“Yeah. He was acting strange, but wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I told you his job sounded shady as hell,” she continued. “Do you think he owes someone money? A debt he can’t repay?”
“Maybe.” I shrugged, already having replayed so many different scenarios through my mind. “But he could’ve just asked me for help. I could loan him money if he needed it. Or I could’ve called my dad.”
“No guy wants to involve a girlfriend’s dad in his business.” I knew she was right. “So now what?”
“I don’t know, I wait? I already packed a bag and got some of my shifts covered at the bar. I still have those two houses to stage, but the earliest I can get in them is after ten a.m. tomorrow. So realistically I guess I couldn’t even leave until late tomorrow afternoon, but it’s weird he hasn’t called yet.” I checked my phone for the twentieth time since we’d been sitting outside.
“He really didn’t know where he was even heading?”
“No clue.” That was the frustrating part for me. Did he even have a place in mind before driving away? Some kind of short list of places he’d already planned on heading at some point? Or was he simply just trying to get as far away from Grand Harbor as possible? That thought concerned me the most.
I had to head into the bar around seven for my shift. There was no point in getting this one covered because I still needed to be in town until tomorrow to finish those houses.
“So why am I covering Thursday night for you?” Gina and I were stocking the beer fridges as she asked.
“Yeah, about that… Miles is taking me somewhere. It’s a surprise though, he won’t tell me.”
“You have such a fun, exciting boyfriend,” she replied whimsically. “Troy barely ever wants to leave the house. You are so lucky.”
I did feel lucky to find a guy as sweet and carefree as Miles. This getaway, however, was none of those things, but naturally I had no desire to share all of that with a co-worker I only saw once or twice a week.
“I’ll tell you all about it when I get back. Thanks for covering for me.” We finished out the night, and although it was pretty busy from about ten until midnight, it died down shortly after that.
“I’m heading out, Blaze. I have an early morning. You’ll lock up with Gina?”
“Of course. Have a good night.” He offered me a sincere smile.
I checked my phone yet again on my way home, sending Miles a text for the fifth time in a row today. I didn’t want to appear crazy, but I was genuinely starting to worry about him. After a long shower, I was disappointed there was still no reply.
Around lunch time the following day, after I’d finished staging my first of the two houses, my phone rang. It was a number I didn’t recognize, and I typically didn’t answer those, but I was too on edge not to in case it was Miles.
“Hello?”
“I’m so relieved to hear your voice.”
“Miles? Where are you? What number is this?”
“I’m calling from a rest stop in Colorado.”
“What happened to your phone? Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” He paused. “My phone is deactivated for now. I’ll get another number soon.”
“My parents have a timeshare in Boulder. We go skiing out there every winter. I could probably call and…”
“I’m not staying in Colorado, V. I’m actually going back home for a couple days.”
“Home?”
“Yeah, to see my parents.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. Was this a good thing? He told me he hadn’t seen them since leaving town eight years ago. It also seemed like he was in a significant amount of trouble though, so maybe the homecoming wasn’t all that heartfelt.
“Tell me where you’re going. I’ll fly out to meet you.”
“I thought you were going to give up on me, V. I was scared to call. When I left, it just…everything is a mess, I know that.”
“Tell me where you’re going.”
“I think it’s best if you don’t come. Just give me a few days and I’ll be headed back your direction. Grange Hills, Utah is a small crappy town with no airport. The population is about three thousand people. You would hate it. There’s nothing to do, no good restaurants. Trust me, it’s a bad idea. It’s a pit of despair. There’s nothing good there.”
“How long will you be there? When are you coming back?”
“I just need to figure out a few things. It’ll all be fine, V. I’ll give you a call from a better number in the next day or two and I’ll have it sorted out by then.”
“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“I meant what I said when I left. I love you, V. I’m going to fix all of this. I’ll see you soon.”
Before I could say anything further, the line went dead.
Why after eight years would he go home to see his parents? I was beyond frustrated. None of this was making any sense without more information.
After finishing the second house staging, I knew I couldn’t sit idle. I needed to know more – and if Miles wasn’t going to tell me…then I guess I would find out on my own.
Chapter 11
“A midweek dinner? This never happens,” my dad said jovially as I let myself in. My mom was chopping veggies in the kitchen and my brother was playing video games on the living room TV. “I’m grilling some salmon. Come out back with me.”
I followed him through the back door out onto the patio, sitting down on one of the barstools next to the grill area. “Can I talk to you about something?”
“Anything. What’s troubling you?”
“The guy I’m seeing, Miles…”
“The one you don’t bring around?”
“He’s been busy. We’ve both been busy, it just hasn’t worked out yet.”
“Why do I feel like you’re not here for relationship advice?”
“Because I would ask mom about that,” I said with a giggle. “This is…different.”
“I told you to be careful when you started hanging out with him. Oh heavens, are you trying to tell me you’re pregnant?”
“No! Of course not, Dad. Wait, is that what you meant by careful?”
“No, but come to think of it, that’s just a good general word to cover all bases. What happened? You said he was a stock trader, right?”
“I think he does something with stocks, but I don’t really know. He calls himself an investor, but I don’t really know what that means. Not the way he describes it anyway. I think he might be in some trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“That’s just it, I don’t know. He’s not telling me something. I thought maybe you’d know more about it. Like, what are the things that can go wrong? What would get him into trouble?”
“A lot of things, when it comes to handling money, Olivia. Everything can go wrong. Money changes people, and often not for the better.”
“He said something similar to me when we met,” I mumbled.
“Does he have unpaid debts? Is that what this is?”
“I don’t know.”
“Does this involve John Ford?”
I hadn’t heard that name mentioned since after that first poker night when my dad found out where I was. “I don’t think so. Miles didn’t mention him.”
“Look,” my dad began, flipping over the fish, “I don’t know this boy. I don’t know what he’s gotten himself into, or how resourceful he is at getting himself out of these particular situations. But I do know Ford, and likely some of the other guys he may be involved with. I’m not sure I have good news for you, sweetheart.”
“What exactly does that mean?”
“The troubles those guys fall into are likely well deserved. Ford served six months back in the nineties for money laundering, and some of his friends have similar records. I know Miles is a young guy, so I’m sure they’re not letting him into the big boy stuff, but if he’s running money for them, then you have a problem.”
“I don’t think
that’s it. I think he just plays poker with them sometimes.”
“That’s often how it starts.” My dad pulled the fish off the grill and onto a serving platter. “Are you coming to me for help, Olivia?”
“I…I don’t know. Maybe just advice? For now.”
“You’re not going to like what I have to say.”
I stared back at him, knowing he had my best interests at heart. “It’s okay. You can say it.”
“I wanted to say more about it when I first heard you were with him at Ford’s house, but I know you’re an adult, and I don’t get to make decisions for you anymore. All I can do is trust that your mom and I have taught you enough discernment to know a good situation from a bad one. Your loyalty is your strength, Olivia. That’s been one of the most shining things about you ever since you were a little girl, and I know your brother and your friends would all agree with that. It’s a beautiful thing. But…”
“Just say it, Dad.”
“You should stay away from that boy, Olivia. Nothing good comes from the kind of trouble I suspect he’s in.”
*****
Gina gave my shift back to me at the bar, given I still hadn’t left town yet. I was still waiting on a call from Miles, completely unsure of what to do. My dad’s words weighed heavily on me, and I hated the pit I felt in my stomach. I mixed drinks, poured beer and turned the music up a little louder than usual, trying to drown out the noise inside my head.
Around nine-thirty, Sophia and Lexi walked into the bar.
“What are you guys doing here? You hate going out on weeknights.”
“This is an intervention,” Sophia explained. “You know the kind, because you used to do this for me all the time. Remember when Lance and I were in a funk? You pulled me out, and I love you for it. Right now you’re the sad one, and we don’t put up with that. I don’t know how we can make this better, but we’re here to figure something out.”
“Or, we can at least get drunk with you to forget about all the things that suck right now, if that’s what it takes,” Lexi added.
“You guys are my favorite. Give me a minute.” I filled drinks for the rest of the people lined up at the bar and then returned to my two very best friends. I mixed up a pineapple rum punch and poured it into the three glasses in front of me. We held them up in front of us, clinking them together.
“So do we set fire to his boat? His sports car? What’s the plan?” Lexi looked back and forth between Sophia and me.
“Too soon,” I stated, shaking my head. “I’m not even mad at him. I’m just…frustrated.”
“You know Lance and I had some issues in the beginning not long after we met,” Sophia began, taking a sip of her drink. “I know these are completely different circumstances, but the one thing I learned from Grandma Eve is that sometimes guys need to figure out things on their own. They want to be the problem-solver, right? They want to show us they have a handle on everything. Maybe you just need to be patient and wait it out and let him prove to you that he can in fact take care of all of this.”
“Is it just about money?” Lexi asked, polishing off her drink much faster than I expected. “I could probably get him a loan from the bank if his credit is okay. Do you want me to look into it? I just need his social and date of birth.”
“I’m not ready to hack into his accounts just yet,” I explained. “I shouldn’t know that information.”
“Wow. She’s growing up right in front of us,” Sophia teased, no doubt making fun of the fact that I usually chose all of the irrational options first.
My phone buzzed in my jeans pocket. An unknown number flashed across the screen. “Oh, this could be him. Will you watch the bar for a second? I have to answer this.”
The girls both nodded back at me, and I made my way to the front of the bar.
“Hello?” The background music was way too loud for me to hear anything, so I stepped outside the front door.
“V.”
“Where are you? Are you okay? Are you coming back soon?”
“So many questions,” he teased, lightening the conversation. “I’m fine. I’m working on things. It will all be fine.”
“I want to see you. Can I come meet you wherever you are?”
“There’s nothing here, V.”
“You are there. That’s enough.”
“I’m glad you still think that.”
“How was it seeing your parents?”
“Worse than I expected.” He grew quiet. “I may not be able to call for a few days. Things are a bit rough here.”
“What? What does that mean?”
“Things are just…complicated right now. I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
“Why does it sound like you’re giving up on me?”
“It’s the opposite, V. I’m trying to…to…be the right person for you. I’m trying to do the right thing. But right now, it’s just…messy. I have to go, but I’ll call you again when I can.”
“Miles…”
“I’ll come back as soon as I can. Wait for me, V. I’ll fix all of this and everything will be back to how it was.”
“Can’t I just…”
“I have to go,” he cut me off. “Love you, V. See you soon.”
And just like that, the line was dead.
I regurgitated everything to Sophia and Lexi, and they were just as dumbfounded as I was.
“If going back home to see his parents is this hard on him, maybe he needs more support? Maybe you can help him deal with it,” Sophia suggested. “My dad and I don’t have the best relationship, you guys know that. But having Lance by my side, it makes such a difference. It makes me less scared to speak up, knowing I have someone supporting me no matter what happens, you know? My dad swears he’ll come to the wedding, but in the back of my mind, I’m already preparing for heartbreak. A year ago that thought would’ve completely crushed me, but the way Lance cares about me and supports me, I know that his decision to be part of it or not isn’t going to ruin my own story. Maybe Miles could use you in the same way right now.”
“I agree, he hasn’t seen his parents in eight years? There’s obviously a lot of heavy baggage with that,” Lexi agreed. “What about going there to surprise him? Show him that you’re all in, no matter what he’s going through. You should just get on a plane, fly to the middle of Utah, wherever he is, and show him you’re serious about this thing you have and you want to help him get through whatever he’s in. It’s a little dramatic, but pretty romantic, right? Think of all those stupid love movies we watch. That’s absolutely what those girls would do. They would go get the boy.”
“I like dramatic,” I said with a cracked smile.
Our conversation was interrupted by some guys at the bar, wanting drinks. I hated that I was working right now.
“Three M43’s,” one of the guys ordered. He was pretty rough around the edges with a thick, dark beard and a tattoo sleeve on his left arm. All three of them didn’t look familiar. I poured their beers, watching them from the corner of my eye as they stared back at me, talking amongst themselves. I set the glasses in front of them. “You’re Miles’s girl, right?”
“What do you want?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Calm down, we’re friends,” he said defensively. The other guys reached out and grabbed their glasses, but he didn’t move. “I just want to know where he is.”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” I said with an annoyed shrug. This was an easy part to play – the frustrated I don’t know where my man is attitude, given that I really, truly didn’t know what was going on. “If you see him around, tell him to call me.”
He smiled, no doubt happy that there appeared to be trouble in paradise. I didn’t believe he was friends with Miles at all. He offered a slight nod, grabbed his beer, and then the three men turned and walked over to the pool tables in the back.
I rejoined Sophia and Lexi, agreeing to head out to see Miles in Utah. They were right – whatever he was going through was obviously a
big enough deal that he decided to see his parents again after almost a decade. He could use the support, given what I knew about their rocky relationship.
I texted Gina to see if she was still cool covering the rest of my shifts at the bar. She responded back quickly that she could do it. Lexi checked flights, and Sophia gave me words of wisdom on how important it was to fight for love. I was pretty sure she was quoting half the movies we watched on girls’ nights, but I didn’t care. I appreciated the effort anyway. It seemed a bit silly how dramatic she was being about this whole thing, but I also understood it. Her family life growing up was full of heartache, and her road to loving Lance wasn’t the easiest either, so I knew she felt passionate about never giving up on someone.
By eight the following morning, I was sitting on a plane headed to Salt Lake City.
I tried reading a book, listening to music, sleeping – but none of those things made time pass any quicker. The flight felt like it was delaying my life and impeding on my happiness. The three hour bus ride I had to take from the airport also didn’t help, but finally around one in the afternoon, mountain time, I was stepping off a bus in Grange Hills, Utah.
Miles was right – the town looked tiny, and there was clearly nothing to do. It did however make it easier to find him. He never gave me an address, but with such a low population, it was easy for me to find three Morrison residences with a pretty simple Google search. In a town this small, even a stranger would probably know where his parents lived.
I headed down Main Street, as cliché as it felt, and finally stopped at a quaint blue Cape Cod-style home with white trim and white shutters. There were flower boxes lining the front yard – not exactly the picture Miles had pained for me of something his mother would do, but then again, he hadn’t been home for years. I imagined a lot had changed.
I knocked on the door, feeling a pit of butterflies in my stomach as I heard footsteps approach.
“Are you delivering something?” A woman who appeared to be in her late forties answered the door. She was wearing yoga pants and a tank top, and based on her glow I think I interrupted her workout.
“No, I…I’m looking for Miles. I…”
The Weight of Forever: (Grand Harbor: Book Two) Page 10
