by Naomi Niles
“You’re going to have forgo the women, then,” Alan pointed out.
“Why?” he asked incredulously. “They’ll still find me irresistible.”
“Irresistible?” Alan scoffed. “In your dreams, man.”
“I can get women in any shape or form,” he replied cockily. “I’m a chick magnet. It was a gift I was born with. Wouldn’t you agree, girls?”
Jessica and Madison exchanged a glance. “Well, I can’t say that a woman’s ideal fantasy is a man who’s spoiled and fat,” Jessica smiled.
“That’s because that combo is exclusive to me.”
Madison burst out laughing. “There’s no problem with your ego.”
“It’s not ego, my darling,” Sam corrected her. “It’s confidence…and honesty.”
“And delusion,” John added.
“Don’t mind Sam,” I said. “He was dropped on his head as a child.”
“No, I wasn’t,” he said.
“You were,” I nodded. “I should know; I was the one who dropped you.”
We burst into laughter as Sam scowled at me. I put my arm around Madison, pulling her closer as I savored the sound of my family’s laughter.
I wished that Dad could see us the way we were now – together, content, and at peace with one another…for the most part, at least. It was more than I had hoped for, and I had the tiniest little blossom of pride.
In some small way, I had been responsible for this. I had kept the family together in those dark months after Dad had died. And it had paid off. All my sacrifices had been worth it. It was a heady feeling.
Once we had gorged ourselves on meat and bread, we got up and cleared away the plates. John and I stayed behind in the backyard to quell the fire and put the barbeque away. Once everyone else had disappeared into the house, John turned to me.
“Something was on your mind earlier, wasn’t it?”
“I forget how well you know me sometimes,” I smiled.
“What is it, little brother?” John asked.
“Probably the same thing that’s been on your mind lately, too,” I admitted. “Our mother.”
John froze for a second and then he nodded. “I didn’t know you had given her any serious thought.”
“I don’t know, it’s just…something about the way she left,” I said. “I feel like there’s more to the story. That being said, I’m very aware that I could be mistaken. It’s just that-”
“You want to be sure,” he said, finishing my sentence for me.
“Exactly,” I nodded. “I’ve actually started searching for her already.”
“Really?” he asked in shock.
“Yes.”
“And?” John asked. “Have you found her?”
“I think so,” I admitted. “But there’s no way to be sure until I’m standing in front of her, looking into her eyes.”
“Wow,” he breathed. “This is…huge.”
“I know,” I said. “It is.”
“Pete?” John’s voice was hushed but serious.
“Yes?”
“I think I should be the one to go and find her,” he said.
“You?”
“I’m the oldest,” he said, trying to explain. “And, I haven’t often acted like it in the past. I was happy to let you take the lead because I knew you were so much more capable than I was. But now… I think it’s time I stepped up. You just got back to work, and you have Madison now; you can’t just leave her behind.”
“What about your job?”
“You know very well I’ve been a bit disenfranchised with my job lately,” John said. “And honestly, I think a large part of it has to do with her.”
“Mom?”
“I’ve been thinking about her a lot,” he said. “Almost to the point of obsession. When I found that picture of her in the attic, it was like a sign. A sign that told me I needed to find her. And then…you brought her up, too, and it all made sense. I should be the one to go look for her.”
“Are you prepared for what you’ll find?” I asked. “She might be different. She might have re-married, she might have more kids… Who knows?”
“I’ve thought of the different possibilities,” John nodded. “And honestly, it makes my head spin. I think I just need to go and search. And whatever I end up finding is what I end up finding. There’s no helping that. I want answers, and I’ll take what I get – no matter the outcome.”
“That’s brave.”
John shrugged. “Or stupid,” he said, with a smile. “We’ll soon find out.”
I nodded and clapped him on the back. “Good luck to you.”
As Madison approached us, John gave me a parting smile and headed back into the house to join the rest. She slipped an arm around my waist as I bent down to kiss her softly on the lips.
“Hi, you,” she smiled. “That was some meal you prepared.”
“Just a little something I whipped up.”
“You have so many talents.”
“I do,” I winked at her.
“I’m a very lucky woman,” she laughed.
I smiled. “Please… We both know I’m the lucky one here.”
“Maybe we both lucked out here,” she suggested, a happy compromise.
“I’ll agree to that,” I nodded.
“Did you speak to John about your mother?” Madison asked, glancing back over at the house.
“Just did,” I nodded. “He wants to search for her himself.”
“I thought he might,” she said thoughtfully.
“You did?”
“He has questions in his eyes,” she replied. “They cry out for answers.”
I looked at her pointedly.
“What?”
“You could be a poet.”
She smiled. “I’m thinking of a minor in poetry, actually,” she said, with a laugh. Then her face smoothed out and she looked up at me; her beautiful green eyes were blazing. “Are you okay?”
“I am now.”
She smiled and leaned in for a long kiss.
Epilogue
Madison
Our room had a beautiful view of the slopes. I pulled on my thermal tights before my jeans and then picked up the turquoise reindeer sweater Sam and John had gotten me for Christmas. I had just pulled it on when Peter appeared at the door. He had a massive red ski jacket on, and his face was flushed from the cold outside.
“There you are,” he said. “I came to get you.”
“I’m going to make a fool of myself…again,” I sighed. “Can’t I just watch you guys?”
“Not a chance,” he said severely. “I’m going to make a skier out of you yet, just you wait.”
“It’s not fair. I have two left feet,” I complained. “The rest of you are so athletic.”
“You just need a bit more practice,” he smiled. “And, I’m happy to catch you anytime you fall.”
“That’s a full-time job.”
“One that I’m more than happy to take on.”
I smiled and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. “You guys having fun out there?”
“This was a really good idea,” he nodded. “We’ve never taken a big family trip like this before.”
“But you miss John and Talen, don’t you?”
“Of course,” Peter nodded. “I wish they’d both been here, especially John, but…”
“Have you spoken to him today?”
“This morning,” he nodded. “No new leads. He said he’d let me know as soon as he knows more.”
“Good,” I nodded. “And, have you told Alan and Sam yet?”
“Alan knows,” Peter replied. “But I have to find the right time to tell Sam. For all his jokes, he’s sensitive about this particular subject.”
“Of course,” I nodded. “Just ease him in.”
“I’ll try,” he replied. “But sometimes, no matter how gently you approach it…”
“It’s still hard,” I nodded. “Trust me, I can understand that.”
�
�How’s Victor, by the way?” Peter asked, putting me a little closer to him. “And Polo?”
We had settled into a comfortable pattern with one another. We checked on each other constantly, just to make sure the other one was okay. We looked after each other.
“Polo’s good. Victor says he’s missing me, though. As for Victor, he’s liking his new job,” I nodded. “He’s even made a few friends.”
“I’m not surprised,” Peter said. “He’s a charismatic guy when he wants to be.”
“It’s a little new for him,” I admitted. “These friends are so different from the kind of people he’s used to spending time with.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“Of course it is,” I nodded. “It’s just an adjustment. And apart from that, he’s doing well. He was only late with the rent that one time, he pays the rest of his bills on time, and he seems to really be keeping his head down.”
“He’s been working hard,” Peter observed.
“He has,” I agreed proudly. “He’s really pulled himself together.”
“I think you had a huge hand in that,” Peter pointed out.
“I helped a little,” I said fairly. “And you helped a lot, but Victor’s tried, too.”
Peter smiled. “Things seem to be working out, huh?”
“Don’t speak too soon,” I said quickly. “Let’s not jinx anything.”
He laughed. “I didn’t know you were so superstitious.”
“I surprise myself sometimes,” I laughed. “But in all honestly, I’m not used to things going so nicely. I half expect the other shoe to drop any second now.”
“Don’t psyche yourself out,” he said gently.
“Believe me, I try and tell myself that, but sometimes old habits die hard.”
“True,” Peter nodded. “There’s one way to deal with them, though.”
“Oh?” I asked. “And what’s that?”
“Distract yourself,” he said, wagging his eyebrows at me. “Making love is a great distraction.”
I laughed and pushed him away from me. “Peter,” I said, shaking my head at him. “We can’t, not now.”
“Why not?” he demanded.
“Because everyone’s waiting for us on the slopes, remember?”
“So what?” Peter shrugged. “They’ve waited this long, they can afford to wait a little longer.”
“I just got myself all bundled up.”
“And, you look so good that I just want to unbundle you.”
I pushed him away from me and headed for the door. “Let’s go,” I said sternly. “Before Sam comes up here and drags us down.”
“He would do that,” Peter sighed in agreement.
I grabbed his hand, and we headed downstairs together. Our little group was sitting in the lobby in their full ski gear. Sam was standing between Alan and Jessica, recounting his latest triumph on the slopes.
“I can’t believe you guys missed it,” he sighed. “I mean…it was beautiful.”
Jessica was at least pretending to listen, but Alan was completely uninterested. “There you guys are!” he said, the moment he saw us. “We’ve been waiting ages.”
“Sorry, my fault,” I said. “Peter had to convince me to join you guys on the slopes.”
“Why?” Jessica asked.
“Because I’m useless at skiing – I’m just holding you guys back.”
“It just takes some getting used to, Madison,” Jessica said comfortingly. “Give it a few more tries. It’ll come to you.”
“I don’t know about that,” Sam said, giving me a teasing smile. “She was a complete klutz out there.”
Peter aimed a punch at Sam’s arm, but he managed to dodge it at the last minute. Laughing, he headed outside towards the snow-capped slopes. “Come on, you slow pokes. I don’t want it getting too crowded out there.”
Jessica headed on after Sam, but Alan lagged behind a little. “Hold on,” he said, pulling Peter to a stop. “I had something to tell you guys. Both of you, actually.”
“Me, too?” I asked.
“Of course,” Alan nodded. “You’re part of the family now.”
I smiled, feeling that familiar little tingle of happiness every time I was included in anything familial, at all. It was nice to know I was part of something. It was nice to feel as though I belonged somewhere.
“What is it?” Peter asked.
Alan slipped into his trouser pocket and took out a little Tiffany box that was wrapped immaculately. “Oh, wow,” I breathed, immediately recognizing what he was showing us.
Peter looked at me as though I had gone crazy. “It’s a little blue box,” he said.
“It’s not about the box,” I sighed. “It’s about what’s inside the box.”
“Okay… What’s inside the box?”
“A ring,” I hissed, looking back behind me to make sure that Jessica wouldn’t see us.
Alan smiled at me. “I knew you would appreciate it. Want to see it?”
“Of course!”
Alan opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond. Even though I appreciated the cut and beauty of any diamond, I wasn’t educated enough about them to know the finer details of the ring. All I saw was a beautiful diamond.
“It’s breathtaking,” I said, appreciatively. “She’ll have a hard time saying no to that.”
“Whoa,” Peter said. “You’re really going to take the plunge? No pun intended.”
Alan laughed. “Looks like it,” he nodded. “And, I want you all to be there.”
“When are you going to do it?” Peter asked.
“I’ll let you know when I decide,” he replied. “I haven’t decided on the timing just yet. I just know it’s going to happen in the next few weeks. You’ll be there, won’t you?”
“Of course, man,” Peter said emphatically. “Miss my little brother getting engaged? I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
“Hey!” Sam’s voice was raised with impatience. “What the hell are you guys talking about over there?”
Alan shook his head. “Better get over there.”
He went on ahead and I moved to follow him, but Peter held me back. “Hold on a second,” he said. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
“Somewhere Sam can’t find us,” Peter said.
We moved around to the back of the hotel, which boasted stunning views of the surrounding area and the snow-covered mountain caps that looked like a scene from a painting. Peter gestured to me to take a seat and I did as he told me, curious to know what he had brought me around here to say.
He sat down next to me and took my hand. “It’s a little ironic that Alan chose to show us a ring just now,” he said.
I looked at him pointedly. “What do you mean?”
“Now, I don’t want you to get too excited because it’s not the same thing. But it is a gesture – and a promise,” Peter said, tripping over his words a little.
“Okay…” I said hesitantly.
“I got you a ring, too,” he said.
And then he pulled out a thin, silver promise ring and handed it to me. “What do you think?” he asked, and I could tell by his tone that he was a little nervous about my reaction.
“Peter,” I breathed. “I love it!”
And I truly did, more than any diamond engagement ring that he could ever have given me. This ring was special because it was my future, and it was staring me in the face.
“Sure?”
“Positive,” I said.
He smiled and slipped the ring on my finger. “It suits you,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “This is the first piece of jewelry I’ve ever been given.”
“I wish it was-”
“Stop it,” I said quickly. “I don’t want flashy things. I don’t want expensive things. I just want pure things…like this ring.”
“So, will you promise to be mine when the time is right?” Peter asked. “I can’t afford to ask the question just yet.”
I put my finger to his lips to stop him speaking. “You don’t have to,” I said. “The promise is enough. If it’s going to happen someday, then I’m happy.”
“It will happen,” he said confidently. “I don’t intend for you to wear that ring for very long. I’m hoping to replace it with an engagement ring soon.”
“Then, of course, I accept it,” I said, feeling my smile stretch out wider. “And I promise to be yours when the time is right. Even though I feel I’m yours already.”
“You are,” he nodded. “Just as I am yours. This is how it works. We belong to each other.”
“That sounds…”
“Perfect?” Peter suggested.
I smiled and touched my lips to his. My life was finally beginning, and for the first time ever, I wasn’t afraid to look to the future.
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BURNING FOR LOVE
By Naomi Niles
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 Naomi Niles
Chapter One
Sam
I rolled over at the shrill sound of my alarm coming from the bathroom. My instinct was to reach out and stifle the annoying sound, but that was exactly the reason it was out of my reach in another room. If it were on my bedside table, I’d probably never be on time for anything.
I groaned heavily, pushing away the sleep from my consciousness, and forced myself out of the comforting warmth of my sheets to head into the bathroom.
I almost tripped over the towel I had left there the previous night. I picked it up and shut off my alarm as I gave the towel a sniff. It had the rancid smell of material that had been overused. I glanced at it a moment longer, contemplating whether or not I should just go ahead and use it.
There was a hand towel by the sink, and I decided to just use that one. I dropped it back onto the floor, brushed my teeth, had a quick shower, and then wiped myself off with the hand towel.
