by Marie Force
If there are causes you want to support, all you have to do is tell me about them and it’s done. I’m a few years ahead of you in coming to terms with what it means to have the kind of money I earn playing a silly game. I know it’s obnoxious. But I’m not about to give it back. Instead, I’d rather use it to make life beautiful for the people I love and to help others who are less fortunate.
You were right—the houses are bougie, but they’re pretty awesome, too, right!?? I loved the one in Indian Creek Island with the pool and the swing set, but the one in Gable Estates would be closer to work for you, so I’m leaning in that direction because I want you there with us whenever you’re able to be, and I don’t want you battling hideous traffic to get there. I want us to spend as much time together this fall and winter as we possibly can. I’m spending the winter in Miami so I can be with you. If you’re not happy with my plans, then I’m not happy, either.
Come back. Let’s talk.
I love you.
Austin (and Everly)
Chapter 20
MARIA
Nona returns to find me dabbing at tears with a cocktail napkin. “What happened?”
I hand her my phone so she can read the text. She pulls reading glasses from the top of her head and puts them on the end of her nose, her expression softening as she reads what he wrote.
“I like this young man very much.”
“I do, too.”
“So then why are you here with me instead of with him?”
“Because I needed my Nona.”
She wraps her strong arms around me and hugs me tight. “Your Nona is always right here for you, my love.”
“You’d better be.”
She kisses the top of my head. “Go see your guy and figure this out with him.”
Nodding, I kiss her cheek. “Thank you.”
“Any time.”
“I may not say it often enough, but I appreciate you so much. I appreciate that I can dump my stuff all over you and know it’ll never go any further. In our family, that means so much.”
“Nothing in my life has ever brought me more pleasure than my grandchildren. And you, my sweet, are one of my favorites.”
I roll my eyes at her because she says that to all of us.
“Drive carefully. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” I head back downstairs and run into Abuela at the hostess station for the Cuban side of the house. She is Nona’s opposite in every way. Abuela is petite, with snow-white hair. But like Nona, she’s ageless and tireless.
“I heard you were here,” she says, giving me a careful once-over. “Everything okay?”
“It is now. Your partner in crime upstairs fixed me right up.”
“Then I’ll just give you a hug, tell you I love you and send you on your way.”
“Love you, too, Abuela. See you tomorrow night.”
“See you then.”
I wave to my uncle at the bar on the way out the back door. Once I’m back in my car and headed out of the parking lot, I face a decision. Go right toward home or go left toward Austin and Everly and his millions of dollars and his loving heart. I fell in love with his words and his heart before I understood the full extent of his resources. And once again, his words have me taking a left toward him rather than running away.
I loved what he said in his text, how he homed right in on what was causing me to freak out and assuaged my concerns so perfectly. The idea of being able to fully fund the clinic and support other worthwhile causes in my community is a heady notion and something I hadn’t considered before he and Nona mentioned it.
That he would actually fund things that matter to me is just another reason to love this man who’s turned my world upside down. I can’t get back to the hotel fast enough, especially in bumper-to-bumper Friday night traffic. It takes forty minutes to get downtown, and when I turn the keys over to the valet, I decide to go upstairs first rather than check the pool.
He’s big on keeping Everly on a schedule, and it’s getting close to dinner, bath and bedtime.
Outside the suite, I ring the doorbell.
A full minute later, the door swings open.
Austin is holding Everly, who is wrapped up in a bath towel. His expression is full of relief when he sees me there. “Come in.”
“Rie! Scream!”
“We thought you might be room service. Someone is more excited about her scream than she is about her dinner.”
Everly is leaning toward me so I take her from Austin. “Scream is so much more fun than dinner.”
Everly nods enthusiastically. “Rie!”
“Everly!”
Her giggle is my favorite thing. “Rie!”
“Everly!”
She snuggles into my embrace, and a profound sense of homecoming overtakes me as I glance at Austin watching us together.
“Glad you came back.”
“Me, too.”
AUSTIN
I’ve never been so happy to see anyone. While Everly splashed in the kiddie pool, I sat next to her and composed the text to Maria, pouring everything I feel for her into that message out of the fear I’d never see her again after taking her house shopping. I have to confess it never occurred to me that she’d freak out about the luxury of the homes we toured. Every other woman I’ve ever known would’ve freaked out because they would’ve wanted to live there.
Not my Maria. She’s special and unaffected and thoughtful and so many other things, it’d take me a year to list them all. In fact, I may start making that list and watch it grow as I discover new things about her.
We sit with Ev while she eats her mac ’n’ cheese and then the vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce she’s had every night we’ve been here. I fear she’s going to expect the room service waiter to show up with her favorite things long after we leave the hotel, a thought I share with Maria.
“You may need to get a white shirt and bow tie.” She wipes the chocolate from Everly’s face. “So you can keep her in the style she’s used to.”
Watching the tender way she cares for Ev, I realize she already cares more about my little girl than the child’s mother ever did.
“I was wondering if you might be willing to read the books tonight so I can return the rental car. I’m not sure I can juggle the car, Ev and the bags myself in the morning.”
“I could take you.”
“It’s crazy early. We’ll get an Uber if you don’t mind staying with her while I drop off the rental.
“Sure, we can do that, can’t we, baby girl?”
“Rie!”
“And the people have spoken,” I say, laughing. To Everly, I add, “Dada will be right back. Rie is going to read your stories, okay?”
“Rie! Read!”
I squeeze Maria’s shoulder. “I’ll be quick.” I call down to the valet stand for the car and am on my way to the airport drop-off fifteen minutes later. I can get an Uber with a car seat in the morning, and it’ll be easier to get dropped off outside of Departures than have to deal with the rental car. I’m eager to get back to Maria, so I drive faster than I probably should, and as I’m getting gas, I think about what happened earlier and what I want to say to her when I get back to the hotel.
Thanks to traffic and a line at the rental car drop-off place, I end up being gone an hour. When I get back, I find Maria outside on a lounge, drinking a glass of wine. She’s changed into pajama pants and a tank, which is a relief because that means she’s planning to spend the night.
I look in on Everly, who’s out cold, and bend over to kiss her cheek. Then I change into basketball shorts in the other bedroom, grab a beer and join my love on the patio to make things right between us. I’ll do whatever it takes to put her mind at ease.
“You got room for me?”
“Of course.” She scoots over to make a space for me to join her on the lounge.
I put the beer on a table and reach for her, bringing her into my embrace. I breathe in her distinctive scent and kiss the to
p of her head. “I’m sorry today was weird for you. I never intended for that to happen.”
“I know. It’s just a bit of an… adjustment for me.”
“I’m sorry to hit you over the head with it. I didn’t mean to do that. I guess I figured you knew…”
“I did. I mean, I do, but it’s still… It’s a lot.”
“It’s crazy money, and at times, it’s been embarrassing to me to make so much when so many people have so little. I’ve been really focused on giving back since my first year in the majors.”
“And knowing that only makes me love you more than I already did.”
“You tell me what’s important to you, and I’ll do anything I can. All you have to do is point me in the right direction.”
She drops her head onto my chest and puts her arm around me. “My Nona and Abuela are all about giving back, and they raised us to keep an eye out for those less fortunate. The clinic where I work… We serve people who have no insurance, no hope of ever having insurance. Many of them are here illegally, so they fear being reported if they go to a hospital. There’s so much need, Austin. And that’s why I’m still there six years after I graduated from nursing school when I could make triple the money at a hospital or private practice. That’s why I waitress on Saturday nights, so I can afford to work at the clinic during the week.”
“I admire that so much.”
“It’s because of what I see there every day that I had a freak-out over the houses we looked at today.”
“I get it. I asked the Realtor to find me something less bougie.”
“Don’t do that. Get what you want, and I’ll adjust.”
“I want you to be happy.”
“Being with you and Everly makes me happy. You spending the winter here makes me happy. I don’t want you to feel you have to change yourself for me.”
“I would. I can’t bear the idea of you being unhappy or thinking I’m revolting because of my bougie house.”
“You’re not revolting. You’re just filthy rich, and it’s going to take me a minute to wrap my head around that.”
“Do you know how fucking refreshing it is to be with someone who isn’t looking for a sugar daddy? Someone who’s a bit appalled by the money rather than seduced by it? To know that you’re with me for me and not for what I have?”
“So that’s been an issue, then?”
“From the second I signed my first contract, I’ve had to question the motives of almost everyone in my life, except my own family. They’ve never asked me for anything. I had the biggest fight ever with my parents when I wanted them to retire early, kick back and enjoy life after all they did to get me to where I am. They weren’t having it, but eventually, my brothers and I ganged up on them, and we talked them into it.”
“It’s so sweet of you to want to do that for them.”
“They did everything for me, and continue to make it possible for me to do what I do, so why wouldn’t I? And you… Anything you want, my sweet Maria… All you have to do is tell me. I’ll fund your clinic and all your causes, your grandmothers’ causes…”
She draws in a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Thank you.”
“Please don’t thank me for using my embarrassment of riches to help others. That should be a no-brainer for anyone in my position.”
“Get the house in Gable Estates. It has the fence around the pool that we need, and it won’t take me two hours to get there.”
“Will you be able to be comfortable there?”
Her low, husky laugh is the best sound. “Anyone would be comfortable there, Austin.”
“My sweet Maria isn’t just anyone. She’s everyone. If she can’t be comfortable there, I’ll find something else.”
“I’ll be fine. Get the house, and make your little girl happy.”
“When I get back from Baltimore, can I come see your clinic?”
“Sure. I’d love that, but it’ll take about five minutes to show it to you. It’s not much to look at.”
“But it’s everything to the people you serve.”
“Yeah, it is, and we’re always struggling to make ends meet.”
“Not anymore. You’ve got yourself a benefactor, my love.”
“You have no idea what that’ll mean to our community.”
“That’s the upside of having money. You can do things like fund a clinic in Little Havana that does so much good for so many people. There’s tremendous satisfaction in that, and I want you to feel that satisfaction, too. If you see a need, we can address it any way you see fit.”
“That’s gonna take me a minute to process, too.”
“Take all the time you want. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re going to Baltimore,” she says, sounding glum.
“We’ll be back so fast, you won’t have time to miss us.”
“I’ll miss you the minute you leave.” She tips her head to look up at me. “Your text earlier was so sweet. You made me cry.”
“I’m glad you liked it and that you came back. I felt so bad that you were upset by something I did.”
“It wasn’t what you did. It was just me trying to wrap my head around some things.”
“Do that with me next time, okay?”
“I will. I’m just so used to running to my Nona.” She laughs. “Old habits die hard.”
“And did your Nona help?”
“She always does. She told me there are worse things than falling in love with a rich man.”
I laugh at that and fall a bit in love with her Nona. “This is true. So you told her you’re falling in love with me, huh?”
“She already knew. Nothing gets by her.” Maria’s hand is flat against my chest, where she has to be able to feel the rapid beat of my heart. That happens any time she’s close to me this way. “I want you to know that it’ll always be important to me to help others, to do work that matters to people who have less, to take care of people in need. That’s who I am, Austin, who my family raised me to be.”
“I know, and I love that about you so much. Look at what you did for Everly without blinking an eye or with hardly a thought to what it would mean for you. I’ve known who you really are since the first second you made that donation for my daughter, and everything I’ve learned about you since then has only reinforced my first impression. I’d never ask you to change who you are for me, Maria.”
“I wouldn’t ask that of you, either. You’ve worked hard for what you have, and you should be able to enjoy the money without being worried about offending me. I’ll get over it. I promise.”
“We’re going to figure all this out together, okay?”
She nods, and I let go of the fear I experienced earlier that maybe I’d driven her away by taking her to those houses.
“And yes,” she says with a soft sigh, “let’s never stop writing to each other.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal, sweetheart.”
MARIA
I wake the next morning when Austin brushes a kiss over my cheek. “I’ll be right back,” he whispers.
“Be safe.”
“Rie!” Everly comes bombing into the room and jumps up on the bed. “Fly!”
I sit up to hug her. “Yes, my sweet girl. You’re going to fly in the sky. Be a good girl for Dada, and come back to see me soon, okay?”
“Rie! Scream!”
Austin and I share a laugh.
“I fear my name will always be associated with scream.”
“There’re worse things you could be known for. Come on, Pooh. Let’s go so we can get back to our Rie.”
I give Everly one more squeeze. “Love you, pumpkin.”
“Rie! Love!”
“Add another new word to the list.” Austin takes her from me and leans over to kiss me. “Hang out, have room service, take a swim. The room is ours until noon.”
“It won’t be any fun without you guys.”
He kisses me again. “Do it anyway. Love you.”
“Love y
ou, too. Text me when you land.”
“Will do.”
“Hey, Austin?”
He turns back.
“I already miss you guys.”
Smiling, he says, “We miss you, too.”
I watch them go, and when the hotel door closes behind them, I fall back onto the pillows and listen to the silence that echoes through the space that’s become lifeless without them. The silence is a metaphor for what my life would be like if they were no longer part of it. I think about what happened yesterday and how we worked it out like rational, sane adults.
That’s not what would’ve happened with Scott. We would’ve gone days without speaking, after which we’d get tired of fighting and move on without ever solving the issue that started the fight in the first place.
I reach for my phone to compose a text to Austin and find one from him.
I ordered room service for you because I know you won’t do it for yourself. Enjoy. Love you and miss you so much, and we only just left!
Dear Austin,
Thank you for breakfast. That’s so nice of you—and you’re right. I wouldn’t have ordered it for myself. LOL! I miss you and Everly so much, and you only just left. It feels wrong to be in this city where I’ve lived all my life without you guys close by. How did you two manage to change everything for me so quickly? How did you manage to make yourselves so much a part of my life that everything feels wrong without you here with me?
I wanted to tell you how much I appreciated the way we worked out our differences yesterday. It meant a lot to me that you understood what was happening without me having to spell it out for you and that you made an immediate effort to right what was wrong between us. I’ve never had that in a relationship before, and it’s refreshing—to say the least—to have that with you.
It helps me to know that underneath all the flash of your current situation, you come from humble beginnings, too, and understand how much need there is in our world. Thank you for offering to support the organizations and causes close to my heart. That means so much to me. And for the record, I love you for YOU. I love your heart and your smile. I love the way you love your little girl and take such tender care of her. I love your sexy body and the way you hold me and kiss me and treat me like one of the most precious things in your life. I love to watch you pitch and walk and breathe and smile and laugh. I love that you knew I wouldn’t order breakfast for myself and did it for me. I love you for YOU, not for what you have. I’d love you even if you weren’t a wildly talented pitcher, but I love that you have such an amazing talent. I just wanted you to know that.
