by Abbi Glines
I said nothing. I wasn’t sure what all this meant or if I was connecting the dots correctly. It was more complicated than I had first assumed. When a moment passed and he said no more, I knew he was waiting on me.
“You think your mom had the letters my mom wrote because my mom had written the letters to your mom’s boyfriend?” I asked to clarify things.
Rio nodded.
“I don’t even know my dad’s name. My mother wouldn’t even talk about him.”
“My mom wouldn’t either. However, in the letters she calls him, Rebel. There is no Rebel in the senior class that year. I can only assume it was a nickname,” Rio explained.
“How did your father die?” I asked then, wondering if this would link up our stories.
“Drug overdose,” Rio replied.
“Mine was a motorcycle accident,” I told him.
Rio didn’t look convinced. He gave me a sardonic smile. “And you believe that?”
“Do you believe yours died of a drug overdose?” I shot back.
“Nope. My mom lied to me all my life about my father and that was if I could get her to answer my questions.”
We stood there silent for a few moments. I didn’t know what to think about this or the letters. I wanted to see the ones my mother had written. I wanted to show them to her. Make her explain them. Both Rio and I needed some honest answers.
“I spent a year researching. I found very little. My grandparents shut down whenever I ask them anything. The photos I found of my mom when she was in high school all have the guy that would have been in the photo cut out. There is nothing in the yearbook or my grandparents’ attic that tells me the name of my father. The only thing I managed to do was find out who your mother was, that her mother still lived in town, and that your mother did have a daughter my age. When Drake mentioned you living in your grandmother’s house, I had started thinking up ways I could meet you. Then you come walking into the market with tools for my pop. I just, I don’t think it was a coincidence. I think it was orchestrated,” he said.
I stared at him a moment and wondered if he was right. Had Gran done this? Had she known? Was this a secret my mother had kept from me and if she had kept this from me then that meant… I had a brother.
“I don’t.” I shook my head. “I don’t think Gran would have kept the fact I had a half brother from me my entire life”
Rio shrugged. “Maybe not but if she had and she’d done it at the request of your mother then wouldn’t it make sense for her at her death to make sure you found out?”
There was one simple answer to that. “Yes.” Because Gran would want me to know. This could very well have been her way of putting me in the right place to make connections in hopes that the truth came out. A truth she wanted me to know. A truth I deserved to know.
“How do we find out who this Rebel is?” I asked.
Rio shrugged. “I don’t know. I was thinking there might be answers hidden away somewhere at your grandmother’s. I’ve exhausted my grandparents’ house.”
I inhaled deeply and exhaled before running my hand over my face. This was a lot. So much of it made sense, yet so much of it seemed unlikely.
“Can I see the letters? Just the ones my mom wrote?” I asked him then.
He nodded. “Yeah. We can start there.”
We. There was a we to this. We both wanted answers we had never gotten from our mothers. Yet, what if the secrets were there for a reason? To protect us? Should we dig into something we might not want the answers to?
Gran had sent me there. Rio was right about that. She had sent me to take tool boxes to Lloyd. Had she been hoping a connection like this one would happen? If she wanted me to know the truth then it couldn’t be that bad. Right?
“Okay, yeah. That’s where we will start,” I finally said.
“Sun has almost set. It’ll get dark soon and the crabs will be out. Want to walk back to the house. The crowd will either have thinned or moved inside. Depends on Saul’s mood,” he said as he started walking back that way before I could even answer.
I fell into step beside him and even though my mind should be turning with all this new information, instead I was thinking of someone else. “Why does it depend on Saul’s mood?” I asked.
Rio chuckled. “Because it is Saul’s house. Drake and I pay rent. Everyone will gauge Saul’s mood before deciding to stay or not. Typically he’s the first to leave a party.”
I had no reason to be so intrigued by Saul but hearing he owned that house only made me more curious. If he could afford a house like that then why did he drive an old beat-up truck? “How does he afford that house?” I asked bluntly.
Rio shrugged and for a moment I thought he was going to say nothing. I was being nosey and I understood if his shrug was the only response I would get. “That’s Saul’s story to tell,” he said finally.
I said nothing more and we walked back in silence. My thoughts finally moved from Saul back to the letters that could possibly lead to information about my dad… and Rio’s. Was it possible he was my brother? The idea seemed so insane I didn’t even take it seriously. But what if? How would that feel? And did my mother know?
If Rio was my brother and my mom knew about him, I wasn’t sure I could forgive her for not telling me.
The pool and deck appeared empty from down on the sand. Rio glanced up and then back at me. “Saul must have been done,” he said with a smirk then headed for the stairs.
I slipped back on my sandals, after dusting the sand from my feet, and followed him up the stairs. Rio had reached the top step when he said, “Run them off already?”
Saul was sitting in one of the teak double lounge chairs with a bottle in his hand. His gaze was on the crashing waves, but he turned his head in our direction at Rio’s question.
The moonlight cast shadows, making it hard to see his face clearly. “Drake called a poker night. Most are inside around the table,” he said.
“Ah, should have expected that with Benji back in town,” Rio replied. Then he glanced down at me. “You any good at Texas Hold ‘Em?”
“I’ve never played,” I replied, hoping he didn’t want me to go learn.
“Mind if I go sit in a few hands?” he asked.
I didn’t mind at all, but I also wanted a ride home. The reason I had agreed to come tonight was done. Staying here in a house that belonged to a guy that did not want me around didn’t sound like a good time. Telling him all of this with Saul watching us, however, was difficult.
“Uh,” I replied, trying to decide how to word this.
“You can keep me company,” Saul said and then put a cigarette I didn’t know he had to his lips.
I stood there unsure what to say.
“Great, I’ll be back after I take some of Drake’s money,” Rio said and gently patted my upper back before walking toward the door. He was just going to leave me out here. Alone. With Saul.
Nine
“I’ll put it out if you don’t like the smoke,” Saul said when I made no move.
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. I don’t mind,” I replied and unable to help myself added, “But those things can kill you.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a smile or a smirk on his face from where I stood. The shadows made it hard to see.
“I’ve heard something about that,” he replied then waved the hand holding his beer at the padded lounge chair connected to his. “I don’t bite. For the most part.”
I couldn’t continue to stand here and be awkward. Walking over to sit beside him, however, was difficult. I managed to appear as if he didn’t make me nervous or at least I hoped I did. Taking the seat beside him, I stretched out my legs in front of me and crossed them at the ankles. All the while giving myself an internal pep talk.
“How long are you staying in town?” he asked me.
I didn’t w
ant to explain the list Gran had left me to him. “For the summer, I think.”
He didn’t respond to that for a few moments, so we sat in silence. He might have been waiting on me to say something more but what did one say to a guy who you were aware didn’t want you at his house?
“You’re nervous around me,” he said finally. He didn’t sound amused when he said it. He didn’t sound anything. It was a simple statement.
“It’s your house and you’ve made it clear you don’t want me around your friends,” I replied honestly. If he was going to bring it up, then I was going to put it out there.
“Yet you’re here,” he said then turned his head to look at me, as if challenging me to respond to that as quickly as I had the last.
“Rio invited me,” I replied.
“And you came.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I did.” Because what else could I say?
“Drake ask you for a blow job yet?”
The way he so casually said the word blow job caught me off guard. I let out a short laugh. “Yeah, he mentioned it.”
Saul took another pull from his cigarette. “Figures,” he replied.
“Does he ask all females that?”
“Just the ones that are breathing,” Saul said and cut his gaze back to me with a half-smile on his lips.
“Glad I made the exclusive list then,” I replied.
Then he laughed. It was a low, deep laugh, but it made me feel all tingly inside. I’d made him laugh. I wish it didn’t feel so nice but it did. He wasn’t just unattainable; I didn’t want to attain him either. He was nothing like Will. Saul was not the security I longed for and missed so terribly.
A door opened and I turned my head to see the blonde from the red convertible. Her hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head with tendrils hanging down, yet she still looked stunning. I looked nothing like that with my hair in a bun. The short white dress she was wearing hung off one shoulder and highlighted her golden tan.
She didn’t say anything at first, just stared at me as if she were measuring me up. Did she think I was some sort of threat to her? Her eyes finally shifted from me to Saul. In the darkness, I couldn’t read her expression and I wished I could. I needed to know if I should exit the situation swiftly or not.
“I’m lonely,” she said and moved from the doorway to saunter toward us or just him.
“I thought you left,” he replied and I glanced over at him to see he was taking another drag from his cigarette.
“Just to take a shower and change,” she replied as she reached the end of his lounge chair then moved to crawl on top of him. It was seductive and I felt in the way.
Saul appeared amused, but he said nothing as she straddled him. He seemed to welcome her body and closeness. There was a small tug inside I knew was jealousy, but it couldn’t be over Saul. It was just I missed having someone. I missed touching and being touched. I watched as he put his cigarette out before placing his hand on her thigh. I decided it was time for me to go now.
“I think I’ll go see how Rio is doing with the uh… game,” I said as I stood up.
Neither of them said anything and I didn’t look back at them again for fear of what I might see. If they were going into full on make-out mode I didn’t want that image in my head. I feared that something deep inside me might defy my belief that I wasn’t jealous of the blonde because she had Saul. I was too smart to want someone like Saul. I had the best once. I would never want less. I made my way to the door and just as I was about to walk through, his voice made me pause.
“Nice talking to you, Henley,” Saul called out and I managed a nod but didn’t look back at him before hurrying inside. Finding Rio wouldn’t be too hard because I could hear voices and I followed the sound. There was an arched door to the left of the bar and on the other side, there was a large round table with several guys around it. I took in the scene and wondered what I needed to do to get back to Gran’s.
Rio didn’t even notice I had walked into the room as he studied the cards in his hand. I hated to ask him to leave for me, but I was done with this evening. It was Drake that looked up and locked his gaze on me, his mouth slowly spreading into a smile.
“I didn’t know you were still here. Hell, I’d have stopped playing cards if I’d known,” he said in his thick southern accent. Then he winked at me and put his cards down on the table. “I think I’m gonna call, fellas,” he said.
I watched as he stood up and stretched then picked up his beer. Not sure what to do with this I glanced at Rio who raised both his eyebrows. I wasn’t sure if that was a warning, reminder of what he’d told me about Drake, or a question. I didn’t have time to think it through before Drake was at my side.
“Where’ve you been hiding, sugar?” he asked me.
“Uh, I was outside,” I replied then glanced back at Rio who was now focused on his cards again.
“Drake, you promised me you’d go swimming with me when you were done!” the brunette from the coffee shop said in a pouty voice.
He ignored her and leaned closer to me. “Come with me,” he whispered and then I felt his hand touch the lower part of my back as he moved me toward the door with him. I went, but I wasn’t completely sure if it was a bad idea or not.
“Where are we going?” I asked him.
He shrugged and led me into the living area. “I have no fucking idea. I just wanted to get out of there. Too many folks.”
I glanced out at the deck to see Saul and the blonde were still there and it appeared that they were busy doing something other than talking. That was exactly what I didn’t want to witness. Drake noticed it too.
“Looks like the deck is taken,” he said then took a drink of his beer. “Damn Fleur is a parasite.”
Frowning, I glanced back out at the deck. It seemed to me that Saul was enjoying himself although it bothered me, just a little. It shouldn’t and I knew it. I barely knew Saul and sure, I was attracted to him or to his physical appearance. Like in a way one would be attracted to a movie star. That made me feel slightly better about the knot in my stomach at seeing him and Fleur kissing among other things.
What bothered me more than my reaction to Saul was the way Drake spoke about females. It was harsh. I’d heard him do it at the coffee shop with the brunette and now calling Fleur a parasite was just cruel. His charismatic smile and the confident way he carried himself was tarnished with the offensiveness of his words. I didn’t know Fleur, but she wasn’t doing anything Saul didn’t want her to do. There was no need for Drake to get nasty.
“You should work on how you talk about females. Especially to other females. Because any girl worth her salt won’t give a guy the time of day if he’s trashing another girl,” I said the words before I could think it through. I didn’t regret them though.
Drake smirked. “Trust me, sugar. They give me the time of day.”
“Did you miss the part where I said worth her salt? Because a girl worth spending time with doesn’t like hearing other females brought down,” I replied and stopped walking, pulled away from his hand on my back then put my hand on my hip. The attitude had been ignited and I was ready to give him a lesson.
Drake looked at me, his eyes wide with surprise or amusement. I wasn’t sure which one. I was, however, positive I did not care.
“I like it,” he said then grinned and shook his head. “You’re different.”
I started to say something more when Rio walked into the room. My eyes met his and he looked from me to Drake. “Ready to go?”
I nodded. He had no idea just how ready.
Ten
Waking up at four in the morning to bake the items for the shop, then dropping them off after a late night hadn’t been easy. I had slept very little when I finally got in bed last night. One would think I had lain awake thinking about all Rio had told me and I did at first. However, my thoughts had
ended up on Saul and our brief conversation.
Which was why I had gone back to bed and fallen asleep quickly after taking the baked goods to Hillya this morning. When the roar of a lawn mower right outside my window woke me up only thirty minutes later, I was not happy. I was far from it. One could say I was furious. Lack of sleep is not something I handle well.
Covering my head with the extra pillow on the bed didn’t help muffle the sound and I finally growled in frustration and got up. Stalking to the door, I slipped on my fuzzy pink house shoes and swung open the door with more force than necessary. Whoever was outside cutting grass at this hour should be shot. This was ridiculous. People were sleeping.
It wasn’t until I was down the stairs and on the sidewalk headed toward the grassy part of Gran’s yard that I saw the truck. The blue Ford truck that seemed to taunt me with its presence. Was this a joke? Turning, I looked at the cause of my interrupted sleep.
Saul was wearing a cowboy hat and pushing a red lawn mower in my gran’s yard. He lifted his hand and saluted me but did not stop his noise-making machine. The white tank he was wearing should be as illegal as his cutting grass this early in the morning. It clung to his skin from the humidity and sweat, making his muscular chest even more pronounced. I forgot my anger for a moment while I took in the sight of his arms and the way they flexed as he worked.
The sound cut off and my eyes snapped back up to his face. Saul had pushed the hat back on his head and was wiping his face with a towel. I hoped that meant he hadn’t noticed me staring at him. Although I was sure he was used to it. You didn’t look like that and not get ogled daily. It was part of his penance for being beautiful.
I remembered why I was out here and tried to get my anger ramped up again before he made his way over to me, if that was what he was going to do. I was already getting a damp sheen of sweat on my body from just standing outside in this humidity and heat. Why was it so hot so early here?