Along Came You

by Jerry Cole

He hit the gym daily to prepare for the kids' camp. He’d stay two hours every day, doing cardio and a lot of weights. I joined him a couple of days but worked the other ones. I knew that he’d be there early once the camp started this week, and I liked to sleep in a little more.

  Rosa worked every day, staying late often. She was keeping herself busy and trying to save some money. She brought dinner home a couple of times a week, checking in by text before stopping to see if we were still awake. She kept in touch with Taryn as much as Taryn kept in touch with Owen. She loved that Rosa was living there now and swore that she’d be back to visit soon.

  Rosa proposed a trip to Connecticut before that time came. She thought a long weekend might do us all good, and I agreed. I also knew I’d be meeting the family. I hadn’t done that since years ago in high school, having no idea how to act or what to do. Taryn just had a two-bedroom place, and I knew that Rosa would be staying there. Did I have to sleep under his parent’s roof?

  Owen assured me that night in bed that everything would be fine. His parents were supportive of him and his choices. He knew that they would love me and promised that we’d sleep in his old room.

  Still, I was nervous as we made the drive in Owen’s car. We were in the front seat, and Rosa was in the back, texting Taryn as we made our way there. Owen was going to meet her boyfriend for the first time, and I think everyone in the car was nervous about that.

  Matt had been in Taryn’s life for three months now. They were doing well, and Owen suspected that they were already living together. I reminded him often that we weren’t ever apart at night, either. The last month had been all about us and having Rosa share the living space worked out very well.

  “She said your mom is making chicken pot pie for dinner. Is that good?” Rosa asked from the back seat as Owen groaned.

  “So fucking good.” He pressed down on the pedal as I glanced at him. “It’s a good thing that I’m finished with camp.”

  He loved it. The kids learned a lot, and had fun doing so, I knew that his family would ask all about it, but seeing the smile on Owen’s face when he talked about hockey was well worth the repeated story. He loved it, and I loved him.

  Yes, I loved him. I told him over dinner one night, unable to hold it in. He laughed, telling me that he felt the same way, and we spent that night at the loft. We needed to celebrate each other and what we had. I didn’t hold back after that and told him every chance that I got. Rosa pretended to gag when I did it at his place, and then we’d laugh together.

  We pulled into a long driveway just past the two-hour mark. It was a large home with a lake behind it, single-story and spread out on what looked like acres of land. “Nice. You both grew up here?” I asked as Owen nodded.

  “Taryn is already here. I’ll bet the loser boyfriend is as well,” he said, and Rosa glared at him.

  “He’s nice. Matt makes your sister very happy.” We grabbed our bags, heading toward the large dark blue door.

  “You’re here!” Taryn opened it and hugged us in order of our line. Rosa was last, and the girls spun around as they squealed.

  “Oh, God. That smells amazing,” I said, taking a look at the large, yet modest home. A pretty older woman and a younger man stepped into the large living room, and she rushed over to hug Owen. The other guy introduced himself as Matt, and I already liked him. We shook hands, and then Owen’s mom, Amber, hugged Rosa, and me as she greeted us.

  We dropped the bags to the floor and headed into the kitchen. Taryn was fixing a salad now, and she grinned as we looked around. There was a large casserole dish on the granite counter bubbling over with goodness, and I stopped and stared. “It’s not even a holiday meal,” Taryn laughed as I blinked, coming back to reality.

  “I did make a pecan pie for you, Owen,” Amber said as she followed us, checking on everything. A man entered the room, and she introduced him to us as Owen and Taryn’s father Mel. He shook our hands with a warm smile, and Amber asked us to set the table for our early dinner.

  As expected, they asked all about the hockey camp. Owen told them about the talented kids, and the ones he grew closest to along the way. He homed in on their skills hardcore if they made an effort to prove that was what they wanted. It always paid off, and he told his mom how proud the parents were at the tournament on the weekend. I was there, and it was clear how impressed every parent was with my man.

  I stuffed bite after delicious bite into my mouth, listening to the conversation around the table. Once they covered the camp, Amber asked about my career. It was always challenging to explain freelance work, but I did my best as Mel watched with interest.

  “So, you could work from here or anywhere that you were?” Mel asked, and I nodded.

  “I bring my laptop everywhere, sir. It’s convenient, and now that we seem to be traveling more, it certainly comes in handy.” I smiled, reaching for my iced tea.

  “That works well for Owen. He keeps himself busy.” Amber smiled at her son.

  Taryn and Rosa went right back into their banter, making everyone at the table laugh. We finished up, enjoying the pie several moments later, after the girls took care of the dishes.

  Chapter Nine

  Owen

  I kept my eye on Matt throughout the meal. He looked at my sister with utter adoration, making sure that she was happy in subtle ways. Matt didn’t take away from the conversation or play tough guy with me at all.

  He was a good guy.

  I found out over dessert that he owned the coffee shop next door to Taryn’s bookshop. It was successful, and each business helped the other out. He bought it recently, and they met at the coffee counter. It was an instant connection, and they began dating and were happy. Mom and Dad seemed to like him, so I accepted that I needed to give him a chance.

  Rosa went with them back to Taryn’s place late that night so they could catch up. We watched a movie in my old room in bed before falling asleep.

  I woke up in the morning with the sun just starting to rise. I left the bed quietly, going to look out of the window. It was gorgeous here, with trees across the street that were the colors of the sunrise. We didn’t have this at home, but I saw the appeal of living close to this just to get my fill.

  I pulled on sweats and a t-shirt once I realized that I was awake for the day. I glanced at Peter to see that he was still sleeping, deciding to leave him to it to get some coffee. I walked down the hall, seeing the light on as Mom worked with the one cup maker. “Good morning. Are you still an early riser?” She asked, smiling at me.

  “I guess. I watched the sunrise. It’s beautiful.” I told her as she nodded.

  “It sets on the lake. We get the best of both worlds here. Peter and Rosa will love that. We’ll have to grill tonight. Would you like some coffee?” She asked, and I glanced at the pot. “Mine will be done in a moment.”

  “That sounds great,” I replied, taking a seat at the counter.

  “Peter looks happy. I know that Taryn told us he was, but the proof is in the pudding.” She glanced up at me before taking her cup to add cream and sugar to it.

  “It’s easy. He’s good to me,” I replied, taking a cup from her as I pressed the right buttons. I waited for my coffee, feeling the warmth in this house wash over me. “I miss you guys.”

  “I know, honey. It seems like you’re doing a lot of good there in the city, though. Those kids must love you.” Mom took a seat at the table, and I joined her once my coffee finished brewing.

  “They’re good kids.” I agreed, looking out of the window. “I have one more camp in a couple of weeks, and that’s it for a while.”

  “I know that Taryn wants to visit you after that. She said you guys had a great time at the club.” Mom smiled, and I nodded.

  “It was fun. She and Rosa were instant friends. That helped me with my decision to ask her if she wanted to rent the other room. Taryn doesn’t mind sharing a room, and I’d never live with someone that stood in the way of her visits.”

  “I’m
glad you two are so close. You had some monster fights growing up,” Mom said, shaking her head at the memory. `

  “We’re twins. That’s bound to happen. We’re good now,” I reminded her, laughing. Despite our fights, we’d always been close and had the twin bond that people described. “So, Matt?”

  “He’s a nice guy, Owen. I know how protective you are of your sister, but he treats her like a princess. It’s helped her to leave the memories of Trent behind her.” Mom’s face sobered at the mention of Taryn’s late boyfriend. The car accident that killed him sent her down a path of anger and bitterness that took the last five years to mend. She didn’t date until she met Matt, and I knew that meant something. He and Rosa seemed to cause something to shift inside of her.

  “I need to remind myself how much that hurt her,” I acknowledged, and she reached out to touch my arm.

  “We all do. Your father was just as protective about her dating again, but we’ve gotten to know Matt.” Mom smiled, and I stared at her for a moment. “She’s happy and moving on. She’s finally leaving Trent behind her.”

  “Good.” The night that he swerved to avoid a head-on collision and ended up over a cliff right into the ocean would never leave my mind. He was trying to get home to help take care of my sister when she had a bad flu. That made her recovery from everything longer than it should be, and we were all keeping a constant eye on her. “That’s all I want for her.”

  “Us, too. We just want you both to be happy.” Mom sipped her coffee, and I greeted Dad as he walked into the room for his first cup.

  “I thought we could grill tonight and give everyone a chance to see the sunset over the water,” Mom told him as he sat beside her. “Owen got up to see the sunrise.”

  “I woke up, and it was there. I didn’t have the intent to do so,” I assured her with a chuckle.

  “I think that’s a great `idea. Pull out whatever you want to cook, and we’ll make it happen.” Dad opened his newspaper and read the first headline as I watched him. He had a phone to keep in touch with his colleagues at the law firm that he still worked with, but he didn’t use it for anything but that. It was real books and the old-fashioned newspaper for my father.

  “I’d love to take you guys out to eat tomorrow. I think Peter might like that seafood place on the water.” They nodded, and I sensed a change in the room.

  “We’d love that.” We were leaving Monday morning to get back to our lives, so it would be a quick goodbye.

  Peter joined us about an hour and a half after I came into the kitchen and sipped coffee as Mom started breakfast. “Sorry, I slept in,” he murmured to me as I smiled at him.

  “It’s okay, babe. We were just catching up down here,” I told him, eying his messy hair. He got some coffee, sitting down with a rueful smile.

  “How long have you been up?” Peter asked, and I paused in answering.

  “I woke up with the sun this morning. It gave Mom and me some time to catch up. You rarely sleep in.” I gazed into his eyes, seeing that he felt terrible. “We’re talking about grilling outside for dinner. That’s where the sun sets. It’s beautiful.”

  “That sounds great,” he told me, making me want to kiss him more than anything. I knew that my parents respected my choices in life, but I wasn’t the type to make out with anyone in front of them. I’d save that for later.

  We enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of waffles and fresh sausage, along with more coffee. Taryn brought Rosa to the house, and we decided to go into the older part of town to do some sightseeing. We showered and dressed in jeans and sweatshirts, meeting the girls in the living room.

  Taryn drove us in her Accord, parking in the heart of it all. The shops were on the water of a large river, and it was very quaint. I knew that Rosa was going to go insane shopping, warning Owen in a low voice before we left the car. He chuckled, pulling me to him for a soft kiss as I closed my eyes.

  He was my everything.

  Taryn acted like it was her first time shopping there, darting in and out with Rosa as we looked on. I did accompany Peter into a few places, but he was not much of an idle shopper. He did love the trees and the water. Peter took several pictures on his phone as I watched with a soft smile. “Why did you leave this place? It’s gorgeous.” His voice was low as he took another shot.

  “College. I love the city vibe, too. Visiting here is special to me, seeing my family and my home.” I reached out to touch his shoulder. “Do you prefer this?”

  “It’s not that I prefer it. It’s just so damn peaceful. You have to travel away to find this in New York.” Peter smiled back at me.

  “I’m certain you have a place to stay anytime you want to visit. I think my family likes you better than they like me now.” I smiled to let him know that I was joking, watching as he frowned.

  “I slept so late.”

  “No, you didn’t. I just woke up early for some reason. I’m sure it’s because I was home.” He shrugged, and I leaned in to kiss his shoulder. “You’re allowed to relax when you’re away for vacation.”

  “Okay. I just want to make a good impression on them,” he murmured, gazing into my eyes. “I love you. I want to be with you for a long time to come.”

  “I feel the same way,” I said as he held out the phone to take a picture of us. I smiled, and we heard the girls making fun of us back on the sidewalk. “You get those two together, and it’s chaos.”

  Rosa showed me a sweatshirt that she bought, as well as a necklace. She was bouncing back, and I loved seeing it.

  “There’s an amazing coffee place just down the street. Want to take a break?” Taryn asked. We all agreed, and she led the way with her arm locked through mine. I laughed as I looked back at Peter, enjoying her claim on me. I missed living closer to my twin.

  That all changed when we walked through the doors. I glanced at the counter to see an ex from a few years back, helping customers. He’d been needy and leaving him was difficult. “Shit,” Taryn breathed, pausing for a moment. “I had no idea that he’d be here.”

  I didn’t want to leave over seeing an ex. I knew that Peter wasn’t the kind to be jealous from conversations we’d enjoyed, but Mateo was a little obsessive in the past. “Too late.” He saw me, smiling brightly when he recognized me. I dropped back, taking Peter’s hand as Mateo’s bright blue eyes darkened.

  “It’s been a while, Owen. Still playing hockey?” Mateo asked once we were all at the counter. He knew what happened to me. He probably knew everything about me that Goggle would tell him.

  “Just for fun now,” I kept my answer short, sensing the curiosity from my friends. “Go ahead.”

  Rosa ordered a cinnamon latte, Taryn went with a Chai tea, and Peter and I both ordered vanilla lattes. I paid for everything, feeling Mateo watching me the entire time. “It was good to see you again.” His voice was low as we made our way to the end of the counter to get our drinks. When they were in hand, we decided to sit by the window for a break.

  “Is that an ex?” Peter asked as I looked at him, trying to read his eyes.

  “From my last year in high school. He was a bit of a creeper, to be honest. I’m glad I don’t live here anymore and need to see him too often,” I replied, as Taryn nodded in agreement.

  “I had no idea that he worked here. I wouldn’t have subjected any of us to that kind of crazy.” Taryn shuddered before sipping her drink. “This is almost worth it, though, to be honest.”

  Rosa sipped hers, nodding in agreement. We all decided the coffee was great, moving the conversation to dinner later on. Rosa grew excited to eat out back and watch the sunset over the water. I could see that she was bonding with my family, as well.

  We bought my mom some fresh flowers at a stand before heading back to the house. Dad was in his office, and Mom was reading on the back porch. I joined her, seeing the smile on her face as I sat down. “Did they like it?” She asked, and I chuckled.

  “Loved it. Rosa bought some stuff, and we had coffee at Heritage. Mateo was a
t the counter.” She stared at me.

  “Did he say anything?” She asked as I paused in thought.

  “He still asked if I was playing hockey. I know that he heard about what happened.” My scowl was evident, and she sighed.

  “Little asshole. Everyone knew about that, but they might have the decency not to bring it up.” She sipped her tea. “Did you display Peter in front of him?”

  “You betcha,” I replied as she smirked.

  “Good.” The girls walked out back to show Mom her flowers, making her cry a little. Taryn assured her that she’d get them in water, telling Rosa that she’d bring out some wine in a bit.

  Rosa sat beside us, looking over the water in fascination. “This is an amazing view you have every day.”

  “It’s not perfect during a storm in the middle of Winter, but I don’t want to trade it anytime soon.” Mom smiled, looking over the peaceful water. “I spend a lot of time out here.”

  “I’d probably get nothing done.” Rosa murmured, dropping back into the lounge chair.

  “How did you sleep at Taryn’s?” Mom asked, and she burst out laughing.

  “We stayed up so late talking. Matt ended up going home to sleep for work.” Rosa giggled as I stiffened.

  “Grow up, Owen. You know how this works.” Mom slapped my arm as I raised a brow. “I’m sure he understood you girls needed to catch up.”

  “I hope so. Taryn said he might end the relationship.” Rosa laughed again, and I was relieved to see her so happy. I wished in a way that we could take Taryn back to New York with us.

  Taryn brought out three glasses and a large bottle of wine, pouring for the ladies. “None for me?” I asked as Peter walked out with two beers in hand. “Nice. You must have read my mind.”

  “I told him to grab them. The wine is for us,” Tarn shot back, grinning as she held her glass up in a toast.

  We relaxed outside, talking about New York, our jobs, and life in general. I always forgot what that was like here until I was home again. Dad stepped outside in the late afternoon, asking if we wanted to start dinner. We’d merely snacked throughout the day, eagerly replying that we were starving.