by S. E. Rose
“In here, dear,” Gran Mill called out as she entered the room.
“Oh, I didn’t know you had company,” Lyla said, looking at Gertie and Roger. They were all sitting around a card table and from the looks of it they were playing blackjack. “Hi,” she added to the guests.
Gertie and Roger both said hello.
“Where’s Nate?” she asked.
Gran Mill shrugged. “He came home a while ago, but I haven’t seen him.”
Gertie elbowed Roger. “That’s the beau. He’s quite a catch, don’t you think?” Gertie asked.
Roger winked at Lyla. “He’s a good lookin’ kid. He was the one from the other night, right?” Roger agreed and nodded at Gran Mill who nodded back. Lyla rolled her eyes and turned to see Amery blush. She grinned at that.
“I’ll be right back. I just want to find Nate,” she said to him. He nodded and was pulled into a conversation with Roger. Lyla had to laugh considering the first time the two had met was under such different circumstances.
“Nate!” she yelled running upstairs, but he wasn’t there. She went back down and out to the deck.
“Nate?!” she yelled again. It was quiet, but then she heard it, faintly on the breeze, the sound of music. She looked up at the tree house, and she knew where she’d find him. She climbed up and popped her head inside and there Nate sat. The stereo blared music, and he stared out the window. She had to smile to herself that he was in the exact same position she had been in the other day when Amery had found her out here. She crawled inside, and her motion startled Nate whose head whipped around to look at her.
He didn’t say a word but got to his knees and pulled her into a tight embrace. They kneeled like that in the tree house for minutes. Neither one of them said anything. They just held each other for dear life.
“You scared the shit out of me, Lyla,” he finally said into her ear. She felt his arm move and then the music turned off, and they backed up to look at one another.
“I’m sorry,” she offered.
“Why? It wasn’t your fault,” he said, his eyes searching hers. “I knew that guy was bad news.”
“I know. Everyone seemed to know this, but I wasn’t about to believe it,” she grumbled.
“Who else knew it?” he asked.
“Amery. He said he had heard rumors and should have told me,” she said quietly.
“Oh,” Nate answered.
“Nate?” she said, and his gaze met hers. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m just glad Amery could get there so quickly,” he said. “I swear to God, Ly, if I ever see that guy, I will kick his motherfucking ass!”
She raised a hand. “Get in line,” she said. He sat back on his heels, and she came over and sat next to him, leaning on his shoulder. “I love you, Nate. You’re like my brother, you know that, right?”
He wrapped his arm around her. “Yes, Ly. I know that. And you’re like my sister,” he said and kissed the top of her head.
“We’re actually growing up, huh?” she declared more than asked.
“I believe we are, killer. I believe we are,” he agreed.
“Promise, no matter what, we’ll always be like this?” she asked.
“Of course! I can’t live life without my Ly-soul, my Ly-ar, my Ly-tning,” he teased with old nicknames for her. She punched him in the arm.
“I knew you couldn’t be serious for more than one minute,” she said and pulled back to look at him.
He stared down at her and cupped her face and kissed her nose. “Ly, I wasn’t kidding. What happened scared me. And I’m so glad you called me. I’m...well, it honors me that you trust me that much that you’d call me first, before anyone else. Honey, that type of love won’t ever go away.”
“Good,” she said and then she looked around. “What are you doing out here anyhow?”
“Thinking,” he said. “I still come out here to think sometimes.”
“Me too,” she admitted.
“I like Ward,” he said, and she did a double take.
“What? Like, you like, like him?” she asked.
He nodded with a sheepish look. “I tried not to. I mean I know he has a rep as a player, but he’s perfect. I mean, physically he’s, well you know. And he’s actually really smart and funny, and he invited me to come to the children’s hospital this weekend because he’s visiting kids there. I mean, the guy is perfect. I know we just met, but I’ve never felt like this about anyone before. I think he’s the one. And I’m not gonna lie, that scares the shit out of me.”
“Wow,” she said.
“Yeah, wow,” he agreed.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” she said.
“Me either,” he admitted.
“Have you told him?” she asked.
“Nope,” he said letting the “p” pop.
“Maybe you should,” she suggested.
“No way in fucking hell would I admit that. At least not yet,” he said.
“What if he feels the same way?” she asked.
He gave her a look of incredulity. “Right. I mean, I’m not bad-looking, I have a decent job, and I am smart and funny if I do say so myself but the guy is like way outside my league. I’m a Little Leaguer and he’s a pro,” he said.
“Well, actually he is a pro,” she said grinning. He shoved her arm.
“Funny, smart-ass,” he growled.
She shrugged. “I think you should tell him. I mean seriously, what’s the worst thing that can happen?”
“He laughs in my face and goes out with another guy,” Nate imagined.
“OK, so if you think he’s such a player, then that’s what he’s gonna do anyhow, right?”
He shrugged. “I guess so,” he agreed.
“So, you have nothing to lose,” she said.
“I don’t know, Ly,” he said slowly.
“Just think about it, OK?”
“Fine, I’ll think about it,” he said. “Hey, speaking of hot men, where’s Amery?”
“I left him inside with Gertie, Roger, and Gran,” she said.
His eyebrows shot up. “Are you crazy? We need to go rescue him, STAT,” he said. Before she could protest, he was scurrying out of the tree house.
“Wait up!” she called out to him.
They raced up to the house like old times and then fought over the sliding door. They both got stuck, and Lyla had to suck in to break free and get through the door.
There was laughter coming from the living room. Nate paused.
“Are you going to tell Gran Mill?” he asked her.
“I think I’ll just say Kevin was an ass, and I quit. She doesn’t need to know the salacious details.”
He shrugged. “She’d probably find it kind of funny.”
“Oh, I guess I should call Ellen, too. I mean I just told Kevin I quit, but I guess I should make it official,” she said as she stopped and pulled out her phone, staring at it.
Nate took her hand and nodded, and she dialed Ellen.
“Hello, Ellen Branch’s office,” a woman answered.
“Heidi, it’s Lyla. Can you put me through?” Lyla asked.
“Oh. Uh, yes. Hold please,” Heidi said.
A second later Ellen answered. “Well, you really pissed off Kevin,” she said to Lyla, not bothering with a greeting.
“Ellen, I’m calling to resign,” Lyla said, ignoring Ellen’s statement.
“I should think so. Kevin called me a while ago. I can’t believe you were late, and then had the audacity to embarrass him in front of the models for the ad campaign,” she went on.
Lyla became angry. “Ellen, for your information, Kevin asked me to come up at the last minute, and I couldn’t get a train. I took the first one the next day. And after the shoot, which went well. He propositioned me and then threatened my career. So, you are lucky I’m not suing the magazine. I don’t know what Kevin told you, but I can assure you it was a lie,” Lyla said, her voice rising as she spoke.
“Well
, Kevin is a very reputable photographer, Lyla. I have no reason to believe he would lie. Plus, after the shit you pulled in LA—”
Amery appeared suddenly and yanked the phone from her hand before she even knew what was going on. “Ellen, this is Amery Walsh. I’ll have you know I was up in New York and what Lyla says is true. In fact, if you really knew Kevin or even peripherally knew Kevin, you would have already heard rumors of how he is. I only wish I’d warned Lyla earlier, and I’m glad nothing bad happened, as you should be too. Because so help me God, if something bad had happened to Lyla, you and your entire company would be held legally responsible, and I would see to it that Lyla had the best lawyers money could buy,” he said, his voice getting angrier with each word.
“Lyla won’t be returning for her last two weeks, so you can just mail that last paycheck,” he said and clicked end on the call.
Lyla stared up at him in disbelief.
“That...was amazing!” Nate screeched. “OMG! Can you call my boss if I ever quit?”
Amery rolled his eyes. “Are you alright?” he asked Lyla. She nodded, her eyes still wide with shock.
“Good, because you need to go pack. We are leaving now,” he said.
“Leaving?” she asked.
“Yep, remember, I have a surprise for you,” he said.
“Oh, a surprise!? Lyla, let’s go get you packed,” Nate said as he hauled her upstairs.
Chapter 29
Amery
Lyla fell asleep during the first hour of the drive. He didn’t want to wake her when they arrived, so he got their stuff put away and then came back to the car. He opened her door and she stirred.
“Are we here?” she asked, blinking up at him.
“Yep, come on,” he said, and he lifted her from the seat.
“I can walk you know?” she teased.
“I know you can, but I kinda like you right here,” he said, pulling her tighter against him and kissing her.
“I kinda like it too,” she said smiling against his lips.
Amery looked at her and her mouth fell open.
“How’d you? I...” She trailed off as she stared up at the beach house and the ocean beyond.
“How’d I what?” he asked, releasing her. “I wanted to take you away for a few nights. I found this place last minute. Do you like it?” He looked at her with concern as tears welled in her eyes. “Lyla?”
“You didn’t know?” she asked.
“Know what, angel?” he said, brushing a tear away with his thumb.
“This is it. This is the house,” she whispered staring up at it.
“What house?”
“Remember I said my happiest childhood memory was from a vacation to the beach with my family?” she reminded him. He nodded, and then it hit him too.
“This is the house?” he asked her.
She nodded and swallowed.
“Holy fuck!” he exclaimed.
“Yeah, holy fuck,” she whispered.
“What are the odds of that?” he asked rhetorically.
“Not sure, but maybe we should go buy some lottery tickets,” she said as a giant smile spread across her face.
“Is it OK? I mean being here?” he asked, suddenly realizing the momentous emotions that she must be feeling.
She nodded, tears still in her eyes but a grin on her face. “I feel like, maybe my family wanted us to come here,” she said.
“Serendipity?” he asked.
“Sure,” she agreed, and they went inside.
Amery watched as Lyla walked out to the deck and ran her hand over the railing.
“Is it how you remembered it?” he asked her, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck.
“Yes, almost the same,” she said staring out at the ocean.
“Shall we go make new memories?” he asked her, and she turned in his arms. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I think I’d like that,” she said.
“Are those happy tears or sad tears?” he asked.
“Both,” she admitted.
He lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around him. He carried her to the nearest bedroom and spent the rest of the night making love to her.
Lyla
She woke to the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore. She remembered that sound. She remembered so much. The whole weekend was perfect. Amery was perfect. She was a little afraid to go back to reality. She’d have to start job hunting this week.
She felt Amery stir beneath her head, and she looked up and met his eyes.
“Good morning, angel,” he said in a sexy morning voice.
“Morning,” she grinned up at him.
“We should get packed up soon,” he said, glancing at the clock on the wall.
“I know,” she murmured as she leaned up and kissed him. He pulled her over him and kissed her back. It wasn’t long before she was squirming against his erection. She reached down between them and guided him into her. They both exhaled as he filled her.
“I want to wake up like this every day,” he said as he began to pump inside of her.
“Me too,” she agreed, her eyes closing as she focused on their bodies and the friction they were creating.
“I mean it,” he grunted.
“So do I,” she responded breathily.
“Move in with me,” he commanded as he increased his pace.
Her eyes flew open, and she stopped moving. “Are you serious?” she asked him.
He stilled also. “Yes,” he replied, his eyes studying her.
“I...I don’t know, Amery. I mean, we’ve only known each other for a few weeks,” she said. She was honestly stunned, but part of her wanted to say yes, to take a leap of faith with this man.
He cupped her jaw, and she closed her eyes as he rubbed his thumb over her cheek. “Promise me you’ll at least think about it,” he asked more softly.
She opened her eyes again. He looked so vulnerable. “OK, I promise to think about it,” she agreed. He gave her a small smile, and she leaned down and kissed him as she began to move again. They got lost in the motions and came together.
Afterward, she lay on top of him as he stroked her back. She never wanted to leave this moment. Eventually, Amery announced that they needed to get packed because checkout on the house was at 11:00 a.m.
They showered and packed in silence. The ride home was filled with more silence. She didn’t know what to say to Amery. She wanted so badly to say yes, but what about Nate and Gran Mill. She also didn’t know if moving in with someone after knowing them for only a few weeks was the wisest decision. Her logical brain kept coming up with reasons why she shouldn’t, but her heart kept telling her that Amery was the one. She was so confused.
They arrived back home by mid-afternoon, and Lyla walked into the house first.
“Gran?” she called out.
“In here, Ly,” her grandmother called out from the family room.
She followed her grandmother’s voice and found her sitting alone on the sofa with a book.
“Hey,” she said trying to act super cheerful.
“What’s wrong?” Gran Mill asked as she patted the ottoman next to her.
Lyla walked over, nervously glancing back but Amery was still grabbing her bag and some bags of stuff she’d purchased over the weekend, well Amery had purchased for her.
“Amery asked me to move in,” Lyla announced as she sat down, elbows on her knees, head in her hands.
“And what did you say?”
“I said I’d think about it,” she said.
“Well, then think about it. How was the house by the way?” she asked. Lyla had texted Gran Mill and Nate as soon as she figured out it was the house.
“Just like I remembered it,” she said with a small smile.
“I think there’s a message in that, don’t you?” Gran Mill asked, patting Lyla’s knee.
Lyla nodded.
“Serendipity,” Gran Mill said.
L
yla nodded again.
Gran Mill gave her a mischievous grin. “What if I told you that I wanted to sell the house?” Gran Mill asked.
Lyla’s head popped up, and she stared open-mouthed at Gran Mill. “What?!” she exclaimed.
“Honey, being in this cast has made me realize that I’m getting too old for such a large home. And you and Nate are grown-ups now. You all will be moving out soon and living your own lives. I don’t want to stay here alone. Plus, there’s a place going on the market in the fifty-five and over community where Gertie and Roger live. It’s two bedrooms and has a garage. It’s perfect for me,” Gran Mill explained.
“But what about Nate and me?” Lyla asked, quite shocked at her grandmother’s announcement.
“You kids need to move out and find your own way,” she said.
“But...Gran...your leg? You can’t move right now,” Lyla said.
“True, but I could move in another month or two,” she said.
“Just think about it, Lyla. Take a leap of faith, my dear,” she urged.
“I agree with your grandmother,” Amery said, startling Lyla.
“H-how long have you been standing there?” Lyla asked, swallowing.
“Long enough,” he replied.
She stood and walked over to him. “I want to say yes,” she said honestly.
“Then say yes.” He grinned.
“But, I’m afraid,” she admitted.
“So am I,” he said.
“What if it doesn’t work out?” she asked.
“What if it does?” he responded.
“What if you stop loving me?”
“What if I don’t?”
“What if I can’t stop loving you?”
He pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want you to ever stop loving me,” he said. “I promise you. I will never stop loving you.” And with that, he leaned down and kissed her.
Epilogue
“Where’s the box of stuffed animals?” Lyla asked, placing her hands on her hips.
“With the five other boxes of stuffed animals,” Nate laughed.
“Which would be?”
Nate sighed. “I took them up to the first guestroom on the right.”
