The Cliff

by Gucker, Christie A. C.

  “Uh huh, but what’s his …”

  “And he is just so handsome and strong and sweet.”

  “That’s all well and good. But what do you …”

  “And he treats me like gold. He’s romantic and surprises me with things.”

  “Okay, he’s a real giver. But what’s his name?”

  “Oh, he’s a giver, all right; the sex is absolutely amazing!”

  “I don’t think we need to go there.”

  “He treats me like a woman, knows every place to kiss and touch …”

  “Lanie, you can stop that now. Where’s he live?”

  “He lives close by, really close by. Close enough to be here every night and every morning.”

  “So you going to come cliff fishing with us? We’re thinking of going out tomorrow morning bright and early.”

  Yes! I knew if I kept throwing in stuff about sex he’d change the subject.

  “What time are you guys heading out?”

  “Four o’clock.”

  “Are you kidding me? The kids are doing shot cards tonight. We’ll all be hung over.”

  “Hair of the dog, Lanie. Just keep drinking.”

  “Did my dad just tell me to drink all night and into the morning, continue to drink, and then go fishing off the side of a cliff?”

  “Yep. Guess I did. So are you coming?”

  “Once I wake up I’ll be there. I’ll bring you guys breakfast.”

  “You’re the best, Lanie. I told Joe and Grant I was going to meet them down at the stables in a bit. Want to come with?”

  “I have a date.”

  “Oh? Is whatshisname coming over?”

  “No, Dad. I have a tea date with Jennifer. But I’ll walk you down there.”

  We left the house and headed to the stables in silence. When we got there, all I could think about was the storm and the ride on the beach with Grant. God it was all so hot, so romantic. This had to be a dream. It was just all to perfect.

  Grant was there; he wasn’t wearing a shirt and he was brushing Magic for me. Now my dream just got really smutty.

  “Hey.”

  “Hey”

  “Hiya, Grant. Where’s Joe?”

  “He’s still back at the house. Why don’t you head on up and get him. Lanie will keep me company.”

  I gave Grant a secret smile as Jack headed out the door. As soon as he was out the gone, I was on Grant. I threw myself at him so hard we both tumbled back into a huge pile of hay in an empty stall.

  “This has been mucked right?” I said.

  “Mucked but not fucked,” his velvety voice beckoned me.

  “Not doing all your chores. That’s worth a grounding,” I mock scolded him.

  “Is it worth a grinding?” he growled.

  “Indeed. You better get grinding and fu—mucking this stall right away.” I giggled and then pulled him on top of me.

  “Lanie, I miss your touch. I miss your lips.” And then he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and deeply kissed me.

  “Grant, what if they come back?”

  “We’ll have time. I have a feeling someone will be keeping them busy for a bit.” He whispered into my ear and then began to nibble all the way to the back of my neck where he bit into me in the most sensual of ways. My body immediately responded by writhing in pleasure.

  “Oh, Baby, yes,” I said breathily.

  He groaned and began to grind against me.

  “Lanie, yes.” His eye lids were heavy and his gaze beckoned me to make love to him.

  “How long do you think we have?”

  “Enough time for this.”

  He began to undress me, pulling my shirt over my head and removing my bra like a pro.

  “Hey, you two in here?”

  “It’s Jack!”

  “I got it.” He buried us in the hay pile. Damn, it was really itchy against my bare skin. “Don’t make a sound.” He proceeded to fondle me.

  “How the hell can you expect me not to make a sound when you’re …”

  “Shhh. Just enjoy.” He began to kiss and bite the back of my neck while sliding a hand into my jeans. Now I was ready for more and was also ready to make noise, lots of noise. He was driving me so insane, it was so hard to hold back. I could hear the footsteps coming closer. Oh shit. But then they stopped and went away.

  Waiting in the hay, Grant continued to pleasure me many ways until we couldn’t hear him anymore.

  “Let me get dressed!” I whispered. I was now a pro quick-change artist, dressing 0-60 in four seconds.

  “That was so worth almost getting caught,” he said with a laugh as we snuck out the back way into the paddock.

  Jack had just made his way around when we got out there. My heart started racing and I was out of breath. I felt like I was going to get grounded by my dad. Grounded. Grinded. Grant grinding against me. Oh damn. Everything I thought became about having sex with Grant.

  “Oh, there you are. Joe will be down in a second. Lanie, Jennifer was starting the tea. Better head on up now.”

  “Yes, sir,” I said solemnly.

  “Yes, sir?” Jack mused.

  “Yes, sir?” Grant laughed out with a half-cocked eyebrow.

  “What? I’m a polite daughter.” I turned and headed toward Grant’s. I passed Joe on my way.

  “Hey, Lanie, were you taking a roll in the hay, because …”

  Chapter 23

  I Have No Idea

  “… you have a little something right there,” he pointed to my hair.

  He reminded me so much of Grant. He smiled that same amazing smile like Grant always did and I melted a little.

  “Huh? What do you mean? I mean no. No, I wasn’t. Why would you ask that?” He started to come towards me and reached up and pulled three pieces of hay from my hair.

  “Oh.”

  “I guess you just really get into your work.”

  “Grant and I were just messing around. I mean in the hay. You know, messing around in the hay. I mean we were messing around with the hay.” I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity and shook my head.

  “I see. Well, I guess as long as you’re having fun it really doesn’t matter what you do in the hay.” He laughed and pulled me into a hug. Then he whispered in my ear.

  “Lanie, to me, you’re already my daughter. So anything you might be worried about for whatever reason, and I’m not saying you are, well, don’t be. Okay?”

  His cryptic words hit home. I knew exactly what he meant.

  “Thanks, Joe. Noted.” I hugged him back and headed for tea with Jennifer. I was nervous. I didn’t know why. It was apparent that Jennifer and Joe knew Grant and I had something going on.

  When I got to the house, I headed around back knowing Jennifer would be there. Whenever she wanted to have tea, it meant on the veranda in the back of the house. Usually, when she asked for a meeting, it meant she was going to give some sort of speech. I was hoping to get a good talking to.

  “Hello, Lanie. I guess some habits never die.”

  “Hi, Jennifer. No, they don’t.” I smiled and pulled out the chair and sat down. I started fidgeting with my spoon, my shirt, and the table. I looked at the view of the ocean and suddenly my mind was back on the beach the other day with Grant. Funny. Everything led back to Grant. Every memory, Grant was there. Every moment of my life, Grant had been there.

  “Are you nervous about something?”

  “No. Yes. I have no idea. I—”

  “Lanie, you have nothing to be worried about here. Ever. Let’s talk. I have some things I thought maybe we should put on the table.”

  “Okay,” I said warily.

  “I noticed some interesting things with my son. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him quite … so alive as he seems now. Do you think you might want to clue me in on why? I know he’s seeing someone, but he doesn’t want to talk about it yet. Maybe you might fill me in. You know, woman to woman.”

  I wanted to spill everything. Jennifer’s tea must have had
something in it, truth serum or something. I suddenly felt like hiding things was ridiculous and looked into her beautiful eyes and realized they were the same eyes Grant had. Being so intimate with him made me realize things I had missed that were right in front of me.

  “I also heard you’re seeing someone, too.”

  “My dad?”

  “Of course. He said you wouldn’t tell him anything. He asked me to get the low down.”

  “I see.”

  “Now, anything you don’t want me to tell him, I promise, stays right here with us. Okay?”

  I nodded and waited for the inquisition.

  “So. Are you ready to tell me all about you and Grant being together?”

  I choked on my tea so badly I couldn’t stop coughing. Jennifer jumped up from her seat and began smacking me on the back. When I finally regained my composure, I just stared at her with wide eyes.

  “Lanie, it’s so obvious.”

  “It is?”

  “Yes. All the stares and secret touches and well, you’re not hiding it very well.”

  “So my career as a secret agent is pretty much out of the question?”

  “Pretty much, Dear.”

  “Jennifer, to be completely honest, I’m in love with your son. I promise you, I’ll never hurt him. I want to spend the rest of my life with him. He is just so amazing and perfect and romantic and beautiful inside and out.”

  She smiled and nodded. She didn’t respond for a few moments. I started to regret saying anything. Then, finally, she spoke. “Lanie, Grant has been pining for you since he was three. It’s about time he finally did something about it.”

  “Three?”

  “Yes. Even at three he used to refer to you as his wife. He’s never stopped, you know. He still calls you that.”

  “He calls me his wife?” Oh my God. Grant calls me his wife to his parents! I felt my heart start to patter at an alarming rate in my chest, so much so, that I could hear it in my head. I wondered if Jennifer could hear it, too.

  “Yes, Lanie. Does that surprise you?”

  “A little. I just had no idea. All these years.”

  “Yes, all these years. Nicole and I used to joke around about how we had you both married off as toddlers. We always believed that you two would get married someday.”

  “Nicole thought that?”

  “Nicole wanted that. Do you know what her last words to me were?”

  “No. Please, tell me.”

  “She told me to take care of you. She asked me to step in and cover for her when she was gone. I said yes, of course. And then she told me that she knew you and Grant were fated to be together. She wanted so much for you to find love and happiness, and that she knew it was going to be with Grant. She knew it. Even back then.”

  “So, my mom would be happy that we’re together? Do you know how much this means to me?”

  “Yes, Dear. Do you know how much this means to me?”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Lanie, all any parent wants for their child is for them to be healthy, happy, and find love. Grant is so different now. He’s so alive and happy with you. You do that for him. You are the piece that completes him. The piece that has been missing, despite the fact that it was always there right in front of him, in front of both of you. You are his soul mate. I believe that and always have. I’ve watched you two for your whole lives. It was so blatant. I can’t believe it didn’t happen until now.”

  “So, you’re happy?”

  “I’m ecstatic! I can’t wait for a wedding and grandchildren and to be able to finally call you my daughter, for real.” Jennifer’s eyes got a bit teary. I could tell everything she was saying was heartfelt and true.

  I felt my eyes get moist, too, and got up and threw my arms around her. She laughed and hugged me back.

  “Now, can you tell me why you two won’t just come out and tell us?”

  “It just all happened so fast. It’s been so surreal. And I want it to be perfect, and well, there were some other things going on. And it’s all tied together and we didn’t have time to sort it all out before you got here, and then Dane …”

  “Dane? What’s wrong with Dane? Isn’t he happy for you?”

  “Happy. Yeah, not so much.”

  “But I thought he was with Lori, that slut?” This made me laugh out loud for quite a while. Hearing Jennifer refer to Lori that way was just too perfect. I wish I had been taping this conversation so I could make it my text alert sound on my cell phone.

  When I could finally speak, between giggles, I said, “No, she caused a huge problem between Grant and I. I think it was all a plan.”

  “And Dane?”

  Now I got serious.

  “Jennifer, he was in on it. And he did something even worse.”

  “Dane tried to hurt Grant? I don’t understand, Lanie; that’s not like Dane.”

  “No, he did something to me.”

  “He hurt you? What did he do?” I wasn’t ready to tell her.

  “Jennifer, it’s embarrassing. It’s terrible.”

  “Lanie, you do understand you have to tell me everything. Haley won’t put up with Dane hurting anyone, especially family. And neither will I. Your father won’t be happy about it, either.”

  “He …” I couldn’t get it out. I couldn’t say it. I didn’t want to believe it had all happened. If I said it aloud, it would be right there in front of me again. I guess I had been trying to block it out. Pretend that Dane hadn’t forced himself on me. Kept trying to make it okay, that he didn’t deliberately have sex with me knowing I was not in the right frame of mind. He had basically raped me.

  I burst into tears. It finally hit home. I had been denying it. He knew exactly what he was doing. And I couldn’t say it because I didn’t want to believe it was true. I had been protecting who Dane was in my head, not who he had become.

  “Lanie? Lanie? Oh my God, what did he do to you?”

  I couldn’t stop crying. Now I was hyperventilating. I couldn’t breathe. I was losing it. I saw Jennifer grab her phone and hit some keys. Within seconds, Grant, Jack and Joe were running up the path from the stables.

  Grant ran to me and threw his arms around me. As soon as he was by my side, my sobbing slowed. I still couldn’t speak.

  “Jennifer? What the hell happened?” Jack looked panicked. He sounded panicked. He wasn’t very good when I cried. He just stood there with his hands pushed into his pockets. He had shoved them in so hard, it looked like they would come right out the bottoms.

  “It’s going to be okay. Everything is going to be all right. Shhh, Lane. I’m right here.” Grant’s voice was soothing. All I could hear were his words. I concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest as he calmly breathed, holding my head against him.

  Jennifer pulled Joe to the side and whispered something to him. I couldn’t tell what was being said, but shortly, he came over to Grant, and leaned down to share with him.

  “No, Dad. I’m not leaving her like this. I can’t. It’s physically impossible for me to move away from her right now. I can’t.” He pulled me tighter to him.

  Joe put his hand on Grant’s shoulder and said, “Son, Jack and I have this covered. Your mother needs to speak with you inside. Now, please.”

  Grant picked his head up and looked at Jennifer. She nodded.

  Grant reluctantly let me go and Joe took his place. I watched as Grant walked away from me. I felt like part of me was being ripped out. I needed this man. I needed him in every way. And I needed him right now.

  “Lanie, Honey, can you tell me why you’re crying?”

  I couldn’t. Not with my dad standing right there. I couldn’t even tell Jennifer, let alone Joe. I shook my head no.

  Seconds later, Grant and Jennifer came out. Grant was back at my side and Joe released me. He put his arms around me again and I leaned into him, my sniffling continued. Jack just stood there, dumbfounded.

  “I’m sorry, Jack. This is all my fault. I told Lanie about s
ome things Nicole told me to share with her when she was older. I think it was just too emotional. Heart-wrenching, actually.” I gave Jennifer a grateful look and so did Grant.