes, appearing to attempt to find his composure. We stand in silence as we both try to come back down from our complete rapture.

  "Damn, Sweets, I've missed you. I've waited so many years to hear those words from you. You are incredible," he says, through exhaled breaths.

  "You and I were always meant to be, baby," I say, quoting him from the other day.

  He nods slowly. "Forever."

  He kisses me on the corner of my mouth, and then leisurely lowers me back down to the floor. "I guess we like this bathroom," I say, grinning.

  "I can imagine how we end up liking this bedroom once I'm moved in," he says, wide-eyed.

  "And…when I move in," I add confidently, without a second thought.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Sunday

  May 5, 2013

  7:32 a.m.

  I wake to the sound of my mom moving around. Sitting up on the cot, I see her struggling to get up from the bed so I rush to her side. "Do you need to go to the bathroom?" I ask, panicked. She nods.

  Her ability to speak has diminished the past few days. She tries to speak, but ends up in tears instead. She's also pale and weak, barely able to sit up on her own, let alone stand and walk. It's becoming more difficult for us to care for her. Drew arranged for a visiting nurse to come to the house, but she won't be starting until tomorrow.

  I stand by her side, put one arm around her waist, and she grabs my hand as I pull her up off of the bed. Taking slow, cautious steps, we make our way to the bathroom.

  I return her to the bed after she's finished. She lies down and exhaustion sets in. After closing her eyes, she drifts back to sleep as soon as I hear the front door close. What time is it? Drew is early. He's not supposed to be here until eight o’clock to stay with her while I go to church. I haven't been to church for a few weeks, and this will be the first time going without my mom. You'd think it wouldn't bother me as much as it is―it's only church after all. But this was our Sunday tradition―me and my mom―and going without her doesn't feel right. I know that she'd be happy if I did, so I will.

  Travis appears in the doorway. He's wearing a black suit, a white button down dress shirt, and a beautiful burgundy tie. He looks delicious. I narrow my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

  He shrugs and winks. "Going to church," he says, walking over to me. A huge sense of relief rushes over me.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him. “Thank you."

  "I could sense you were struggling with the thought of going without mom when you told me about it yesterday. I couldn't let my girl go it alone," he says, planting a kiss in my hair.

  "You have no idea what that means to me," I say, cradling his face in my hands and kissing him.

  "How's mom?" he whispers.

  I shrug with a saddened expression. "Weak. I had to take her to the bathroom, and she could barely walk."

  He looks over at her with concern. "I'll sit here with her while you get ready."

  "Thank you. Drew should be here soon."

  • • • •

  We sit in church, listening to the sermon. Travis holds my hand the entire time and rubs my arm. This wasn't as bad as I envisioned. I'm sure having him here with me has helped.

  The service ends, and we get back in the car just as Travis' phone rings. "It's Amanda," he says, answering it. He talks for a bit and then hangs up.

  "Is everything all right?"

  "She’s fine. She and a couple of friends want to go hiking today. They have to do a nature walk for school. She was asking if I could bring her. Are you up for a hike today?"

  "Yeah, sure," I respond, excited. I haven't been hiking in a long time. I once really enjoyed it. Rich wasn't into nature―actually he wasn't into the outdoors, at all―and my friends are more of the beach babes. "I need to change my clothes first, though.”

  "I agree. I don't think I'd be able to hike much with you in that dress. That would be a recipe for trouble, considering Amanda will be with us." Shit, that's right, Amanda’s going to be there. This is the first time I’ll meet her. Not that I don't want to meet her, I really do. But now that the time has come
, I'm a bit nervous about it. I hope she likes me. I know that would mean the world to Travis.

  He puts his finger under my chin, tilting my head in his direction. "I know what you’re thinking, and I can see the worry on your face. You girls will hit it off."

  "I know," I say, but not sure I'm even convincing myself of it.

  "I promise," he says, taking my hand in his and kissing it.

  We drive back to my mom's house. While he visits with my mom and Drew, I get changed into shorts and a tank top, and put my hair up into a bun.

  I go back downstairs to tell him I'm ready. I see Drew in the kitchen, so I go to my mom's room and I’m frozen in place. Travis is sitting on the edge of the bed and my mom is leaning into him, while resting her head on his shoulder. Travis has both arms around her and he's swaying her to the music, both of them with their eyes closed. The love that this man has to give is simply breathtaking to witness. I can't help but watch from the doorway. The song ends and my mom raises her head, kissing him lightly on the cheek. Travis hugs her. He peeps in my direction, and I put one hand over my heart and blow a kiss to him with the other. He smiles.

  Propping pillows behind her, he tells her that Drew will be in shortly with some lunch. She grabs his hand and kisses it. “Thank you,” she mouths.

  I go over and hug her, reassuring her that we'll be back later. Before heading out, I tell Drew to call us if he should need anything. Travis pulls me to him and whispers. "I'm not sure those shorts are much better than the dress." I smile. He looks at me with raised eyes. "Maybe this hiking thing isn't a good idea after all."

  I tug his arm and pull him into me, kissing him. "We could always explore other things if you'd prefer," I murmur.

  He shakes his head and closes his eyes for a brief moment. "It's a good thing that Amanda needs to do this for school because that sounds so appealing. Can I take a rain check?" he whispers in my ear. The feel of his breath makes me shudder. I nod, and lean in to kiss his neck.