by Piper Rayne
“Do you think if we did it once… I mean, just one time to get it out of our system?” I throw the idea out there.
“Shut up. That works for no one. We’re better off setting these rules. Eventually it’ll feel platonic between us.” She smiles. I think she might actually believe what she’s spewing. I hope she really is smarter than me.
“It was just a suggestion.” I shrug.
“A bad one.”
“So… we have no sexual jokes, dressing in the bathroom, no masturbating to the other one, and I can’t be nice because that turns you on?”
“Especially when we’re on the excursions.”
I nod. “So on excursions, I’m an asshole to you.”
“Yep.”
“That should make for great television. The audience will hate me.”
“But we won’t sleep together, so mission accomplished.”
I laugh. “Anything else?”
She thinks for a moment, and all I notice is the length of her neck. I’d do just about anything to have my lips there to feel her pulse.
“We can add as need be.” She puts her hand out between us. “Here’s to building a friendship with you, Denver Bailey.”
I shake her hand. “I’ve never been friends with a girl before.”
“Well, I’m honored to be your first.”
So many jokes hit my mind, but I shove them down. “Well, friend, do you want to watch a movie?” It’s worth a shot. I know we both said we wanted to shower and go to sleep but now I find myself wanting to spend more time with her.
She stands. “In a dark room with you? I’m not ready for that yet.”
“I am hard to resist.”
She laughs. “It’s going to take some time for us to get to a normal state.” She pats my shoulder. “Goodnight.”
I sit in the dark with only the glow of the kitchen light on behind me. I’m not sure I’ll be in a normal state ever again. “Goodnight. Remember, no sliding your hand anywhere it doesn’t belong.”
“Technically,” she says from behind me, “I can slide my hand. I just can’t think the hand is yours.”
I whirl around, but she’s giggling down the hallway. “Just remember if you play dirty, I’ll play dirtier.”
Her laughing stops. I’m sure she’s envisioning me getting really dirty with her right now. Truth is, this deal is bullshit. If we keep this up, she’ll be under me in a week.
Twenty
Cleo
One whole week has passed, and Denver and I haven’t abided by half the rules we set forth. Jokes about the other one naked or us sleeping together are on constant repeat. We openly talk about how we might have masturbated the night before, saying it was to someone else when we both know it was the other person teasing our thoughts.
Selma called. We won’t know anything concrete for four to six weeks because of the editing required before they can show the first episode to the pilot group. But they did give us a nice sum for our time thus far, which allowed us to pay Nancy.
“The weather is supposed to break next week. I’m thinking we might be super busy after we hear back from Selma, so maybe we should plan to spread Chip’s ashes sooner than later.” Denver leans back in his office chair, weaving his fingers across his flat stomach.
“Oh.” In my mind, we still had some time before that would happen.
“If you’d rather, we can wait.”
“No. Let’s do it. Where does he want them scattered?” It hurts a little that Denver knows, and I don’t, but he does know where Chip’s favorite places were.
He sighs. I’ve become familiar with this habit of his. He sighs like that when he’s hesitant about sharing information. “Remember the letters your dad wrote us?”
I glance at my purse where mine still is. “Yeah.”
“He told me that he wants me to take you up in his bush plane and…”
I loathe how slow he is to tell me anything that might upset me—because it means he cares, and if he cares, then there’s something more than lust between us. “What?”
“He wants you to pick the spot.”
“Me!” I screech, sliding back in the chair and bringing up my knees.
Denver stands and sits on the edge of the desk in front of me. “He wants me to fly you around and have you pick the place you think is the most beautiful. But the instructions were clear—you’re to choose his final resting place.”
My chin dips to my knees. “Why? I feel like I barely knew him.”
Denver’s hand lands on my knee. “You did know him. But I think this was more his way of feeling connected to you.”
“It feels like a lot of pressure.”
He chuckles and slides closer, lifting my chin to make me meet his gaze. “I’ll be right there with you. I promise you’ll know it when you see it. All you have to do is choose the most beautiful place to you.”
“Okay,” I say in a small voice.
He smiles and takes his finger away. “We’ll leave Wednesday and come home Sunday.” Rounding the desk, he sits down and slides in his chair, his eyes back on his computer.
“Why on Earth do we have to be gone for so long?”
He looks up, seeming surprised. I thought it would be at most a two-day trip. “We’re heading farther north, which means some stops along the way. Relax, it’s gonna be fun.” He winks and buries his head back into his computer.
Four nights. Four nights with Denver. Alone.
“I want my own tent,” I spit out.
He laughs. “No worries, I’ll have us in cabins. I didn’t want you to rough it since it’ll be so hard anyway.”
“I told you no being nice.”
His smile says he loves pulling a reaction out of me. “I can’t seem to help it with you. Sorry not sorry.”
He acts as if he doesn’t notice me staring at him, which is good. If he acknowledged it, I’d probably be straddling him right about now. I need to talk to someone. Someone who can give me the advice I need about him, because I’m about to lose my damn mind.
Bridget is still in Dallas. She’s doing the weather now. I could call her, but I think she’d tell me to sleep with him and forget it. I’d hate to involve one of his sisters, so I decide to reach out to the women the Bailey men have won over.
Phoenix put me in a family group chat that I’ve tried to get off of but keep getting added back in. Colton is in it as well and he’s not with a Bailey, so I figured what’s the harm. I use that to text Harley and Holly, asking them to meet for lunch this week. We agree on Tuesday and that we’ll meet in the neighboring town of Greywall. There are too many eyes in Lake Starlight.
I walk into the cafe that Harley chose. She’s tucked into a corner booth by herself.
“Holly should be here soon,” she says, getting up and hugging me hello.
“Great.”
“Rome and I found this place a few months ago. Great sandwiches and they have cookies Calista loves. Rome tried to replicate them because he loves a challenge, but Calista keeps saying, ‘Nope, not it, Daddy.’” She laughs.
A ping of jealousy hits me right in the heart. Her life is so full, so happy, so peaceful. Well, not peaceful. Maybe consistent is a better word. “That’s very cute.”
She sips her tea. “Yeah, they have cute tea parties for kids too. I think when Calista is older, we’ll all come here.”
“All?”
She laughs again. “You’ll soon find out, when it comes to the Baileys it’s all, not some.” She looks at the door. “Oh, there’s Hols.” Her hand goes up, and I turn to find Holly looking behind her and rushing over to our table.
“I’m sorry. She followed me, and Sheriff Miller didn’t see her leave the city limits.” She slides into the booth.
“Who?” I ask.
Holly and Harley look at one another. “Dori,” they say in unison.
“But I didn’t—”
Holly laughs. “You don’t have to. I should’ve known. She’s been popping up wherever I am late
ly. The other day at the doctor’s office, she said she sees the doctor there too. Is she trying to get pregnant, you think?” She rolls her eyes. Harley doesn’t laugh and Holly’s shoulders fall. “Stop feeling guilty.”
“But—”
They have no time to talk about it because Dori walks in with another woman as though she’s not looking for us.
“Look at her acting all sly,” Harley whispers.
As she says it, Dori circles around and she points at us. “Girls!” When she nudges her friend, they come over to our booth. “Cleo, hi, sweetie. This is Ethel, my friend.”
The red-haired woman smiles and puts out her hand. “I recognize you from Buzz Wheel.”
“Thanks.” I grace her with a small smile. “I always seem to be in distress and Denver’s my knight in shining armor in those pictures.”
Harley and Holly laugh.
“Oh, we can tell you some stories,” Harley says.
“Should we get a table for five?” Dori asks, disregarding the entire Buzz Wheel conversation.
I wonder if she was ever on there. Something tells me they’d steer clear of her for fear for their lives. Dori has one of those personalities that you look to for safety, but she’s also like a mama dog and if you go for her puppies, she’s going to bite you—hard.
“Well, Cleo wanted to—”
Holly gets cut off by Dori waving to the waitress. “We need a table for five.”
The waitress looks at us.
“Sorry,” Harley says quietly.
“I’m sure this man wouldn’t mind moving.”
The guy at the table beside us looks up from his cup of soup. After a stare-down from the two older ladies, he wipes his mouth and stands. “By all means.”
“Perfect. What a gentleman.” Dori beams and she and Ethel move the poor man’s table to join our table of four. “Come on, girls.”
The waitress gives us a disapproving look and places some menus down, takes our drink order, and flees—to complain about us in the back, I’m sure.
“So why are you girls meeting? And meeting in Greywall?” Dori asks.
“Why are you and Ethel in Greywall?” Harley asks.
“Rome told me about this place, and we wanted something different. Right, Ethel?”
Amazing how believable her story is.
“Yes.” Ethel leans closer to me. “You’re more beautiful in person.”
That was a nice compliment, and I feel my cheeks heating up. “Thank you.”
“I see why Denver’s so enamored,” she continues.
“Can I kiss you?” I say, and Harley laughs.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m not a lesbian.” Her face is straight, so I bite back my laughter so I don’t embarrass her.
“Back to why you’re all here.” Dori isn’t going to let this go.
“We were just getting to know Cleo,” Holly says.
Harley sips her iced tea in silence.
I appreciate the girls trying to mask the real reason we’re all here, but I’ll take the bait Dori’s throwing. She’ll answer honestly. “I asked them to meet me because I’m having issues with Denver.”
Dori sighs and the corners of her mouth turn down.
Ethel looks at the table. “Why is everyone so quiet? We all know Denver has issues.”
“Ethel, zip it,” Dori says.
“What am I missing?” I ask.
Dori looks at the girls. “What exactly was your plan? What were you going to tell her?”
Holly shrugs. I didn’t spell out why I asked them here but they’re smart women, I’m sure they had an idea. “We were going to tell her our experiences, that’s all.”
“Yeah, just that sometimes it’s hard to fall in love with a Bailey,” Harley says.
Luckily our waitress arrives, and we’re distracted by ordering our food.
But as soon as she leaves, Dori sets her focus solely on me. “Do you like Denver?”
Nausea rolls my stomach as if a wall of waves is hitting me over and over.
“Excuse me for a moment.” I bolt down the hallway toward the bathroom..
Twenty-One
Cleo
A knock hits the bathroom stall door.
“Cleo?” Holly says. “It’s just me. Harley is taking one for the team and talking about Calista and Dion, so we have some time.”
I open the stall door. I didn’t throw up. I’m not even sure where the urge came from.
Holly touches my forehead. “Are you pregnant?”
“Unless it’s a miraculous conception, no.”
“So you and Denver haven’t…?”
I shake my head.
I’m sure Holly doesn’t mean to look relieved, but her emotions are transparent. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. I’m so happy for Rome and Harley, but I’m not sure I could take the news right now.”
I put my hand on her shoulder. “I completely understand. No worries on my front.”
We head to the sink so I can wash my hands.
“Dori is protective of them, as you can understand.” Holly leans against the wall. “They were affected in different ways when their parents died. I think what Dori tries to hide is how much Denver fears the unknown now.”
I nod. I know that about him by now.
“What you guys are doing with Lifetime Adventures—I mean, the family is in awe that he’s stayed committed for this long.” She must realize what she’s said because she puts her hand in the air like “disregard that.” “Not that I don’t think he’s incapable of it. He’s just never tried anything like this before. I’m not saying he can’t change. I don’t want you to take that away from what I’m saying.”
I shake my head, although I think I know where this is going.
“When Austin mentioned your shared ownership, and I saw you at the funeral, I honestly thought one of you would’ve called uncle by now. But the fact that he’s working side by side with you and the two of you haven’t slept together is shocking.”
“Why?”
Her face softens. “Why what?”
“Why did you think we couldn’t work?”
Holly smiles in a tender way. But I don’t fill the silence, so she eventually continues. “Because you both grieve in similar ways.”
I say nothing because I’m not sure what I can say.
“You both ignore things instead of addressing them. Denver’s been ignoring his parents’ deaths for years. And maybe it’s because I have my own dad issues, maybe it takes one to recognize one. You hid your emotions well at the funeral. You never cried. When Austin told me a little more about what you’d experienced, I realized we have a lot in common.”
“I think you just answered the question I came here to have answered.”
She tilts her head. “What was that?”
“When it comes to Denver, I should steer clear.”
She shifts forward then backs up a step. “I would never say that. Never. You’re only hearing the negative. What I was originally saying was he’s different around you. He’s… I’ve never seen him like this. Ever.”
“I have no idea what to do at this point.”
“Do you like him?” She puts her hand on my shoulder as the bathroom door swings open.
A middle-aged woman makes her way in, and we slide out of the way. I nod in answer to her question.
Holly wraps me in a big hug. “Why are you upset about that?”
I mumble into her chest the one big fear I have. “He’s going to break my heart.”
We stand there hugging, and for the first time, I feel as if someone gets me. She doesn’t try to tell me no or change my mind. She just holds me tightly, letting the silence rest between us.
The door springs open again. “You have about ten seconds. Dori just told me I talk too much about the kids.” Harley rushes into one of the stalls. “I have to pee. One of you needs to tag in.”
She doesn’t even seem to notice we’re hugging. We break apart, giggling to one another. Holly looks
at me with a question in her eye, asking if I’m okay, and I nod.
“We’ll go out, take your time,” Holly says to Harley.
All we hear is a sigh of relief followed by a stream of pee in the toilet. “Come and get me after the lunch. Just have the waitress deliver my meal in here.”
The other woman who came in stares at Harley’s door like “What is her problem?”
“She’s pregnant,” Holly says, and the woman nods with a smile now.
We walk back out into the restaurant. Our food is on the table. Thank goodness, this lunch will be over quickly.
“Are you okay?” Ethel asks.
I stare at my turkey club and chips. “Yeah. Thank you for asking.”
“I’m going to lay this out there for you and you can do with the information what you want,” Dori says. “Ethel and I will eat our soup and you can continue talking to Holly and Harley. I understand I’m just an old lady to you all.”
“That’s not true,” Holly says. “I just think Cleo wanted to get a non-Bailey perspective.”
“You and Harley are Baileys,” she says as though she takes offense to Holly saying they aren’t.
She loves them. Clearly anyone her grandchildren marry she includes in her security blanket of protection. It’s actually very sweet.
Holly puts her hand on Dori’s. “I know. I didn’t mean that—”
Dori cuts her off. “Denver is my wild grandchild. He never ran away from Lake Starlight though. I thought as soon as he turned eighteen, he’d be gone.”
Harley slides into her chair, not interrupting the conversation.
“Rome did though.” Dori’s eyes go to Harley. “He ran. I think that hurt Denver too and made yet another lasting impression.”
“What do you mean?” I ask then take a sip of my drink.
“When Denver was five or six, he begged for a pet. His parents got him a fish because they didn’t want any animals, what with their house already being full of kids.” She spoons her soup and sips her drink while we all wait patiently. “He fed it so much and changed the water so many times as an excuse to touch it, the fish died in three days.”
