ONE LAST WISH

by Reynolds, Aurora Rose

  “How do you two know each other?” I question after taking a pull from my beer.

  “He comes in for fuel sometimes,” Bre answers, trying to lean away from me. I don’t let her get far, and after a moment, she stops trying to pull away, but her body stays tight.

  “You live around here, Mike?”

  “No, I live in Yakutat in the summer, Vegas in the winter,” he mumbles, looking confused as he watches me toy with a piece of Bre’s hair, wrapping it and unwrapping it around my finger.

  “You like Vegas?”

  “It’s nice.” He shifts uncomfortably while glancing at the door. “I’m gonna head out. Nice meeting you.” His eyes move to meet Bre’s and soften. “Call me.”

  “Not fucking happening,” I say under my breath after he gone, and Bre’s head flies around so fast her hair hits my face.

  “Seriously?” she hisses, glaring at me.

  “Seriously what?”

  “What was that?” she snaps.

  “He’s the guy you were going to go out with?” Her eyes narrow and she leans even farther away. This time, I let her get out from under my arm, but I don’t let her get far. I wrap my hand around her nape and pull her back until we are almost nose-to-nose. “I think we need to have that talk.”

  “No, we don’t, and you can’t tell me who I will or won’t go out with.”

  “Baby, you are so fucking wrong about that. And the point is moot, since you don’t even want to go out with him.” I lean back and take a pull from my beer.

  “What are you talking about? I did want to go out with him. That’s why I agreed to a date when he asked me out.”

  “Don’t lie to yourself, beautiful. You agreed to go out with him, because he isn’t a threat to the giant fucking walls you’ve built up around yourself.”

  “You think you know everything, don’t you?” she asks angrily.

  “No, but I do know you. I know you’re not interested in him, not even a little bit.”

  “Whatever.” She looks away knowing I’m right and picks up her drink, taking a sip.

  I fight back a smile when she takes another. “Is it good?”

  “It’s not bad,” she grumbles, and I chuckle. “Whatever.”

  “Look at me, Bre,” I say softly, and I can tell she doesn’t want to, but her eyes come to me. “Let’s just try to have some fun. Shel is right; you need a night out.”

  “If you don’t bring up wanting to talk again, I’ll try to have fun,” she haggles.

  I keep my eyes on hers and nod. “I can do that.”

  “Okay.” She picks up her drink and takes another sip while she eyes the pool tables in the back of the room with curiosity.

  “Do you know how to play pool?”

  “I used to. I haven’t played in forever.”

  “It’s like riding a bike. You’ll remember when you start playing again.” I stand and pull her up with me then pick up my beer and hand over her drink. I drag her to the back where there are two pool tables, and I set up a game for us at the one that’s not being used. When she breaks and pockets two balls, I’m not sure which is hotter—her ass when she’s bent over the table, or the smug smile she gives me when our eyes lock.

  I start around the table toward her, wanting to kiss the smile off her face, but come to a stop when my name is called from across the room. I turn and watch a friend of mine, Scott, coming toward us with a woman I don’t recognize from town under his arm. Then again, Scott isn’t a local. Like a lot of people in town right now, he’s just here for the season. I met him a few years ago when he worked on my boat. He’s one of the best mechanics around and is busy non-stop during the summer when he comes to work.

  “How’s it going?” I give his hand a shake, and he smiles at me before looking down at the woman at his side.

  “My wife is here for a few days, so it’s good. Babe, this is Denver. Denver, my wife Steph.”

  “Nice to meet you.” I lift my chin then reach out and tag Bre’s hand when I see her trying to scoot away, probably to go hide out at the table or in the bathroom. “This is Aubrey. Bre, this is Scott and his wife Steph. Scott’s the guy who overhauled my engine last year.”

  “Nice to meet you both.” She ducks her head slightly, and I give her hand a reassuring squeeze before dropping it so I can wrap my arm around her shoulders. She doesn’t pull away like I expect her to. Instead, she tucks her body closely against mine like she’s using me as a shield.

  “You guys mind if we join you for a couple games?” Scott asks, looking between Bre and me. I want to say I do mind, but Bre needs this. She needs to come out of her shell and see that the world around her isn’t as scary as she thinks it is. I love her shyness; it’s one of the things that drew me to her from the beginning. It made me want to protect her. It also made me want to show her it’s okay to open up and let her hair down. I know she’s sweet. I also know she can be funny when she drops her guard; it just takes her awhile to do that with people she doesn’t know. And sadly, her looks and that shyness tend to throw people off. It makes those just meeting her think she’s a snob, when that couldn’t be further from the truth.

  “You okay with that?” I ask Bre, dipping my head down to look at her.

  “Yeah, sure.” She smiles, but it doesn’t quiet touch the nervousness in her gaze.

  “Awesome, I’m gonna set us up.” Scott kisses the side of his wife’s head before letting her go to move back toward the table.

  I give Bre’s shoulder a squeeze to get her attention, and when she looks up at me, I drop my voice. “You good here with Steph?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll be right over there.” I nod to the table, and she looks in that direction.

  “Okay.”

  I want to drop my mouth to hers, but instead I touch my fingers to her chin and slide my thumb across her bottom lip before I let her go. I move toward Scott but stick close in case Bre looks like she might take off.

  “I love your boots,” Steph says, and I see Bre jolt at the compliment.

  “Thanks. I really like yours too, and your jacket,” she replies softly.

  “Thanks, I got it in Oregon a few years ago. Where did you get your boots? I need to get a pair.”

  “Anchorage, but it was about five years ago. I doubt Macy’s still has them,” Bre answers.

  “Bummer.” Steph laughs, and Bre joins her. Hearing that laughter, I know she’s good, so I move to the other side of the table where Scott is picking up a pool cue. I gather all the balls again to start up a new game then turn when Scott speaks softly. “Is she the Aubrey you’re always talking about? Lyra’s mom?”

  “One and the same.”

  “I see why you’ve stuck around these last few years.” He smirks, and I shrug.

  I have stuck around the last few years for her, but I’ve also stayed because of Lyra. That little girl holds my heart. Since the moment I held her slight weight in my arms at the hospital not long after she was born, I knew I would do everything within my power to protect her and be there for her. It hasn’t always been easy, not while seeing the life I want just out of reach. A life where Bre, Lyra, and I are a family. The only thing that’s helped me through is knowing in my gut that, in the end, things will work out in my favor.

  When I hear Bre laugh, I turn to look over my shoulder. Like she senses me, our gazes collide and I smile, watching her cheeks darken. Yes, in the end, I’ll get what I want, but I will also be giving Bre what she wants and needs too. There has always been an undeniable connection between us.

  My mom always told me that when I found the girl I’d want to spend my life with, I’d just know. I knew that was Bre, even when I was a teenager, and now years later, I still feel the same. That’s why I have never been in a serious relationship with another woman, because at the end of the day, no one would ever be her.

  I still don’t know why Bre got with Gabe, but I’ve heard my mom and Shel talking enough to understand that Gabe was safe for her. He didn’
t push her to try new things, he wasn’t a threat to the bubble she built around herself, he didn’t challenge her, and he didn’t dare her to explore her fears or take chances. I’m nothing like Gabe. I don’t get the point of living if you’re not really living, if you’re not testing boundaries, exploring, and taking risks. I have always lived life on my terms.

  “What was the name of the drink you got me?” I look at Bre when she asks that simple question and notice the glass she’s holding is now empty.

  “So you liked it?”

  “I drank it.” She shrugs.

  “You liked it.” I smirk.

  “Whatever.” She rolls her eyes.

  “It was a Moscow mule.”

  “Oh! I want one of those.” Steph wraps her arm through Bre’s. “Or maybe I’ll get a lemon drop if they have the stuff to make one.”

  “What’s a lemon drop taste like?” Bre asks her.

  “Oh, honey, you’re going to have to experience it for yourself,” Steph says, starting to lead Bre toward the bar.

  “Andy!” I shout, and he turns his attention toward me, lifting his chin. “Start a tab.”

  “Got it, man,” he calls back, giving both Bre and Steph his attention when they reach the bar.

  _______________

  “I think I wove you,” Bre says, then her nose scrunches up. “Wove you.” She shakes her head. “Love you.” She smiles when she gets the word right and rests her head on Steph’s shoulder, closing her eyes.

  “I love you too. You’re my new bestest friend in the whole world.” Steph rests her head on Bre’s, closing her eyes with a smile on her face.

  I look at Scott and shake my head. Both women are out of it, totally and completely smashed. I have never seen Bre drink, so I’m not surprised that two Moscow mules and three lemon drops knocked her on her ass. She’s adorable drunk, and I have to say drinking is one sure way to get her out of her shell. I have never seen her talk so much.

  She’s had random conversations with almost every person in the bar, and more than once I had to rescue her when she’d sit at a table and start to chat. The men sure as hell got a kick out of her. The women were another story. Especially when she’d start talking to their men. She didn’t flirt. I don’t think she even knows how to flirt. But just being her, she draws attention, and when she’s chatty and open, talking about random shit like fuel or bears, her cheeks pink and her eyes dancing with excitement, she’s gorgeous.

  “I think I need to get my wife home before she’s so far gone I’m forced to carry her out of here over my shoulder,” Scott says, finishing off his beer before standing.

  Steph opens her eyes and squints up at him. “I’m not that drunk.”

  “Babe, you’re wasted.” He grins at her.

  “Am not.” She stands up then stumbles sideways laughing. “Okay, maybe I’m a little drunk,” she gives, and then asks, “Can I have piggy back ride to the hotel?”

  “You couldn’t hold on if your life depended on it.”

  “Can too.” She places her hands on her hips. He shakes his head then turns his back to her, and she hops on, wrapping herself around him while cackling.

  “See you around, man,” he mumbles to me, and I nod.

  “Bye!” Steph smiles then looks at Bre. “Call me. We can do lunch one day.”

  “I will.” Bre grins, then giggles when Steph shouts, “Giddy up!” while slapping her husband’s ass.

  “You ready to head home?” I ask.

  Bre’s eyes come to me, and I see something in her eyes that makes me brace myself. “Can I see your boat?”

  “My boat?”

  “Yeah, I’ve never been on it and I’ve always wanted to.”

  “It’s late. I think we should get you home, baby,” I say softly, and she tips her head to the side.

  “We could talk.”

  “You wouldn’t remember anything we talked about.”

  “I would too.” She crosses her fingers over her heart.

  “All right.” I stand and bring her up with me then smile when she wraps her arms around me.

  “The floor is a little wobbly.”

  “Or you’re a little drunk,” I state, tipping my head down to look at her, and she grins.

  “Those mixed drinks were awesome.”

  Laughing, I hold her against me as we leave the bar, and then I keep holding her as we walk the short distance to the harbor where my boat is docked. When we get there, I help her onto the deck then stand back as she looks around. “What did you want to see?”

  “Everything,” she responds, turning to face me.

  “There isn’t much to it.” I follow her into the wheelhouse and show her around then take her downstairs to the main-cabin-slash-kitchen. When she takes a seat on the bed and kicks off her shoes, my body tightens. “What are you doing, Aubrey?”

  “I just need to rest a minute.” She lies back and closes her eyes.

  I stare at her in disbelief, and then close my eyes when she starts to snore softly. “Christ.” I run my fingers through my hair. Figuring there is nothing left to do about it, I take off my coat and kick off my boots. She doesn’t stir as I take off her jacket, and she still doesn’t wake when I climb into bed with her.

  Lying on my back, I stare at the ceiling then tense when she rolls into me and burrows herself into my side. Liking her weight against me, I wrap my arms around her and breathe in her scent. I’ve dreamed of this moment a million times, and it kills me a little to know that tomorrow she probably won’t remember any of this, and if she does, she’ll freak. Fuck it. I hold her a little tighter and hope to god I’m able to show her that taking a chance on us is worth it.

  Chapter 5

  _______________

  Bre

  I WAKE SLOWLY TO THE SMELL of the ocean, my body rocking softly from side to side. My whole being is cocooned in warmth and safety. I snuggle deeper into the hardness I’m pressed against, never wanting this feeling to end. When two arms tighten around me, I freeze and my brain registers I’m sprawled out, mostly on top of a very warm, very hard man. And without checking for conformation, I know the man under me is Denver.

  I can’t even blame him for our current situation. I did this to myself. I willingly climbed into his bed last night. In my defense, I was drunk when I did it. But still, that’s no excuse. I should have known better.

  As I open my eyes and start to scoot away from him, I try with all my might to ignore the intense feelings in my chest. The ones that like a little too much that his arms have become even tighter around me in his sleep, like he doesn’t want to let me go.

  My throat burns and my mind screams this is wrong. He was right last night; I did agree to go out with Mike because he’s safe. Mike doesn’t get under my skin. He doesn’t make me question my feelings. He doesn’t make me doubt the way I felt about Gabe, or make me wonder what my life would be like if he were in it. Really, Mike doesn’t make me feel anything. Then again, I don’t really know him. So what the hell do I know? Maybe with time, I would feel the same with Mike as I do right now while trying to move away from Denver without waking him up.

  When I finally get free from his embrace, I carefully climb off the bed and look around, using the dim light coming from one of the portholes to search for my boots. Judging by the sky outside, it’s still early, really early, so if I’m lucky, I can get home and sneak inside before anyone on my block is awake to catch me.

  Once I finally find both my boots, I carry them with me up the stairs, and then I fumble with the stupid handle on the door. It seems to take forever for me to find the latch, and I’m scared to death that Denver is going to wake up at any moment and catch me sneaking out. When the door finally unlocks, I breathe a sigh of relief and inhale a lungful of salty sea air.

  I make my way to the edge of the boat and almost fall into the water when a large sea lion barks from where it’s perched on the edge of the dock, scaring me half to death. I give him a glare, and he jumps into the harbor, causing wa
ter to splash on me. I realize two things at once. The first thing—it’s freezing out. And the second—I left my jacket behind in my haste to get away. I close my eyes and let my head fall back to my shoulders. I don’t want to go back, but I don’t have much of a choice, since leaving without my jacket means I’m leaving without the key in its pocket. If I do that, I will have no choice but to wake up my dad or Shel, since the only spare key I have is at their place.

  “Guessing you figured out you need to come back in.”

  At Denver’s statement, I turn to face him, and I’m a little surprised he doesn’t look upset that I took off without waking him to tell him I was leaving.

  “I—” I start to tell him… I don’t know… that I’m sorry? That I don’t want to go back in? That when I woke up this morning, my first thought was that I never wanted to leave the cocoon of warmth and safety I felt in his arms?

  “Get back inside, Bre.”

  “Can’t you just bring me my jacket?” I ask, and his eyes flare with annoyance as they land on my feet.

  “You don’t even have your goddamn shoes on.”

  “Denver,” I start, and then snap my mouth shut when he closes the distance between us in two long strides. As soon as he’s in my space, his hands go to my hips and he lifts me up off my sock-covered feet and tosses me over his shoulder. My breath leaves on a whoosh, partly from the impact of his shoulder hitting my stomach, and partly because of stunned disbelief. I’ve never been picked up by a man in my life, besides by my dad when I was a little girl.

  “Put me down.” My request is whispered as my heart starts to thump hard behind my ribcage. When he starts down the steps, I close my eyes. I can’t believe I thought I could get away without him realizing I was gone until I was actually gone. I should’ve known it wouldn’t work. It seems to me my luck—if I ever even had any at all—has run out completely.

  When he reaches the bottom of the steps he walks across the small space and tosses me onto the bed. I bounce twice then he’s on me, and his weight is crushing me into the mattress. I don’t want to think about how good it feels to have him on top of me, how good he smells up close, how my body seems to react to his nearness without my approval. I don’t want to think about any of that, but it’s all I can think about as his hands come up to frame my face and his eyes lock with mine.