by Claire Adams
I shook my head. "I can be stubborn, too, and I have to say no. You have a lot going on, and the last thing you need is a stranger in your way."
Penn smiled and caught my hand. "But you're not a stranger, remember? You're my girlfriend."
My stomach did a dizzy flip as I shook my head again. "If I was your girlfriend, I'd be more of a comfort and less of a distraction."
He took my hand and pulled it around his waist until I was tucked under his arm again. Then, he brushed back my hair and whispered, "But you are a comfort. And, there's lots to be said for distractions during a time of duress. Please, please distract me."
His pleading ignited my insides, and I found myself pressing tighter against his body. We fit together seamlessly from my thighs to where my breasts gave against the hard muscles of his chest. When I arched my back to look up into his face, Penn's lips dipped down. The kiss was gentle, exploring, but it set off an explosion of desire.
He must have felt it, too, because he pierced me with a fierce look before he swept down and claimed me in another searing kiss. Then, he groaned. "Please stay, just one more night?"
I knew instantly that I would regret it, but I nodded anyway. "I'll stay tonight," I whispered.
Xavier finished his phone call and cleared his throat. Penn and I drew back from each other, but he kept me tight against his side. "I need you here so I don't kill him," Penn muttered.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, I berated myself. Penn was in the midst of a crisis. I couldn't be getting all fluttery or weak in the knees over anything he said to me. He probably had no idea what he was saying, and when everything settled, he would wonder why I was still hanging around.
I need to get out of here, I thought.
As if Ginny read my mind, she appeared in the doorway of the apartment. "Hello? Sorry to interrupt, but I was just dropping off Corsica's stuff."
"Stuff?" Xavier Templeton asked.
Ginny noticed him and lost the ability to speak.
"My luggage," I said. "Apparently she approves of my change of plans."
Xavier nodded and took my old leather duffel from Ginny. "Good, then you're already packed. We'll leave for Monterey shortly after one o-clock and be there to catch Alice at dinner."
"Alice? Dinner? Monterey?" I stammered.
Penn let go of me and glared at Xavier. "And where exactly do you plan to stay in Monterey?" Then Penn turned to me and explained. "My mother's name is Alice Brightwater, and she lives a short drive from Monterey."
Chapter Six
Penn
"This is the apartment you were talking about?" Ginny asked. Corsica's friend wandered past my father and over to the view. "I mean, I should have known when I saw the gates. Oh, by the way, your gates are open, and there's some kid with major attitude in your garage."
Xavier shot a look at me. "You're still employing that delinquent?"
"Good thing, too, since we need to get to Monterey quickly," I snapped.
My father straightened his cuff links. "We'll take the helicopter."
"Are they for real?" Ginny asked Corsica.
I felt the hairs at the back of my neck stand up. Corsica's eyes were wide and kept flashing towards the door. She was trying to flag down her friend's attention so they could make a swift getaway. The thought of her leaving unraveled the last of my sanity.
I couldn't possibly be having feelings for her. It had to just be the strain of my father's presence and the worry over my mother's health. I rolled my shoulders and tried to let it all go.
"So, wow, someone's got the big bucks," Ginny said. She turned away from the view to give my father a friendly smile.
Xavier laughed, completely unused to going unrecognized. "Any friend of Corsica's is welcome."
Corsica let out a strangled cry and swept across the room. She caught Ginny by the arm and dragged her towards the bedroom. "Excuse us, please. We'll be right back," she called over her shoulder.
Right back would not be soon enough, I thought.
It killed me how time was so tangled up with thoughts of my father. No matter how inebriated he had been during my childhood, time had been a hard and fast rule. I had been torn between his near-militant observation of time and my mother's flowing concept of life. I still could not understand how two so vastly different people had ever come together long enough to have a child.
Though, I was starting to understand how attraction had nothing to do with surface similarities. Something deep under our different looks and lives had already tied me to Corsica. Yes, maybe it was the stress of my current situation looking for a safe outlet, but her absence made me antsy.
I scrubbed the back of my neck and willed time to go faster so Corsica would return before my father tried to talk to me again.
"Do you need to pack?" Xavier asked.
"No."
My father followed my glance and frowned. "Why are you lying to her about who you are?"
"Who says I'm lying?" I snapped.
Xavier undid his tailored suit coat and slipped his hands into his pockets. "You obviously don't want her to know we're related, but why haven't you told her the rest?"
I ran both hands through my tangled hair. It took a concentrated effort not to pull my hair out. "Why can't you, of all people, get it? Aren't you sick of people treating you like an ATM or a demigod? Nah, you probably love being surrounded by sycophants all day long."
"I don't run away from it. I learned a long time ago that you can't run from who you are."
"But I can sure as hell get away from who you are."
My father rocked back on the heels of his Italian shoes. "Penn, I need to tell you some things-"
I ground my teeth hard. "You know, you're right. I really should go pack."
Xavier moved like lightning to stop me, and I froze. One hand was suspended between us, blocking an anticipated blow. My father saw the instinctual reflex and turned white as a sheet.
"Penn, please," he begged.
"We're not going to talk." I balled my hand into a fist and forced it down by my side. "We're not going to put anything behind us. I like it between us; it gives me the distance I need."
"Because you're afraid you're going to turn out just like me," Xavier said.
I snorted. "No. Sorry, Dad, but I didn't inherit your addictions. I don't crave money; I don't sacrifice everything for ambition."
"No," Xavier said quietly. "You're just closed off. I know those walls, Penn. You have to trust someone; you have to let someone in."
"Well, it sure as hell isn't going to be you."
"What about your mother?" he asked. "You've hardly talked the last two years, and she hasn't seen you. How can you close her out?"
"I learned from the best," I snapped. Then, I felt the twist in my chest. "She kept looking at me like I was a wounded animal. You know that look? Like all she needed to do was get close enough and she could snatch the thorn right out. She doesn't get that it's part of who I am now."
Xavier's dark eyes looked too shiny. "She's a healer. You can't blame her for trying. But, I understand. Some things you have to heal yourself. That's what I wanted to talk to you about-"
"There you are," I called as Corsica came back in the room. "Did Ginny get the tour? What do you think?"
"I think she's crazy to leave this place, even for Monterey," Ginny said.
Corsica elbowed her friend. "Actually, we were talking about that-"
"If you love this place, you'll love the house in Monterey. Same feel, but different views," I said as I strode across the room. When I was out of earshot of my father, I held out my hand. "Please, don't leave me alone with him. I know this is insane, but I promise I'll make the trip worth your while."
"What's insane is that you work for Xavier Templeton," Ginny said.
"No, what's insane is that you didn't recognize him," Corsica hissed. "I don't know, Penn. You and your, ah, employer seem to have other things going on. I don't want to get in the way."
"That's exactly
where I need you," I pleaded. "There's a piano at the Monterey house. I'll get you lessons. You can spend the whole time writing songs or singing or just enjoying the coast. Please?"
Ginny tossed her bouncy hair. "Oh, she's going," she said. "Corsica's now enrolled in a crash course on spontaneity, and I'm grading her. Don't worry, though. I'll be keeping an eye on you, too. With Mr. High Profile over there, it should be easy to keep tabs on you all. Plus, I'll just be a short drive away in Santa Cruz."
"So, you'll come?" I grabbed Corsica's hand and squeezed.
"Oh. God. Yes, I'll come." She forced the fear in her eyes aside and gave me a lopsided grin. "I guess someone's got to save you. I mean, we wouldn't want Mr. Templeton's good taste or impeccable grooming habits to wear off on you, now, would we?"
Ginny clapped her hands as I pulled Corsica in for a hug. My father cleared his throat and edged towards the door.
"I have a business meeting, but the arrangements have all been made. Make sure that criminal driver of yours gets you to the helipad on time," Xavier said. "Ladies, it was a pleasure."
"I should go, too," Ginny said. "I borrowed a friend's car. Oh, God, I hope it isn't blocking Mr. Templeton!"
"Hold on, Ginny. Wait!" Corsica cried.
"Do you still want to go with her?" I asked.
Corsica hesitated and then straightened her shoulders. "No. I said I would help you."
I grinned to hide my relief. "You're just staying because you want a ride home on Xavier Templeton's helicopter."
"Would that make me an awful person?" Corsica's eyes lightened with her challenging look.
"No. Yes. I mean, I would understand." I shook my head and tried to get my thoughts in order. The only thing I knew for sure was that I felt better with Corsica around. "Thanks for staying."
"Does that earn me an explanation for your, ah, business relationship?" She stepped forward and peered up into my face.
I sighed and tried to smile. "Sorry. That'll cost extra."
Corsica considered my teasing. "How about a friendly pat on the back?"
"Sure." When she leaned over, I swung my arm over hers and tugged against my chest. "Or, how about a hug?"
Her head flew back and those blue eyes blazed. Then, Corsica looked at me, and I felt all the playful fight run out of her. She wrapped her arms around me and held me tight.
Grief washed over me. My mother had been seriously ill for two years. The stretch of time made me dizzy. I should have been there for her. What if?
"That doesn't help," Corsica said.
"What?" I brush my bearded chin across her head before letting her pull back to look up at me.
"Asking yourself 'what if?' All of it was out of your control. And your mother's illness is out of your control." She kept her arms around me.
"How do you know?" The question was genuine.
She shook her head. "I just do. That's why I also know that I'll ride down to Monterey in the helicopter with you, but then I'm going to catch a ride with a friend back to Santa Cruz. You don't need me getting in your way right now."
"No, I do." I grabbed her hand as she wriggled free from my arms. "I just need you to distract Xavier. Keep him from wheeling and dealing with me. I can't handle his business tactics right now."
Corsica twisted her wrist free from my hand with one smooth move. "Then we've struck a deal. This is strictly business, and once we're in Monterey, it's done."
I should have felt relief, but Corsica's words nagged me the rest of the morning. Even though we were still perfect strangers, there was a distance between us that I swore was not there before. I understood Corsica being cautious–it was a strange favor I had asked her–but there was something else. Every now and then, her glances looked over me like I was a cliff she was trying to avoid.
It wasn't until we were walking across the tarmac to greet my father that I realized how ridiculous I was being. "I'm sorry. We can say goodbye here. Maybe I'll see you in Santa Cruz one of these days."
She slipped her hand through my arm and gave me an arched look. "As if I'm going to settle for taking a taxi now. Besides, I need to practice my schmoozing techniques if I want that job at the Ritz."
Corsica's shadowed looks were gone as we settled into the helicopter's leather seats. "Mr. Templeton, I was wondering if you could tell me about how you learned to play piano. I've been considering lessons," she said.
My father shot me a knowing glance, but smiled. "Of course. That sounds like a very pleasant conversation for the flight."
She guided the conversation through music to flying and delighted in all the extravagant details of the helicopter. I sat back and watched, shielded by her light arm still intertwined with mine.
"I didn't get on an airplane until I was eighteen," Corsica admitted to my father.
"Really? Where were you, the dark side of the moon?" I asked.
Her arm tensed in mine. "Try Mars."
"I give up, Penn," my father said. "I've been trying this whole time to decide where she is from."
I squeezed Corsica's arm. I didn't know where she was from. I still wasn't sure of her last name. She didn't notice my prompting and looked out the window instead.
"There's my house," I pointed out.
Xavier realized my mistake before I did. "He's always claiming he's going to buy it from me. At this point, I look at the property as an investment."
Corsica tugged her arm away from me and pressed a hand to the helicopter window. "That's where we're staying?"
I choked on a hopeful laugh. "Oh, come on, you don't need to pretend like we've never been there before. I get paid to check in on his investments. I told you that."
"Yes, it's just, I've, I've never seen it from the air before." She sat up and blinked her eyes as if she'd just woken up.
Her eyes still had the same, starry look while my father pretended to give her the tour. He'd never seen my home before, and he kept stumbling over his own discoveries. Corsica didn't notice as her eyes swept each room and then returned to the view. The Pacific Ocean crashed and sprayed just a few yards and a steep cliff away.
"I thought you were heading back to Santa Cruz tonight," I whispered in her ear as we lingered in the library.
She spun in a circle as she took in the towering walls of books, and then her eyes drifted back out the window. "I bet you can see the moon set on the water here."
"It's beautiful. You'll love it," I said.
Corsica blinked off the temptation and caught up with my father. "I'm glad you stuck with simplicity. The strong lines of the architecture and the focus on the views will make this a timeless showcase of a home."
"It could use a few more furnishings, maybe some real art, instead of these finger paintings," Xavier said.
"Those are from one of mother's prized students," I said, crossing my arms.
"Your mother teaches second graders?" Corsica asked with a snobbish toss of her hair.
My father barked out a laugh. "No. That's just what it looks like when Alice helps people find themselves."
Corsica smoothed her long hair with one hand. "I prefer Matisse."
I narrowed my eyes at her arrogant stance. "Oh, my mother is going to eat her alive, don't you think, Xavier?"
Corsica slid her eyes to me. "Why do you say that?"
"This whole perfect, good girl thing you've got going on? My mother will tear it to shreds. She sees right through people. Right down to what's hidden inside."
Xavier shook his head. "Stop teasing her. Alice Brightwater might be very direct, but she is not cruel. She is one of the most loving people I've ever met."
"Not that you ever deserved it," I said under my breath.
The closer we got to my mother's encampment near Pinnacles, the more I thought about what sharp words she would have for my father. After all these years, I still didn't understand how hearing them fight left me feeling cut.
Corsica felt my hesitation as we parked my SUV and walked up the dirt road. My mother's encampme
nt resided on a sunny piece of property spotted with oak groves. Tucked between the trees were tents that scattered into the woods around a large, brightly swathed yurt.
When my mother flew through the colored scarves and enveloped my father in a long embrace, I couldn't tell who was more surprised, me or Corsica.
"Xavier, you're getting your shoes all dusty just to see me?" Alice asked my father.
"Dust? I'm walking on air just being near you."
A wave of nausea hit me. My father had always been charming and gallant, right before he turned.
"Penn?"
The bad memories broke apart as my mother turned to me. Before I knew it, I was wrapped in the familiar lilac and sage smell of her. All those years of comfort and strength she gave me. Now, her body felt frail in my arms, and I was angry at the world. How could she be sick? My sweet, gentle, angel of a mother?
"This can't be your girlfriend," Alice said over my shoulder.
I kept my hands on my mother's shoulders. "She is. This is Corsica."
"No, no. She's all wrong." She shook her long, flowing sleeves at Corsica. "She's all layers of plastic. She just wants money. No, more than that. Luxury. Oh, Penn, she's everything you fought to get away from."
"She means me," Xavier said to Corsica with a conspiratorial wink. "I was the worst. Looks like now it's your turn."
"How are you still not the worst?" I asked.
My mother caught me by both hands and tugged me around the curve of the yurt. She waited until my father gallantly offered to show Corsica the outdoor kitchen before she swatted me on the arm hard.
"Over two years. I haven't seen you in over two years, and you bring some uppity, social climber to use as a human shield?"
"Me?" I scoffed. "You've been avoiding me for two years so I wouldn't interfere. And, what in the hell is going on with you and Xavier?"
Alice crossed her brightly colored sleeves. "He lets you call him that now, doesn't he? Xavier's changed. Hasn't he talked to you yet?"
"No." I ground my teeth to keep from yelling. "No one's talking to me, most of all you. How could you not tell me you were sick?"
