Beautiful Dreamer

by Melissa Brayden

  “What?” Elizabeth asked. “What’s so amusing?”

  “You’re cute when you work. You get so serious and there’s a little line that forms right here.” Devyn gestured to the spot in the middle of her forehead. She shrugged. “I like it.”

  “You do?” Elizabeth was caught off guard, but in the best way. She felt warmth on her cheeks as she worked, enjoying the quiet company, and Devyn’s appreciation. “What are you reading about?” she finally asked, some fifteen minutes later.

  Devyn peeked at her over the top of the open paper. “Well, you’re not going to believe this, but RayEllen Mink has been bowling for over thirty years, and is now in first place in the seniors league. She might lose her standing, though, if she can’t work on picking up the three-ten split more of the time.”

  Elizabeth nodded. “RayEllen is not to be messed with. I was actually excited when she moved up to the seniors league.”

  Devyn went back to her paper and then peeked back over the top. “Will you wear your bowling shirt for me later?” She bounced her eyebrows.

  “No, because you’re making fun of me.”

  “You in a bowling shirt and wearing not another stitch of clothing is nothing to make fun of. God, now I can’t get that image out of my head. Dammit. I did this to myself.”

  Elizabeth sucked in a breath. “Maybe we can revisit the issue later.”

  “Thank God.” She dropped the paper. “Ready for our drive? Maybe we can even swing by the bowling alley. You can show me your skills.”

  Elizabeth found the keys to Shug in the top drawer of her desk and tossed them to Devyn. “Lead the way.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  With vintage Stones blaring from the speakers, Devyn drove them along the shoreline, windows down, the last of the sunshine filling the truck. Their hair blew around with wild abandon as Devyn accelerated on the open road, and Elizabeth stared out at the waves. “No time of day is this beautiful,” she said. “Just look out there.”

  Devyn did, taking in the golden glow that enveloped most everything as the sun crept to bed. Beneath it, the tide rolled in, encroaching on the beachgoers, who moved their towels and shrugged into hoodies as the evening temperatures crept in. “There really is nothing like it.”

  It was officially summer in South Carolina, and with school getting out, the town would see more and more visitors renting houses, apartments, and guest cottages. The boogie board place near the beach that sold key chains, T-shirts, and snorkel gear would bask in the glory of the impending summer rush. Devyn remembered the summer culture all too well and surprised herself with the excitement she felt. Well, until she realized she likely wouldn’t be a part of it.

  Since when did she care about missing anything in Dreamer’s Bay? So much new was happening.

  “Do you go in the water much?” Devyn asked.

  Elizabeth looked over at her, and the sun caught those green eyes and amplified their color. “Maybe once or twice over the course of a given summer. I’m more of a likes-to-sit-and-stare-at-the-water kinda girl.”

  “I get that about you.” Devyn paused as an image settled. “A bottle of wine with you on the beach at sunset would be nice.” And now she was romanticizing the place. But Devyn shoved down that voice in her head and enjoyed the newfound inclination, because it felt refreshing and more natural than she would have guessed.

  “I’d love that.” Elizabeth hung an arm out the window of Shug the Truck. “Though I might smuggle in a beer.”

  “Of course you would. I would be shocked if you didn’t.” Because she simply wanted to, Devyn leaned over and stole a quick kiss before refocusing on the road. “Where to next?”

  “I gave you the keys, remember?” Elizabeth, the tour organizer, had given her control.

  “Let’s go all over.”

  Elizabeth pressed her cheek against the seat and smiled at Devyn, who never wanted the night to end.

  They bowled a game next, and Devyn spent more time checking out Elizabeth from behind than she did trying to win the game, which was ridiculous because Elizabeth was a pro.

  Devyn stared at the overhead screen. “You almost rolled a two hundred without even warming up. Who does that?”

  “A one seventy-eight is hardly a two hundred. But to answer your question, someone who takes her bowling career very, very seriously,” Elizabeth said, as she approached Devyn in one of the chairs. Her hands immediately went to Elizabeth’s waist, and Elizabeth stared down at her tentatively.

  “So, we’re doing this?”

  Devyn understood what she was getting at. They’d not exactly engaged in public displays of affection. Ever. Their relationship and its confusing status had been something they’d kept to themselves because it was likely to be temporary. But maybe all of that didn’t matter. Devyn shrugged, her hands still on Elizabeth. “I don’t care if you don’t.”

  That earned a smile. Elizabeth bent down and skimmed Devyn’s lips with hers. It took everything Devyn had not to pull her back down because the tiny kiss sent shivers. Actual shivers. She leaned into the skid, allowing herself to relish and enjoy it.

  “Just a preview of coming attractions,” Elizabeth said.

  Devyn loved the teasing. Another new piece of information she was learning about herself. As Elizabeth stepped out of the way and took a seat at the console, Devyn’s gaze landed square on Cricket’s, six lanes over. Her eyes were wide and her mouth formed the shape of an O. Knowing Cricket’s undying love of gossip, the fact that she and Elizabeth had just kissed in the bowling alley would be all over town before they had a chance to settle their bill. Maybe it was time to do a little damage control by playing nice. “Be right back,” she said to Elizabeth.

  Cricket brightened on cue as Devyn approached. Her smile was too big, and she acted too surprised to see Devyn, which was clearly her attempt to pretend she didn’t even know they were there. How crazy. A farce. Devyn knew Cricket too well for that. She pushed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans. “Hey, there,” she said, with a friendly wave. “You guys out for some fun?”

  “We are,” Cricket crowed with over-the-top enthusiasm that had arrived out of nowhere. The two young boys Cricket had with her were her spitting image—clearly the sons Devyn had heard so many glowing stories about. One purposely dropped a bowling ball on the other’s foot, prompting a wail. Cricket didn’t seem to care. She stood and pulled Devyn into a hug, which was how all of the cheerleaders greeted each other in high school. Even if that had meant sixty hugs a day. In every class, there was a hug. Lunch, hugs. Arriving at practice. Leaving practice. Hug, hug, hug. It was obnoxious. She saw that now.

  Devyn gestured behind her. “We’re just having a bit of a free night. Exploring the town.”

  Cricket pursed her lips and nodded as if she knew all too well what that was like. She did it all the time. “I didn’t know you two…were close. You and Elizabeth.”

  “Because we kissed?” Why not just jump right to the point?

  “Well, that was surprising. Not that there’s anything wrong with it,” she rushed to say.

  “The gay thing, you mean?”

  “No,” Cricket practically shouted. “Absolutely not.” She placed a hand over her heart. “I’m an ally. I make donations.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Devyn said, trying to mask the hint of sarcasm and probably losing.

  “I just meant, there’s nothing wrong with Elizabeth. She’s not who I imagined you with. But she’s a hard worker, and she’s very nice.”

  “She is.” A pause. “We’re just out enjoying the night. That’s all.”

  Cricket’s expression took on a serious quality and she lowered her voice. “A booty call? You can tell me, Dev. We’ve all been there. We’ve all needed a little special attention. Lord knows.”

  Devyn closed her eyes. “Nope. Just bowling. We like each other and like spending time together.” She glanced at the boys, who were studying a handheld video game as if the world might be ending. “You guy
s enjoy yourself.”

  “Don’t you two get into too much trouble, you hear me?” Cricket called after her like they were a crazy couple of kids who tickled her endlessly. She gave it sixty seconds before Cricket was on some kind of group chat with Heather, Coco, and Lisa, and by midnight the whole town would be staring at them knowingly for the rest of time. It was how things worked here. Oh, well. She wasn’t going to stop living her life because the rumor mill would erupt.

  “Want to get out of here?” Devyn asked, when she returned to their lane.

  Elizabeth studied her, off-kilter now. “Did Cricket say something to upset you?”

  Devyn glanced back and minimized the interaction, refusing to believe that Cricket had the capacity. Yet the younger Devyn still seemed to be in there somewhere and let friends like Cricket get under her skin. Elizabeth was a hard worker? Why would she lead with that? It was laced with judgment and pretention. “She didn’t upset me. She’s just being Cricket, which is always a little unfortunate.” She ordered herself to leave the exchange in the past and smiled at Elizabeth. “Where to now?”

  Elizabeth considered the question and checked her watch. “Well, it’s soccer season.”

  It certainly was, and when they arrived at the old high school field, Devyn was pleased to see that they’d spent the money to install fluorescent lighting to allow for evening games. The stands were packed and the aroma of popcorn and Frito pies permeated the air. She smiled at the snow cone line and remembered her own affinity for the lime ones, in their neon green greatness. Some things never changed. They waved to Jill and Charlie, who sat on the bottom bleacher in the accessible section, and found a spot for themselves on the grass alongside the stands.

  “I didn’t bring a blanket,” Elizabeth said in apology.

  Devyn shrugged and touched the spot next to her. “I hear grass never killed anybody.”

  Elizabeth grinned. “I appreciate your practical mind. Though the Devyn I met a couple months back had higher standards, if I remember correctly. Had assistants for everything. Didn’t even do her own grocery shopping.”

  “She did live a certain catered-to lifestyle, didn’t she? Maybe someone is rubbing off on her.”

  Elizabeth stared at the darkening sky. “I don’t know who that person might be.”

  “She’s weirdly into purple and knows how to wield a fucking blowtorch.”

  Elizabeth chuckled. “My kind of person.”

  Devyn nudged her. “Mine, too.”

  The moment was not a monumental one, but Devyn noticed it. More specifically, she noticed the lightness in the air, the smile that had been on her face for the past few hours—ever since she’d picked up Elizabeth in her garage office—and the way she hadn’t thought about work in hours, which left her less stressed than she could ever remember. There was something to all of this, something to Elizabeth, who made her undeniably happy.

  “There you go, Milla,” Elizabeth yelled, leaping to her feet.

  Devyn stared out at the field and saw Elizabeth’s stepsister steal the ball and dribble down the field. She jumped up and clapped alongside Elizabeth.

  “She’s not bad for a freshman,” Elizabeth said, with a small smile. She wasn’t comfortable with her family, no matter how nice they tried to be. There was a lot of complication there, Devyn could tell, and it made her sad for Elizabeth. She was on her own and didn’t have to be.

  The match continued with one team scoring and then the other. Devyn’s adrenaline pumped as the clock ticked, the game pulling her in. The Stars were down by one and had to make something happen in the final two minutes. They yelled, they cheered and, in the end, had their hearts broken when a shot by Milla was blocked effectively by the goalkeeper on the opposing team. The Dreamer’s Bay fans sighed collectively.

  “Do you want to stay and speak to Milla?” Devyn asked, as they stood.

  “Um…” Elizabeth wrapped her arms around her midsection, literally closing herself off at the mention. “She probably has other people to talk to.” But the way she said it indicated that she was unsure.

  “No, I think we should,” Devyn said, leading off toward the team’s bench. Parents and friends gathered around to help rally the players and get their hugs.

  “Devyn, wait.”

  “Why are you dragging those feet? C’mon. Let’s say hi.” Devyn gave her head a follow-me toss and, shortly after, felt a reluctant Elizabeth on her heels. When they arrived in the large grouping, Devyn made her way straight to Milla. “You did great out there,” she said, and then stepped out of the way for Elizabeth.

  The teenager thanked Devyn and smiled at Elizabeth, who smiled back. “I’m so happy I made it to one of your games.”

  Milla’s smile only grew. “I know. I hope it was a good one. I just wish we could have pulled it out in the end. Sucks.” She shifted her weight to her other foot. Aha. The kid was nervous, too.

  Elizabeth knocked her one on the shoulder. “Trust me. You’ll get ’em next time.”

  They stepped aside to let the next batch of well-wishers through and came face-to-face with Elizabeth’s mother. “Well, hey, there, baby girl,” she said, in her bright blue Stars T-shirt. “I didn’t see you in the stands.”

  “Just caught the last half.” Elizabeth’s usual perky demeanor seemed to dim every time they encountered Kristine. Devyn hated watching it happen.

  Kristine nodded. “Well, I couldn’t be prouder of this one,” she said, pulling Milla into a playful headlock. “Hey, I’m making my famous tuna casserole tomorrow night. You used to love it when you were a tiny tot. You should come by for supper. Six p.m.”

  “Oh, I wish I could,” Elizabeth said, automatically. “I have work.”

  “I understand.” Her mother’s enthusiasm waned. “What if I came by your place a little later after supper, then? I could bring you a to-go portion. Enough for lunch the next day, too.”

  “You don’t have to do that.” Devyn gave Elizabeth the tiniest of nudges and saw her close her eyes briefly as if pausing to regroup. “Well, I guess that might be nice.”

  The expression on Kristine’s face shifted from friendly to ecstatic. Regardless of what events made up their past, Elizabeth was wrong about her current intentions. She clearly wanted Elizabeth in her life. “Well, that’s just the best news since Thanksgiving dinner hit the table.” She turned to Devyn. “I adore turkey and all the fixin’s. Loved it since I was a little girl in Alabama.”

  “It’s a great holiday,” Devyn said. “I can agree.”

  “Same,” Elizabeth said conservatively. The grin on her face when she turned to face Devyn was frozen in place and seemed to scream “get me out of here now, please.”

  She could accommodate. “Well, I think we better head out. I’ve had the longest day and need to get some rest.”

  That sent Elizabeth into an overexaggerated stretch. “Agreed. Yes, sir, I’m ready for some relaxation.” They really needed to work on their acting skills.

  Elizabeth’s mother hadn’t stopped celebrating her victory and beamed at them while she slung an arm around Milla’s shoulder. “Well, you kids go enjoy your night. I’ll be by with that casserole after suppertime.”

  “Sounds good,” Elizabeth said, and practically dragged Devyn away. Once they were on their own, she passed her a wide-eyed glance. “So, that was crazy.”

  Devyn raised an eyebrow. “How was that crazy? We said hello, and now you’re in for some free homemade casserole. Sounds like a win every which way.”

  “No, no, no. We don’t do that kind of thing, she and I. The casual swinging by. Never have.”

  “Is it a bad thing that you try it?”

  Elizabeth exhaled. “I guess not.”

  “I can’t think of too much that could go wrong. I doubt she’s going to shoot up your house or anything.”

  “You’re hilarious.”

  Devyn paused. “No one’s ever thought so, and that is the damn truth.”

  Elizabeth squeezed her hand as they
split to climb into the truck. “It’d be more like her to just not show up and then apologize profusely for the next two weeks, fall all over herself.”

  “But if you’re already planning on that, what’s the worst that could happen?”

  Elizabeth shut the truck door and considered the statement. “There’s a certain logic there, I guess.”

  “Funny and logical? I’m racking it up tonight.” She gave Elizabeth her best set of puppy dog eyes. “I should be rewarded.”

  “Agreed.” Elizabeth leaned across the console and pressed her mouth to Devyn’s without hesitation, her hand on Devyn’s chin. Why was that hot? The chin thing? But it so was. In fact, her head spun until the world slowed down, bringing a smile to her face.

  “You always grin when you kiss,” Elizabeth whispered, inches from her face.

  “Do not,” Devyn said, and continued to kiss Elizabeth, feeling the grin appear. “Maybe a little,” she murmured against Elizabeth’s mouth. “I know other things that make me grin.”

  “Trust me, I do, too. Shall we?”

  “God, yes.” Devyn faced forward, buckled her seat belt, and flipped on the radio. She was a model passenger. Anything to accelerate them to the moment Elizabeth’s clothes hit the floor.

  Twenty minutes later, she was nearly there. With a close-to-naked Elizabeth straddling her in the armchair of the living room, Devyn kissed her breast through her yellow bra.

  Elizabeth cradled the back of her head, her hips pushing against Devyn’s stomach. This was what she’d been thinking about all night.

  “Are you grinning right now?” Elizabeth said, her breathing quick.

  “How could I not be?”

  * * *

  Elizabeth couldn’t sleep, which never happened. Her thoughts were a jumble. Reliving the awful details of Jill’s disappearance and accident, her confusing feelings for Devyn, her relationship with her mother all wound together into a knot she couldn’t quite untie. She stood in the pitch black of her kitchen, sipping from a cup of decaf tea she’d managed to make while fumbling around blindly and listening to the clock on the wall tick quietly. Devyn was asleep in the other room with Scout curled up in the bend of her knee like they were best friends, and she didn’t want to wake her by turning on a light. In fact, it would have been a crime. She’d never seen anyone look so beautiful when they slept. With her blond hair in shambles from Elizabeth weaving her fingers through it, one arm thrown behind her, and the other one tucked underneath her cheek like a second pillow, she made it hard for Elizabeth not to stare.