Take Me To The Beach

by K. L. Grayson, Karina Halle, A. L. Jackson, Marni Mann, Monica Murphy, Devney Perry, Kristen Proby, Rachel Van Dyken

  He sipped his soda, contemplating my words. “She’ll forget me if you don’t come back.”

  “What? We’re coming back. This is just a vacation.”

  “You might decide to stay.”

  I shook my head. “No, I won’t. I’ve already told Logan I won’t be moving back to New York.”

  The only way I’d live in the city was if Logan forced me into a custody situation. But now that I knew him better, I couldn’t imagine him doing that to me.

  “This is just a vacation,” I repeated.

  “Hope so.” He stood from his stool and went behind the bar for a refill. “While you’re there, go get a Giovanni’s meatball sub for me. Damn, I miss those things.”

  Giovanni’s had been three blocks away from my orphanage and right around the corner from Jackson’s foster home. I smiled, thinking of all the times the two of us would share one of those foot-long sandwiches. It was rare. We couldn’t afford them often. But whenever one of us had a couple extra bucks, we’d splurge. Even when we’d both moved out of Brooklyn, he and I would take trips back for a meatball sub.

  Jackson hadn’t lived in my orphanage, but he’d met Hazel at a grocery store in our neighborhood where he’d been trying to shoplift a candy bar. She’d caught him before the store owner could and dragged him back to the orphanage. She’d fed him a decent meal and shoved a bag of peas on his black eye—a recent gift from his foster father.

  I’d walked into the kitchen that day and the rest was history. Jackson and I became closer than most siblings, while Hazel acted like a mother to us both, making sure we were fed and that our homework was always done.

  Still, we were dirt-poor, and since Hazel wasn’t our legal guardian, there was a limit to what she could do. Bad things still happened to us both. Those meatball subs were most often shared when one of us was at our lowest.

  And as much as I’d like to have one again, it wouldn’t be the same without Jackson. After he’d moved to Lark Cove, I hadn’t gone to Giovanni’s again.

  “I doubt we’ll be spending much time in Brooklyn.” I shivered at the idea of going back to that neighborhood. Besides, Logan was Upper East Side through and through.

  “Probably not. I wouldn’t go back either.” Jackson took the soda gun and filled his glass, then he turned and grabbed my sketch pad. He set it on the bar, flipping through the pages. “You’ve almost got this one full.”

  “When I get back, you’d better have a new one waiting for me.”

  He chuckled. “Done.”

  When I’d first moved to Lark Cove, I’d complained to Jackson about how boring it was at night when the bar was slow. He’d bought me a sketch pad and told me to quit bitching. Since then, I’d filled a ton of sketch pads with my drawings of random bar patrons. Every time I ran out of pages, I’d come in to work to find a new one on my desk in the office.

  “Who were you drawing tonight?” he asked, reaching the end of the book.

  “You’ll see.”

  He turned to the last page, where I’d drawn Willa’s profile.

  She’d been in earlier for dinner. I hadn’t seen her since she’d watched Jackson kiss me and I could tell she’d been nervous. But after I’d explained to her that there was nothing there and Logan had come in with Charlie, she’d seemed relieved.

  Willa had looked beautiful tonight. She’d sat in one of the booths by the front windows and the evening sunbeams had made her long, wavy hair shine like strands of gold. So, I’d picked her as my model. Mostly the drawing concentrated on her hair but I’d also made sure to highlight her high cheekbones and shy smile.

  “She’s hot.” Jackson looked up from the book and scanned the bar like he expected her to still be here. “I’m sorry I missed her. Who is this?”

  My jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Who is this?” He looked back to the page. “Was she just passing through or do you think she’ll be back?”

  “Do I think she’ll be back?” My voice rose as I stood from my stool and rounded the bar. “Give me that.” I swiped the sketch pad away from him, making sure we were talking about the same drawing.

  It was. So I shoved the page in his face. “That is Willa, you dipshit.”

  “No fucking way.” He yanked the pad from my hands. “She doesn’t look like this.”

  “Yes fucking way she does.”

  He bent closer to the paper, studying it before looking back to me. “She does?”

  “Oh my god.” I tossed up my hands and walked away, going to check on the guys in the corner booth. They were ready to leave, so I rang up their tab and cleared some glasses, waving good night before going back to Jackson. He was still staring at Willa’s picture. “Do you see it yet? Or am I really that bad of an artist?”

  “Huh?” He jerked up, forcing his eyes away from the sketch. “I, uh, gotta go,” he muttered, still in a daze as he hugged me good-bye and walked out with my sketch pad.

  I smiled as the back door banged closed.

  He finally got a clue.

  Jackson might not like change, but I had a feeling that by the time I got back from New York, he would have made a few changes of his own.

  I just hoped Willa made him work for it a bit.

  Logan

  “You okay, peanut?” I knelt down in front of Charlie.

  She nodded, her eyes fixed on the plane fifty feet away. Her hand was clutching Thea’s, who wore the same nervous expression as our daughter.

  I ran my fingers over her hair, then stood. “Are you okay?” I asked Thea.

  She tore her eyes from the plane. “We’ve never been on a plane before. Are they supposed to be this tiny?”

  Tiny? This was one of the larger Gulfstream models available and by far the most expensive. It was a good thing my mother wasn’t here for that comment. She would have gasped, then demanded I buy something bigger when we traded up every fall.

  “It will be fine,” I assured them both. “This plane is as safe as they come, my pilots are the best there is, and this is a hundred times better than flying commercial.”

  I hadn’t been on a commercial plane in over ten years, but I was sure my statement was true. We had no lines, no baggage limitations, and comfortable and spacious seating, plus I’d made sure the jet had been filled with Charlie’s favorite snacks.

  “Mr. Kendrick?” One of the attendants approached, gesturing to the stairs. “You’re all set, sir.”

  “Thank you.” I nodded, then took Charlie’s free hand and led them to the plane.

  “Whoa.” Charlie’s whisper echoed through the cabin the second we stepped inside. Her eyes widened as she took in the cream interior.

  My mother’s decorator was responsible for the interior of our plane. My sister Aubrey had asked to decorate it one year and we’d ended up with minimalist modern. Lillian Kendrick did not approve of minimalist, so from then on out, our jets had all been decorated like this one. Everything was rich, buttery leather and dark, gleaming mahogany. And the carpet was so plush, it felt like walking on a cloud.

  I’d never felt uncomfortable in this plane before. Not once. Mom’s taste was extravagant compared to my own, but it was what I knew. It reminded me of my parents’ estate—my childhood home. It reminded me of Granny’s mansion, just three plots down from Mom and Dad’s.

  But at this very moment, as I took in Thea’s expression, I was nervous to take a seat.

  Thea was far from impressed. The worry she’d worn outside was now closer to panic, and it had nothing to do with getting in the air.

  This was her first step into my life and she was terrified. Her feet were stuck by the door. She glanced over her shoulder, longing to retreat down the stairs.

  Fuck. Was she going to run? I’d never dated a woman who hadn’t either had money of her own or had at least spent time surrounded by extreme wealth. Was this too much for Thea?

  I’d been so glad when she’d finally agreed to this trip. But maybe I’d rushed it. Maybe I’d pushed too
hard for her to come along. Maybe I should have given it more time.

  It was too late now.

  “Sir.” The captain emerged from the cockpit. “We’re all set.”

  “Thanks, Mitch.”

  He nodded and smiled at Charlie. “Hello, miss.”

  She gave him a shy smile.

  He bent, waving her close. “Would you like to sit in my seat for a minute? See what it feels like to be a pilot?”

  Her face whipped to Thea, silently asking, Can I?

  Thea nodded and reluctantly let go of her hand.

  “Come on.” I took Thea’s elbow, practically dragging her to a seat. Then I sat across the aisle so Charlie could sit by one of us. “Was this a mistake?” I asked quietly. “This trip?”

  “No,” she lied. Her eyes, filled with doubt, betrayed her.

  “Thea, I—” Before I could tell her I’d cancel this whole thing if she was scared, Charlie came rushing out of the cockpit, her nerves erased by a moment in the captain’s chair.

  “Can I sit by you?” Charlie asked me.

  “Of course.” I helped her get buckled into the seat, then nodded at our attendant that we were set.

  Five minutes of taxiing later, the captain announced we were next up on the runway.

  The minute he punched the engine, forcing our backs deep into the seats, Thea’s hand shot out across the aisle. Her eyes were closed tight and her other hand was gripping the armrest with white knuckles.

  I took her hand and let her squeeze my fingers tight. “I’ve got you.”

  Somehow, I’d make this okay. With time, she’d get used to this kind of lifestyle, because really, there wasn’t another option. I wasn’t letting her go.

  This lifestyle—my lifestyle—was hers now too.

  We just needed to get to the city and everything would be all right.

  “Whoa.”

  Charlie’s word of the day. It had started on the plane and continued through every part of our journey. When we’d flown over the city, she’d been glued to the window, whispering whoa. When we’d landed and walked to my town car, whoa. And now, standing just inside the door to my penthouse.

  “Come on in and make yourself at home.” I turned to the doorman. “We’ve got the bags from here. Thank you.”

  He nodded, setting down our luggage in the foyer. “Have a good evening, sir.”

  When the door closed behind him, I picked up Charlie’s tiny suitcase and carried it farther down the hall. “How about we do the full tour and then order in some dinner?”

  “That sounds nice,” Thea said, following behind with Charlie. “Logan, this place is . . .”

  “Whoa?”

  She smiled. “Exactly. Nice place, gorgeous.”

  “Thanks.” I grinned. She didn’t call me gorgeous often, but damn I liked it when she did. “I’ve only been here for about three months,” I told them as I walked into the living room. “So I’m still getting used to the place myself.”

  “Three months?” Thea’s frame perked up. She’d done the math and knew this place wasn’t the one I’d shared with Emmeline.

  “You both will be my first overnight guests.”

  That got me a full-blown smile. I’d never brought a woman here for sex. It wasn’t like I’d done it consciously, it just hadn’t happened. The only woman I’d fucked since Emmeline was Alice and she’d never been invited over. I mentally patted myself on the back for my foresight.

  The only woman who had a claim on my bed was Thea.

  “Whoa.” Charlie’s head tipped back to the ceiling, taking it all in as she spun around. She nearly crashed into a couch as she came into the living room.

  The main room was situated in the corner of the penthouse with floor-to-ceiling windows lining both exterior walls. Beyond the glass was a garden terrace that overlooked Central Park and the towering Manhattan skyscrapers in the distance.

  The windows had sold me on this place. The black iron between the rectangles was thick to give them an industrial feel. On the top row, the architect had kept them as squares but added some circular iron accents to break up the grid. Wood panels had been placed strategically throughout the living room to warm up the space. And in the center was a two-story, concrete fireplace. Next to the windows, it was my favorite part of the penthouse.

  “This is a beautiful place.” Thea ran her hands over the back of a leather couch. “But not what I was expecting.”

  “Really?”

  She nodded. “I guess I figured it would be modern and,” she shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess I thought it would be like the places you always see in fancy magazines where everything is white. The kind of place where no one can actually live for fear of spilling something. But that fireplace is beautiful. And the wood accents are done so well. It’s amazing.”

  “Thanks.” I took her hand and pulled her past the fireplace and into the kitchen.

  Behind the fireplace, the ceilings were lower, making room for the upstairs bedrooms. But it was still open and airy in the back part of the penthouse. The windows let in a lot of early evening light so the room was glowing.

  “Would you like anything to drink?” I set Charlie’s suitcase down and opened the fridge. There wasn’t much inside. My cleaning service had cleared it out last week. But my assistant had filled it with some necessities, like bottled water, soda, juice for Charlie and Thea’s favorite beer.

  “I can see you do a lot of cooking,” Thea teased, standing beside me and taking out a bottle of water.

  “Me and cooking don’t mix.” Not that I’d ever really tried. “Delivery is the safer choice.” I grinned and grabbed my own water. After a long drink, I called to Charlie, who was pressed up against a window, looking outside. “Hey, peanut. Want to see your room?”

  She spun around and her jaw dropped. “I have my own room?”

  “You sure do. It might not be exactly how you want it, but while you’re here this week, you can get it all set up just right.” I winked at Thea. “In case you decide to extend your vacation.”

  The second the words were out of my mouth I wanted them back. Damn it.

  Thea’s guard went right back up. She gave me a smile—the fake one—and walked out of the room, looking to the right, then left.

  “Down the hall,” I told her as I set down my water and picked up Charlie’s suitcase.

  As she disappeared toward the bedrooms, the doubts I’d had on the plane returned. Maybe I shouldn’t have pushed her to come out here so soon. Maybe we should have waited until the fall.

  Still, having her and Charlie in this house was incredible. Today was the first time it had felt like home.

  I spent long nights at the firm, especially when I’d just been starting out. But that habit had continued and there were still times when I’d catch a few hours of sleep on my office couch and shower in the partners’ lounge.

  There just hadn’t been any reason to come home.

  “Which one is my room?” Charlie asked as she jogged after Thea.

  “Third door on the left.”

  I walked down the hall after them, passing a bathroom and my office. Mostly, I did foundation work from home when I didn’t feel like going downtown.

  There were five bedrooms in this penthouse, three upstairs and two down. I’d decided to give Charlie the biggest room downstairs because it had the fewest windows. For what I’d asked my assistant to arrange, I’d needed it to be as dark as possible.

  “Whoa.”

  I chuckled as I caught up to Charlie and Thea. They were standing in the doorway, both wide-eyed as they took in the room.

  I hadn’t had the chance to see the room since I’d ordered it done the day after I’d asked Thea to come back with me, but my assistant had sent pictures.

  And tomorrow, I was giving him a raise.

  “It’s like a fort,” Charlie whispered, carefully stepping inside. “The best fort ever.”

  “Logan, this is . . .” Thea swallowed hard. “This is wonderful. Th
ank you for doing this for her.”

  I stepped closer, bending to brush a kiss on her cheek. “It was my pleasure. I want you both to feel comfortable here. For whenever you want to come and visit.”

  Her frame relaxed as I threw in that last part.

  As much as I wanted them to stay for good, I’d pushed enough today. If I alienated her this week, I might never get her back.

  I didn’t know why Thea was so resistant to being here, but there was something she wasn’t telling me. As we’d flown into the city, she’d had the same look on her face as she had the night I’d found her old Polaroids.

  “Mommy, look at the trees.”

  “I saw them! They’re so cool.”

  The walls had been painted a dark tan, with birch trees in a lighter shade stenciled on top. Charlie’s four bedposts were all made to look like branches too, their limbs extending to the ceiling, then coming together in the middle to form a canopy.

  Because the room was so dark, there was a string of golden lights that ran above the crown molding, giving the space a soft glow.

  The bedding was a soft cream, the floors a deep brown wood. All the room needed were a few of Charlie’s touches, like her artwork or some books on the shelves.

  I set down Charlie’s suitcase by the wooden dresser and wandered around the room. “My assistant Sean is going to come over tomorrow while I’m at work. He’ll take you shopping for anything that’s missing or you want to change.”

  “Logan—”

  I held up a hand, stopping Thea’s protest. “I want this room to be just right for her. Please.”

  She closed her mouth and nodded.

  “Besides that, I’d like you to get to know Sean. He spends a few days a week here working and I think you guys will hit it off. And if you ever need anything from me but can’t track me down, he can take care of it.”

  My phone buzzed with a text in my pocket, so I pulled it out. “Speak of the devil. Sean wants to know what we’d like for dinner.”

  Charlie climbed up on her bed, jumping once, then landing on her back. The comforter billowed at the sides as she giggled. “Snacks!”