Holiday by the Sea
Page 18
Her parents had given her a skewed view of relationships. As in, they loved one another, worked together, and created the Becker family. A positive ideal in a divorce-riddled world.
Her few boyfriends hadn’t been faithful, but she hadn’t invested her heart so it didn’t hurt breaking up.
The idea of Riley even holding another woman’s hand made her see red.
She’d made the decision to come home spontaneously, catching a stand-by flight. Traveling with strangers was wearing thin. She wanted to see things with someone she cared for. Riley.
Pathetic. She’d called her mom from England and offered to take a cab home, but her parent’s insisted on picking her up, even though it was late.
She shuffled along in her fuzzy travel boots, stretchy leggings and comfy t-shirt, her sweatshirt tied around her waist. No make-up, hair in braids on either side of her face. Spring in Ft. Lauderdale. What if this is a mistake?
“Teagan?”
She lifted her head, hearing Riley’s deep voice. Oh, no. I should’ve put some powder on.
Her stomach flipped as she searched over the other travelers. Everybody so happy to see one another. Parents, grandparents. Friends, lovers. There! His brown waves and the shine off of his glasses made her grin and she ran toward him. “Riley!”
Dressed in shorts and a t-shirt, he held a bouquet of butterfly balloons mixed with star shapes and music notes. He opened his arms wide when he saw her—an invitation to his heart? His life?
She jumped at him, her mouth seeking his, his hands on her back, holding her tight and swinging her around. His pine scent, his coconut shampoo, his smooth jaw. Everything about him made her heart sing.
They kissed until they couldn’t breathe, until Teagan had to lean back while still hanging on to his shoulders. “Air. Oh, Riley.” She curled his hair back over his ear. “What are you doing here?”
“Taking you for a moonlight picnic on the beach. We never got to do it because you left in such a hurry.”
She looked down and saw that the balloons were tied to a wicker basket.
“You didn’t want to leave that in the car?”
“What else would I do with the balloons? I had to have my hands free.” He hugged her, bringing her close. “For this. I’ve missed you, Teagan.”
Being in his arms was better than coming home. “My parents?”
“Aren’t expecting to see you until tomorrow sometime.”
Teagan blushed. He’d set this all up, then. “I’ve missed you too.”
“I saw your vlog. Was that a proposal?”
She pulled free of his arm around her waist. “Hey. To travel together. To give our friendship a chance.”
“Our relationship,” Riley clarified. “You and me.”
Her heart thundered in her chest. “That’s what I want too.”
“My heart is yours, Teagan Amelia Becker. I will travel with you during my breaks and vacations, if you will stay home with me while I work with the kids at Watkins. I like the job, I like South Florida. But I love you. Wherever you want to go, I’ll go.”
Her eyes filled with silly tears and she lifted her face for his kiss. “That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard. I love you, too, Riley.” She dug into her backpack and unfolded the one she’d bought for him. “Here. To us. Being together will be the best adventure ever. But man, do I have some cool stuff in the works.”
“Me, too,” Riley said. “Fact is, you’ve inspired me. I’ve been working on some new material.”
*****
Summer
Coast of Ireland
Teagan adjusted the tripod so the camera framed the stage just right. “Hang on, Riley. Can you move the speaker out of the way? People want to see you, not a black box.” Her viewers totally approved of their new gig.
He nodded and slid the speaker out of range. “Better?”
She smiled. “Yeah.” Months ago, Riley had been a shy music teacher with squashed dreams. Now he was a man with a guitar, creating his own songs for them to sing together.
How awesome was it that they were able to travel, pub to pub, bar to bar, outdoor festival to fair, earning their bread by their artistic skills?
Riley’s mom, a nice lady married to a decent man, had reluctantly admitted—when pressed—that her son had incredible talent. However, she quickly added, talent didn’t pay the bills. Teagan had wanted to argue, but Riley asked her to let it go and let the comment roll off his back. She won’t change, he’d said.
Her own parents, having learned by fire though Teagan’s early years, supported her decision to move in with Riley, study astronomy and travel. Her viewers on the Observationlist loved Riley too.
He filled her heart until she was so full she didn’t know what to do with all of the love and hope inside her. Their future was nothing but possibilities.
Teagan ran up to the stage and picked up her tambourine. “Hey there, Observationalists. You get a special performance, just for being loyal fans.”
Riley joined her so that they were each sitting on a stool and facing the camera. The pub was mostly empty, not officially open for another half hour.
“Hey.” He held his guitar in that smokin’ hot way he had, his lean legs stretched out in front of his body, his feet encased in thick-soled black boots.
Teagan shook her tambourine. “You get to hear our most requested song, written and composed by Riley McSorely.”
“It’s special to us, since Teagan Becker here was, is, my muse. It’s called, The Sexy Elf. About a female elf who doesn’t want to be like the other elves. Luckily for me, she likes to paaaaarteeeeee.” He strummed down, beginning the silly song. When he’d told her that night at the airport he was writing, she had no idea he’d be a comedian.
Teagan shimmied her shoulders, running the tambourine over her hip. It was their most requested song. His voice was a deep rumble of notes, the lyrics funny and nonsensical. Her part was to play the sexy elf/tambourine player. When it was over, she blew a kiss to her viewers.
“Be true to your dreams, my friends. They’ll all come true.”
The End
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With an impressive bibliography in an array of genres, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall has garnered a notable fan base. She pens stories guaranteed to touch the heart while transporting the reader to another time and place. Her belief in happily ever after shines through, whether it's a romantic glimpse into history or a love affair for today.
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