by J. L. White
Her eyes find mine immediately, and I grin at her. She gives me a wink, and slowly starts down the aisle. Her slender hands hold a bouquet of long-stemmed white calla lilies, and her modest heels give her stride an extra dose of grace. She was not raised in this world of wealth the way her cousins were, and has a more natural quality that I find appealing and relatable, but she slides into this world of beauty so effortlessly. I’m in awe of her.
As she makes her way toward us, her eyes skip to mine again and again. I can’t stop smiling at her, and even when she’s gone past and can’t see, I continue to smile at her. This woman makes me happy.
When she gets to the front, just before she takes her place and turns to face us, I glance to the men in front again. Rayce has been watching me. Our eyes rest on one another moment, then he looks to Corinne as she turns around, finds me, and smiles. I know what he’s doing. He’s trying to figure us out. But if he can’t see it just by looking at our faces, there’s nothing I can say to explain it.
The string quartet transitions smoothly to the famous Bridal March and the audience rises on cue. But I take my time looking away from the only woman in the room who matters to me.
After the ceremony, we all make our way toward the back. Corinne is waiting for me and I give her a kiss before she links her arm through mine and we descend the wide, curving, gleaming wooden staircase to the main floor, which is being put to use as a reception area. The decorations have been given a light touch and are primarily limited to the floral centerpieces. The room itself, with its knotted, beamed ceiling and view of the ocean, didn’t need much else.
There is however an abundance of food on the tables along one wall. Clearly no expense was spared. I see fucking lobster tails over there.
Mere minutes after we reach the bottom, Rayce makes a point of coming over.
“Corrine,” he says, giving her a hug, “you did a great job.” He lightly bops the tip of her nose with his finger, to which she responds with a wry look.
He smiles and turns his attention to me, extending his hand. I take it, and we shake amicably, no one trying to outman the other, which I take as a good sign.
“Hi, Mason,” he says. “I’m glad you decided to come.”
“Thank you for having me.”
He nods, looking slightly uncomfortable, like there’s a chink in that armor of his. “It was important to Corrine.” She gives him a brief, sharp look, as if in rebuke, but I don’t think he sees it. “I mean, you’re welcome here. Of course you are.”
Yes, here is the awkwardness I was worried about, but I’m feeling awkward too, to be honest. And he doesn’t look angry or threatened the way he did last time, so I we’re making good progress as far as I’m concerned.
I nod my head again. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Just then, a tall leggy brunette slides to his side. He introduces her as his date, a different woman than the one I saw him with New Year’s Eve, I note. “Be sure to get plenty of food,” he tells us. “They ordered enough for an army.”
I take that as our cue, and start to steer Corinne away. As we walk away, I say, “That was relatively painless.”
“Better than before,” she says, uncertainly. “It was okay, right?”
I wrap my arms around her shoulders, relishing the feel of her arm sliding around my waist. “It was just fine. He did fine. What was this?” I tap the tip of her nose, and she rolls her eyes.
“He’s been doing that for as long as I can remember. You would think now that I’m an adult he’d stop, but no.” She’s not complaining, not really. She’s smiling, and it’s clear she didn’t mind it.
“Does he do it because you have such a cute, little nose?” I ask, tapping her again, but putting a lot more flirt into it.
“Okay,” she says, “you cannot do it like that. That’s so weird.”
“What?”
“That’s what my cousin does. If you start doing it and trying to be all sexy, it will get really weird.”
“Aww, sweetheart.” I bring her in closer, and gently trace my finger down her jaw and straying an inch or two onto her neck. Her body gives slightly underneath me, and a warm flush rises in her cheeks. “Are you sure? I could make you forget all about who else does this to you.” Then I bop her nose again. I’m enjoying this game.
She giggles and swats my hand away. “Seriously. Cut it out.”
The rest of the night is filled with food, dancing, and talking with lots of people I don’t know. Rayce doesn’t come over again, and we don’t go to him either. We chat with Lizzy and Brett plenty, though, and Lizzy once tells me how happy she is that I’m here. I tell her I’m happy too, and silently wonder what would’ve happened if she’d never knocked on my door that day.
Later in the evening, I’m sitting on the deck at a little round table, nursing a scotch on the rocks. I’m giving Corinne a chance to dance with the groom, and taking the opportunity to listen to the waves crash on shore. All day, man. I could do this all day. The sun set a few hours ago, so the water is largely a dark mass, punctuated by whitecaps. The water is rough in Cabo San Lucas and not really appropriate for swimming, so the sound of the waves crashing against the rocky shore is powerful, and mesmerizing.
I’m lost in it all, and don’t notice Rayce approaching until he silently pulls out a chair and sits next to me.
My pulse beats slightly quicker, wondering what comes next.
“What are you drinking?” he asks, leaning on the table and cupping his own drink with two hands.
“Scotch.”
“Good choice. Connor got the good stuff.”
“Goes down smooth.”
Rayce nods. “Gin’s damn good, too.” He takes a sip, then puts his glass down with a soft clink on the table. He looks like he’s going to say something, then thinks better of it. He takes another drink, then absently taps one finger on the base of his glass and looks out to the ocean.
I could let it go. If he doesn’t want to say whatever’s on his mind, that’s his choice. But I want to know what it is, and who knows when we’ll get another opportunity.
“What do you need to say?” I prompt.
He glances at me, and when he sees I’m open to whatever he wants to discuss, his face takes on an openness I haven’t seen in him before. “I still don’t understand why you came that first day.”
“Yeah, well... I don’t really, either. It’s all Lizzy’s fault.”
Rayce laughs. “That sounds about right.”
“I guess… I don’t know. I’ve spent most my life without my dad. There’s always going to be more questions about him than answers. I guess I just thought it might give me something more than I had. If that makes sense.”
“Yeah.” He’s still tapping his finger on his glass.
“It was nothing sinister, if that’s what you were worried about. It still isn’t.”
“I know. I’m not worried about that anymore.” Tap, tap. I remember now, something Corrine told me about the argument Rayce and Lizzy had that night. “It’s just a little...” He lets his words trail off.
“It’s weird,” I say. “I know. It’s a little weird for me, too. I do like your family, though.”
He glances back to me, the corner of his lips twitching upward. “Just my family? Not me?”
I smile. I’m liking this guy more all the time. “Well, you pretty much guaranteed I wouldn’t like you, right?”
His expression grows serious and he faces the ocean again. He nods and takes a drink, looking regretful.
“I don’t hold it against you. You were just trying to protect everyone. I can respect that. I can relate to it actually. I’ve sort of been the man of the house for a long time, myself.”
Rayce turns back to me, giving me an empathetic, pained look that I know is rare in a man of this sort. “Yeah. I’m really sorry about that.”
I think Lizzy was right about him. There’s more than just protectiveness that’s been going on here.
I shrug
my shoulder and look out to the ocean. “It wasn’t really your fault, was it?”
We don’t say anything else for a minute, and Rayce tap, tap, taps his finger. Takes another sip of his drink. Tap, tap, taps.
“You know,” I say, “you guys inherited a lot from your dad, but I don’t think he meant for you to inherit his guilt.” Rayce’s eyes leap to mine. “Maybe that’s why he didn’t tell you. Not because of his own shame, but because of what he thought it might do to you.”
His eyes are fixed on me, astonished, though the rest of him is as composed as ever.
“Hey, there you are,” Corinne says, coming up from behind. She puts one hand on each of our shoulders. “Everything okay?” she asks, smiling, but the concern in her eyes is evident.
“Everything’s good,” I say, clapping Rayce lightly on the shoulder, and getting to a stand. “Mind if I take this girl on the dance floor?”
“Of course.” He stands and shakes my hand, giving it an amiable squeeze. He winks at Corrine. “Be good, you two.”
As I lead Corrine away, she glances back over her shoulder before whispering. “Is everything really okay?”
“Yeah,” I say, bopping her nose and getting her to scowl at me. “I think we’re good now.”
Chapter 22
Mason
Connor gave some tips for seeing the best of Cabo San Lucas, for those of us who are staying extra days. The host of their wedding offered extra rooms to guests who want to stay longer, and as I understand it, several people took him up on that. Lizzy and Brett booked a room somewhere, wanting to let others take advantage of the free lodging. I booked a room for us elsewhere too, but for less noble reasons. I just wanted Corrine to myself.
I did my research, and decided it was time to spend some of my inheritance on something other than car parts. We’re staying at The Resort at Pedregal. To give you an idea of this place, the entrance is a long, wide, paved tunnel with little chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Every room has its own infinity plunge pool on a private balcony. The bathroom has a huge tub, open shower, and a little couch with fluffy cushions all over it. In the bathroom. The entire resort has direct, private access to the ocean, which is right the hell there.
“We could never leave the room and be perfectly content,” Corrine says as we’re checking out the balcony. She slips off her sandals and dips one foot in the pool.
“Ahhh.” She closes her eyes in bliss. “So perfect. And look at this view. Man.”
I’m looking all right. She continues to inspect things, checking out our view of the resort as it stretches away on either side. I smile, watching her. Surrounded by all this luxury and beauty, the highlight of everything I see is still Corrine.
We do spend the next few days enjoying the resort, but we get out into the city too. We choose to spend our last full day, Valentine’s Day, going out to the famous Arch of Cabo San Lucas during the day and having a romantic dinner at the resort’s superb restaurant in the evening.
The arch is part of a rock formation at the very end of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. This is where the Pacific and the Sea of Cortez meet, and the water’s pretty rough there and through most of Cabo. We’ve received plenty of warning about potentially dangerous areas from both Connor and the locals, and now I see why.
We take a water taxi to Lover’s Beach, and once it pulls up near the beach, we understand Connor’s advice to get a taxi with a ladder. The waves pull the taxi in and out of the choppy water, but there’s a guide in the knee-deep water to help passengers safely off the boat and up to shore, one at a time.
I don’t need assistance getting through the water myself, but the strong waves make it a challenge for slender Corrine to stay upright, so I take over for the guide as soon as she’s off the ladder and get her to shore myself.
On the beach, there are people everywhere. Connor was right about that. He was also right that it’s worth it anyway. Ahead of us is the rocky arch, which is three stories high and maybe as wide. One foot of the arch is in the water, but we’re lucky to get here at low tide, because the sand in the middle is exposed and there are people walking around underneath it.
Corrine and I grin at one another. She’s in white shorts and an orange bikini top, looking so damned adorable. I’m in my swimsuit too, but have a tee on for the moment. We take each other’s hand, and start heading for the arch.
Two easy hours of walking and playing around go by, and we’re still not ready to go. We hang out under the arch and explore the nearby cave for a while, walk farther down the beach and watch the big cruise ships go by, then come back to the arch and hang out some more.
Now we’re going back into the cave again. It has a massive entrance, so while it goes back a bit and throws us into shadow, it’s not dark. Near the back wall, there’s an opening at the base where waves come through just a bit, and retreat.
We’re taking our time going toward the back, strolling hand in hand like there’s nothing else in life we’ll ever have to do There were a few other people when we were here before, but there’s no one’s here now.
Still strolling, we move closer and slip our arms around each other. God, she feels good against me. She always feels so good.
As we draw near to the opening in the back, I slide my hand up into her soft hair, bring her gently to me so I can kiss the top of her head, then release her and cup my hand over her bare shoulder. She tucks her head onto my chest and brings her other arm around me. I do the same, and we take a few more steps embracing like this before we stop and face each other.
She smiles up at me, and I smile down at her too, taking her in. The sound of the waves rushing into the opening, then retreating, echoes softly in this part of the cave. The scent of rock and damp sand and sea water surrounds us. It’s an amazing place, yet she is still the center of my awareness.
I rub the back of my fingers down her velvet cheek. She softens against me, her hands spreading and rubbing slowly up my back. My heart beats thickly, and I gently pinch her chin in my fingers and lean down and kiss her. Her soft lips on mine, the scent of her sun-kissed skin, the taste of the tip of her tongue, it all swirls together and overtakes me. I wrap her up closer to me. Our kiss deepens, and she slowly comes up on tiptoe, wrapping her arm around my neck.
Soft voices come from the entrance to the cave, and we break reluctantly, but I keep her close and rest my forehead on hers. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”
She smiles slowly, and I kiss her again, intruders be damned.
When we pull away and I release her, there’s a lovely blush on her cheeks. She bites the corner of her lip, tucks her hair behind her ear, and smiles up at me almost shyly.
Yeah, I think, you’re getting to me too, girl.
A shrill ring suddenly echoes through the cave and we both jump before realizing it’s my phone ringing. She puts her hand on her chest and we both laugh as I pull it out of my pocket.
“Sorry, I thought I had the sound turned off. I can’t believe I’m getting reception in here.”
I look at the caller ID and hesitate.
“Who is it?” she asks, scooting closer to look.
“My realtor. I haven’t heard from him in a couple weeks. He knew I’d be out of town this weekend.”
“Maybe it’s important.”
I’m still hesitating. We’re on vacation. It seems in poor taste to take a call right now, but maybe it is important. She smiles and gestures with her hand to indicate I should go ahead.
I groan, put one arm around her and pull her close to my side, then give in and swipe to answer. “Hello?”
“Hi Mason, this is Jeff. Sorry to bother you. Are you in Cabo?”
“We’re at the arch, actually.”
The wave comes through the little opening again, and I have to let go of her to cover my other ear with my hand so I can hear him better. We both start walking back toward the entrance.
“Well, I’m glad you picked up, because you have an offer on your house. Ten t
housand above your asking price.”
“Really?” I raise my eyebrows at Corrine.
“Really. It’s feast or famine in this business sometimes. They really loved it.”
We pass a small group of people making their way to the back. The realtor continues to talk. “I told them about the renovations you already have scheduled, but didn’t mention the other stuff you have planned. I didn’t think they’d need it to make an offer, and I was right. It’s a young family with two little kids. Five and three, I think. Real nice family.”
Corrine and I step out into the sunlight, and stop a few steps off to the side. The ocean is noisy out here too, so I still have my palm against my ear.
“They’re pre-approved for a loan, so it would close quickly, which I know you wanted. You could get this done in the next few weeks and never have to make the trip back to California again.”
I look at Corrine, who’s watching me carefully.
“So what do you think? Do I have the go-ahead to accept?”
Corrine
When Mason gets off the phone and tells me he finally has an offer on his house, a good one too, I’m trying really hard not to be selfish about it. “That’s good news, right? I mean, you wanted to sell it.”
“Yeah. I did.”
I can’t tell if he’s happy about this or not, and think about his desires to move to California in spite of feeling like he doesn’t really have a choice in the matter. I don’t get a chance to ask him about that though, because his phone rings again.
I figure it must be his realtor calling back for something, but when his screen lights up, “Mom” is on the caller ID.
He hesitates, then drops his hand without answering. “I don’t want to try to talk again here. It’s too noisy.”
“So…” I prompt, wanting him to finish telling me about the call.
