I stand in front of the closet in silence while I try to make sense of all this. How I should feel about the fact that Lincoln is effectively absorbing the cost of my cousin’s wedding.
“Whit? You there?”
Her whistle yanks me back to the conversation at hand.
“Yeah, sorry. I’m just . . . processing.”
“I was surprised too, but I’m not letting him take it back. Which means you better wear something sexy that says you’re going to put out tonight and won’t look skanky in the morning when you have to put it back on again. Because if I had to guess, there’s a one hundred percent chance of you getting laid in the forecast.”
Cricket has no idea that Lincoln and I have already been down that road again, and with the connecting door, there’s no need for concern about the walk of shame. That is, if he’s still staying in that room tonight. He could always stay in mine . . . Part of me likes the idea of not being the one to sneak out in the morning.
“Okay, gonna lose you. See you at six. That’s when he told us to be at the bar on your floor. You better not be late!”
Her phone cuts out, and she’s gone.
Six at the bar? We’re having dinner up here?
I think of Lincoln’s promise that we wouldn’t have to worry about the press, and I suppose that makes sense. He’s going to close off the floor, and we’ll have it all to ourselves.
But that’s all way less important than the fact that he’s paying for my cousin’s wedding. Yes, Hunter is his best friend, but Lincoln wasn’t paying for their wedding before I came back into the picture. What the hell does that mean?
I toss my phone on the bed and go back to staring at the closet. I don’t know what to think about anything when it comes to Lincoln, so I try to worry about the one thing I can control—what I wear.
I grab a black wrap blouse, a pair of white linen pants, and cute strappy flats.
Done.
Simple.
Classy.
I glance over at the phone and wonder how hard I want to look like I’m trying . . .
Screw it. I need all the confidence I can get tonight.
Three minutes later, I have Gabi’s assurance she’ll be up at four, and I’m going to look like I didn’t try at all to be drop-dead gorgeous.
Cricket was definitely right about one thing. There’s no chance I’m going to bed alone tonight.
38
Lincoln
“Are you shitting me? You have got to be shitting me! That’s a helicopter.” Cricket stares at the chopper on the roof as Hunter pulls her against his side.
“He’s not shitting you, babe.” Hunter glances over his shoulder at me with an eyebrow raised, but I’m not worried about responding to him. All I care about is Whitney’s reaction.
Her glossy pink lips are pressed together, and her gorgeous blue eyes dart back and forth between the chopper and me.
“Really?” she says, just loud enough to be heard over the quieting engine.
“Problem?”
She straightens her shoulders and lifts her chin, smiling at me. “I guess it’ll do.”
As Whitney walks toward the helicopter, my eyes are glued to her ass in those white linen pants. Sweet fucking Christ.
I hurry after her and help her into the bird. “You’ve flown in one before, I take it?”
“A few times.”
For some reason, it pisses me off that I’m not able to give her a first because she’s already done and seen so much. Then again . . . I think about the place I picked for our date, and after what she said about going places but not really experiencing them, I’m pretty confident tonight will be at least one thing she’s never done. Hell, I’ve never done it either, and it took me over twenty-four hours and a lot of favors to pull it off.
Cricket and Hunter climb into the seat that faces us, and Cricket is practically bouncing as Hunter helps her with her harness. From the smile on his face, I might actually have redeemed myself with my friend.
Whitney has her harness buckled before I can offer assistance.
“Everyone ready?” the pilot asks.
As soon as I give the word, the rotors start.
“Where are we going?” Cricket asks over the noise.
I point to the headset. “Put it on so you can talk.”
Hunter grabs both of them and positions one on her head.
“Where are we going?” Cricket repeats herself.
I glance at Whitney. “It’s a surprise.” Her brows go up. “Don’t worry, I think you’re going to like it.”
39
Whitney
I have absolutely no idea where Lincoln’s taking us, and I’m not sure how I feel about surprises. Ricky never bothered to do anything special unless it was something for himself, but I have a feeling that Lincoln has pulled out all the stops to set up whatever is happening tonight.
As we lift off the roof, it’s impossible to tamp down the excitement buzzing through my veins. Maybe I do like surprises after all.
The pilot’s voice comes over the headsets as he speaks to the tower, and as soon as he goes quiet, Cricket claps her hands.
“This is so cool!” Her voice is high-pitched in my ear.
One thing is for sure—Lincoln scores extra points for making my cousin so happy. I hate that me coming home for her wedding has turned into such a disaster, but Cricket would never hold it against me.
Karma, on the other hand . . . All I can picture is her on the phone, telling that reporter as many horrible, embarrassing things as she could. After Lincoln left my room, I told Aunt Jackie everything that had happened, including about Karma taking the woman’s card. Jackie promised she’d talk to her and would do everything she could to make sure Karma didn’t call her.
“You okay?” Lincoln asks.
I nod and force all thoughts of Karma and the press from my mind. Tonight, I’m going to relax and enjoy and not worry.
Lincoln gestures out the window. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
I look through the glass, and the gorgeous view of the river and mountains from above takes my mind off the chaos swirling inside me.
It’s epic. The perfect moment to just be. Maybe even the perfect moment to find the peace I’ve been searching for.
I lose track of time of how long we’re in the air as I soak up the gorgeous scenery beyond the chopper.
Mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes roll out below us, along with the occasional little towns. We swoop so low over one peak, I see animals galloping.
“Are those horses?” I point, and Lincoln slides his right arm around my shoulders and leans over me to look. My entire body buzzes to life as soon as his skin touches mine.
“Wild horses.”
“Oh my God!” Cricket squeals and practically climbs over Hunter to see. “That’s amazing!”
For the rest of our flight, Lincoln’s arm stays around me, and I’m hyperaware of every shift of his body and flex of his muscles. It’s the way I’ve always been around him. That’s never gone away, and part of me is starting to believe that it never will.
Which only works if Lincoln is right and this never ends.
I’m still not ready to believe that yet. It’s too big and scary with massive potential for gut-wrenching disappointment. Even now, my stomach twists at the thought of losing him.
Because I’m failing at not falling for him again.
Before I can consider the implications of that thought, the ocean comes into view beyond massive cliffs. Rock formations dot the coastline, interspersed with small stretches of sand. It’s absolutely incredible.
“Wow.” I whisper the word, but of course, with the boom of the microphone near my mouth, everyone hears me, including Lincoln.
His hand closes around my arm. “Never gets old, does it?”
I shake my head, chancing a glance over my shoulder. My lips are only inches from his, and if my cousin wasn’t clapping and squealing a foot away from me, I’d take the kiss they’re offering.
&nb
sp; “It never will,” I say instead, and Lincoln’s hazel gaze flares with heat. He understands what I’m saying.
His hand curls around mine as the chopper turns and flies along the cliffs for a few minutes until I spot a wider stretch of beach up ahead. A white tent is in the distance, probably our destination. But where the hell are we going to touch down?
I look around for some kind of cement pad, but there’s nothing but cliffs and wooden stairs leading down to the beach.
“Where is he going to land?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” Lincoln says as he squeezes my hand.
Cricket’s eyes are as wide as I’ve ever seen them as the chopper starts to descend.
“Here?”
Lincoln nods as the pilot speaks in what sounds like code and gets the okay for landing.
My eyes widen as the chopper descends, and I realize it’s not a regular beach we’re landing on. We touch down on what looks like a million colored jewels—not sand. The pilot cuts the engine and the rotors wind down.
“Where are we?”
“A glass beach. It’s not well known like some of the others, which is why the glass is still here. They dumped trash over the cliffs all along here in the early 1900s. Thousands of glass bottles were tossed over, and the waves took care of the rest.”
My mouth hangs open in wonder. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
Lincoln squeezes my hand. “A friend of a friend owns this stretch and agreed to let us land here and have dinner.”
Cricket whips off her headset. “Can we get out? Is it safe? I’ve got to see this up close.”
“Go for it.”
Hunter opens the door of the helicopter, and Cricket is on the ground before I can even reach the buckle on my harness. Hunter follows her out but pauses in the doorway. “Thank you, man. This is incredible.”
“He’s right. This is absolutely incredible.” I drag my gaze back to Lincoln’s face and stare at him with just as much wonder as I did at the beach. “I can’t believe you did this all for us.”
“Eventually, you’re going to realize there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”
Lincoln’s eyes are soft and filled with emotion I’m afraid to name. Warmth builds in my chest, and my grip on his hand tightens.
“Thank you for doing this,” I whisper as I release his hand so we can both unbuckle our harnesses.
“No thanks necessary. I do have a question for you, though.”
My entire body tenses. “What kind of question?”
“An easy one, I hope.” Lincoln holds out his hand again. “Ms. Gable, would you do me the honor of walking on the beach with me before dinner?”
A smile stretches across my lips. “Yes, Mr. Riscoff. I would love to walk with you on the beach.”
I reach out and slide my fingers into his.
40
Lincoln
Just sitting next to her during the flight made my night. But as soon as we’re out of the chopper and on the ground, the look of wonder on Whitney’s face is everything I’ve ever wanted to see there.
As soon as her sandals touch the beach, she whispers, “This is unreal.”
I reach down and pick up a handful of colored glass that’s been battered by the ocean and rocks until the edges are smooth and the glass is frosted.
“Hold out your hand.” She does, and I drop the rainbow of sea glass into it. “So, what do you think?”
Whitney’s chin jerks up toward me. “This is amazing. And absolutely nothing like what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
She laughs. “I probably shouldn’t tell you . . .”
“Come on . . .”
“As soon as I saw the chopper, I figured we’d be going to a swanky restaurant with a helipad on top that you bought out for the night so no one could bother us.”
“I thought about it.”
She stands, clutching what looks like a fistful of gems. “Why didn’t you?”
“I figured you saw the inside of plenty of restaurants while you were seeing hotels and venues. I wanted to give you something different. An experience. I was betting you hadn’t seen anything like this before.”
Her lips press together and she closes her eyes for a beat. When she opens them again, her blue eyes shine. “You’re right. I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Ever. This . . . this is special.”
When she sniffles, I hope like hell I didn’t make her cry.
Whitney turns away and drops my hand to gather up scoops of glass. “It’s magical,” she says as she lets the pieces slip through her fingers.
I want to tell her that anywhere she is would be magical, but I don’t. “I’m glad you like it.”
Her smile turns lopsided.
“Like it? We love it,” Cricket yells as she trots down the beach. “This is fucking awesome!” She jumps into Hunter’s arms, and he swings her around.
Whitney’s smile grows bigger as she watches her cousin. After a few beats, she steps closer to me. “Thank you for letting me share this with her. It makes it even more special.”
She lifts her mouth to mine and presses a kiss against my lips. It’s brief and soft, but from Whitney, it’s everything.
My goals in life shift as another one is added to the list.
Get her to kiss me like that again.
41
Whitney
Lincoln and I walk the beach, exploring and marveling at the smooth sea glass where there would usually be sand. I lose track of time as I soak up every moment of this experience . . . including the sense of peace that has settled over me.
It’s the greatest gift anyone has ever given me.
What could have been twenty minutes or two hours later, my stomach rumbles.
“Would you like to have dinner now?” Lincoln asks. “It’s ready and waiting for us anytime we want.”
He hasn’t left my side since we touched down on this incredible place, and since Cricket and Hunter went the other way down the beach, we’ve had complete privacy.
I glance in their direction and see both Cricket and Hunter holding drinks near the white tent as she points down and grabs another piece of glass from the beach.
“I could be talked into dinner.”
He holds out his hand, which I’ve held on and off all evening, and sliding mine into it feels so right. Like this is the hand that was meant to hold mine.
It’s been so long since anything in my life flowed easily without having to maneuver around a million obstacles, but tonight has been effortless. I could get used to this so easily. The thought doesn’t even scare me as much as it did when we landed.
“I hope you like shish kebabs. I decided to keep it simple, but hopefully delicious.”
“That sounds perfect.” As we walk toward the white tent, I confess. “I totally thought you would pick some Michelin-star restaurant where Cricket wouldn’t know which fork to use and feel awkward. And of course, the food would be gorgeous, but we’d all leave starving.”
He glances down at me. “Is that really what you think about me? Because, if you recall, we did meet in a hole-in-the-wall bar where they pretty much sold just beer and tequila.”
“I figured a lot has changed in the last decade.”
“Some things. Not everything.”
The look he gives me speaks volumes, and I want to ask what else hasn’t changed? But I can’t manage to get it out.
“You went to a lot of trouble tonight,” I say instead.
“You’re worth all this and so much more, Whitney. I won’t stop until I prove it to you.”
* * *
“If I eat another kebab, I think I’m going to burst,” Cricket says as she stuffs one last piece of grilled shrimp in her mouth.
The food was incredible, and I’m still glowing from Lincoln’s words when we walked on the beach. Everything he’s done tonight has made me feel valued and cherished. It’s not a feeling I’m used to, but it’s one that I’m go
ing to hold on to for as long as I can.
I stab into one more piece of lobster and pop it into my mouth as the sun paints the sky with swaths of orange, red, and pink. There’s truly nothing I would change about this night. Everything about it has been absolutely wonderful.
I finally push my plate away. “I’m done too. Everything was seriously amazing.”
Lincoln smiles at me. “Don’t tell me you didn’t save room for dessert.”
“Give me ten minutes. I can rally,” Cricket says. “I’ve never said no to dessert.”
Hunter laughs. “That’s a true statement.”
“I think we should have shish kebabs for our wedding reception, babe. I mean, if your mom wouldn’t lose her mind over it, it would be the coolest thing ever.”
Cricket’s fiancé wraps his arm around her. “You can have whatever you want. It’s our wedding. Not hers.”
“The chef at The Gables will make you anything you choose,” Lincoln adds.
“I still can’t thank you enough for letting us have it there for free. Hunter keeps telling me it doesn’t matter that Mom can’t afford to pitch in much, but it was slowly killing me to let him pay for everything.”
Hunter’s face falls as he watches my cousin. “Baby, you know I don’t care.”
Cricket’s shoulders tense. “But I do.” She glances at Lincoln. “I know you’re only doing this for Whitney’s sake, but I want you to know I appreciate it like crazy. If you ever need good weed or a guided hike through the wilderness, I’m your girl.”
My cousin’s offer of marijuana as repayment breaks the growing tension.
“It’s no trouble at all,” Lincoln says with a laugh.
I reach out and lay my hand on Lincoln’s thigh, and he stiffens, glancing down at it. “I appreciate it too. More than you know. Thank you.”
His hand covers mine, and everything about it feels so right.
Hunter rises from the table, holding out his hand to Cricket. “Babe, let’s take a walk and find you that red glass you’ve been looking for before the sun’s completely gone.”
Guilty As Sin Page 13
