Episode 169
EPISODE 169
ROOTS
Brett
“Excuse me?”
I jerk backward at the voice.
Misty stands behind us, looking gorgeous in a fiery red strapless sheath and platform sandals. Her blue eyes—so like Jake’s—are wide.
“There you are,” I say.
“We have a date, Brett.” Misty harrumphs. “I chose you. Remember?”
I glance at my watch. “And you’re late.”
“So? I’m worth waiting for. But apparently you think otherwise, since you’ve replaced me already.”
Heather just laughs. “I won’t stand in anyone’s way. I’m meeting June for a walk on the beach.”
“Don’t let us keep you,” Misty says dryly.
“Hold on,” I say to Heather. I take Misty’s arm and lead her back inside the mansion. “Look, you and I already know there’s nothing between us. You want to forget it? ”
“So you can go fuck Heather? I don’t think so.”
“I can fuck Heather now or later. What does it matter?”
“I want to talk to you, Brett. I want to learn about my birth mother. About my brother.”
God. She wants me to talk about Jake.
I don’t talk about Jake.
Not since he took his life...and my heart along with it.
The world stopped turning the moment I found out. I can still hear him laugh sometimes, like it’s floating on the breeze, teasing me, reminding me of what’s gone. See his wild light-blond hair that he considered his best feature.
In reality his best feature was his sparkling blue eyes.
So much like the eyes that are gazing at me now.
And it hits me, the weight of it all—the silence. The finality of Jake’s decision. He could have had everything—his share of our treasure, friendship that withstood the ages.
Hell, he could have had me, if I’d had the courage to admit my feelings.
Heather walks through the French doors. “Are we doing this or not?” she asks, her voice clipped.
“Hey, there!” We all turn to see June flouncing into the kitchen, clad in a basic black dress, her feet bare. She nods to Heather. “You ready?”
“I may have a better offer,” Heather says with a laugh.
Misty simply glares at all three of us.
“I’m sorry, Heather,” I begin?—
Then the front door opens.
We all hurry out of the kitchen to see who’s here.
And I gasp.
“Sienna,” I say, my tone more excited than I want it to be.
“Hey, everyone. ”
Her driver brings in her bag. “I’ll take this up to your suite, Ms. Costello.”
“Thank you.” Sienna sighs. “I’m exhausted. Traveling takes it out of me.”
“You’re back,” June says, her tone a bit miffed.
“I am. How are you all?”
“Good,” Misty says. “Brett and I have a date.”
Sienna regards me, her eyes widening slightly. “Oh?”
“We had a cook-off yesterday,” I explain. “Emily and Misty were on a team together, and they won, so they each got to choose one of us to have a private date with.”
Misty grabs my arm. “And I chose Brett. Let’s go.”
“Hold on,” I say. “I don’t even know what Evangeline planned for us.”
“Dinner on the beach,” she says. “I requested steak and potatoes. You know, Montana stuff. For you.”
“Except I’ve lived in California for the last fifteen years,” I remind her.
Sienna smiles weakly. “You two go on then. I’ll catch up with Heather and June. Where is everyone else?”
“Ginger and Rachel chose not to return,” I tell her. “Sebastian and Emily are on a date, and River...”
“What about him?”
“He’s gone,” I say.
Sienna’s jaw drops. “He is?”
“Only for tonight. He had some business to take care of, I guess.”
I can’t take my eyes off Sienna. She’s wearing jeans and a T-shirt, simple sneakers on her feet, but she looks so beautiful. She’s not wearing any makeup that I can see, but her cheeks are rosy and her lips plump and inviting .
The memory of our kisses, our frantic fuck in the back of the car...
Already my groin is responding.
“Why don’t we all hang out?” June says. “You don’t mind, do you, Misty?”
“As a matter of fact?—”
“That sounds great,” I say, wishing I could take Sienna in my arms and carry her up to my suite, “but Misty and I have plans.” I take her hand. “Come on.”
“Wait,” Sienna says. “That’s not everyone. What about Ariel? And Alex?”
“Oh!” June clamps her hand on her mouth. “You don’t know, do you? They’re off the market. Alex chose Ariel. She’s got a billionaire!”
“Alex chose Ariel?” Sienna says quietly.
“Yeah.” I regard her. She looks...not upset, really. Just surprised.
“One down,” I say, smiling at Sienna. I turn to the three other women. “Could you excuse me for a minute? Alex wanted me to say something to Sienna.”
“Oh. Sure. I guess.” Misty shrugs. “Come on, ladies.”
Misty, June, and Heather walk through the foyer and out of earshot.
“Hey,” I say. “This was all planned before...”
“I get it.”
“But tomorrow I want to see you, okay? Spend time with you and only you.”
She smiles, this time not as weakly. “That sounds good.”
I lean toward her and brush my lips over hers. “It’s good to see you, dancing queen.”
Her cheeks burn bright red. “Nice to see you too. What I really need is a shower. Maybe I’ll see you later? ”
“You don’t want to wait until tomorrow?” I ask.
“Brett,” she says, “I don’t think I want to wait another minute.”
“God, you’re killing me, woman.” My cock is ready to spring through my jeans.
“Go on. She’s waiting.” Sienna heads toward the staircase.
I adjust things in my crotch and then go out the back way. Misty is waiting on the deck.
“Ready?” I ask her.
“Yes. I’m sorry I was late. It’s kind of in my genes, I guess.” Then she laughs. “Or not in my genes, after all, since it turns out I was adopted. But my whole life, my mother told me a lady is always fashionably late. She taught me all the rules about being a hotel heiress. But that’s about all she taught me. She let my father deal with everything else. And it was brutal.”
I imagine it was. She already told us how her father made her swim until her body ached, hold her breath until she nearly drowned.
We don’t talk much as we walk to the beach. We pass Sebastian and Emily, who are already on their dessert.
After a quick hello, we walk on to our table.
I hold out the chair for Misty and then take a seat across from her.
A server comes by and fills our champagne glasses, and Misty raises hers.
“To finding our roots,” she says.
I clink my glass to hers.
I know my roots. I try not to think about them, but being here with my three best friends has brought it all back.
So why not?
Why not go back? Tell Misty everything I know? I never talk about Jake, but perhaps it’s time. And if Misty is truly his sister—and I believe she is—she deserves to know.
I set my glass down.
“I’m going to tell you about someone truly special,” I begin. “I’m going to tell you about your brother.”