Drawn To You (Paloma's Edge) (7 page)

“Yeah.”

“Are you taking her home?”

“We’re ten minutes away from the Pruitts’.”

“Drive safely, Rylan. And thanks.”

I ended the call and handed Gavin’s phone back to him. “Did something happen that I don’t know about?” I saw the protective side that made guys stay away from his sister Bri come out. He wouldn’t tolerate any guy treating a girl badly without avenging it any way he knew how, short of violence, and I knew that about him from day one.

“I am about to
find out. Was Rylan with Beth most of the time tonight from what you saw?”

He s
quared his shoulders. “Rylan danced for half a song with Maude and some other girl before he was with Bethany.”

I nodded. “Thanks for the assist.”

“Anytime.”

Bethany

I thought that I heard someone knocking on my door last night. When I had finally put on my nightgown, no one had been there. I must have been disoriented from not getting a good night’s sleep for the past few days.

I jolted at the soft knock and movement of the doorknob. I couldn’t have been going crazy this time. When I opened the door, Chase was standing in front of me in a white t-shirt, pressed black pants, and shoes. It didn’t occur to me that we should talk on more neutral ground. I already trusted him and I couldn’t explain why and it scared me a little. Anticipation coiled low in my belly.

Chase’s hands landed on my shoulders. The force of his touch made my back lean onto the door, shutting it closed. A faint line m
arred his brows as he studied me. Greeting him with an open smile, his features smoothed out.

“I knocked
on your door last night.”

At the party, Cassidy had asked me if I’d be al
l right if Rylan drove me here. Since I hadn’t wanted to ruin her night, I had told her that it was cool.

“By the time I got up, I didn’t see anyone.”

Sighing deeply, I watched as his beautiful hazel eyes swept over my collarbone and drifted down towards my breasts and back to my face hungrily. I never wanted that look to go away.

“I knocked for twenty minutes. I didn’t know if you’d fallen asleep or if you were ignoring me.

Shaking my head “no,” I moved away from the door and sank down on the end of my bed. He joined me. His arm touched mine, the scent of soap and a light aftershave washed over me.

“Did anything happen
last night?”

I frowned at his question. “Not at all.”

He blew out a sigh of relief. “Take out your cell phone and put in your password.” His tone was gentle and commanding at the same time.

I retrieved my phone from the side pocket of my nightgown and handed it to him after I unlocked it.

Smiling, I watched as he entered his number into my phone. I heard chirruping and realized that he called himself from my phone.

“Nice ringtone.”

“Don’t worry. You’re gonna have a better ringtone than that.” He chuckled and stood up. “We need to be able to get ahold of each other. I forgot to exchange numbers with you yesterday. I put in Pierce’s and Nancy’s numbers too.”

I tilted my head in agreement.
Being alone with Chase in my guestroom was like sampling a treat instead of consuming it in one bite. He stroked his knuckles along my jaw and his voice softened. “I gotta go to work. I’ll see you later, though, okay?”

I shivered and he
dropped his hand from my face. Chase had the firmest ass I’d ever seen. And that was the only positive about his departure. Was any part of him not firm?

***

Later in the day, I unpacked all of my clothes and put them in the closet and drawers. I decided to go for a walk to familiarize myself with the area. It was the kind of beach town I could see myself living in when I graduated and had a job. As I walked, I saw some small stores I recognized from the drive with Chase yesterday. Some guys I remembered from the party said hello to me. Among them was a guy named Gavin.

As I checked my phone for the time, Mariska’s photo popped up. I’d left her a voicemail after I
’d showered, which was very early in the morning. I didn’t know what her work schedule would be like today.

“
I didn’t mean to wake you up. Just wanted to tell you that I miss you.”

“I didn’t notice that you left me a voicemail until just now. I don’t mind getting them from you
. You wouldn’t want me to feel ignored now, would you?”

“I couldn’t stand for that,” I said with a smirk. “Did the three of you have a good time last night?” I
lowered myself onto the sidewalk. Besides a few townspeople who were going to and from a small mom-and-pop coffee shop, the streets were empty.

“I think Pete is finally warming up to Jake. We talked about how we’re missing your face already. And I think Pete has a new crush too.”

I tittered. “Good!”

“And he’s afraid of hurting your feelings so he asked me not to tell you. But Jake assured him that you’d be fine with it.”

“He’s the sweetest. I hope that doesn’t change in the near future.”

Mariska scoffed. “It’d better not. Who ended up picking you up yesterday? Jake s
aid that your cousin Pierce did?”

It wasn’t lost on me how Mariska
hadn’t mention Cindy ever since she came to my former house the day I’d learned that I’d been evicted. I appreciated her understanding that I didn’t want to talk about her. I was moving forward. I had to live my own life like Cindy was.

“H
is friend Chase did.”

“Hmmm. I recognize that sound!”

“I like his company.”

“As much as you liked Gregory’s company?” Mariska had finally brought up his name after avoiding it for months since we’d found out he had gotten engaged to a girl he met at college in Maine.

“No. It’s different. I have love for Gregory. I always will. Chase and I have flirted a little.”

I laughed at the clapping I heard in the background. “Beth, I thought you’d have this dry spell forever
, ’cause I know there are some hot guys in Miami.”

“
There are,” I breathed. “But the guys I’ve seen have nothing on Chase. And I feel all tingly when he’s close by and when we touch. I think I really get it now.”

“Dang, girl, you two have been feeling up each other already?”

I laughed because the word “dang” shouldn’t come out of her mouth again. “No, Mariska. We’re taking it slow.”

She huffed. “As long as the finish to whatever
it
is, is long lasting, it doesn’t matter how slow the start is.”

“Says the virgin.”

“Hey! That doesn’t make me ignorant about what good sex is.”

I made a knowing noise. “Experience doesn’t always make someone skilled or better in bed,” I concurred.

“As long as you recognize that fact. When do you start work?”

“Wednesday.”

“Let me know how your first day goes. And how you and Chase get on too.” I heard a hint of amusement in her voice.

***

After I finished speaking with Mariska, I found a thrift shop a few blocks down the street. The scent of cigarettes, perfume, and detergent lingered in the air, the same combined smell that I recognized in every other thrift store I’d ever been to. It wasn’t bad or good. It just reminded me that the items and clothes in this store had lives attached to them once, even if for the briefest moment.

Sorting through some tops that would fit me perfectly, another girl with sandy brown hair like mine, only longer and fuller
, caught my eye. She had to be Brianna. I came into contact with her last night when her shift had ended. She lowered her gaze when she noticed me and I went up to her.

“Hi
, Brianna! Whatcha got there?”

With a sheepish twist of her mouth, she held up a whimsical lavender dress that looked brand new. The department store tag was still on it.

“That would look fantastic on you.” I shifted my eyes from her uncertain expression to the dress. “All you have to do is have it taken in a little.”

A bit of a smile started on her thin lips. “And to dry clean it, of course,” she quipped.

“That too.” I nudged her shoulder. “I am gonna get these. Good seeing you again.”

A smile still lingered on her lips. “Where’re you going after this?”

“I am gonna drop these off”—I shook my hangers—“and then head to the beach. I saw some sweet pictures online.”

“It’s really pretty. That’s where I am gonna go after I get my ice
d coffee.”

“And now we have a date.”

***

Brianna and I got out of her station wagon
and we ran into Rylan and Joel. We walked from the parking area to the long trail surrounded by tall luscious green trees that led to the beach. I inhaled the cool, salty air. Today was not as humid as yesterday.

I wrapped my shawl around my shoulders and Joel walked in step with me. “Need some warming up?” He moved his hands against each other, up and down
, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at him. He looked so cute with his wavy copper hair curling up a little bit at the nape of his neck.

Brianna snickered at Joel when Rylan handed him two folding chairs,
keeping his hands busy. Brianna was about to take a chair from Rylan and I was going to take one from Joel, but Rylan gestured to us that he and Joel would carry the chairs. Before Brianna had driven us here, we’d gone to Uncle Anton’s and Aunt Deborah’s, where she and Nancy had already had towels, sun block, and loose sundresses in case we needed them in a pretty tote. Brianna had been clearly surprised by Mrs. Pruitt and Nancy’s kindness towards her.

“Thanks, Rylan,” I said as he walked beside Brianna
. He notched his chin at me. “How come you guys are dateless today?”

“They didn’t have the endurance to stick with
daddy today,” Joel answered.

Brianna sighed. “Eh, Joel. Never again refer to yourself in the third person, or as
daddy.” She touched her stomach. “I almost lost my lunch right now.”

“They wanted to get more hours
of beauty sleep,” Rylan told us.

“And Maude had to do something with her folks,” Joel groaned. “But I can play with you or
Bri.” He wet his lips and flashed a mischievous smile.

“Uh, no thanks, Joel.” Brianna swung her gaze from Rylan to me.

Rylan shook his head. “You wouldn’t have made that offer if Gavin were with us,” he pointed out to Joel with a laugh.

“Hell, no! I am not stupid.” Joel set the folding chairs out, gesturing
for Brianna and I to take a seat. He shrugged his shoulders. “But it didn’t hurt to try.” He winked at Brianna.

I cocked my brow at Joel. “Have you ever had a female friend?” He
shot me a pointed look. “Okay, I have my answer then.” I lightly laughed.

“How about you?” Brianna asked Rylan.

“Yeah. And it works out best, ’cause I am not feeling them like that.” The beach near my home looked like a liquid waste site. Here, the beach water was a clear blue. I took off my flip-flops and I dug my feet into the warmth of the white sand.

I started to put some lotion on Brianna’s back when I heard Joel groan two seats to my right. “Keep on going,”
he said.

Rylan
smacked him on the side of his head, but he must have been used to it, because he didn’t even flinch.

“Thanks, Beth. I’ll do your back now.”

I turned around and Brianna started putting on the sun block where it was hard to reach on my back. The voices of the increasingly large crowd were at the same level as the sound of the currents.

About an hour into sunbathing, I felt my body
shift from the chair. Rylan had me over his shoulder. Squealing, Brianna tried to pull away as Joel carried her from the chair and placed her over his shoulder. I pinched Rylan’s back, but he didn’t let me go. They charged us into the water, then dunked our heads against the waves. Once Rylan thought I’d given up on getting him back from exhaustion, I tugged both of his calves and he fell into the water. Joel had gotten away before Brianna could do anything.

Joel and Rylan held up towels big enough for two people to fit into them when Brianna and I came out of the water. Rylan met Brianna and they were both wrapped up in the towel. My teeth c
hattered a little and I walked to Joel as he held his huge towel wide open. He wound his arm around my shoulders and we started walking off to the area where mostly babysitters and parents were with small children. I had thought Joel would try to be with Brianna right now, not with me.

“You have to be patient with Chase,” Joel said, making my heart stutter by mentioning Chase. I missed Chase since he had left for work early this morning. As I had been sunbathing, I’d wondered how his workday was going.

“I didn’t see that coming.”

The corners of Joel’s eyes creased. “I don’t know how no one
didn’t notice how you and Chase were with each other last night.”

“We weren’t together last night. I came to the party with Cassidy. Remember?”

He rubbed my shoulders as my body warmed up.

“I may look like a dummy, but I am not.”

“Joel, I don’t think you’re a dummy.”

“Y
ou know what I am talking about. I recognize eye-fucking when it’s right in front of my face.”

I looked over my shoulder
. Brianna had the towel over her that Rylan had shared with her. Rylan sat next to her.

“Chase is a handsome guy. I am a new addition in town before we both go back to our own lives at UM. He probably wants to see how far he can go with me.” I didn’t like the unbidden words that flew out of my mouth
, because a big part of me didn’t want to be right. But I’d been on enough dates to know that Chase may not be too different from those other guys. And I didn’t want Joel to have an idea about how much I wanted Chase to not be into other girls.