Coastal Erosion

by Rachelle Paige

  “When?” he asked. “He’s been dangling that carrot over my head since I graduated high school. He doesn’t want me to take it over. He wants me to keep his ideas and his vision moving forward.”

  “I don’t believe that at all.”

  “Grandmother, I love you and my parents, and believe me I understand how blessed I am. Being a CEO is the dream of a lot of my peers, and it’s being handed to me eventually. But that’s the rub. I don’t want something I haven’t earned.”

  She inclined her head but didn’t reply.

  “Is that it? You came for work?”

  “I’ve missed this place. I haven’t been back since I graduated high school. Something about St. Simons lingers in my blood.”

  “That sounds like bad poetry. I sure hope you’re smoother with the women you’re trying to impress.”

  He chuckled. She’d always cut through to the heart of the matter. In his whole life, he’d never been able to charm her as he’d been able to charm other people. But he hadn’t needed to. Landon and his grandmother were two of a kind. He’d recognized it as a child, when he first started getting shipped out to the beach for summer vacation.

  “I think there’s a lot of potential here, Grandmother. I’ve put together a great team, and I have financial support of my own. I think this could be my chance.”

  “I understand working your way up. I don’t think it’s as glamorous as you envision it. But my history was a little different.”

  “Grandmother, I meant no disrespect.”

  “I know you don’t, dear. But getting a job at fifteen and fudging the numbers so you’ll get hired and then working so hard to build something for yourself that’s just drive and grit. Just because you have connections doesn’t make what you do any less valuable. Use your network, build more, but don’t lose touch with your father.”

  “You mean like you and mother?”

  His fingernails dug into his palms. He hadn’t meant to come out and directly talk about that situation. He’d been raised better, as both of the women in his life would point out. But if he’d been put on the spot about his purpose for choosing St. Simons maybe he should let the truth, or at least part of the truth, be known.

  “Don’t push it, dear. But yes, I do.”

  “Family harmony does seem to skip a generation in our line, doesn’t it?”

  She nodded but didn’t reply. Stop talking. He got it. She was right of course. Every family had their difficult times and their good times. He’d never been able to make sense of how his family could have so much of everything except for closeness. But he wanted to try. Maybe the reason everything had fallen apart with Kim all those years ago had been him. And if he was the problem, then he’d be the solution too.

  He pulled the car to a stop in front of the multi-purpose building off the oceanfront park. A low hum had him turning his head as a group of five other women in their seventies approached. He thought he heard his grandmother mutter an expletive just before one the group broke off to come to the car. He smiled. Rose had been his grandmother’s foil and friend since the founding of the St. Simons Senior-itas. The kind lady always dressed in bright colors or wild patterns and made an effort to welcome with her kind smile. Her friendliness seemed to be contagious to everyone, except his grandmother.

  “Nice ride and nice to see you again in person, Landon.”

  “Thank you Mrs. Meyers. It’s always lovely to see you.”

  “Please call me, Rose. What brings you into town?”

  “Oh come on, Rose, don’t be so pushy. We have rehearsal.” His grandmother leapt into the conversation in her clipped tones as she got out of the car.

  But the hint of a smile playing on her lips let her honest reaction be known. She wasn’t in a real rush. She liked showing him off.

  “I’m here for work,” he replied.

  “If you’re here for a long visit, let me know. I might have someone for you to meet.”

  If only you knew. The serene look on Rose’s face gave him pause. He rubbed a hand over his heart, pushing against the dull ache and brushing against the chain under his shirt in the process. Kim ended up living so near her grandmother and the woman didn’t know about their past?

  His grandmother sniggered. “Good luck, Rose. I’ve been trying for years to set him up.”

  “Maybe he just hasn’t met the right one yet.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” he conceded.

  Or maybe the problem had been timing. He’d wasted enough over the years, analyzing and questioning every moment together, trying to figure out what was real and what had been his imagination. He wouldn’t waste one more day.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Late afternoon sunlight drenched the conference room in soft, golden light. Landon watched Kim’s deep amber hair glimmer and glisten even in the tight knot at her neck. He remembered her thick hair well. She’d always been one to keep her hair smoothed back and off her face, mostly in a ponytail. The severe style should have been aging or unattractive. On her, the hair off her face only highlighted her cheekbones and perfectly straight nose.

  His gaze drifted over her. She’d hardly aged and if anything, the years had been for the better. She’d kept her trim figure. Over the past few days, he’d been admiring the cling of her skirts to her svelte physique. He dragged his eyes back up to her face. Better not start letting his mind drift to her physical appearance. He knew exactly how every curve fit into his palms. Having a history together but no present only complicated the already tenuous situation he’d begun.

  “I think I have everything I need to start work on the permits,” she was saying.

  He cleared his throat. She was wrapping up the meeting already? Dragging a hand through his hair, he focused on her in a professional capacity. A difficult task when a familiar scent wafted over to him. Lavender. He’d forgotten her preferred perfume.

  “So I’ll start submitting the paperwork on Monday at city hall. Do you want to meet again on Tuesday for a brief update?” she continued.

  “No, yes,” he stuffed both hands in his pockets. “Sorry. Yes, I do want an update on Tuesday. Thank you. But I also was hoping I might see you before then.”

  A crease formed between her eyes. He didn’t need to look to know she’d started tapping her fingers against the table while her brow knit together in consideration. But the sound reassured him. He remembered more than he’d forgotten.

  “Landon, it’s Friday night. I don’t think it’s necessary to come in on a Saturday for this project. We can’t push any faster. It’s quarter to five. City hall is closed.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” he muttered.

  Her confusion told him what he already knew. He was screwing this up. He’d never had a difficult time with his words around her in the past. I’ve got too much at stake now.

  “I thought we could grab dinner together. Catch up on old times.”

  Her eyes went wide and her mouth gaped. Speechless. That had only happened a handful of times. Like the other night at the meeting.

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she began, placing a hand on either side of her as she stared down at the notebook on the table in front of her.

  Well he did. If nothing else, he’d come to St. Simons Island to get answers. And her leaving the office the day before for a family emergency without divulging any more information annoyed him. If there was truly an emergency, shouldn’t he be made aware? Didn’t he have any rights anymore? Or had he somehow given up on those without realizing?

  No. He’d come to find her for a lot of reasons. And he had to start making his presence known. He was back in her life. For good.

  “Come on, Kim. Let’s just catch up. Let’s go out for dinner, unless your boyfriend feels threatened.” The idea had come to him, as unwanted as stepping on the hot sand without any sandals.

  If there is a boyfriend, I might have to go threaten him. He shook his head and dropped his gaze. His fingers itched to slid across the table an
d take her hands in his and make her peer up at him. He’d put a finger under her chin and tilt back her head and kiss her senseless. The only problem was he didn’t think he’d ever be able to stop kissing her if he started again. He’d never let her go again, her boyfriend, their past, everything that had come between them could go away.

  Don’t push her away.

  “When?” she asked, dragging her eyes up to his and putting her hands in her lap.

  She hadn’t responded to the boyfriend dig. So much for trying to get answers.

  “Tonight,” he replied.

  “Tonight? Won’t your fiancée find it suspicious?” She leaned back in her chair, challenging him.

  Good. This was the woman he loved. The one who smelled as sweet as an early spring day even while mischief swirled in her stormy eyes. She crossed her arms and her eyes turned even darker as he let the seconds stretch between her question and his answer. Making her wait for his response had her breathing faster, he saw in the quick rise and fall of her chest. He wanted to pull her chair over and claim her lips. He wanted to continue this delicious torture. Not yet. Stick to the long game.

  “Maybe if I had one.” He cleared his throat. “Is seven thirty too late?”

  “No, that sounds good. Since this is just old friends catching up, I’m wearing jeans and I’m expecting pizza.”

  He chuckled and she pushed her chair back from the table. She began stuffing her notes into her purse, and in her haste, her pens rolled every direction off the table. Landon knelt to help her. Still slightly unkempt. He liked that. She knelt next to him and reached for a highlighter at the same moment he did. He heard her intake of breath as he felt the electric shock at the slight touch. He wouldn’t let go.

  I won’t let go again.

  She pulled her arm back, breaking the contact, and stood leaving him on the ground holding the highlighter. He watched her smooth down her skirt and push a stray tendril behind her ear. He took his time standing and handing her the highlighter. He didn’t want to rush. Not this time. She threw his offering in her purse and snatched the bag off the table.

  “Let me walk you out,” he said, breaking the silence.

  At her curt nod, he crossed the room to pull open the door. She passed through and he had an urge to grab her by the elbow. No. In the few accidental instances of contact, he’d learned something important. They were still as combustible together as they’d always been. Nothing much had ever been discussed or settled on in person during their short four months together.

  Somehow at twenty-three he’d managed to meet the one person he couldn’t live without. The one woman that he could picture having everything with: the house, the kids, the dog, growing old. And it had all gone horribly wrong. He’d spent the first years after losing her trying to assign blame. In all that time, he’d only come up with a few conclusions. That she’d been just as terrified and scared as he was and that neither of them had been ready to handle a relationship that burned as hot and as endless as theirs. I’m ready now.

  She fell into step beside him, and they left the building and walked out to the parking lot together. As much as he wanted to just dive back into the deep end with her, riding on a wave of passion, he knew better. This time he was playing a long game. He didn’t want a few months; he wanted forever.

  She unlocked her truck and yanked open the door, almost falling back into him. She righted herself just before crashing against his chest and hopped in the car. He stood waiting to help her. He’d always been waiting. Maybe she didn’t see it. Maybe he’d have to try harder.

  “Text me your address,” he told her through the open car window.

  She nodded and backed out of the spot.

  Watching her drive away, he stood rooted to the spot. Dinner at seven thirty and maybe he’d pick her up earlier. Maybe then he’d see his son. Or daughter.

  He stood in place until her old truck disappeared into downtown Brunswick. When he couldn’t even squint to see her on the horizon, he got into his own car. With the top of the convertible down, the breeze cooled him down as he drove through town. Crossing over the Torras Causeway, the setting sun set the sky on fire.

  Poking at old wounds, he let his mind drift back. After four and a half years of undergrad at Vanderbilt, the spring semester started and was poised to be his final. His parents had been unimpressed with his delaying tactics. So had his grandmother. On some level, he even agreed with them. He was smart, he was a hard worker, and he should have graduated on time. But then he’d end up working for his dad back in Savannah. And he hadn’t wanted that. So he’d coasted through the first year and a half of college, focusing more on his social life than his career aspirations.

  January found him in a class for civil engineers. And he’d seen her. Across the room, one of the few girls in the advanced level course was easy to spot. Her stoic demeanor had made her stand out even more. She never seemed to hang around after class, and he’d never seen her at any of his usual haunts or any party. Attending a major university in a city didn’t make that especially notable, but he’d have remembered her. Ending up on a project the third week of class had been kismet.

  Everything about her had been refreshing. Her Midwestern accent, her determination to succeed, her middle class background, and her seeming obliviousness to her appearance. He’d fallen hard for all of it. Her seriousness surprised him. Not that she’d been composed all the time. Her chortle and snort came out only when he told an exceptionally good joke and delighted him every time. But it was her stoicism that told him how earnest and serious she was about life.

  She held herself to a high standard. She didn’t look down on other people for their choices, but she expected a lot from herself. And when they’d fallen into bed less than a week after meeting, he’d been shocked by how right everything felt with her. He’d never moved so fast with anyone, let alone a virgin. But he didn’t question. Being with her felt right, like where he needed to be, who he needed to be with. She challenged him and demanded better, and he did the same.

  “Why not work for yourself?” she’d asked over spring break as they lay out at the pool.

  Resting on lounge chairs, the warm sun beating on their swimsuit clad bodies, she laid on her back flat and he sat with a book in his lap. The smell of coconut lotion and the taste of strawberry from her margarita in her kiss. The memory stayed with him. Golden. Special.

  “How would I do that?”

  “Build something small. And use the profit to invest in your next project and keep investing in yourself.”

  “I don’t think I can. Where would I get the initial capital to start?”

  “And here I thought you were some sort of trust fund kid,” she teased.

  “I am… with conditions,” he traced a finger along her arm and watched her shiver in response. He loved her reactions. He loved that only he could make her feel those things. That he was the only man who had.

  “Better you than me,” she’d mumbled.

  He’d told his parents he’d be staying at school and told his grandmother the same. But he’d bought plane tickets and booked a hotel and stole Kim away for a weekend in Las Vegas. He didn’t know why he hadn’t told his family about her. Other then he didn’t want them involved in his personal life. Kim meant everything. He’d have shouted from the tallest building his dad was working on. But sharing their budding relationship with others felt like sharing her. And he didn’t want to share.

  “Would you move to Savannah with me?” he asked.

  He heard her intake of breath and she sat up on her elbow.

  “I don’t know. That’s kind of a big step.”

  “But this isn’t?”

  “No, this is… it’s just…”

  “What?”

  Reading her eyes had been impossible that day. In his memory, her body language grew even hazier. There must have been something more she hadn’t said, but he’d never pieced the clues together.

  “Landon, I don’t know your world
. I know you. But I have no experience with society. I don’t think I’d be any good.” She’d kept her face turned away from him, staring across the pool.

  “I think you’d be great. Besides I’m not looking for some socialite.”

  “You say that now but what if…”

  “What?” She’d never been prone to melodrama. She’d always said what she meant straight away. Her uncertainty and unsure words had him at a loss.

  “What if we get married and I’m expected to…host things and I don’t know go to galas?”

  Marriage. Most of the guys he knew would have run the other way at that comment. Most of the guys he knew were fools. She’d tried to slip the word into her response afraid she’d scare him off? Wrong. I’d love to spend forever, like this. He pulled her hands out of her lap, to stroke her palms with his fingers. A shiver coursed through her as she stared deep into his eyes.

  “My mother could teach you everything you need to know,” he murmured, eager to soother her.

  “Don’t you think they’d want you to do better?” her voice faltered and she nibbled her lip.

  He wanted to lean over and kiss her. He wanted to wipe away her fears. He didn’t care what his family wanted for him. He knew he could be the man she wanted him to be, the man she deserved, and the man he ought to be with her by his side.

  “I just don’t want to be a handicap to you.”

  “You never would be,” he raised her hands to kiss the inside of her wrists. “And it’s when we get married, not if.”

  He pulled through the traffic circle and past the airport. That memory had stayed with him a long time—through his subsequent return to Savannah and joining his father’s company, at every charity event and gala wishing she was with him. When he’d read the article his grandmother had sent him he decided to be the man she knew he could be. To take his life and destiny in his own hands and finally make something for himself. Something he could share with her and their family. He only hoped his actions hadn’t been too late.