Chapter 16

 

I leave the hospital and drive slowly back through town on Main Street looking around at the buildings. I know every owner of every business here as well as the people who work for them. I know everyone who works at the bank and not only because of Dad. I know every stocker and cashier at Shop and Bag. I know all the waiters at Maggie’s Diner. I know every bartender and waiter at Jen’s. I know Jen. I know Patty and her workers at her flower shop, Patty’s Petals. Everyone at Sanderson Insurance.

I know all of them. And I love that I know all of them. And I love my town.

I love that if I accidentally leave my doors unlocked at night I don’t really have a reason to be scared. I love that when I walk down the street, numerous people will greet me. I love that if I call someone in town, I usually don’t have to tell them who it is. They know my voice just like I know theirs.

And I’m saddened that I’m going to have to leave all of it behind.

I click the remote and pull into my garage after the door opens. As the door goes down, I contemplate getting my suitcases out of the trunk but decide to wait until later. I walk into the kitchen flipping on the light and see that Mom must’ve come by and done the couple of dishes I’d left in the sink before I left. I look around at how cute my kitchen is. Red cabinets, white embossed wainscoting and blue-gray paint on the walls make it my own. The rustic farmhouse table that I found for cheap brings it all together.

I turn out the light then walk into the living room glancing by the light of the two nightlights everything I’ve used to personalize my space and know I’ll miss it all too.

I sigh before turning down the hallway and going to my bedroom. I love my bedroom. My iron four-poster canopied bed is the highlight of the room. The head and footboards have rails but the top third is a gorgeous curlicue pattern. On the canopy, I’ve draped two long strips of white material that flow down the thin, iron poles at the head and foot on each side and have tied each to the rails just below the curlicues.

Brody tied me to the rails once then did very naughty things to me.

I want to cry but I can’t. I’m too tired to cry.

I strip naked in the dark taking my hair down and get under the covers then stare at the chiffon fabric on the canopy as I make plans to call a realtor in Richmond tomorrow to find space for a store and for a house.

I can’t stay here.

I love Serenity Point, but if I have to live the rest of my life here knowing I’ll run into Brody, perhaps see him with Bethany, I won’t be able to make it.

I may be a survivor. But that. That would be the end of me whether figuratively or literally.

Literally would be bad but figuratively would be devastating. I won’t become a ghost.

So that’s what I plan to do: leave.

Then everything will be better.

~~~

I feel the mattress sink then I’m encased in strong arms. I don’t speak. I don’t make a sound. That would ruin it.

This is his goodbye.

My back is to Brody’s front and I feel his mouth at my neck. When he breathes me in then lets out his breath I shiver. I feel his lips caress the spot behind my ear as his hand slides down and glides over my folds making me tremble now. I gasp when he pushes a finger inside of me, touching a spot that makes my abdomen clench and my back arch.

When his finger starts moving in and out in a steady rhythm my body instantly reacts, more so when his thumb presses against my clit. And even more when he rolls my nipple between the thumb and finger of his other hand.

His mouth at my neck is sucking at my flesh now, biting, nipping, and it’s all too much yet not enough. He persists in playing my body with his fingers, with his lips, when my back urgently bows against him as the breath leaves my body in a rush of warm air as I not surprisingly come apart right there in his arms.

While still in the all-consuming throes of my rapturous undoing, I feel him lift my leg at the knee pulling it over his thigh, and he pushes his cock inside of me. Another burst of breath explodes from my mouth when his hips begin surging into mine, when I feel how deep he is, how utterly and thoroughly, how heartbreakingly and completely he fills me.

His hands slide back to the places on my body his fingers had mastered just minutes before and they begin ravishing me anew.

And I have to know. I have to understand truly that this is the end.

I lift my arm and wrap it behind me, my hand resting at the side of his face pulling him forward then I turn my head to gaze into his eyes.

And I see they’re warm on mine. Soft. Deferential. Adoring.

And it’s then that I feel as if I can finally breathe.

His mouth collides with mine, his tongue seeking my own desperately, furiously and my body fractures, every particle of my being infinitely shattering into a million pieces that only he knows how to put back together.

~~~

I blink myself awake gradually and feel the cold against my back.

Then I sit up in a panic looking at the other side of my bed to see it empty.

No. No! It couldn’t have been a dream. Please, God, don’t let it have been a dream.

I start crying letting out everything I’d held in last night and, believe me, it’s a deluge. I put my face in my hands and sob harder than I think I have in my entire life. I throw myself back onto my bed and pound my fists into it beside me, kicking my legs in anger at having been deceived by a fucking dream, crying out that it’s not fair. This goes on for a minute because I’ve got a lot stored up inside me then I flip over on my belly and putting my face in my pillow scream at the top of my lungs, still pounding the bed with my fists, still kicking with my feet.

I stop screaming but I’m still sobbing, literally snot-bawling, when I sit up to get a tissue off my nightstand and hear a snort.

My head whips to my master bathroom doorway to see Brody leaning against it, arms across his naked chest, a towel wrapped around his hips and he’s smirking at me.

“Wh-what… h-how…” I stammer then fly off the bed and into his arms.

He barely has time to get ready for me, uncrossing his arms from his chest just in time to catch me as I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. Then shoving my face into his neck, I continue crying.

“Baby… hey…” he whispers against my temple as one of his hands holds me under my bottom and the other strokes my hair down my back.

“I-I th-thought you w-were a dr-dream,” I stutter, my entire body wracked with my sobs.

“I admit… I am pretty dreamy,” he whispers again.

It takes me a moment to register what he’s said and when I do, I sniff several times against his neck, my breath doing that faltering hiccupping thing as I try getting myself under control then I pull back and look at him. He’s smiling at me. “Y-you made a-a joke,” and I start crying again, burying my face in his neck once more.

He chuckles then soothes, “Piper… baby… come on… it’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

When I’m finally able to get myself under control, for real this time, I pull back and say, my voice still wobbly, “I-I’m s-so s-sorry.”

He walks to my nightstand and pulls a couple of tissues out of the box then sits on the bed with me still wrapped around him like a baby koala.

“You already apologized. Numerous times,” he declares handing me the tissues.

“I-I did?” I whisper as I wipe my face.

“I listened to my voicemails.” He pushes a tendril of hair off my face with his finger.

“But you… you said you needed a break,” I stupidly remind him.

He nods. “I do.” When he feels my body go stiff he chuckles. “Not from you, Pipe. I need a break from all the bullshit.”

My brow comes down and I look into his beautiful eyes. “Oh.”

He sighs. “I’m tired. I’m twenty-nine and feel like I’m ninety. This past year has been a bucket of shit. Being away from you, seeing you with another man,” I watch as his jaw muscles clench and unclench when he looks away. “The lies Peyton’s fed me.”

My hands go up to hold his face turning him back to me. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about everything. But we’re gonna get to the bottom of everything. I want to help. Okay?” He nods and I pull his face to mine and press my lips to his for a sweet kiss. When I pull back, I ask, “How’s Mr. Ackley?”

“When I left the hospital, he was stable. The doctor said he probably needed surgery but didn’t know if he’d need angioplasty or bypass. They were waiting to do the angiogram then they’ll decide.”

“I’m glad he’s okay. I’ll bet Jane’s gonna come home from New York to stay with him after his surgery.”

He nods. “You done crying?”

I huff out a laugh at his change in conversation. “Uh, I think. Why?”

“Feel like fucking you again.”

Oh, my.

All it takes is the removal of his towel and we’re golden.

~~~

After we shower during which we get golden again, we dress and walk from my house to Mags’ to have a late breakfast. We’re holding hands and as we pass several citizens of Serenity Point, I see that Greer was right. Everyone greets us or says good morning and smiles brightly at us looking pleased as punch that we’re together. And I love it and I think Brody does too because each time someone smiles at us, he gives my hand a squeeze.

How could I have been so stupid to think it’d be a big deal?

“So, what was up with you and Bethany last night?” I ask, going for nonchalant and not jealous girlfriend who will rip a chick’s face off.

“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brody answers.

“At the hospital?”

“She was there?” He looks down at me puzzled and I’m good with that.

We walk into Mags’ and immediately get called over to a table where Kade, Amelia, Cassie and Jeremy are sitting. Kade gets up and pulls another table over to make room for us to sit with them.

“How come you’re not working?” Kade asks Brody.

“Cap let us off. We’re still on-call but he told us to get out of the station since we were out for almost fourteen hours yesterday.” He looks at Jeremy then back at Kade. “Didn’t he tell you?”

“Yeah, but Jeremy works hard. I was just wondering why you were off,” Kade teases.

“Fuck you,” Brody mumbles with a grin as he sits.

As the guys start talking about last night, I glance over to see Amelia give me a knowing look from across the table where she sits by Kade then Cassie nudges her elbow into my side. Jeremy’s on her other side and Brody sits across from me.

I turn to Cassie. “What was that for?”

“You know what. You guys are back together.” She gives me a smile then mutters, “’Bout fucking time.”

I chuckle and comment, “Yeah, but I wasn’t sure it’d ever happen.” I turn over the coffee mug in front of me and grab the carafe off the table and pour myself a cup. I look up at Brody who’s giving me his sexy half grin and I go all liquid inside wishing I could have my wicked way with him right now. Damn. He winks at me then looks across at Jeremy joining back in the guy conversation.

Sandra comes up and takes Brody’s and my order and I look at Amelia.

“Thanks, Mill, for being so nice last night. I know I bugged the hell out of you.”

“You did not, Piper. We were all worried. And I knew if you heard anything you’d have called me too, so it’s no big deal.”

“That was the longest night of my life,” Cassie says.

Kade hears this. “Longest night of your life? Try being out there for over twelve hours then you can talk about longest night.”

Amelia smacks him on his arm. “She just means she was worried about you guys, Kade. And I was too. Don’t ever scare me like that again.”

“Babe.”

She gives him a look and he leans over and kisses the side of her head. “I’ll try not to,” he says and that’s that.

We three women talk together over the guys throughout our meal when something Brody says gets my attention.

“This bastard,” he points at Jeremy, “kept me from breaking every fucking bone in my body last night.”

I’d cut off a piece of my omelet and was just about to stick it in my mouth but my fork freezes in midair. “What?” I whisper, looking across the table at him.

Brody’s eyes jerk to mine as if he forgot I was sitting there and I hear him mutter, “Fuck.”

I lean in front of Cassie and ask Jeremy, “What’s he talking about?” I see Jeremy glance at Brody then back at me then back at Brody again. I now look back at Brody. “Tell me.”

He reaches across the table and squeezes my hand then pulls it back to pick up his mug and take a drink, stalling. If my eyes had been capable of shooting lasers, he’d so have been melted by then as I stare hard at him waiting for him to explain. “It wasn’t any big deal.” And now he shrugs.

I look at Kade. “What happened?”

Kade blows out a breath and purses his lips. “Just before the second explosion, the captain kept yelling at Brody to move back.”

“I was making major headway where I was,” Brody insists.

Kade leans forward around Amelia and gives his brother a look, his eyebrow raised. He then looks back at me and scratches his beard for a moment. “It was loud out there so it was hard to hear anything anyway, but I started yelling at him to move back too. Prick didn’t wanna listen.”

“Major fucking headway,” Brody grouses.

“So, yeah, the captain tells me to go tell him to move,” Jeremy joins in.

“Pitkin gets right behind him about to tap him on the shoulder when BOOM!” Kade states with a clap of his hand making all three of us girls jump. “Fucker went flying back, hit your boyfriend,” he points at Cassie, “they both go spinning like fucking tops in a goddamned Matrix movie and land about ten yards away.”

Cassie and I both gasp at the same time and all I can do is stare at Brody.

“I had it under control,” Brody protests looking down at his coffee.

Kade lets out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, so under control. If Pitkin hadn’t been behind you, you’d have shot fifty feet in the air and landed on a fucking fire engine.”

My eyes fill with tears as I peer across the table at him. “Brody,” I say in a choked whisper.

He looks at me. “Baby, I’m okay.” He reaches for my hand again and I jerk it back.

“You could’ve died!” I accuse in kind of a shriek and notice that the diner gets quiet. A couple tears fall down my cheeks and I hastily wipe them away.

“Piper,” he begins.

“No!” I snap, standing up and pointing at him. “You don’t get to act like this is nothing.” I shake my head. “I just got you back. If I’d have lost you last night,” my face scrunches into what I’m sure is a gorgeous look on me, “I don’t know what I would’ve done.” Annnd I’m crying yet again.

He gets up and comes over to me, wrapping his arms around me. He kisses the top of my head and keeping his lips there says. “I know and I’m sorry. I really didn’t think I was that close. I’ll be more careful in the future.”

I look up at him and sniff. “Promise? I don’t want to be raising our kids alone without their dad.”

“Baby.” He holds my face in his hands and runs his thumb over my bottom lip. “That’s not gonna happen. I promise. I love you too much to ever do that to you.” He bends and gives me a kiss which starts out sweet and innocent but heats up quickly as he tries showing me he means every word he’s just said.

And that’s when the entire diner breaks out in applause.

“Shit,” I mutter as I jerk back from him.

He’s smiling down at me almost proudly knowing that I meant what I said on my voicemails when I told him I didn’t care what anyone thought.

He cups my face in his palms and bends giving me a quick bruising kiss. “I love you, Piper,” he says against my lips.

“I love you too, Brody,” I say right back and I don’t even get embarrassed at the whoops and whistles going on around us.