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

  I didn’t want to be thousands of miles away if Hazel’s health started to fail or if Jackson finally found love.

  “I’m worried that if I stay and I’m unhappy, I’ll start to resent you.” I held tighter to his hand. “And so would Charlie.”

  He hung his head. “She’s miserable, isn’t she?”

  “She loves you. I think she’d put herself through all the dresses and uncomfortable shoes in the world if you asked her to. But . . .”

  “But I won’t,” he whispered.

  And that was why I loved him completely. His love for our daughter. He’d known Charlie for weeks and already put her happiness first.

  I’d do the same. If I truly thought she’d be happier here than in Montana, we’d stay. I’d sacrifice my home and job and family so she could be with her dad. But I knew deep in my soul that my girl needed open space and big skies.

  “She’s all that matters.”

  He brought a hand up to my cheek. “Not all.”

  A tear fell onto his thumb. “I wish—”

  “I know.” His eyes were still full of pain, but there was understanding too. “Me too.”

  Logan blew out a deep breath and stood from the bed. “I don’t know what to do.”

  I shrugged. “There’s nothing to do. We move forward. We make Charlie’s life as happy as it can be.”

  “And what about us?”

  I looked at my lap and let a few more tears fall onto my dress. “I think it would be better to end it now. Before it gets even harder.”

  “Even harder?” He scoffed. “Thea, I am in love with you. I have a ring in my suitcase that I’d hoped to give you tonight. How could it get any harder?”

  My shoulders began to shake. “I love you too.”

  “Just not enough to stay.”

  My entire body flinched. The pain burned hot for a moment until anger took its place. “You could move. Why are we the ones who have to make the huge life change?”

  He shook his head. “I can’t. My career is in New York. My family too. You’re not the only one who’s proud of what they’ve accomplished and doesn’t want to give it up.”

  “Okay. Then we’re back to where we were.” I swiped my eyes dry. “The impossible.”

  He stopped pacing, his balled fists relaxing. “I don’t want to fight.”

  “Me neither.”

  I didn’t want us to end on bad terms. We had years ahead of us as Charlie’s parents, and they’d be easier if we could end this amicably. We had to find a way to move past the pain and just focus on raising a happy child.

  Logan crossed the room to take my hands and pull me to my feet. Then he wrapped me in his arms, breathing in my hair. “I don’t want to let you go. Being with you. Having Charlie. It’s the happiest I’ve ever been. But my family. My career. I can’t—”

  “It’s okay.” I relaxed into his chest. “I understand.”

  And I did. I didn’t blame him for needing to stay. But we’d hit a dead end on our conversation and there wasn’t anything more to say.

  I leaned back, standing on my tiptoes to press my lips against his.

  He returned my kiss without hesitation, taking charge like he always did.

  I melted into him completely, telling him through my touches how desperate I was for things to be different.

  We stripped each other bare and fell into a tangled mess of limbs under the bed sheets. Neither of us wanted to break away to turn off the lights. Logan made love to me with his weight bearing down hard, like he wanted to keep me pinned to this place. He moved over me with a ferocity I’d never seen before. The despair in his eyes never really gone, just masked by heat.

  And through it all, I held him tight, whispering the three words I’d never say to another man, memorizing the way he said them in return. I love you didn’t scare me now.

  It was just . . . the perfect end.

  “Hello.”

  I looked up from my lounge chair as Thomas and Lillian came out to the patio. “Hi.”

  Charlie and Logan were swimming in the pool, enjoying the cool water on a hot afternoon. The overcast skies and cool breeze from yesterday had disappeared, so this morning, Logan and I had decided to let Charlie just play. We wanted to give her a fun last day with her dad because he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to get to Montana next.

  So we’d camped out by the pool this afternoon to soak up the sun.

  “May we join you?” Thomas asked.

  “Of course.” I sat up and swiped Charlie’s clothes off the chair next to me. Then I did a quick check to make sure my bikini top hadn’t slipped down.

  Lillian sat in the lounge chair next to me, while Thomas pulled up a regular seat from a table under an umbrella behind us.

  I looked down the pool for some rescue, but Logan was too busy watching Charlie to notice his parents had come out. Instead, he was treading water while she stood at the end of the diving board, psyching herself up to jump.

  “We owe you an apology,” Thomas said, his eyes fixed on my daughter. “Our behavior last night was intolerable. On behalf of the entire family, I’d like to assure you it won’t happen again.”

  I blinked a couple of times, glad they couldn’t see my shocked eyes behind my sunglasses. “I, um, thank you?” When my ears registered that it had come out as a question, I cleared my throat and tried again. “Thank you.”

  “We’d like to get to know Charlo—” Lillian caught herself, swallowing. “Charlie.”

  “I’m sure she’d like that.” It was a lie, but if these people were trying, then so could I.

  There’d come a time when Charlie would come out here to visit Logan without me. Any bond she made with her grandparents while I was here would make those future trips easier.

  “Have you all eaten lunch?” Lillian asked.

  I nodded. “We went down to visit Joan this morning and she invited us to stay.”

  After a few hours with Logan’s granny, I loved her even more than I had last night. Joan had showered Charlie with affection, constantly hugging or kissing her cheek.

  “Well, if Mom got to enjoy your company at lunch, we get dinner,” Thomas declared. “Is there something you and Charlie would prefer? Our chef can make just about anything. Or we can get takeout.”

  “We’re pretty easy to please. Charlie loves your typical kid food. Macaroni and cheese. Pizza. Corn dogs.”

  “Corn dogs!” Thomas clapped once. “I haven’t had a corn dog in ages. Let’s have him make those and more of those fries. She seemed to like them last night.”

  I smiled, glad he’d noticed. “She’ll love it.”

  “Look,” Lillian gasped, sitting up straighter in her chair.

  My eyes tracked hers to where Charlie was plugging her nose and Logan counted to three. She screwed her eyes shut and pushed off the board, splashing water all over her dad as she disappeared under the water.

  Logan was right there as she came up for air, holding her to his side while she wiped the water from her smiling face.

  The patio broke out in cheers as we all stood to clap for Charlie. She looked at us, then ducked her head into Logan’s neck at the sight of Thomas and Lillian.

  Logan just glared, swimming for the edge of the pool. He hoisted Charlie out first, then himself. The water glistened as it slid down his sculpted chest and abs in steady streams. A shiver rolled down my shoulders and I shut my eyes, committing that image to memory. It was one I’d use to keep me company on the lonely nights. I’d probably draw it in a sketchbook as soon as I got home.

  With Charlie trailing behind him, Logan strode down the pool to our chairs. He swiped a towel off another lounger, handing it to Charlie, before getting one for himself.

  “Mom. Dad.” He nodded to his parents, then looked at me from underneath his towel, giving me the Are you okay? look.

  I smiled. All good.

  “We were just deciding on dinner plans,” Thomas said. “Charlie, do you like corn dogs? I was hoping we could have
them for dinner. Is that okay with you?”

  She nodded, sliding closer to Logan’s leg.

  “Hi, guys!” Aubrey came out onto the patio, her face split into a wide smile aimed at my daughter. “Charlie, want to swim with me?”

  Logan looked down, giving her a grin. “Aunt Aubrey is scared of the diving board.”

  Aubrey rolled her eyes. “I’m not scared. I just don’t like water going up my nose.”

  “You should plug your nose.” Charlie pinched her nostrils together. “This is how my daddy taught me.”

  “Hmm.” Aubrey tapped her chin, pretending like she’d never heard of the idea before. “Maybe you could show me?”

  Charlie smiled, tossing her towel on the deck and wasting no time scurrying her little butt back to the diving board.

  Aubrey smiled and followed close behind just as Logan’s phone rang on a table.

  “I’ll be right there,” he called to their backs, then took the call.

  Thomas stood from his seat. “I haven’t been swimming in ages. I think I’ll change and join them.”

  “And I’d better let the kitchen know our dinner choice.” Lillian gave me a genuine smile as she stood and followed Thomas into the house.

  I let out a deep breath, relieved at how painless that had been. With Sofia having left for the city already, it might actually be an enjoyable Sunday afternoon. And I couldn’t help but feel excited for Charlie that she might actually get to know her extended family.

  Her shyness was gone with Aubrey—and the diving board—as she catapulted herself into the water. One by one, Charlie would warm to these people and pull them into her circle. If they were anything like Logan, which I suspected they were even with last night’s events, she’d have more than just me and Hazel and Jackson in her family.

  “That was Sean.” Logan sat by my feet, blocking my view of Charlie and Aubrey. “He tried to track down the owner of that email account but is having trouble, which is just pissing him off. Sean thinks the guy is a hacker too and is blocking him.”

  I frowned. “This is not a big deal, Logan. Let it go. It’s just some guy being a jerk. The emails will stop.”

  “I’m not willing to take that chance.”

  We went into one of our stare-downs, but I finally gave in. Even behind my sunglasses, he was winning. “Fine. If you want to waste Sean’s time, that’s your choice. But I don’t want to talk about it. Not today.”

  Today, I just wanted him to be close. To have this last day together before everything changed tomorrow.

  “Okay. Not today.” The tension in his face disappeared and he scooted closer. His hand skirted up my knee to my thigh and he leaned down, giving me a gentle kiss.

  I relaxed into him, leaning my forehead on his shoulder.

  We held one another without another word until he wrapped his arms tight around my hips.

  “Logan, that’s too ti—”

  I couldn’t get the words out. One second I was sitting, the next Logan had scooped me off the chair and was hurling us both toward the pool. I screamed as we crashed into the water, laughing as I came up for air.

  “You’ll pay for that.” I splashed Logan’s smug grin.

  “Oh, yeah? What are you going to do about it?”

  I smiled, just as Aubrey and Charlie came up from behind him and dunked his head in the water.

  And that was how we spent our last day.

  Playing with our daughter. Getting to know his family. Eating corn dogs. And saying good-bye with every gentle touch and chaste kiss.

  We spent the day savoring every moment. A calm understanding had cleared the worry between us and given us the liberty to just . . . be.

  As heartbreaking as it would be to say good-bye tomorrow, we both knew it was the right decision. The fairy tale was over. The glass slipper was coming off. Charlie and I needed to go home.

  Where we belonged.

  Logan

  The day I drove Thea and Charlie to the airport was the worst day of my life, without question. We rode in solemn silence back to the city. Charlie’s sad eyes often found mine in the rearview mirror. Thea held tight to my hand as I drove, keeping us connected for just a bit longer.

  The entire time, I contemplated my options. I wanted to tell Thea I’d find a way for us to be together, but I couldn’t make that kind of promise, not if I couldn’t keep it.

  So when we pulled up to the hangar, I took a long breath and prepared for an awful good-bye.

  I got out first, waving to the pilots and crew as they approached from the base of the jet’s stairs. They came over and took the luggage, then backed away as Charlie and Thea climbed out of the SUV.

  “We’re ready anytime, sir.” The pilot smiled to Thea. “Just come on up when you’re ready and we’ll be off.”

  “Thank you.” She nodded at him, then let go of Charlie’s hand, motioning her to my side.

  I dropped to a knee, tipping up Charlie’s chin with my finger. “I’ll see you soon, peanut.”

  “Okay, Daddy,” she told her feet.

  My heart broke as the tears welled in her eyes. I yanked her forward, pulling her to my chest and hugged her tight. “I love you,” I whispered into her hair.

  “I love you too.” Her small frame shook as she cried into my shoulder.

  I breathed through the crushing ache in my chest, getting my emotions under control. But when I looked up to see Thea swiping tears off her cheeks, a whole new wave of pain hit my center.

  The idea floating in my head had to work. It has to. Seeing these two in tears was more than I could bear.

  I stood, picking Charlie up off the ground, and took Thea’s hand, tugging her into my side. The three of us held tight to our small huddle. None of us were in a hurry to break apart, but when I saw one of the crew checking their watch, I knew my time was up.

  “Call me when you get home.”

  Thea nodded, sniffling as she stood back. “We will.” Thea rubbed our daughter’s back and I set her down. “Okay, Charlie. Time to go.”

  They linked hands and took a step away.

  “Wait.” I stepped forward, taking Thea’s face in my hands. “I love you.”

  Her eyes filled with new tears. “I love you too.”

  Thea’s explanation for leaving hadn’t been easy to hear. I’d lain awake with her draped over my side for two nights now, replaying her words. And after all those hours of sorting it out and putting myself in her place, I came to a conclusion.

  She loved me.

  But she also needed to love herself.

  If New York made her feel like less, then I wouldn’t ask her to stay. If she needed to be with her family, I had to let her go.

  She loved me enough to be honest. I loved her enough to want her to have it all.

  I pressed my lips to hers in a hard kiss. “I promise to see you soon,” I whispered against her lips.

  She nodded. “You know where we’ll be.”

  At home.

  I let her go, watching as she led Charlie to the plane. My daughter looked over her shoulder, giving me a tiny wave as she climbed the stairs. Thea never looked back.

  She still didn’t believe in promises.

  But she would.

  It took me two weeks to unravel my life.

  Two weeks, and I was no longer a partner at Stone, Richards and Abergel. I was no longer the Kendrick prince, preparing to be king. And soon, I’d no longer be the chairman of the foundation’s board of directors.

  “How did brunch go?” Nolan asked, leaning back in his chair as I came into his office.

  I collapsed in a leather club chair across from his desk, loosening the knot in my tie. “About as well as I expected. Dad thinks I’m fucking up my life and Mom can’t fathom why Thea doesn’t just move here.”

  “They’ll come around. Give them a couple more grandkids. Buy them a lake house in Lark Cove. Once they spend some time there, they’ll understand. Besides, it’s not like you can’t manage the Kendrick fortune fro
m Montana.”

  I shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  My parents thought abandoning the career I’d worked so hard to build was reckless. They’d been disappointed in my decision to move, especially Dad.

  He wasn’t concerned about me managing logistics for the family from Lark Cove. He knew location didn’t matter when it came to handling finances, taking phone calls and returning emails. Dad was convinced that I’d never be seen as a leader if I was living thousands of miles away. He had a point.

  So I’d handed over my crown.

  Aubrey could take his place because I wasn’t changing my mind. Two weeks without Thea and Charlie and I was coming out of my skin.

  “Any word from the firm?” Nolan asked.

  “No. I don’t expect to hear from them again.”

  The day I’d dropped off Thea and Charlie at the airport, I’d called for an impromptu meeting with the senior partners at the firm. I’d gotten lucky that it had been on a Monday and none of them had been out golfing. Though I’m pretty sure all three of them had wanted to take a club to my head after the first five minutes of the meeting.

  “Are they still pissed?”

  I shrugged. “I think they’re chagrinned that I outsmarted them. But they got the better end of the deal, so they’ll get over it as soon as they cash a few Kendrick checks.”

  Nolan grinned. “Remind me to have you review any and all contracts before I sign them.”

  “You got it.”

  When I’d bought into the firm as a partner, I’d signed their standard partnership contract. It was fairly boilerplate, outlining the responsibilities of the partnership and the consequences if expectations weren’t met. It also included a nepotism clause, stating that no partner could be in a relationship with other employees. Immediate family members were allowed to work at the firm, but not in the chain of command with the related partner.

  All standard.

  Including the clause where a partner’s spouse and family members were not allowed to be clients of the firm.