Finding Liberty

by B. E. Baker

  The thought of Trig trying to figure out how to hire a hit man is absurd. My laugh startles him. “Very convincing. I’ve been appropriately threatened, thanks.”

  He bobs his head. “As long as you know I mean business.”

  “That I do.” After I see Trig out, I notice Brekka called. Twice. I call her right back.

  “Sorry about that,” I say. “Your brother came by to pick up a gift he paid me to make for Geo. For the wedding.” I open the envelope and gasp.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “He paid me too much. Way too much.”

  “Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that,” she says. “It’s not like he’ll notice the difference. You can buy something fun.”

  “No,” I say. “I told him a thousand. This is more than ten.”

  She giggles. “He clearly liked it, whatever you made. Trig’s not usually the biggest tipper.”

  “I can’t keep all this.”

  “Of course you can,” Brekka says. “Because if he tipped you that big after you punched him in the face, he really thinks you deserve it.”

  “He apologized for that,” I say. “And I think he really loves you.”

  “That’s one of the few things I’ve never doubted, not in my entire life.”

  And that would be enough for me to forgive him if I was still mad, which I’m not. It was only ever on Brekka’s behalf I was angry, and she’s obviously let go of any anger over his misguided pressure.

  “I hope you two will get along eventually,” she says.

  “I think we’re well on our way.”

  “What are you doing now?” Brekka asks.

  I don’t tell her, because it’s a surprise. “You’ll see when you meet me at the wedding in a week. I’m nearly finished.”

  “You can’t say something like that and then leave me hanging!”

  “I had an idea when we hit the beach up last time, and I have no clue how well it will work.” I shift the wheelchair I borrowed from Clive, one of his old ones, and collapse it. I slide it into the harness I made from leather straps and lift. It fits easily and I don’t even need to struggle. I sling it over my shoulder. Clive’s chair weighs more than Gladys, and it’s bigger, but I think this will work. I made the connective tissue adjustable.

  “Okay, but if I guess what you’re doing, you have to own up to it,” she says.

  “Fine.” There’s no way she’s going to guess that I’m making a harness to carry her more easily, or an extension to it so I can carry her wheelchair easier when I’m carrying her. And now that I have the harness created, I’m planning to add a storage pouch.

  “You’re making me a necklace out of wood.”

  Not a bad idea. “Well now I feel guilty I’m not doing that.”

  “Oh, Rob.”

  “Rob can’t talk now,” I say. “He has to go work on a necklace.”

  She laughs. “Don’t do that. I have plenty of jewelry.”

  “Nothing made by your boyfriend,” I say.

  She goes utterly silent.

  “I’m sorry, was that the wrong thing to say?”

  “No,” she whispers. “It was perfect.”

  “Only eight more days until you see said boyfriend,” I say.

  “That feels like an eternity.”

  “I can fly out tomorrow and come see you for the weekend. Say the word.”

  “Eight days will blur past.”

  My heart sinks. Why doesn’t she want to see me now? “Oh, fine.”

  “You’re sewing your own tuxedo.”

  “Huh?” I ask.

  “I was still guessing what you’re doing.”

  I set the harness and chair down and collapse onto the couch. “I’m done with that. Now all I’m doing is closing my eyes and imagining you’re here next to me on my horrible seventies era couch.”

  “We need to take a lot of photos next week.”

  “There will be a paid photographer, but I agree. I’ll badger you to smile for a million selfies.”

  “You won’t need to ask me. I’m always smiling when you’re around.”

  I’m certainly smiling now.

  21

  Brekka

  I smooth the skirt of my coral dress down over my knees for the third time in five minutes. I don’t even move my legs, so it’s not like it could have become suddenly rumpled.

  Clearly I’m a mess.

  And it has nothing to do with the magnitude of the step my brother’s about to take, because I’m not a very good sister. I’m way more concerned about myself and whether my heart is about to give out.

  The first time I ever saw Rob, I fully expected him to be a cretin, a meathead. I figured I’d yell at him, and I’d feel better. In fact, if I’m honest, I flew all the way out to score a win. I needed one that day, and if it meant that I turned Geo’s poor friend into a punching bag, well I was willing to do it.

  And now I haven’t seen him in more than a month because somehow I thought it would be easier to handle the idea of seeing him again with a little time to prepare for it. Boy did that backfire. I arrived at the resort a day early with Geo, ostensibly to help her prepare for the wedding. Really, I wanted to make sure there wasn’t anywhere I’d be unable to navigate, or look like a fool for getting stuck.

  “Good afternoon Brekka,” Ethan says with a winning grin. “Is there anything we can get for you?”

  A defibrillator in case my heart gives out? A muzzle for my mother? The first time I’m seeing Rob again, and both my parents will be in attendance. My hand shakes and I still it with a thought. I shake my head at Ethan. After all, there’s nothing he can do to help.

  “I’m great,” I say. “Thanks. The hotel is almost as beautiful as the venue.”

  “I’m surprised you’re staying on site,” Ethan says. “I figured you’d be with Trig at your house.”

  My cheeks heat up. I could have stayed there, but Mom and Dad are there too and it felt crowded. Plus, Rob’s going to be here, but Ethan seems to have misconstrued my reasons.

  “I wanted to be close in case Geo needed help with anything,” I lie.

  “I’m so glad you bought this hotel, Ethan,” Geo says. “It’s made everything so much easier, since I can coordinate the venue and the accommodations with the same person, and they’re conveniently located. You’ve really been a dream to work with.”

  I haven’t seen Ethan since before my accident. I expected him to be weird about it, but he’s not. At all. In fact, he’s been flirting with me. A little too much.

  “When are you going to let me take you on that private tour I promised,” Ethan asks. “We have a lot to catch up on. And did I mention our hotel has a killer hot tub? I’d love to show it to you later tonight.”

  I wish I hadn’t kissed him at that summer camp so many years ago. If he brings up the new hot tub one more time, I might sock him. “Uh, actually, I’ve got a party of guests I should be waiting for near the front of the hotel. The dinner starts soon and a flight just arrived.”

  “You don’t need to worry about that,” Ethan says. “I’ll send Fiona to wait up front and show them to their rooms.”

  “No,” I say a little too sharply. “I’ll go.”

  Geo tilts her head and laughs. “Don’t take it personally, Ethan. Brekka’s boyfriend is supposed to be arriving any minute and she hasn’t seen him in a while.”

  Ethan’s face blanks. “Right, of course. No problem. Well, I ought to go make sure everything is lined up for the dinner.” He spins around and heads for the back of the hotel.

  “Poor Ethan. No one ever picks him.”

  I knew he was flirting, but it’s not like he was serious. “That’s because Ethan’s 99 percent fluff. No way was he serious about showing me that hot tub.”

  Geo frowns. “If you say so.”

  I roll my eyes. I know so. No one wants to meet a cripple in the hot tub. Please.

  Geo crouches down so we’re eye to eye. “If you’re implying no one would like you in earnest, stop
it. Not ever again, not around me. I’m your best friend, so I can safely say this. I’m not lying or trying to make you feel better. I’d rather spend the afternoon with you than with anyone other than Trig. Guys can see the same flame inside of you. They have the same genuine desire to be in your presence, so stop acting like you’re a charity case. You aren’t.”

  Geo spins on her heel almost exactly like Ethan did and heads the opposite direction, her phone in her hand. Probably texting my brother. Those two have gotten gushier as the wedding approaches. They’re nearing critical levels of sappiness, so it’s good that the ceremony takes place in less than 24 hours or we might all drown in the cheese.

  I head toward the hotel lobby, my wheels sinking a little into the plush hotel carpet. I’m sure it’s nice to have high-end carpeting for most people, but it makes my life harder. I’ve barely reached the edge of the huge circular room with its vaulted ceilings and abundant potted plants when I hear a voice. And it’s not the voice I wanted to hear.

  “Brekka!”

  I close my eyes and inhale through my nose. I exhale through my mouth and open my eyes. “Mother, why are you here, in the hotel lobby, almost an hour before the dinner even starts?” Something looks off about her, but I’m not sure quite what.

  She shakes her head. “My idiot assistant missed her flight and now she’s seven hours late. She’s got my lipstick with her.”

  That’s it. Her current lipstick is way too pink. My mom never does pink. I should have immediately known. I’d normally be laughing, but I really don’t want to see Rob again with Mom hovering. An attack dog mother is the last thing I want around the first time I see my boyfriend in over a month. At first I was scared, and then I thought I needed time, but now. Now I think I’ve created this absurd sense of anticipation that no one could ever possibly fulfill.

  I’m worried I’ve ruined everything by imposing some dumb timeframe on seeing him.

  “You don’t have to stick around, Mom. I’ll tell Fran to head over to the banquet hall as soon as I see her.”

  Mom shakes her head. “I’m not going in there until I’ve fixed my lipstick.”

  A shuttle pulls up outside and I realize it’s too late. The crash has already begun.

  “Sweetheart!” I crane my neck around to see my Dad walking into the lobby from the far corner. “Trig mentioned you were probably in the lobby, and here you are.”

  My dad strides across the enormous room, arms spread wide. He ducks down to give me a hug as people begin streaming through the front doors of the hotel.

  “I’ve missed you so much! It feels like you’ve been avoiding me for a month,” Dad complains.

  I didn’t tell either of my parents about my surgery. One of the perks of being an adult.

  “I’ve been swamped at work,” I say.

  Mom nods in understanding and my Dad’s eyes cloud. He’s never been stuck at work a day in his life. “Well, I hope everything is going well there.”

  I smile. “Extremely well,” I say. “In fact, Trig and I are doing well enough we might even impress Mom someday.”

  Dad smirks. “I wouldn’t get carried away now, sweetheart.”

  I giggle. Dad’s a mess, but I love him.

  “And hey, I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Dad whispers, but not very quietly. “Your Mom mentioned you might want to change that clause about the adoption. While I know it may be hard for you right now, I don’t think you should throw in the towel on ever meeting a guy and having a kid of your own. You never know what the future holds.”

  His words stiffen my spine, but before I can reply, the air shifts. Rob’s here. I know it.

  “Brekka,” a deep voice says, sending a shiver up my spine.

  I turn and look up toward the voice. Rob’s wearing an athletic cut button down shirt with a coral and blue striped tie loosened at the neck, almost as if we coordinated it. He’s holding a carry-on rolling bag a few inches off the ground, and the weight of it bunches his bicep visibly, even through his shirt. I wish I could take a photo and relive this feeling every single day. The first sight of Rob after a long, long drought. It’s like collapsing back against a fluffy pillow. My heart contracts and I smile.

  “Rob.”

  “Hello, Rob?” Mom asks.

  “Hey there,” my Dad says. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

  Rob sets his suitcase down and holds his hand out to my Dad. “I’m Robert Graham, Brekka’s boyfriend. Nice to meet you.”

  If I wasn’t sitting in a chair, I’d have swooned. Brekka’s boyfriend he says, just like that. Plain, simple, straightforward.

  Mom’s eyes bulge, Dad’s eyebrows lift meaningfully.

  “Throw in the towel.” I roll my eyes.

  Dad barks a laugh and takes Rob’s hand. “A delight to meet you, young man. Graham, did you say? Like the shipping Grahams?”

  Rob grins. “Not even remotely. My family owns a few car dealerships that wouldn’t cover your transportation costs for a year, I’m sure. I’m utterly beneath your daughter, but so far she hasn’t objected.”

  “Oh pish,” my Dad says. “Brekka knows where true value lies.”

  Mom narrows her eyes at Rob. “I’m Mrs. Thornton. Nice to make your acquaintance.”

  Rob pivots on his heel and beams at my mother, who stumbles back a step. “I’ve heard so much about you, and none of it prepared me for how much you resemble your remarkable daughter. It’s truly a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Thornton.”

  In a few weeks shy of twenty-eight years, I’ve never heard my mother giggle. Not once. Until this very moment. She touches her collarbone with one hand and holds the other out to Rob, her eyes soft, her mouth turned up in one corner. “Well aren’t you well spoken?”

  “Thank you, but I assure you, I’m like a fine wine. I’ll improve with time.”

  I’m not sure he could improve much. He’s practically shining right now. Except I’m feeling a little forgotten, maybe.

  Rob glances from my mom to my dad and then down to me. “If you will excuse us, we’ve got less than an hour until the rehearsal dinner and I haven’t set eyes on Brekka in more than a month. I might need a few minutes alone with her. Do you mind?”

  Dad beams like his stock car just took first at NASCAR. “Not at all my boy. Not at all.”

  Even Mom doesn’t seem annoyed. It helps that Fran shows up just then, holding a small package toward her. “No, go right ahead. We’ll see you two in a few moments in the banquet hall.”

  Rob drops to one knee and takes my hand in his. My heart accelerates. Why’s he on one knee? He drops to both knees and I can take a breath again. Stop being crazy, Brekka. He takes my face in his hands. “I’ve missed you more than fish miss water. More than spacemen miss gravity. More than dogs miss jerky.”

  He shifts even closer and covers my mouth with his. I close my eyes and surrender to the feeling, forgetting there are people in the lobby, maybe even my parents still. My hand rises to his chest, his pec muscles shifting slightly under my fingers.

  Too soon, way, way too soon, Rob pulls back and stands up. “I better get checked in.”

  I nod. “Yes, you should. I’ll come with you.”

  He grins and I’m relieved. I hoped he wasn’t wanting some time to himself before the dinner. I wheel behind him to the front desk. He passes them his ID and we wait. Every time he glances my way, the smile creeps back onto my face.

  “Stop,” I whisper.

  “Stop what?” he asks.

  “Stop looking at me like that.”

  “Like a little boy in a candy store? Or did you mean like a lion eyeing his dinner?”

  Heat rises in my cheeks and I swallow. “Yes.”

  “I can’t stop. You starved me of Brekka for an entire month. I’m finally breaking my fast.”

  I look half-witted, smiling incessantly in spite of the corniness of it all.

  The clerk hands Rob his key and I wish we could head for his room and skip the dinner entirely. Which of course, we c
an’t.

  “Rob,” a deep voice across the room calls. I turn to see Luke and his adorable new wife Mary. “You made it!”

  Rob nods his head.

  Luke’s eyes drop to me. “Brekka, so great to see you again. We were sad you couldn’t come to our wedding.”

  “I was sad to miss it, too. You must be Mary,” I say. “It’s great to finally meet you.”

  Mary smiles and offers me her hand. “I’ve heard so many good things. Sometimes it’s like Trig can’t talk about anything else. He adores you, and I’m sure I will too.”

  Paul walks through the door, a sweet-faced brunette on his arm. A small child barrels through the door right after, leaping upward and grabbing Paul’s arm. He swings back and forth a few times and lets go, shooting out in front of them. Luke’s children follow him, Chase grabbing the other child around the waist and spinning him around.

  “No fair,” Luke’s son Chase says. “Amy got in the way. I would’ve beat you so much. Because I have new shoes and they make me super fast.”

  The other little boy shakes his head. “My shoes are the Flash shoes. Dad said so.” He looks up at Paul expectantly.

  “They are,” Paul says. “Straight from the Flash himself. No one can beat you with those.”

  “What?” Chase whines. “Dad, I need the Flash shoes too. I need them. Troy keeps winning me.”

  Luke glances at Mary. “Why did we have to bring them along again?”

  Mary taps him on the arm. “It’s my first time in Hawaii, and I didn’t want to miss seeing it with them.”

  “You’ll change your mind tonight around eight, I promise,” Luke mutters. “Well, we better check in. See you in a bit.”

  Luke and Mary walk toward the check-in desk and Rob and I move aside.

  “Brekka,” Paul says warmly. “It’s been way too long since I saw you.” He leans down and hugs me a little awkwardly. “Let me introduce my fiancée, Trudy. She’s actually Mary’s sister.”

  I smile at Trudy. “Trig sort of filled me in on the developments as they came along. I’m so happy for the two of you.” I would have been lying a few months ago, but Rob takes my hand in his as if he knows that, and my heart expands. I am happy for Paul, and Trudy too.