Jimmy tossed his empty beer bottle in the trash. “Yep. She sure does.”
“You gonna tell her?”
“Nope. You are.”
I still hadn’t been given the all-clear to come out of lockdown—which for us meant we had to stick around Canada Lake or travel with an entourage. Since I hadn’t been briefed on Blanca’s location, I had no way to do what Jimmy suggested and tell her what her sister had done for her all those years ago.
The week after we first talked about the swing, Jimmy and I foraged around in the boathouse and found enough wood to build it. We also found a chain to hang it and some old boat cushions that could be used as a mattress.
“We could get these recovered,” said Jimmy, trying to clean the dust off them.
“Where?”
“No clue, but I bet Mary would know.”
Mary hadn’t only known, she was the one to do the work. Two weeks later, we finished building the swing.
The same day Al and I completed the music box. Even I had to admit it turned out beautifully, despite my lack of woodcarving skills. It looked so much like the original, too. I wondered if Blanca would know the difference.
Whether she’d ever see it or use the swing she’d wanted for her birthday all those years ago, I’d probably never know.
“Wow, that looks great,” said Ranger, joining his brother and me for our daily cup of coffee on the porch. “What are the two of you working on next?”
I looked at Jimmy, and he shrugged. “I’ve run out of ideas. The camp is fully insulated now, with proper plumbing and electrical, plus a backup generator.”
That wasn’t all we’d done. The bathroom had been big, given all that was in it was a toilet and sink, so we added a walk-in shower and a bathtub. We’d talked about turning the loft upstairs into proper bedrooms, but that didn’t feel right to me.
“Blanca has good memories of the sleepovers she had here,” I’d said to Jimmy the day he mentioned the idea. His cheeks flushed, and he started to admit sneaking over to the girls’ side, but I stopped him. “That wasn’t one of her good memories, bro,” I teased.
“We could start work on the boathouse,” Ranger suggested. “Get it ready for spring.”
“Might as well,” I said when he and his brother looked over at me. “What else am I going to do?”
“That reminds me why I came over here. Merrigan called and said we should expect her and Doc sometime this week.”
“Here?”
“Affirmative.”
I couldn’t decide whether or not that was good news. It might mean an agreement was made with United Russia that would end our sequestration. If that were the case, I’d be free to leave Canada Lake. The thought of doing so made my heart ache.
34
Blanca
“You made the right decision to return to your family’s cabin. You will get the closure you need, I am sure of it,” said Sorcha, walking me to the car, where her son and his wife were waiting.
“Please keep in touch,” said Esmeralda, putting her hand on my shoulder. “I agree with Sorcha. This is for the best.”
I nodded; part of me knew they were right. Would they have believed differently, though, if I’d told them the other reason I was going to the camp was to close the chapter on Montano too, or the significance of the day I was traveling there?
Perhaps if they had, they wouldn’t be so certain I was doing the right thing.
“I appreciate this,” I said to Merrigan when she and I boarded what looked like the same plane that brought me to the West Coast in December.
“We need to be in New York anyway, so it worked out nicely.” She bent down and looked out the window. “Doc should be here shortly. He’s meeting with the pilots.”
I wanted to ask who they were, but they probably used different ones all the time. When I saw Wasp come through the cabin door, I smiled.
“Wow, it feels good to travel again,” he said, cheek-kissing Merrigan first and then hugging me. Over his shoulder, I saw Swan board, go straight into the cockpit, but then come back out and approach Merrigan. By the way they greeted each other, it appeared they were longtime friends.
“Blanca, you know Swan, yes?”
“I do. Hello.”
The woman stunned me by stepping forward and cheek-kissing me like I’d seen Wasp do with Merrigan.
“How are you holding up?” she asked, taking each of my hands in hers.
“Um, okay. Thanks.” Her demeanor was so different from the last time I saw her; I didn’t know what to make of it.
A few minutes later, she and Wasp returned to the cockpit, we settled in seats, and were on our way.
“Where will we be flying into?” I asked when we were more than an hour into the flight.
Merrigan’s eyes opened wide. “My apologies. I never said, did I?”
“It’s okay.”
She stood from the seat next to her husband and sat beside me. “You have been a bit neglected, haven’t you? We whisk you from one place to the next without even informing you of what’s happening.” Her cheeks turned bright red, and for a minute, I thought she might cry.
“It’s fine. Really. I’m not upset.”
“You should be. What I’m about to say isn’t an excuse. Actually, it is, but I hope it will be more of an explanation.”
I waited, unsure what else to say.
“These last several weeks have been very difficult for all of us. Until late last week, we believed everyone on our team, all the people who worked with and for us, along with their families, were in danger. Thanks to your sister, we were able to mitigate the threat we would’ve otherwise known nothing about.”
I didn’t know what to say. It was odd for me to hear something positive about my twin, especially lately.
“To answer your question, we’ll be landing in Albany, at the same airport you departed from in December.”
“Great. I can rent a car there.”
“You can if you’d prefer, but it won’t be necessary. We have meetings in the area.”
“I think it would be best if I had my own.” Although something else occurred to me. Had anyone returned my previous rental? “Um, I had a rental before when I was there.”
“Another thing I should have made you aware of. We took care of it.”
I supposed that much should’ve been obvious when I logged into my credit card account and had no balance due.
I rested my head against the seat, wondering if returning to the camp now was a good idea. Particularly today of all days. If we were flying to New York City, I’d do what I’d done before and spend a couple of nights there.
Although it didn’t matter where I went or what I did. There’d be no escaping the fact that today was my birthday, which meant it was also Sofia’s birthday.
How was it that I was turning thirty and my twin wasn’t? I didn’t know why this year felt different than last year, the first birthday I had without her, or even the years before. Was it just the milestone? It wasn’t as though we’d celebrated a single birthday together since we turned eighteen. In fact, we hadn’t even spoken.
Once we landed and were preparing to deboard, I hugged my bag close to me. Not only did it contain my laptop but something else very important. Something I hadn’t decided whether I would share with anyone or keep for my eyes only for the rest of my life.
“Perhaps we’ll see you tomorrow,” Merrigan said when we walked to the rental garage together.
“This is me,” I responded when I pressed the button on the key fob and one of the SUV’s lights went on and off and the horn beeped.
When I pulled into the driveway that separated the Messick’s camp from our family’s, it didn’t look as though anyone was at either place.
It wasn’t until I got out that I heard music coming from the boathouse. And laughter. What was going on?
I opened the vehicle’s back hatch, grabbed my bags, and set them on the ground. I was about to reach up to press the button t
o close it when a large, powerful arm beat me to it. I’d recognize that arm anywhere.
“This is a nice surprise,” said Montano.
“Is it? Nice or a surprise?”
“Both. How are you, Blanca?”
Hmm. No angel. Okay. I guess we were back to business. “I’m fine, Montano. How are you?”
“I’m doing okay.”
Before I could grab them myself, he slung my computer bag over his shoulder and picked up my suitcase.
“I can get that. It’s fine. You must need to get back to work…or something.”
He gave me a puzzled look. “What something do you think I’m doing?”
“I have no idea.” He was toying with me, and I was in no mood. “Look, I’m tired, and I’d like to take a nap. If you wouldn’t mind giving me my bags, I’ll be out of your way.” I looked beyond him then, to the camp I hadn’t seen since December, and stopped in my tracks. “It’s different,” I mumbled.
“Not too different,” he said, motioning for me to go ahead of him.
I didn’t move. “I’m sorry. This is really awkward. I didn’t expect to see you here. Quite honestly, the last several weeks of my life have been…surreal. I feel like I’ve been on a crazy ride, and all I want to do is get off.”
“Like the Whip-it?” He smiled and I did too.
“Yeah, just like that.”
I walked forward, but stopped by the porch steps when he did.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Montano, can it wait? I’m sorry to be rude, but I really feel as though I need to lie down.”
“Close your eyes.”
“What? No.” I put my hand on my hip. “What’s going on?”
“Please. Just for a minute. I promise it will be worth it. At least I hope it will be.”
God, I’d missed his little-boy charm, how he got so excited about the smallest things. Like ice cream. What was missing, though, was his usual swagger of confidence. Was he truly surprised I was here? Had he no idea I was coming? It was my camp, after all.
The way his eyes bored into mine, it seemed like he might kiss me. I definitely wasn’t ready for that. “Okay, okay, I’ll close my eyes.”
“Promise to keep them closed?”
“Yes.” I expected him to help me up the steps, but when he swept me up into his arms, I gasped and my eyes flew open.
“Come on. Close ’em.”
“You could’ve warned me you were going to pick me up.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” He leaned forward enough that he could brush my lips with his, but he didn’t. “Close your eyes, angel.” The soft way he spoke was music to my ears that had longed to hear him call me that. “There we go.”
He took two steps up and let go of me with one hand but managed to hold me steady with the other. I could hear the familiar squeak of the screen door.
“Meant to oil that,” he mumbled.
I started to ask why he would since it was my camp, not his, but bit my lip instead.
“Oh, boy,” he sighed. “I’m nervous.” He set me on my feet and steadied me with his arm around my waist. “Okay, open.”
For the second time in a few minutes, I gasped, looking at the swing hanging on the far end of the porch.
“It’s beautiful.” I rushed over and ran my hand over the bright-orange fabric of the cushion, the stained wood of the swing’s arms, the sturdy black chain.
“Go ahead and sit on it. If it will hold me, it will hold you.”
When my eyes met Montano’s, his were beaming.
“How did you know?”
He took two steps closer. “I wish I could say I thought of it myself, but I didn’t. Someone told me it might make a good gift. Happy birthday, angel.”
I blinked my eyes several times, hoping to keep my tears from streaming down my cheeks, but it was pointless. “This is the nicest, sweetest, most wonderful gift. Thank you.” I held onto the chain, sat on the cushion, and swung my legs up on the twin-size mattress. It gently swayed back and forth.
When Montano walked over to the camp’s main door and reached inside, two heaters positioned above me came on.
“This way, you can be out here even if it’s chilly.”
From where I lay on the swing, I could see inside the bathroom window. Curtains were covering most of it, but there was something else in the room I didn’t remember being there before.
“What is that?” I asked, pointing.
“Uh, it’s a shower.”
“You put a shower in my bathroom?”
Montano nodded. “A bathtub too.”
I rested my head on the pillow, and he gave the swing a soft push.
“My father meant to do that, but then my mother got sick.”
“I know. I found his plans.”
“So does that mean there’s regular plumbing?”
“Yep. Hot water and everything.”
“Why?”
I saw the hurt in his eyes my question caused and patted the mattress. “Come lie with me.”
“Are you sure?”
I tugged on the chains. “You built it. Think it can hold both of us?”
“I know it can. I meant, are you sure you want me to?”
“Yes, Montano, very much.”
I sat up so he could put his arm around me and snuggled against him. “I’m sorry for asking why. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“It’s okay. I probably overstepped.”
“Why did you?”
“There were a lot of reasons.”
“I’m listening.”
He smiled. “I was here, and like wherever you were, couldn’t leave. Then Jimmy moved in, and we started—”
“Wait. Jimmy moved in?”
“Yeah. Goin’ through a divorce. I wish I didn’t have to tell you he’ll be single soon, but I guess I do.”
I laughed. “Let’s leave Jimmy out of this for now.”
“Anyway, he and Ranger suggested we winterize the camp at the very minimum. Then, we found your dad’s plans and just kept going.” He motioned with his head. “They’re working on the boathouse now.”
“Jimmy and Ranger?”
“That’s right.” He shifted a little. “Did you want to go say hello?”
I put my arm around his waist. “Not yet. First, tell me what else you did inside.”
“That was about it. At least the stuff that’s visible.”
“Did you enclose the loft and make bedrooms?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Maybe Jimmy was right. We should’ve. I just thought—”
I put my fingers on his lips. “You were right. I like the loft just the way it is.”
He wrapped his hand around mine and kissed my fingertips. “I missed you so much,” he whispered.
“I missed you too.”
“You were pretty mad at me.”
“I would’ve told you I forgave you, but someone shot you and you left.”
He laughed.
I looked into his beautiful hazel eyes. “Thank God, you’re okay, Montano.”
“So, I’ve been here. Where have you been?”
“Butler Ranch.”
He raised his eyebrows.
“I even spent time with your mother.”
“Seriously?”
“Yep. She’s the reason I’m here.”
“Yeah? I had no idea she knew I was.”
“I don’t think she did.” I told him about the conversations she and I had had about Sofia and how both his mom and Sorcha convinced me I needed to come back here. “Even if only one more time.”
“I’m so glad you did.”
“Me too. Although it made today harder.”
“Your birthday?”
I nodded. “We were never here this early in the year. As you know, the camp wasn’t winterized. Anyway, it wasn’t like I had memories of being here with her other years on our birthdays.”
“But it’s still a place you spent time with her.�
��
“Yes.” I brushed a tear from my cheek. “Your mom gave me some more advice.”
“Did she tell you I’m the most handsome, charming, thoughtful man you’ll ever meet?”
“She didn’t.”
He put his hand on his heart. “Mama? You failed me.”
“I knew already anyway.”
He smiled. “What was the real advice she gave you?”
“She told me the music box itself wasn’t what really mattered. She reminded me that I’d carry the memory of Sofia giving it to me with me for the rest of my life.”
“Do you agree?”
“I do.” I wished I could keep the sadness from my voice, but I’d probably never truly get over that precious gift being gone.
“Blanca, there are things I need to tell you.”
“I know.”
“Important things.”
“I know that too.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Before I do, I want you to know I did this for you. The camp, the swing. It’s all for you. I don’t expect you to feel like you have to ask me to come visit or…you know, whatever. It’s just for you.”
“Hmm. Are you saying you wouldn’t want to stay here with me?”
“That isn’t what I meant. I just don’t want you to think—”
“Because we have a big problem if you aren’t planning to.”
He turned so we were facing each other. “Yeah? What’s that?”
“That isn’t how the book ends.”
“What do you mean?”
I scooted down the mattress so I could climb over him.
He flipped to his other side and watched me. “Where are you going?”
“Just over here. I’ll be right back.” I pulled the bound manuscript out of my bag and walked back over to the swing. Montano scooted over so I could lie next to him.
“What’s this?” he asked when I handed it to him.
“Open the cover.”
“The Music Box, written by Blanca Descanso and Montano Yáñez.” He looked into my eyes. “Is this our story, angel?”
“It is.”
“Can I read it?”
“You better. There’s a scene near the end that I’m not sure works quite right.” He picked up the book and flipped the pages. “No skipping to the end.”
Onyx (K19 Security Solutions Book 10) Page 18
