Healed by You

by Christy Pastore

  Ronan spoke up. “Kacie, hi, I’m Ronan and these are my mates,” he said, tilting his head to meet her eyes. “I promise that we put our shoes on one foot at a time. We’re not here to make you feel on edge.”

  Her cheeks flushed crimson. “Okay, Ronan,” she said, dropping the basket of poppers between Matt and Alex.

  The three of us ordered another round of beers and Matt ordered one too and asked for a bottle of hot sauce. The guy put it on everything. Matt slid his sunglasses off his face, and then rubbed his palms together. “This looks fucking delicious. I could eat the ass end of a horse right now.”

  After about fifteen minutes of devouring food and listening to Matt discuss his latest film shooting in Australia, I had serious vacation envy.

  I cleared my throat. “Is anyone using the house in Sapodilla Bay next month?”

  Alex raised a brow giving me a smug smile. “You’re taking her to T and C?”

  Matt glanced between Alex and me. “Who is she?”

  “James is wooing a lady,” Ronan said, swiping his phone to life.

  “Not just any lady,” Alex announced, lifting his beer in my direction. “A lingerie model, former WAG.”

  “Robertsen, you have got to stop talking to your wife about celebrity gossip. I want the old Alex back, the one who rattles off baseball stats and explains the unorthodox hazing rituals you’d put today’s youth through.”

  “For your information, it’s called data collection.” Alex pointed a finger at the three of us. “It’s one of the ways I stay abreast of all the situations surrounding you chuckleheads—unless you’ve forgotten that you’re all my clients.”

  Matt wiped his hands with a wet nap. “Whoa, okay, Alex can read anything he wants, InStyle or fucking Home and Garden.”

  “I have a feeling I’m going to have to hire extra security for your wedding.” Alex shot Ronan a pointed glance. “And you and Holliday better not try to give my team the slip either.”

  Ronan tapped his finger against the table. “The house in Turks and Caicos is available all month, so it’s all yours, James.”

  “You’re not going to come back married, are you?” Matt asked.

  I glowered at him. “No, I’m not going to come back married.”

  “It’s a fair question, you have a history,” Alex pointed out.

  “One woman. One marriage. That’s hardly a pattern of behavior. Now, Connolly on the other hand,” I suggested, dipping a few fries into ketchup. “He’s someone you should worry about.”

  And under the bus goes the Irishman.

  Grady: Where are you?

  Harlow: I had to go back to Afton’s.

  Harlow: Laundry day.

  Grady had begged me to stay the night with him after his guys’ weekend. They ended up flying to Chicago and stayed at a house on Lake Michigan. Apparently, Alex had a buddy with a house somewhere on the lake near or in South Haven.

  Grady: You could have done your laundry here.

  Harlow: Thank you. I appreciate that.

  Grady: Are you coming back? I’m going to need you in my bed tonight.

  Harlow: We’ll see.

  Grady: Harlow.

  I could practically hear him growling my name.

  Harlow: Maybe, I want you in my bed tonight.

  Grady: Interesting counter offer.

  Harlow: Let me sweeten the deal, Afton is out of town.

  Grady: For a moment, I thought that you were going to suggest a threesome.

  Harlow: Not that I don’t find Afton attractive, but hell no.

  Harlow: Although, if you’re into that, I know a girl.

  Grady: Oh really? Tell me more.

  Harlow: Tara from Castle Hill Beach House.

  Harlow: I have it on good authority that she is into that kind of thing.

  Grady: Is this you giving me the gist again? I need details.

  Grady: Use your dirty words, and please be explicit, sweetheart.

  Harlow: She told my brother that she’d be into it.

  Grady: Um.

  Harlow: She didn’t know he was my brother, if that helps.

  Grady: It doesn’t.

  Since I’d killed the fantasy, I decided to do something I’d never done before—I sent Grady a picture of me wearing a new piece of white lace lingerie. I positioned my arm, so that you couldn’t see my face.

  Grady: Oh fuck. That’s hot as hell.

  Grady: I’ll be in your bed tonight. Don’t take that off or move from that spot.

  I barely paid attention to any news headlines over the past few weeks, but England had won the World Cup. Part of me was very happy for Harry and his teammates the other part of me may have given the middle finger to the ESPN announcer.

  The buzzer on the washing machine rang out and I hummed along with the song. After I hung up my delicates, I pulled out the tray for the detergent and fabric softener and dumped the excess water into the sink. I had twenty minutes until my conference call with the lingerie company who sent me a few pieces to try. I really liked the brand and I hoped that they’d allow me to keep the samples.

  Knock. Knock.

  “Hey, girl, you here,” Afton called out, sliding the door open.

  “Hey, I thought you were out of town on business? Are you here to collect the rent?”

  Afton laughed and twisted the gold anchor bracelet on her wrist. “Ah, no, you’re a wonderful house guest and this place is . . . is paid for, no . . . no . . . need for money.”

  I shot her a sideways glance as she stuttered through her words. Crossing the room, to the kitchen, I asked, “You want some coffee or tea?”

  “No, nothing for me,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “Are you okay?”

  She smoothed her palms over her floral pencil skirt. “I guess that I am. I’m actually happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

  I poured some coffee into a mug, and walked back into the living room. Something was off with Afton. I’d never seen her on edge like this before. “That’s great news, so what’s with your weirdness?”

  She took a seat on the couch. “Well, I guess I have some news. Some really, really big news—huge.”

  I took a seat beside her, tucking my feet underneath me. “Okay, then out with it.”

  Afton grabbed the mug from my hands and set it on the coffee table. “Can’t have any hot beverages in your hand while I tell you my news.”

  “Out with it, Afton. Quit dragging this out like a damn soap opera.”

  She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m . . . I got married over the weekend.”

  My eyes bugged out of my skull. “What? To who? I didn’t even know that you were dating someone.” I jumped to my feet in a rush, nearly spilling coffee onto the white rug. “Oh my God, you eloped—how romantic. I need the details. I’m a little pissed that you didn’t invite me, but wow, I’m so happy for you.”

  “Well,” Afton began, rising to her feet. “You know him actually, and he’s someone that you like . . . and care about a lot.”

  Shrugging, I furrowed my brow. I followed Afton’s gaze, and saw my brother walking up the steps. He pulled open the sliding glass door. “Hey, sis.”

  I didn’t give Afton or Nicholas another moment of my time. Mad didn’t even begin to describe my feelings. With only one destination in mind, I zipped my Lexus through the streets of East Harbour. I rescheduled my conference call, which was completely unprofessional but I knew that I was in no condition to be talking business.

  By the time I made it to Grady’s, my mood had gone through a cycle of emotions. Once I parked the car, I slammed my hand against the steering wheel. I was hurt, frustrated, angry and teetering on elated. Two of the most important people in my life were in a relationship and didn’t tell me. And now they were married. It was a hard pill to swallow. Giving myself a moment to compose myself, I grabbed my purse and then hopped out of my car.

  “Grady, are you here,” I called out crossing through the kitchen. It occur
red to me that I should have called him before barging over here unannounced.

  “Harlow,” Grady called out, his voice laced with confusion. “This is a surprise—a very good surprise.” Even in my salty mood, I still took notice of the way this man filled out a grey v-neck, t-shirt. It was unfair for a man this sexy to have a charming personality and the brains to back it all up. Fuck. Why Heather ever cheated on him was beyond my comprehension.

  Pushing the lustful thoughts aside, I took a moment to focus on my current issue. My eyes scanned over the water watching the sailboats rocking back and forth. The water was inviting, and I was in desperate need of its healing power. Grady bent to meet my eyes, his hands framed my face. “What’s happened, sweetheart? Did your meeting not go well?”

  “It’s worse. Afton and my brother got married.” The words tasted bitter on my tongue, which filled me with shame.

  “And this isn’t happy news for you?” he asked, dropping a hand to his hip.

  Stalking towards the kitchen, I threw my hands into the air. “Good guess, Sherlock.”

  “Sorry I asked.” Taking a step back, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

  Shaking my head, I paced around the island. “I’m sorry.” I blew out a harsh breath and cocked my hip against the edge of the counter.

  He pulled a chair away from the breakfast bar, urging me to take a seat. “How about a drink? And you can tell me why this has you so upset.”

  I nodded, drumming my fingers against the cool surface. “I’m so mad at both of them. I don’t even understand how this happened.” Grady set a glass and the bottle of Simi chardonnay in front of me. “I am trying to wrap my brain around this idea of the two of them married, and them doing marital things.” I took a big swallow of wine.

  Grady stood in front of me, pouring a can of Harbour Brew pale ale into a tall glass.

  “At one point, I was convinced she was having a fling with Ridge. I haven’t been this mad at anyone in a long time.”

  Grady emptied the contents of the can into the glass and then tossed it into the recycling bin. “What about your ex?”

  “What about your ex.” I retorted, and then polished off my glass.

  Grady smirked, refilling my glass. “Does this mean that your brother will move here?”

  I cocked a brow. “What?” The word came out more sarcastically than I intended.

  “Silver lining.”

  “Screw your silver lining,” I said through a laugh. “I just don’t get why they didn’t tell me?”

  “Maybe they didn’t tell you because they didn’t know if it was going to go anywhere.”

  A deep sigh, escaped me as I propped my elbows onto the counter. “Ugh, why are you making sense?”

  “Look, Harlow, I get it, he’s your brother and she’s your best friend. They kept a secret from you—something huge and then they cut you out of their big day. I’m sure it brings up feelings of abandonment, how your dad left you, your mom and more recently Harry.”

  I let his words roll around in my head, because it all made a lot of sense. Every damn bit of it.

  “Go talk to them, let them share their story.”

  “Is it wrong, if I push it off until tomorrow?”

  He shook his head. “Not one bit.”

  AFTERNOON SETTLED INTO DUSK over The Harbour. Harlow worked out her feelings, staying mostly silent. I suggested she take a bubble bath, but she refused citing that she didn’t have any clean clothes or toiletries. Instead, I made her bacon, shrimp, and corn chowder and kept her wine glass full. Although she didn’t eat or drink that much at all.

  “Do you want me to go over to Afton’s and pack you a bag?” I asked, clearing the dishes.

  She shook her head, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “No, all I need is to run into town and grab a toothbrush and a few miscellaneous beauty items.”

  I should have extra toiletries on hand. I’m making a mental note to have Thora stash them in all the bathrooms.

  Closing the dishwasher, I nodded. “Do you want me to go with you?”

  She rolled up to her feet. “That’s fine.”

  I wished there was something I could do to improve her mood. My cellphone rang. The screen showed it was Chelsea from the polo club.

  I lifted the phone to my ear. “Hey, Chelsea, what’s up?”

  “Grady, it’s Elsa. The vet is in with her now, she has colic. We noticed she didn’t eat much last night, and this morning she was pawing at the ground and didn’t eat at all.”

  Feeling my shoulders tense, I rubbed at the back of my neck. “Is she lying down? How about drinking water?” I didn’t’ give Chelsea time to answer. “Never mind, I’ll be right there.”

  I ended the call and grabbed my keys from the bowl on the hutch. Harlow’s hazel eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”

  “My horse, Elsa, she’s sick with colic. I need to go . . . and be with her.” My heart hammered in my chest.

  Harlow took my keys and set them back onto the counter. “I’ll drive you.”

  My heart tumbled into my stomach watching as Grady paced with Elsa in circles outside the stables. “Elsa girl, you need to stay on your feet.”

  She kept pawing at the ground making several attempts to roll. The vet told us that Elsa didn’t have a twisted bowel, which came as a welcome relief to Grady. Dehydration and possible shock was the vet’s diagnosis. As for the reason Elsa wasn’t drinking or eating, that was unclear. I learned that with colic it could be anything, often there is no clear answer.

  “Come on, Elsa girl,” Grady said, rubbing her forehead and snout. “Just go to the bathroom and this will all be over.”

  Grady’s eyes met mine. The pain filling them, tugged at my heart. I’ve never had pets, not a cat, dog, or even a goldfish. I couldn’t imagine the way he was feeling at this moment.

  “Can I help with anything?”

  Grady shook his head. “Just having you here is all I need.”

  I patted Elsa’s hindquarters like I saw Grady doing earlier. “Can I just say, Elsa, your house is gorgeous.”

  Reclaimed brick lined the walkways, making you feel as if you’re strolling through a part of history. Stone columns and iron railings enhanced the classic aesthetic appeal. The stalls were immaculate with their sliding Dutch doors. There was even a lounge area complete with flat screen televisions anchored on the walls. My first apartment in Manhattan wasn’t this chic.

  Grady chuckled. “Yeah, only the best for my girl.”

  “How did you come up with the name Elsa?”

  “I didn’t, my mom and sister flipped a coin for their name choices. My mom won and Elsa isn’t named after the Disney character, her namesake is Elsa Peretti.”

  I laughed, rocking back on my heels. “And what was your sister’s name selection?”

  “Pat, short for Patricia, but she really just wanted me to introduce her as Pat, the horse.”

  “Are you thirsty?” I asked, stepping onto the grassy area beside the stables.

  “Actually, yeah, could you grab me a bottle of water? Go up to the clubhouse. Use the code I gave you earlier, the player’s lounge is three doors down on the left. There’s a refrigerator in there stocked with everything.”

  I trekked up to the clubhouse pausing for a moment when I heard Grady talking to Elsa. Turning back, searing pain wound through my heart when I saw him step in front of her, and then kiss her nose.

  I made my way into the clubhouse and then found the lounge Grady mentioned. My phone vibrated in my pocket as I snagged two bottles of water from the fridge.

  Zanita: Harry wants to talk to you.

  Harlow: Then he can call me, but honestly, I’m not interested in hearing what he has to say.

  Zanita: I figured as much.

  Harlow: After all this time, why?

  Harlow: You know what, fuck that. I’m happy and we’re over.

  Zanita: Bravo, girl. I debated on whether or not to tell you.

  Zanita: I’m of the min
d better to have all the information.

  Harlow: And I appreciate that about your friendship.

  Zanita: Want me to tell him to piss off?

  Harlow: Nah, not worth it. Goodbye, Harry, have a splendid life.

  Harlow: I know that I will.

  And that was the end of that—officially closed the door. No room for this back and forth bullshit. He dumped me. I pulled up my big girl panties and moved on with Grady. It had been a few months, but it all felt so right—so fucking right.

  I opened the door and then reset the code to the clubhouse. Whatever crap life dished out for the two of us, I was confident that Grady and I would handle it—there was no doubt in my mind.

  “Hey, Harlow! Watch your step, Elsa’s feeling better!”

  My face scrunched up and I couldn’t help the cackle that erupted from my chest. “Way to go, Elsa!”

  AFTON BECOMING MRS. NICHOLAS Trembley was an issue that I needed to address. I didn’t know where to begin with this line of questioning. How? When? My fingers hovered over the screen of my phone as I attempted to dial Nicholas. Last count, I had half a dozen messages from Nicholas and double that amount from Afton.

  Grady plucked my phone from my hands. “Sweetheart, you need to go back to Afton’s and look her in the eyes. This isn’t a phone call situation.”

  I folded my arms across my chest. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” he repeated, handing me a travel mug filled with coffee.

  On a groan, I took the mug. “Fine, I’ll do it. Why do you make so much sense?”

  His lips brushed against mine and he hummed. “I’m very wise.”

  Taking the long way, I drove around East Harbour cruising up Main Street over to Harbour Drive. When I reached Afton’s place, I thought about turning around and driving right back to Grady’s house. I sat in my car, gathering my thoughts but everything was jumbled.

  What am I going to say to her?

  How long have you been screwing my brother? How long have you two been sneaking around? Ugly was not a good color on me.

  The smell of white lilacs and Casablanca lilies filled the air with a sweet scent as I pushed open the front door. Vases of white hydrangeas were staggered throughout her kitchen and dining room. Afton loved white.