by Nina Crespo
Their connection—she’d felt it, too. It excited and scared her. She’d let Noble Wind down in the worst way. Just as she was about to say “I don’t know,” Scott joined them. The pride and caring she saw in his eyes seeped inside of her.
If she could enjoy a temporary relationship with Scott, couldn’t she do the same with Showdown?
“What do you think?” Rina asked Showdown as she stroked along his neck. “Should we do it again?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
As Rina climbed the steps to her apartment, the muscles in her legs and butt hollered in protest. Riding a horse after years of not doing it plus running around the cafe for the last nine hours had taken a toll, but the discomfort was worth it. She couldn’t wait to ride Showdown again. With some rearranging of her schedule, she could fit in the time.
She still had little over a couple of hours until Scott arrived for the dinner she’d stocked for them in her refrigerator that afternoon. Nothing fancy—roast chicken and rice pilaf already cooked from the cafe and a salad.
Inside in the entryway, she leaned a hand against the wall and took off her tennis shoes. Will they still fit? That’s what had crossed her mind when Tristan had produced her black riding boots that morning. He’d even kept them polished for her. But they weren’t her favorite pair.
On the way to her bedroom, she flipped on the living room lights. Pausing in the adjoining bedroom hallway, her gaze was drawn to the left. The custom-made boots that fit her perfectly were in the spare bedroom closet. A spark of excitement pushed her toward the open door at the end of the hall. The space with a gray convertible sofa, a small black metal desk and a bookshelf served mainly as storage for her clothes and books.
In the corner walk-in closet, she reached up to the shelf above the winter coats. Balancing on her toes, she took one of the cardboard boxes from the shelf and took it to the desk against the wall. As she set the box down, the beige taped stretched across the top seam curled up on one side like a loose thread. She took hold of it and pulled.
* * *
Scott used the key Rina had given him and opened the door to her apartment. A light pleasant herbal fragrance was in the air...but not the scent of food. Maybe they were ordering out? The two of them having dinner together had stayed on his mind all day along with her riding Showdown.
She’d looked relaxed, happy and confident, and so beautiful she’d taken his breath away. He could have watched her all morning. It had shocked him when Tristan mentioned she hadn’t ridden in a long time.
“Rina?” As Scott walked down the side hall, he peeked into the kitchen. Not seeing her there, he went through the living room to the other hallway. The main bedroom to the right was dark, but a light shone from the room on the opposite end of the hall. He went that direction and peeked inside.
Rina sat on the floor in front of the sofa against the wall. A couple of cardboard boxes with the flaps up sat beside her along with a pair of boots. She was surrounded by open albums, scrapbooks and loose photos.
“Rina?”
Seeing her sad, troubled expression, Scott’s teasing comment died on the tip of his tongue. He went over to Rina and hunkered down in front of her.
She blinked as if she’d just noticed him. “I...we’re having dinner. I didn’t realize it was so late.”
As she started gathering up photos of her with a horse, he laid his hand on Rina’s arm. “Dinner can wait. Are you okay?”
She hesitated. “No. I rode Showdown today and I thought it was good, but...” Rina looked at all that surrounded her.
Moving some of the books aside, Scott maneuvered into a small space beside her on the floor. He pointed to a picture in Rina’s hand of her sitting atop of a horse. “But what? The smile on your face in that photo was on your face today. Weren’t you happy?”
“Yes.” Her expression grew even more sorrowful. “After the accident, I tried to get back on a horse, but I felt lost without Noble Wind. I stopped riding. But when I looked into Showdown’s eyes today, I felt a connection.”
He took her hand. “Isn’t that a good thing?”
“It was wonderful. I came in here to find my favorite boots for the next time and started looking through my old photos. How can I enjoy riding Showdown after what I did to Nobel Wind?”
“Whoa, hold on...”
“No. Wait. Let me explain. Noble Wind and I were a team. He trusted me to protect him and keep him safe, and I didn’t.” Anguish filled her eyes. “Maybe I don’t deserve that type of trust again.”
Scott tamped down the instinct to point the finger at her ex. Blame wasn’t the issue. He could understand how she felt about trust. It was a huge part of his profession, too. “Showdown has avoided everyone here but you. His instincts are telling him that you’re the one he should form a connection with. Why not trust that? Second chances aren’t always easy to come by.”
“I am glad Showdown trusted me to ride him today, but it’s so hard not to remember the past.” Rina looked down at the photos in her hand. “I’ll always love and miss Noble Wind.”
“Getting close to Showdown doesn’t mean you have to forget the moments in the photos.” He slipped one of the pictures from her hand. “Tell me about Noble Wind.”
She nudged his shoulder with hers. “You don’t mean that. I know you’re probably tired of being a good listener and hearing me talk. You don’t have to. And I’m sure you’re hungry.”
A good listener? No one had ever called him that in his past relationships—a few times he’d been accused of the opposite. And honestly, it hadn’t fazed him because his next gig was on his mind. But with Rina, he honestly did want to hear her stories and what she thought about food and movies and whatever random topic came up. His current job was still a priority, but seeing Rina, being with her, had become just as important to him. And he actually liked it that way.
Scott lifted their intertwined fingers and kissed the back of her hand. “Like I said, dinner can wait. Tell me about the photos.”
Hints of gratefulness were in Rina’s eyes as she gave him a wobbly smile. “Okay, but remember, you asked for it.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Rina dressed quickly in a peach fitted tee and yoga pants, lured by the scent of bacon wafting into the bedroom. It was the second thing she’d noticed when she’d awakened that morning. The first had been the cool empty space on the mattress beside her. For a brief moment, she’d thought Scott had left. Last night, after she’d given him a photo tour of her life from diapers to her twenties, she’d actually joked about him running away before dawn.
Nope. I’m not going anywhere... I don’t have to be on set until tomorrow afternoon...
Then Scott had given her a kiss that had left her breathless and holding on for more.
Later that night in bed, his kisses and caresses, the way he’d moved inside her, slowing down and drawing out pleasure when she’d wanted a faster pace, had awakened desire and need inside of her in ways she’d never felt or expected.
Rina came closer to the smell of food and Scott’s humming. He’d never cooked for her before. Usually, he just got takeout from downstairs at Brewed Haven. She crept forward in bare feet from the living room to the entryway on the right and peeked into the galley-style kitchen.
Barefoot and in the jeans and white T-shirt he’d worn the night before, Scott scrambled eggs at the stove in the midst of chaos. What looked to be clean and dirty bowls sat near the sink on the counter behind him next to a cluster of eggshells. A little farther down, shredded cheddar cheese spilled out of the package and next to it a plate was piled high with crispy-looking bacon.
Scott grabbed a plate from the counter and peeked into the oven. “Shit.” He reached inside and pulled out a slice of toast with his thumb and finger. Too hot to hold, he dropped it on the oven door. Swearing softly, he shook out his hand.
Rina covered her
mouth and stifled a laugh. Oh my gosh... Her boyfriend was a disaster in the kitchen. Wait...my boyfriend?
Scott saw her. “You’re up already.” His expression reminded her of a kid who’d gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Snagging tongs from the utensil holder on the counter, he rescued the toast on the door and the three slices in the oven before they burned. “I was going to bring you breakfast in bed.”
“That’s okay. It’s still a...surprise.” He’d managed to make scrambled eggs stick to her best ceramic skillet. How? And why wasn’t he using the toaster oven next to the coffee maker? Her hands itched to take the kitchen utensils away from him.
But his goofy grin was too darn cute and from the egg and grease stains on the front of his shirt, he’d worked really hard.
Ignoring the mess she walked over to him. “Thank you.”
Scott wrapped an arm around her waist, slipping his hand just underneath the hem of her shirt, and skimming over her bare skin. He kissed her. “You’re welcome.”
The silver kettle started to whistle on the back burner.
“Your tea.” Scott set the plate down and poured water into a blue mug with the bag of Positive Energy tea already inside of it.
“Sure you don’t want my help?”
He handed her the mug. “Relax. I got this.”
Standing off to the side, she sipped tea as he divided scrambled eggs, dark crispy bacon and buttered toast between two plates.
As he poured himself a cup of coffee, Scott’s phone chimed next to the eggshells.
Rina glanced at the screen. “It’s Wendy.”
“I’ll call her later.” As he handed her a plate and a fork, his phone buzzed and a text alert popped up.
Rina glanced between him and the phone. When it came to her family, a call followed by a text couldn’t wait. “Shouldn’t you check? Maybe it’s important.”
“Probably not.” Scott picked up the phone and opened the text. “It’s just a video.” Scott clicked on it.
Soft piano music prompted her to peek at the screen.
Various images played in a video featuring a middle-aged couple. The silver-haired man smiling lovingly at the pretty dark-haired woman resembled Scott.
Rina set her mug on the counter and munched a slice of bacon. “Is that your dad and his fiancée?”
“Yes.” Just like in the car on the way to Tristan’s that day, his expression remained impassive.
In the final frame, as the image faded, words appeared: Can’t wait for you to help us celebrate the best day of our lives. Love Patrick and Theresa.
As she ripped paper towels off the nearby holder, the date that froze on the screen caught her attention. “That’s next Saturday.”
Scott set the phone down. “It is.”
Strange. He hadn’t said anything about the wedding since their conversation in the car on the way to Tristan’s house. But he had mentioned not being needed on the film set that weekend. Maybe he just hadn’t gotten around to telling her about his plans. “So are you flying out Friday?”
“No, I’m not going.” He stalled her question with a raised hand. “And it’s fine. My dad and I already talked about it. Let’s eat. Our food’s getting cold.”
She picked up her mug and followed him to the adjoining dining room. “But if they know you’re not coming, why did Wendy send you that video?”
Scott released a long exhale as they sat down at the table. “Because she thinks I should be there.”
“And you don’t?”
“He’s done it enough times, I already know what happens. And how it ends.”
She caught the sadness that passed over his face before he ate some of his eggs. “Maybe I shouldn’t pry, but if the roles were reversed, you wouldn’t let me slide out of giving an explanation.” Rina set down her fork. “Cynical isn’t your style. What’s the real reason you’re not going?”
* * *
Scott washed down the bite he’d taken with coffee. Outside of Wendy, he’d never talked to anyone about his father’s multiple marriages. But whenever he’d asked Rina about her family, she’d shared some difficult things from her past. How could he not be just as honest with her now?
He set down his mug. “After my parents divorced, my father was miserable. When he got engaged to Ruby a year later, he was happy and everything was good for about five years.” Scott’s mind rolled back to living with his dad and Ruby in North Carolina. During his junior and senior years of high school, he’d had a first row seat to watching their marriage slowly disintegrate. “They divorced and the same pattern happened when he married again, and when that relationship didn’t work, he tried again. I think it’s time for my father to stop believing in forever.”
Rina’s turned wistful. “But what if this time, he really as found the one? Don’t you want to celebrate his happiness?”
“What if he hasn’t? After Ruby, I honestly have to try to remember the names of the women he married, his time with them was the equivalent of a blink. But what I’ll never forget is how hurt he was when they didn’t work out.”
Empathy shown in Rina’s eyes. “You can’t predict what’s going to happen in your father’s current relationship. And honestly, that’s not your place. But in my opinion, Wendy is right. You need to be there.” She briefly squeezed his arm. “The one constant in your father’s relationship situation has been you and your sister. I’m sure he needs that now and that’s why she’s reaching out to you. Family is always there for family. That’s what my parents used to say.”
“And you feel Zurie has been there for you?” Frustration pushed out the words. “Don’t answer that. I’m sorry. It’s not a fair question.”
“But it’s a good one.” Rina flipped her braids over her shoulder and met his gaze. “Remember how I told you Zurie was against me buying this building?”
“Yes.” He scooped a bit of egg on his toast and took a bite.
“My first Fourth of July at Brewed Haven I’d only been open for three weeks. From the moment I opened the doors, we were nonstop with customers. During breakfast service, I left the kitchen and popped into the dining room. My supervisor at the time was acting as hostess. We had a line of people waiting for tables and all of the staff were busy so I started clearing and cleaning tables as fast as I could. I finished a booth and when I turned around, I saw Zurie escorting customers across the dining room. She still believed I’d made a bad investment, but she was still there for me.”
Scott polished off his toast. He could see her point, but Zurie hadn’t watched Rina’s business go up in flames four times. “I hear what you’re saying but unless I’m dragged to Florida, I’m not going.”
Rina gave him an all too serene smile. “Okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Scott fastened his dark cream slacks then grabbed the silk tie from the king-sized bed. As he walked to the full-length mirror hanging on the bathroom door of the hotel suite, he wrapped the tie around the collar of his white dress shirt. Nothing screamed wedding more than a damn pink tie. How had he gotten himself into this?
Water ran in the sink behind the closed door.
A small smile and a huffed chuckle slipped past exasperation. Rina.
He’d mentioned that unless he was dragged to Florida, he wasn’t showing up at the wedding and soon after, Rina, Wendy and the Universe had entered into a full-force conspiracy against him.
It had started that night when Rina was helping hang the new blue wall tiles in her bathroom, and Wendy had called for a video chat. He’d answered, and introduced Rina to Wendy thinking it was a great way to stop his sister from launching into what had become her favorite topic—their dad’s wedding. The next thing he knew, Rina and Wendy were chatting away about how wonderful the evite video was, and then Rina had disappeared for a good half hour with his phone. When she’d come back to him, she and We
ndy were newfound friends who couldn’t wait to meet each other. Later that night, Wendy had sent him a text saying how Rina would make a great plus-one at the wedding.
A couple of days later, he’d brought dinner for him and Rina to her place, just in time for the wedding movie marathon on television, three of them. One just happened to be about a father hoping his son would make it to his wedding, and Rina had cried happy tears on his shoulder during the predictable ending.
Then came the day when he’d been completely outmaneuvered. During a break in helping Kyle figure out the mechanics for a couple of new stunts being added to the film, a message from Rina had chimed in on his phone. The opening of the video of her and Philippa laughing and drinking cocktails at a clothing store had made him smile. Then whoever had been filming them had pulled back and focused on a full shot of Rina.
The bathroom door opened in front of him and Rina stood in the archway.
Her braids were pulled back fully revealing her flawless complexion. A light touch of makeup accentuated her eyes, brought an appealing glow to her cheeks, and highlighted her full lips. The long pink-and-blue floral halter-style dress fit to the curves of her breasts, dipped against her waist and flowed down her hips to her strappy blue sandals. A slit up the left side revealed even more of her satiny-smooth skin.
Watching her in the video wearing the dress didn’t compare to actually seeing her now, and just like then his heart stuttered in his chest. The chance to see her like this had motivated him to buy the plane tickets and make the reservation. Along with the chance to have her to himself, away from the cafe and Tillbridge.
She walked over to him. “The suit fits. Wendy will be so glad. She was nervous about it since you didn’t get the chance to meet with the tailor. Do you need help with the tie?”
He actually did know how to tie one, but his brain had stopped communicating instructions as soon as she’d walked over to him. “Sure.” Scott took hold of her waist. A kiss to her berry-colored lips was off-limits so he went for the second-best spot. He pressed his lips to the side of her neck. “You look amazing.”
