Finding Pride

by Jill Sanders

  But wow, what a kiss!

  Part of her screamed to take pleasure where pleasure was given.

  Shaking her head to clear it of Todd, she glanced back down at the paperwork and started reading from page one. Two and a half hours later, she was to the point where she thought she might hyperventilate.

  There were papers scattered all over the desk. This couldn’t be right. She had gone over the figures at least six times. She had her copy of Matt’s will, which the lawyer had given her two days ago, along with a stack of other papers. Her hand was shaking slightly when she reached for the phone on the desk and dialed Todd’s number.

  “Hello?” Lacey’s sultry voice came over the phone

  “Hi, Lacey, it’s me, Megan.”

  “Hi, Megan. Iian says that you’re coming to dinner tonight. You’ll love it. He’s going to make a special treat just for the occasion. Todd told me he dropped off the paperwork today. Were you calling because you had some questions?”

  “Yes,” Megan began. “Actually, quite a few. Is Todd there by any chance?”

  “Hang on a minute. He’s out feeding the horses. Let me ring him in the barn.” Megan could hear another dial tone, then more ringing. Todd’s voice came over the line. “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “Hey, Todd, Megan had some questions about the papers. See you tonight, Megan.” There was a click before Megan had time to answer back.

  “Um, hi. I had a few questions about some of these figures,” Megan began. She felt awkward, but wanted to clear up any confusion she had.

  “Well, how about I finish up with the horses and come over? Then we can head over to the restaurant together for dinner. Iian says that you were going over there, tonight.”

  “Yes, that sounds fine, thank you.” Megan felt like a teenager making her first date.

  “I’ll see you in about an hour, then.”

  When Megan hung up the phone, she felt her cheeks turning pink all over again. As she went upstairs to change, she passed the mirror hanging over the coat rack by the door. Not only were her cheeks pink, her eyes sparkled. She had to stop this. What power did Todd possess to make her body react this way?

  Think, Megan! She told herself. New life, no man, new life, no man. She chanted it to herself as she jogged up the stairs. An hour didn’t give her a lot of time to get ready. With her broken arm, things took double the time.

  By the time she heard Todd’s car drive up, she was as ready as she would ever be. She had just walked out of the bedroom when she heard the front door open. She heard a small curse and it closed again. She had reached the top of the stairs when she heard the knock. She chuckled. He really was used to walking right in. They all seemed very comfortable around the house, moving as if it was second nature to them. It was kind of weird to think about how Matt had intertwined himself with their family. Then again, Matt had been a very comfortable person. She knew that once you were in with Matt, you were in for life.

  Megan opened the door to see Todd’s back, and what a back it was! He had changed from his jeans and work shirt to dark gray dress pants and a black blazer. She couldn’t see whether he wore a tie or not but couldn’t imagine him wearing one.

  He turned and she forgot all about her chant of new life, no man.

  ********

  She looked good enough to devour. She had changed from her jeans and Matt’s old shirt to simple black dress pants that looked like they floated on the air and a light green button-up blouse. The sleeves were short enough for a small amount of arm to show above her cast.

  “Come in. You know, you don’t have to knock. I think I’m getting used to your family coming and going around this house,” she said with a smile.

  She smiled at him and he silently cursed himself. No matter what she said, he couldn’t just walk in like he had when Matt was around.

  “You look very lovely.” Had his voice just cracked? Man, here he was almost thirty-two years old, and he felt like he was on his first date again. He cleared his throat. They stood there for a minute taking each other in. “You had some questions about the paperwork?”

  “Oh, yes.” She moved back into the office, her heels clicking on the hardwood floors, and then sat down behind the oak desk. “Here, where I have it marked, the total of liquid assets. This can’t be right.” Todd moved over to look. The number on the paper was correct; Todd had seen to it himself. “Also, here where it shows the working capital total?”

  “I assure you, these numbers are correct,” he said looking down at the paper.

  “But then, um, that would mean…” Megan couldn’t finish.

  “Your brother was well versed in his financial options. Jordan Shipping stock was, and is, a solid investment. You don’t need to worry about anything. Your brother made sure you would be taken care of after he was gone.” Todd stepped back. If he didn’t, he might not want to back off at all.

  “But how did he invest in so much stock? I mean…” She was stuttering and starting to feel foolish. “It’s just that my brother never seemed to have any money when I was growing up. How did he…?” She couldn’t finish.

  “From what he mentioned, he had taken his inheritance and invested years ago, and when that investment paid off, he invested again. When he moved here, he paid cash for the land and house. About a year later he invested in Jordan Shipping, which, if I do say so myself, has paid off quite nicely over the last four years. Your brother purchased enough stock in our company that I asked him to be on the board, and then two years ago, I made him a full partner. He was a good asset to the business. He was not only a brilliant man but also my mentor. I looked up to him quite a lot. My entire family did.”

  She listened to him talk about her brother and wondered whether she really had known the man. The Matt she knew always had money in his pockets, never in the bank. When she had lived with him, she had questioned whether he had even owned the clothes on his back. He was very laid back, never took anything too seriously, and almost always had his nose in a book.

  He was a traveler, a wanderer, never really stopping in one place for long. He had always provided an apartment or condo for them to live in, but Megan was uprooted almost every year. And after she had gone off to live at the college dorm, things had moved even faster for Matt, or so she had thought.

  She knew he had moved here almost five years ago, right after she married, but even then, he had traveled a lot. Not once had she thought that he was investing his inheritance. She had paid off her college tuition and put a down payment on the townhouse she had lived in when she had married. But after that, she hadn’t really touched it for fear that Derek would find it.

  She couldn’t get her mind around it. According to these documents, everything was taken care of— the house, the land, the vehicles—and there was enough money to make the bed-and-breakfast a huge success. His stock accounts covered all of it, and so much more.

  Matt’s holdings amounted to enough that she wouldn’t have to worry about anything for the remainder of her life. Why hadn’t her brother told her? Had he guessed about Derek? Is that why he had kept all this from her?

  Chapter Five

  Todd could see the color leaving her face, so he tried to interrupted her thoughts. “Are you hungry?”

  She looked up at him and blinked. “What?” she asked in a shaky voice.

  “Are you hungry?” he repeated as he took her hand in his and pulled her up from the chair, setting her on her feet. “Shall we go have some of the best food around?”

  The short drive to the restaurant was pleasant. As he drove, Todd talked about the town and the people, trying to prevent her from thinking about the papers back on the desk. He was sure it would only take some time for her to adjust to it. This would give her a chance at a new life, but it had cost her the most important person in her life. What a price to pay!

  They drove up to the restaurant, a huge building that sat right on the waterfront. Large white lanterns lit up the whole front of the buildi
ng. The older two-story building had new, whitewashed siding. A decorative hand-carved sign hung over the front doors. The Golden Oar was carved in vibrant gold letters above a ship with white sails, which sat in dark blue waters. Lacey looked enchanted.

  Todd parked the car and helped her out. Her eyes were fixed on the building in front of them.

  “It’s been recently remodeled,” he said, taking her left elbow and walking them towards the door.

  “This is really Iian and Lacey’s baby. That’s mine over there,” he said, pointing to a four-story brick building across the way. “Jordan Shipping” was in big white letters across the top. “We’ll save that tour for another day,” he said, guiding her towards the restaurant.

  He would always think of himself as a sailor. But the truth of it was, since his father’s death almost four years ago, he’s spent more time behind a desk than behind the wheel of a ship..

  “Iian runs the kitchen here and Lacey runs everything else, including Iian,” he said with a smile. “I mainly stay out of their way.” They walked through double doors that had “Welcome to the Golden Oar” etched in the glass.

  Instantly, Todd’s senses were flooded with a hundred memories of family, friends, and his youth. The place was packed as always on Friday nights.

  ********

  Lacey was greeted by a rush of warmth. She found the smells and sounds of the fine family restaurant to be soothing. The lighting was soft and warm, and the walls were covered with elegant oil paintings. A huge stone fireplace sat near the back of the room. There was a wall made of glass that overlooked the water, giving the guests a sense of romance and elegance.

  A high-school-aged employee dressed in a red and white sailor shirt with a name tag that said Britney greeted them at the door. “Good evening, Mr. Jordan. Table for two?”

  “Better make it for four. If I know my brother and sister, they’ll be along shortly.”

  And sure enough, as Britney was seating them, Lacey walked over carrying a tray over her shoulder with glasses and dishes on it. She wore her usual red and white striped shirt but instead of slacks, she wore a short black skirt with black hose and flats.

  “Hi guys, give me a minute and I’ll be right back,” she said, and then hurried off towards another table.

  “Usually, she only waits tables on Friday nights. That’s when we’re the busiest,” Todd explained as he pulled out the chair for her.

  “Thank you. Wow! What a view,” she said, looking out the windows next to their table.

  The sun was setting, lighting up the sky with hues of pink and purples. The lights from the boats along the shore glowed and gleamed in the fading day light.

  “During the day, you can see clear up the coast,” he said, handing her a menu. “At least on a clear day.”

  The table was set with low candles, a small vase of white flowers, cloth napkins, and paper place mats. It felt right. It was a warm mix of family and romance that gave the place character. Fishing nets and oars hung on the walls, but what really caught her eye were the paintings.

  Colorful oil paintings depicted scenes of violent, stormy oceans, colorful sunsets over calm waters, and boats filled with fishermen. Some paintings had underwater cities with merpeople swimming in the background.

  Above the stone fireplace was a painting of a mermaid who had green eyes so like her own, she had to blink.

  The mermaid was poised as if she were daydreaming, staring off to some distant place. She ran a shell comb through the long blonde tresses that covered most of her chest. Her tail was a vibrant green that seemed to sparkle when Megan turned her head from side to side.

  “The first time I saw you, I thought of her,” Todd said, noticing her survey of the mermaid. “You have your brother’s eyes, but you also have hers,” he said, nodding towards the picture. “My great-grandmother was the artist of everything hanging in here. She was a little eccentric, but my great-grandfather always helped to keep her feet on the shore. Some say that she came from the sea, rather than Southern California,” he said with a wicked grin.

  “They’re wonderful. I’ve always wanted to have a talent like painting, but both Matt and I have two left hands when it comes to art. Did any of the talent survive the generations?” Megan asked, looking down at her menu. On the front cover was a sketch done in the same hand as the sample advertising for the bed-and-breakfast she’d seen in the file sitting on Matt’s desk. The menu’s drawing was the view of the restaurant from the water. Taking a closer look at it, she saw the name in the bottom left corner and looked up at Todd.

  “Yeah, I have some talent in sketching.” He smiled.

  “You did this? And the one for the bed-and-breakfast?” she asked, running her hands over the slick menu cover.

  He smiled back. He had a great smile; his whole face lit up. She got that familiar flutter in her stomach and turned back to the menu.

  “When I was seventeen, my father asked me to do some sketches. A week after drawing this one, he had the menus printed up, and they’ve stuck ever since. That didn’t take long,” he said, looking up and over her shoulder.

  ********

  Megan glanced over and saw Iian making his way over to their table. He had long strides and walked as if he had a purpose. Sitting in a chair next to her, he started signing something to Todd. Why did it appear to her that the brothers were always competing for attention?

  “You’ll excuse me for a few minutes. It appears there’s a matter in the back I need to deal with,” Todd said, setting his napkin on the table. He headed out the double doors that led back to the kitchen.

  Iian leaned in, taking her hand, and whispered to her, “You look lovely tonight.” Megan felt a warm feeling spread up her hand where he was holding it. Then the light went on in her head. They were in competition—for her. She suddenly lost the ability to think, speak, and breathe. What would she say? What could she say?

  “I’m glad you came tonight,” he said, right before Lacey walked up with a bottle of red wine and four glasses. She sat down and rubbed her hands together.

  “Wow, busy tonight. Have you had a chance to look over the menu yet?” she asked, pouring the wine.

  “No, I’m sorry. But since I have the chef here”—she looked over at Iian—“what do you suggest?” She reached out and took a sip of the wine. It went down smooth and started to calm her nerves.

  Iian smiled and signed the order to Lacey. Lacey smiled back and said to Megan, “Oh, you’ll love it,” then she jumped up and rushed off to place the order.

  Luckily, right then Todd came back and sat down, signing something to his brother. Megan was really going to need to study up on sign language; she felt left out of half the conversations. Then again, she supposed they weren’t used to having outsiders sit in on all of their conversations. She imagined it was kind of like eavesdropping.

  From there on, she was saved from fending off any more advances from Iian as the conversation flowed from local events and places to ideas about the bed-and-breakfast. Megan split her attention between the two brothers.

  The wine was relaxing her, and she enjoyed seeing the brothers interact with each other when they weren’t competing for her attention. They appeared to enjoy each other’s company, sometimes laughing at stories they told about their youth.

  She enjoyed the night immensely, and the meal was the best she’d eaten in a long time. They’d had smoked salmon with a wine sauce and sweet vegetables. Lacey had been popping in to the table and grabbing a bite off of Todd or Iian’s plates when time allowed.

  Iian was an excellent chef, and she joked about how he could have prepared the food when he’d not once left their table. He joked back about having little elves that did his bidding.

  “He’s just being modest. All the recipes are either handed down from our ancestors, or created by Iian himself, like the meal we enjoyed tonight,” Todd said, smiling over at his brother.

  “It was good,” Megan signed. She had picked
up a few signs during their conversations. Todd signed when he spoke to his brother, probably out of habit, but she didn’t mind; she enjoyed seeing their hands move.

  “Thank you,” Iian signed back and gave her a grin. “I’d better get back before those elves start making shoes instead of food. I enjoyed your company tonight, Megan,” he said, leaning over her hand and kissing her knuckles. His lips were warm and soft and she smiled back up at him.

  She only flinched slightly at his touch, a definite improvement.

  “I think he likes you,” Todd said, pouring more wine in her glass after Iian had disappeared into the back.

  Megan fumbled with her wine glass, almost spilling it. She was at a loss for words.

  “Don’t worry, he likes all women. If you want to learn more about sign language,” he said, quickly changing the subject, “I can help. Iian only talks around you. Talking really does make him uncomfortable. For the first two years after his accident, he didn’t speak a word.”

  “What happened?” Megan asked, taking another sip of her wine.

  “He and Dad had gone on a weeklong fishing trip in the sailboat. This was over four years ago when Iian had just turned eighteen. Dad called it his “becoming a man” voyage. All we know is that when they found Iian in the raft, he was unconscious and seriously dehydrated, and he had a bad case of hypothermia, a concussion, and a couple broken ribs. Dad and the boat were never found. Iian can only remember bits and pieces about what happened, but nothing about the accident itself. We estimated that he had been in the water for almost ten hours before we found him.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Megan reached out and took his hand. “I lost both of my parents when I was young.” Looking down at their joined hands, she noticed how large his were compared to her own.

  “Matt told me that they had died when you were young. We had a hard time dealing with Dad’s death. Then we had to learn a new language to communicate with each other, and somehow we grew closer. Matt had moved to Pride a year earlier. Lacey had met him in Paris when she lived there for a while. When he moved here, he fit right into the family. He was instrumental in helping me recover and take over my father’s business. Your brother was a great man. I think continuing with his dream for the bed-and-breakfast is a great idea.” He squeezed her hand slightly.