Chasing Sunset

by Missouri Vaun

“It was fun for me too. It always seems like you don’t take time to enjoy where you live until someone visits.” Finn draped the sweatshirt in the crook of her arm and shoved both hands in her pockets as if she needed somewhere to put them.

  Finn considered kissing Iris. What did she have to lose? Iris was leaving so it wasn’t as if she could totally screw something up. There was no something at this point. Unless she was completely crazy, during the day, Iris had definitely at times been flirtatious. She took a deep breath and looked around to see if anyone was about. Just do it. When she turned back Iris had stepped closer, invading her personal space.

  Iris rested the palm of her hand against Finn’s torso. She closed the space between them, almost in slow motion, and their lips lightly made contact. Iris sank into Finn and allowed her lips to linger on Finn’s. Iris pulled back just a little and ran her tongue over her lower lip. Finn let her hands drift from her pockets to the curve of Iris’s hips.

  She gently drew Iris close and kissed her tenderly, letting the soft connection of their lips deepen. Iris broke the kiss, pulling away to study her. They stood looking at each other for a moment, their faces only inches apart, and she wondered if Iris was as surprised as she was by the kiss. Not just the kiss, but the unexpected intimacy of it.

  She wanted to say something, anything to make the encounter last.

  “Good night, Finn.” Iris turned partially toward her cabin door.

  Words failed her.

  “Good night, Iris.”

  There was nothing else to say as she watched Iris close the door. Her brisk pulse made her flesh tingle as she walked back to her cabin. Only a short walk that might as well have been two thousand miles, the distance from Georgia to California.

  She splashed water on her face and undressed as if partially in a trance.

  Finn wasn’t sure how long she lay under the light covering. The night air had cooled and the window beside her bed was open. She wondered if Iris was awake also, despite the fact that the cabin lights were dark. Moonlight danced through the trees so that she could see the outline of Iris’s cabin from her window. She closed her eyes and pictured Iris asleep, the way she’d slept that night in Finn’s bed.

  She was sorry now that they’d kissed.

  If they hadn’t kissed then Finn wouldn’t know the taste of her lips, the scent of her skin. If they hadn’t kissed then Finn wouldn’t know how much she wanted Iris. Finn’s heart hurt and there was nothing she could do about it.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Iris left early for the airport. Too early to say good-bye to Finn.

  As she turned into the rental car return queue, that was all she could think of. She should have said good-bye. Maybe she didn’t want to say good-bye. If she thought there was any way she could take the role she’d auditioned for, then she would be in Atlanta and maybe there’d be a chance to see Finn again. But that was a ridiculous thought. There was no way she could work with Eric and he was the director for the show. She was screwed.

  A guy in a green vest signaled for her to follow a line of cars forward. She got out and retrieved her bag from the back seat. If she’d seriously planned to drive to California she’d have kept the rental, but she’d realized there was no way she could really do a road trip of that magnitude alone. That would have just been crazy. So here she was, back at the airport for another death-defying flight.

  “How was your trip?” A woman handed her a receipt after checking the mileage on the car.

  “It was great, thank you.” Most of it was. Especially the parts in which Finn had a starring role.

  “Have a nice day.”

  Iris followed other travelers with rolling luggage toward the train for the terminal. She texted Maggie to tell her she was at the airport. It was still too early on the West Coast so she was sure Maggie wouldn’t even look at her phone for a while. It was more of a compulsion to check in, to let someone know where she was.

  She scrolled through photos on her phone, wishing she’d taken more while she was with Finn. She had one really great shot of Finn looking out at the mountains from the overlook they’d driven to. She’d snapped two in rapid succession, one when Finn didn’t know she was being photographed and one when she turned to look at Iris. Those eyes. Iris enlarged the photo with her fingers for a closer look. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

  The train from the rental car center hissed to a stop and the doors opened. Time to begin the gauntlet of commercial air travel.

  * * *

  Finn slept later than she’d meant to. After a fitful night she’d finally sunk into a deep sleep in the wee hours of the morning. There was slim hope that Iris might still be around. But when she strolled to the main house for coffee the rental car was gone, and linens piled on the front stoop of cabin number two confirmed that her mother had already started prepping for its next occupant.

  She needed to take the limo into the city and drop it off. She texted her brother, Trey, to see if he could give her a ride home. He usually made an appearance for Sunday lunch so it shouldn’t be too much of a hardship. One home cooked meal on Sunday kept him going all week at Georgia Tech. It also gave him a chance to do laundry for free, an opportunity not to be missed. Especially since their mother usually fussed over him to the point of doing it for him.

  Traffic was sparse heading toward downtown.

  She’d taken a to-go cup for coffee. She sipped and blared music as she headed toward the lot to drop off the car. She hoped Everett would still be at church when she arrived. Finn wasn’t in the mood for a lecture or career advice from her former boss. He’d no doubt mean well, but she wasn’t in the mood. She wanted to drop the limo off and get on with the rest of her life. She was getting plenty of advice from her mother anyway. A person could only tolerate so much self-reflection before noon.

  The office was closed when she arrived. Finally, a little luck. She parked the limo next to a line of sleek, black cars and dropped the keys through the slot in the door. She doubted Everett would pay her for that last job, but who knows, maybe he’d consider it severance or a parting gift. Not likely.

  She texted Trey to check his ETA and leaned against the side of the building while she waited. She scanned slowly, taking in the view. The parking lot was in an industrial area, surrounded by chain link fencing and nondescript concrete buildings. Was this where she wanted to be?

  Fuck no.

  She’d decided right then that it was time to quit screwing around. Stunt driving had been this holy grail that she kept telling everyone she was going in search of. It was time to stop talking about it and actually do it. She had enough money saved to get to LA and take the course. The question she hadn’t quite answered for herself was if she’d stay in LA or come back to Atlanta. There were a lot of movies being shot in Atlanta, but there were probably more opportunities in Los Angeles. And now she actually knew someone on the West Coast, Iris. Someone she actually wanted a chance to see again.

  A cross-country move was a little intimidating, but people did it all the time, right? And if she got out there and didn’t like it she could always come back, no harm, no foul. At least she’d have tried it instead of just talking about it. Finn didn’t want to be one of those people who was all talk and no action. Those kinds of people drove her crazy.

  She saw Trey’s truck turn into the lot and pushed off the wall and waited for him to pull up. Trey drove a 1974 Ford F-150. He’d gotten Ward’s help to rebuild it from the ground up and it was a beauty. The truck was some shade of green that was only ever popular in the seventies, but he’d wanted to return it to its original color. They’d checked the VIN number, and sure enough, it had been green before some jackass who had no respect for history painted it gray.

  “Hey.” Trey handed her a coffee. “I thought you might need another one.”

  “Thank you, brother, you read my mind.”

  “So, you got fired?”

  “Did Mom tell you?”

  “Of course she did
. You know she can’t stand a secret until she shares it.”

  Finn sipped the coffee. Her mother had been in the kitchen when she’d grabbed a muffin for the road. She’d known right away that something wasn’t right with Finn, and Finn was completely incapable of lying to her mother. She’d told her mother she was fired. Her mother assumed that’s why Finn was just south of melancholy. Finn didn’t share that Iris’s departure was more likely the cause.

  “Want to tell me what happened?” Trey merged into traffic. The road was packed with folks either headed home from church or to brunch or somewhere. Suddenly all of Atlanta seemed to be on the road.

  “It’s a short, sad story that ends with me punching out a client.” Finn took her sunglasses from on top of her head and put them on. She wasn’t about to share details about Iris.

  “I knew I gave you boxing lessons for a reason.”

  Finn smiled. It was nice to have a good cup of coffee and a driver. She slouched on the bench seat, getting comfortable for the ride home.

  * * *

  Iris stared at the desk agent. Her uniform was pressed and her hair was perfect. For some reason, Iris had been totally distracted by the woman’s excruciatingly pink nail polish as she’d handed over her ID.

  “Wait, what?” Iris looked down, blinking at the card in her hand.

  “I said, your driver’s license has expired. Do you have another form of photo identification?”

  Iris studied the card for a minute, looking for the renewal date. Damn. Her driver’s license had expired on her birthday and she hadn’t even noticed the expiration was looming. Didn’t the state of California send out reminders about things like this? Thoughts zoomed through her brain as she tried to problem solve without giving up her spot in line.

  “I said, do you have another form of identification? A passport would work.” The agent at the counter was the epitome of neutral professionalism.

  “Um, no, I don’t have my passport with me.”

  “Maybe someone could bring it to you.” A perfectly sane suggestion, but not at all helpful.

  Was she serious? It wasn’t like someone could just run it out to the airport in Atlanta from the West Coast. Especially not in the next hour and half before her flight left. Iris sensed the restless passengers queued up behind her waiting to check their bags.

  “I’m afraid you’ll need to sort this out before I can book you on this flight.”

  Iris turned to walk away, still holding her ID, in a bit of a daze.

  “Miss, don’t forget your bag.”

  Iris was about to wander off without her luggage. She’d left it on the scale so that it could be checked in. People scurried all around her as she stood near the kiosks trying to figure out her next move. She could call Maggie later. Maggie could FedEx her passport…somewhere, but that wasn’t going to help her now. She texted Maggie, feeling the need to talk the problem through.

  Getting ready for work. Can I call you later? Maggie responded.

  Sure.

  It wasn’t like Maggie would be any help right this minute anyway.

  Maybe she should stick with her original plan and drive back to California. No, wait, that wouldn’t work either. She couldn’t even rent a car without a valid driver’s license. Iris stared at her phone, brainstorming.

  And then a thought came to her.

  There was one person who could help.

  She texted the only person in Georgia she knew.

  Hi, Finn. Is there any chance you’re in Atlanta today? I’m stranded at the airport.

  She remembered that Finn had said something about returning the limo. And luckily, she had Finn’s number from when they’d shared photos at the bakery.

  * * *

  Finn felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Casually, she reached for it. The minute she read the screen she sat bolt upright.

  “Is something wrong?” Trey was alarmed by her sudden shift in mood.

  “Turn around.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do it.” Finn was texting as she talked. “We need to go to the airport.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Come on, what else do you have to do today? I’ll reimburse you for gas.”

  Trey sighed heavily, but did as she asked. As soon as he got a break in traffic, at the next light, he did a U-turn.

  I am in town. I’ll pick you up. What terminal? Which door? Finn responded.

  Not sure, I’ll find out and text you. Thank you!!

  Finn’s mood soared. She was getting a second chance to see Iris. She turned to Trey and smiled. He just shook his head.

  It took a half hour, with the usual traffic along the connector through downtown, to reach the airport. The pickup lanes for the south terminal were congested, which made Finn antsy. As Trey wove in and around parked cars she scanned the curbside for Iris.

  “There she is.” Finn pointed.

  “Where?”

  “There…the blonde with the—”

  “That’s who we’re picking up?” Trey’s voice went up a notch.

  “Yeah, that’s Iris.”

  “Holy shit.” Trey eased toward the curb. “You might have mentioned that she was smoking hot. I’d have agreed to do this airport run without the gas money.”

  “Shut up.” Finn punched his arm.

  “Ow.”

  She waved to Iris, who smiled and waved back. The truck had barely stopped rolling when Finn jumped out.

  “I’m so glad to see you.” Iris did seem genuinely happy, maybe even relieved.

  “I’m glad to see you too.” Finn reached for Iris’s bag and stowed it behind the cab of the truck.

  Trey smiled from the driver’s seat.

  “Iris, this is my brother, Trey. Don’t believe anything he says.” Finn let Iris slide onto the bench seat first, then followed.

  “Hey! I haven’t even said anything.” Trey playfully scowled. “Nice to meet you, by the way.”

  The minute they pulled away from the curbside lane, Iris felt the tension ease from her shoulders. Finn had come to her rescue; all she’d had to do was ask. At least now she’d have a few hours to figure out a plan for getting back to California. She hadn’t wanted to spend the money for an Uber if she was going to need to pay for a couple more nights at a hotel while she waited for Maggie to FedEx her passport. That’s assuming she remembered where she’d put it. Hopefully in her top dresser drawer, but it had been a while since she’d needed it, so she wasn’t sure.

  She took a moment to settle.

  Finn’s brother, Trey, was good-looking. Like a scruffy, guy version of Finn. He had a thin growth of beard, more of a fashion statement than a beard. And shaggy brown hair. The first thought she had was that he looked as if he belonged in Portland or Seattle. He had that sort of look—faded plaid shirt, rolled to his elbows, boots, and dark jeans.

  “Thank you so much for coming to get me. Seriously, you don’t know how grateful I am.”

  “What happened?” Finn’s arm was across the back of the seat. Her arm brushed Iris’s shoulder as she partially turned toward Iris. “I mean, not that I’m not excited to see you, but I thought your flight was this morning.”

  “My ID expired yesterday.”

  “On your birthday.” Finn made the connection.

  “Yes, and I guess I wasn’t paying attention to the renewal date. I don’t have my passport so I’m going to have to reschedule my flight. I mean, I can’t even rent a car without a valid driver’s license.”

  “What a pain. Plus, you really have the criminal element look about you.” Trey grinned.

  Iris laughed, feeling more at ease. She was among friends. New friends.

  Trey merged onto the freeway heading back toward Atlanta.

  “So, where are we going?” he asked.

  Oh, no, Iris hadn’t really sorted that out.

  “Why don’t you come back for another night at the cabins? I’m sure the black bear is long gone by now.” Finn sounded hopeful.

 
; “Sure, that sounds good.” Given that she had no plan of her own in mind.

  Why not stick with what she knew? Plus, this way Trey and Finn wouldn’t have to go out of their way to deliver her somewhere else. She assumed Finn was heading back to Watts Mountain.

  “Did you return the limo? Is that why you’re in the city so early on a Sunday?” She wondered if the drop-off had been awkward.

  “Yeah, I was trying to beat my boss to the office. Plus, I knew if I was early enough I’d catch a ride with Trey. He always tries to mooch a free meal while Mom does his laundry.”

  “Hey, don’t give away all my secrets.” He scowled at Finn.

  “Such a big baby, making Mom do his laundry still.” There was playfulness in Finn’s words.

  “Trey and Taylor.” Iris looked from one to the other. “Cute.”

  “Except no one calls her Taylor.”

  “Yes, why does everyone call you Finn? I was curious about that.” Iris had wondered but hadn’t asked. Taylor was such an unusual name for a woman. She liked it.

  “Oh, she didn’t tell you?” Trey sounded conspiratorial, as if he were about to reveal some deep dark secret. “Because she couldn’t spell in grammar school. And she couldn’t pronounce t’s. But for some reason she could say and spell Finn.”

  “Thank you for sharing.” Finn reached across Iris and punched him in the shoulder.

  “Ow. Sibling abuse!” He rolled his shoulder as if Finn’s light punch actually hurt.

  It was obvious that Finn and Trey were close. It was nice to be around siblings who cared about each other. Watching them interact made her a little lonely. She was an only child and had always wished for a brother.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Iris was relieved to be back at the quaint Hideaway Haven. Even if the reprieve from life was only going to be brief. Trey dropped them off and then drove over to park nearer the main building.

  “Why don’t you put your stuff in my cabin and come have lunch. We’ll get you the key to your cabin after.” Finn was about to reach for Iris’s bag, but hesitated, waiting for confirmation.