by Violet Howe
“No, I’m an only. And you? Just the one brother, or are there more Pearsons?”
Normally, I dreaded the standard getting-to-know-you drill of questions on a first date, but my curiosity about Dax had been building since the first time I saw him, and I wanted answers. Besides, it wasn’t a date. It was simply lunch.
He nodded. “Mitchell. He and his wife live only a couple of miles from me, near my parents’ place.”
“Oh, your parents live near you?”
“You could say that. I live on one side of the ranch, and my parents live on the other side in the house I grew up in.”
“That’s convenient.”
“Yeah, it is. It’s just close enough to them to make it easy to visit and just far enough away to maintain my sanity.”
I laughed. “My parents live in Delray Beach, and sometimes even that feels too close, so maybe my threshold for sanity has a little larger radius than yours.”
“Are you close to your parents?”
“Yes. My mom and I are very close, always have been. My dad and I don’t always see eye to eye, but there’s a lot of love there. They don’t visit as often as they did when my kids were young, but we talk all the time, and I head down to Delray whenever I can.”
“Did you grow up there? In Delray?”
Inquiries into my past usually kicked up my defenses and made me want to end the conversation, but for some reason, it didn’t bother me to share myself with Dax.
“No, not really. We lived in Miami when I was little. They moved to Delray when I was fourteen.”
The waitress interrupted to ask if we were interested in dessert, and I put up my hands in protest.
“No way. You’d have to roll me out of here with a crane.”
“I may have a wheelbarrow in the back of the truck,” Dax said. “Want me to go see?”
The three of us laughed, and the waitress said she’d come back with the check.
“You say they moved when you were fourteen,” he said when she’d gone. “So, you didn’t move with them?”
“No, I was enrolled in a dance school. Kind of like a boarding school, I guess you’d say? So, I lived there full-time from the age of eight.”
“Eight?” His eyebrows raised in surprise. “That’s really young. What kind of dance?”
“Ballet.”
“No shit? Really? I can see that. The way you move. The way you carry yourself. Very graceful. Do you still dance now? I mean, I know you said you worked for the Performing Arts Center, but do you dance?”
I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable for the first time since we sat down. “That ship sailed quite a while ago. You never did tell me what you do. You know, besides horse tricks and hospital wings.”
His smile came easy, but my nerves were still tense, on alert for dangerous topics.
“We’ve got a pretty big cattle population, plus we’ve branched out into a couple of side businesses that fall under the ranch’s umbrella,” he said, scratching his chin. “One being the weddings and parties at the main house on my side, but Bronwyn handles all that.”
“She does a wonderful job,” I said. “It’s such a beautiful event space.”
He nodded. “That’s all her. She put together a business proposal and laid out what she wanted to do and how she could make it happen. She’s done quite well. I’m proud of her. The whole family is.”
“Do you have any kids?”
The hint of darkness returned to his eyes, and he ran his hand through his hair before answering. “No. It wasn’t in the cards for me, I suppose. You just have the two?”
“The two I gave birth to, but I have Tyler, the one you met, and now I’m gaining Tate, my daughter’s fiancé. So, I’ll have four. Which is plenty.”
“They’re a blessing, I’m sure.”
He smiled when he said it, but there was a sadness I hadn’t seen before. Like the shadow of the darkness still lingered. I wanted to reach across the table and touch his hand, to offer some comfort for the unknown pain, but it seemed too strong a gesture for someone I barely knew.
“I guess I should get you back to the office. Looks like the rain has died down for the moment, so it might be a good time to make a break for it.”
I glanced at my watch and was shocked to see it had been almost an hour and a half. The time seemed to have flown, and I couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed. There was so much more I wanted to know about Dax, and to end the lunch on what was obviously a sad note for him seemed unfair.
He picked up the check and pulled his wallet from his pocket, so I grabbed mine from my purse.
“How much is it?” I asked, taking out a twenty.
“I got it,” he said as he handed it to the waitress with cash.
“No. I want to pay my part. How much was the total?”
“I asked you to lunch to make up for being delayed at the hospital. It was my treat.”
I frowned. “That’s not necessary. Let me pay my half. I insist.”
He cocked his head to one side and peered at me, his eyes serious but with no trace of the sadness that was there before. “I tell you what. I’ll make you a deal. I get this lunch because it was my idea. I called and asked you, and I picked the place and the menu. You want to be fair and square? You take me to lunch. You pick the place, and you pick the menu.”
I hesitated, considering whether agreeing to a second meeting was too much. Too soon. But I couldn’t ignore the way my heart soared at the prospect of another chance to talk to him, and before I could over think it, I extended my hand for him to shake.
“Deal,” I said.
He grasped my hand in his and I inhaled sharply at the sensations the contact caused. We both drew back almost immediately, and I wondered if it was possible that it had the same effect on him.
He stood and took my coat from the back of my chair, holding it open for me to put on. Then he gathered our umbrellas by the door, and after he handed me mine, we stepped out into the light rain and walked to the truck.
“So, I’ll wait to hear from you about where and when for lunch,” he said as he pulled under the covered area at my office.
“Okay.” I exhaled, still not sure it was a wise decision. I reached for the door, and he stopped me.
“Wait, I’ll get the door for you.”
“You don’t have to,” I said. “I’m perfectly capable of opening a door myself. But thanks.”
The valet pulled my door open before Dax could respond, so he just smiled.
“Thanks for lunch,” I said, tugging my coat tighter as I climbed out of the truck.
“It was my pleasure,” he said, and it felt like he meant it.
11 NIGHT WAVES
I was flipping through the Silver Creek brochures again when Galen called.
“Hey, Mom. Did I wake you?”
“No, sweetheart,” I said, yawning at the idea of sleep. “I’m sitting in bed, looking at the pictures of Silver Creek. It’s a beautiful location.”
“Thanks. I’m so happy you like it. Tyler said it seems to have everything we need. Tate wants you to look at a place over on the beach, but I don’t really want to do the beach. What if it rains? I mean, at least at the ranch, we could be inside. It’s pretty inside, right?”
“Oh, it’s gorgeous.” I wondered again who had designed the house and chosen its features. Dax didn’t strike me as the type of man who would build a closet the size of a small bedroom for himself, although somehow I could see him incorporating the stream beneath the house into the flooring.
How could I find out who built the house? Would it be appropriate to ask him on our next lunch date? I winced when I realized I’d called it a date.
It would probably be a better idea to ask Bronwyn under the guise of curiosity for the event. That is, if Galen and Tate chose the ranch for the wedding.
“Are you there? Mom? Can you hear me?”
“Oh, yeah. I’m sorry, sweetie. I must have zoned out. What were you saying?”
&
nbsp; “Nothing. It can wait. You sound tired. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Love you, G.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
I laid the brochures on the bedside table and flipped the lamp off. I don’t know how long I lay there staring at the ceiling before I drifted off, but I found myself in the midst of the weirdest dream.
We were on a yacht, out at sea, and the waves had gotten rough. I was below deck with Galen, and she was crying because the wedding was going to be ruined by the weather. I told her I’d go up and check the skies to see if it had gotten any better.
When I closed the bedroom door and headed for the stairs, Gerry stepped out into the hallway. Anger boiled up inside me, and I gritted my teeth together and clenched my fists.
“What are you doing here?” I asked. “You have no business here.”
He smiled, and it turned my stomach. “Willow, what’s wrong?”
“Don’t call me that. I told you to never call me that again.”
His hands reached for me, and in the dream they were long, superhuman, and able to cross the space between us in a second. I moved backward to avoid them, but I was against the door, and I didn’t want to open it and let him see Galen.
“Stop!” I screamed as he walked toward me. “Stop! I want you to go away. You have no right to be here. You have no right! I don’t want you here.”
But then I blinked, and it wasn’t Gerry. It was Dax. His eyes were filled with hurt and confusion, and he pulled his hands back and put them at his sides. They were normal hands, not scary at all.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” He turned and went up the stairs, and as the hatch opened, a huge wave pitched the boat and tossed him out of sight.
“No, wait!” I cried, moving toward the steps, but the boat rolled back the other direction and slammed me into the wall.
I woke then, my heart pounding and my pajamas soaked in sweat. I flipped the lamp back on and got out of bed, peeling off the pajamas and climbing into the shower.
I stood there with the water pouring over me until my heart rate returned to normal, but my mind wouldn’t calm.
If only I had listened to Sandy. To Alberto. If only I hadn’t been so headstrong and determined to prove myself. Determined to grow up overnight.
I turned the water off and closed my eyes. I wouldn’t have the life I’d lived without the choices I’d made, whether good or bad, so it was hard to regret. But it would have been different if I’d known what choices I was making.
I didn’t.
12 WILLOW
Maybe if I hadn’t broken my toe, it would have all gone down differently. The X-rays showed it was a nasty break, close to the joint. I was thrilled when the doctor said no more crutches, but that was before he put me in the heavy, cumbersome boot and told me I wasn’t to dance for four to six weeks.
The entire company was abuzz with the news that my injury had knocked me out of the lead role, but Benjamin reassured me that it wouldn’t affect my standing the rest of the season.
I was sitting on the floor in the hallway outside the rehearsal room, literally bored to tears after only two days of not being allowed to rehearse with everyone else.
When I looked up and saw Gerry walking toward me, I couldn’t help but smile. He’d been on my mind nonstop since we’d said goodbye at the reception, and I’d wondered if I would ever see him again.
“Well, if it isn’t my beautiful Willow! Whoa. Weeping Willow. What’s wrong? Who made you cry?”
I swiped at the tears and smiled up at him as he crouched beside me. “No one. It’s silly. What are you doing here?”
He reached and wiped away a stray tear on my cheek with his thumb. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s stupid,” I said, shaking my head. “I can’t rehearse right now because of this dumb boot, and I have to be here, but I can’t do anything, and watching everyone dance without me sucks.”
“That’s not stupid at all. That’s torture. For someone who dances as beautifully as you do, I’d say that’s like going without oxygen. How long before you can dance again?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. The doctor says four to six weeks, but I’m hoping I can be back in there before that. It all depends on how fast it heals.”
“So, you’re going to sit out here in the hallway for weeks? That can’t be good.”
“I can go in there, but I have to sit in a chair and watch. I’d rather be out here. Actually, that’s not true. I’d rather be anywhere but out here.”
He stood and rubbed the back of his neck. He was staring down the hallway, his brows furrowed like he was in deep thought or making a difficult decision.
“Screw it,” he whispered, almost so low that I didn’t hear it. “I tell you what, Willow, I’ve got a friend who’s taking a group of us out on his yacht today. It should be a good time. Lots of food. Open bar. With non-alcoholic beverages for those who probably shouldn’t drink.” He winked at me, and I blushed. “Why don’t you come with me? It’s a big group, but it’s a huge boat, so one more won’t matter.”
My heart raced with excitement at the prospect of spending the day with him, but logic shut it down. “I can’t. I have to be here since I’m technically supposed to be, you know?”
He smiled, and warm vibes danced across my skin from head to toe. “You let me worry about that, okay? I’m heading in there to tell Ernesto how much money I’m willing to give him for the season. I think he’ll be willing to do me a favor.”
Sandy’s voice in the back of my mind warned me that it wasn’t a good idea. I barely knew the man, and I had no idea who else would be on the boat. Only that it was a large group, and there’d be drinking. I’d be out on the sea where no one could find me. Where no one even knew where I was. It was all in all a pretty bad idea.
Gerry crouched beside me again. “Whaddya say, Willow? Do you want to spend the day crying here on the floor, or do you want to spend the day on the deck of a yacht taking in the sun and the surf?”
His eyes got me. They locked on mine, and I was mesmerized. Breathless. Unable to refuse, though no part of me really wanted to.
An hour later, he had a limo pick me up at my apartment. He’d cleared it with Ernesto, and I’d snuck out without telling Sandy or Alberto because I didn’t want to hear them tell me not to go.
The boot didn’t look good no matter which sundress I put on, so I ended up choosing a red and white polka dot one that matched my red bikini. I braided my hair and left the braid hanging down my back, and then I grabbed a straw hat and tied a white ribbon around it.
“Wow,” Gerry said when the limo pulled up at the dock. “I swear you get prettier every time I see you.”
I grinned and held the hat tight against my head in the wind coming off the water.
“Ready for some fun?” he asked, offering his arm.
We made our way up the dock and onto the boat. I was limping in the boot and he was being patient with my progress. Gerry introduced me to a myriad of people as we boarded, and I smiled so much my cheeks hurt, ridiculously happy to be by his side.
He found two lounge chairs for us on the top deck and frowned as I fought to keep the hat on my head.
“I’m thinking we should put the hat down below. Here. Give it to me, and I’ll store it somewhere and get us a drink. What would you like? I’m thinking something non-alcoholic?”
I nodded. “That would probably be best. If they have tonic water, I’d like tonic and lime.”
“You got it. Relax, and enjoy the view. I’ll be back in a minute.”
The boat was underway by the time he returned, and I’d stood and limped to the rail to watch as we maneuvered our way through the marina.
“Here you go. Finally. Quite the line at the bar, as you can imagine. Here’s to a day of nothing but fun,” he said as he handed me my drink.
We toasted, and I laughed, so happy and looking forward to the day ahead that I could barely hold it in.
“That,” Gerry said, pointing at me. “That right there.”
“What?”
“That smile. I can’t resist it. I think I’d do anything you asked to see that smile.”
I laughed again.
“I don’t ever want to see you cry again, Willow. It does something to me, in here.” He gestured to his chest. “I know it sounds crazy, because we just met and all, but I see you smile, and it makes the whole world a little bit brighter.”
I didn’t stop smiling the rest of the day. I smiled as he introduced me to more of his friends; he raved about my performance when they asked about my foot. I smiled as we swam off the dive platform of the boat, thrilled to be rid of the boot for a while. I smiled as we ate a picnic lunch on the shores of an island where we’d anchored. I smiled as I sat between his knees in the crowded jacuzzi on the top deck, listening to the group share stories.
I was still smiling as we walked hand-in-hand along the railing that night, gazing at the never-ending blanket of stars above us.
“How long before we’re back to shore?” I asked.
“Probably about a half hour. Maybe a little more. Why? You ready to go?”
I looked up at him. “Not at all. In fact, I was thinking about what you said the other night. That you wished you could stop the clock and keep it from moving forward.”
Wisps of hair had escaped my braid, and Gerry reached to sweep them from my face, tucking them behind my ear.
I shivered at the contact, though I wasn’t at all chilled. The tremors came from deep within me, starting like a vibration in my core, like energy building until it could no longer be contained.
I thought he was going to kiss me, and it crossed my mind that yet again, we had the perfect setting for a first kiss. The brilliant glow of the full moon, the light strains of a calypso band playing downstairs on the main deck, and the most handsome man I’d ever known gazing at me, his eyes filled of blatant desire.
His smile faded, and for a moment, it seemed maybe I’d misread the situation again and he’d changed his mind. But then he cupped my face in his hands, and he brought his lips so close to mine that I could feel his breath upon me. It took all my resolve not to reach up and kiss him. To take matters in my own hands and end the agony.
