Chapter 19
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Riptide
It’s Valentine’s today and it’s time to execute my plans. First on the agenda was sending her out for a spa day. Once I shuffled her out the door, I grabbed my little man out of his playpen and scooped him into my arms and carried him out to the gazebo to investigate and give it some final touches.
The lights and tulle have already been strung, dinner will arrive shortly after we do, and the surround sound is set up with a playlist of my choosing.
I glance around and notice the firepits are prepped with wood and all I’ll have to do is light them an hour before I bring her here so it’ll ward off the chill of the evening.
I put a lot of thought into making her feel my love. I can tell her morning, noon, and night what she means to me, but sometimes, actions speak louder than words and that’s my intention with this setup.
“Your guy did good,” Letti tells me as she comes in from behind me, bouquets of wildflowers inside a cart being wheeled in behind her. “Some guys got it, and some don’t. You, however, have got it in spades.”
“Do I even want to know what you’re referring to when you say I’ve got it?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder as she makes her way beside me.
“It’s what my people call ‘the knowing’,” she informs me. “Your insight into what will make Van feel special is ingrained inside of you, Riptide.”
I’m one of the most skeptical people you’ll ever know so I grunt in response because I can’t think of anything to say about it.
I’m not a believer in anything supernatural or spiritual, so when people start with their jargon, I let them say their piece and move on.
I’ll never berate or persecute those who do believe in the afterlife and have faith in the hereafter and everything that comes with it, but it’s not something I can wrap my brain around and make it make sense.
After I do my time here on earth, all I want to do is rest in peace and bask in the fact that I won’t have to face life’s hardships any longer. Fuck knows I’ve had enough bullshit dealt to me while I breathe, I don’t want to be earthbound longer than necessary and be fed more of it.
Letti elbows me, chiding, “It’s a compliment, Riptide. Take it and be gracious about it.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say, tossing her a forced smile. She shakes her head at me and moves forward. “Do you think the flowers are overkill? I don’t want it to be too much.”
“No, it’s the right amount, Riptide. Even if you turned it into a garden, it’d be just right. Women love flowers, unless they’re allergic to them or they come from the wrong reason.”
“There’s a wrong reason for giving a woman some flowers?” I ask, wanting to get her perspective.
“There is. Especially if she doesn’t want them from you,” she points out.
I mull that over for a minute and think about all the different scenarios a female wouldn’t want that type of attention from a man. Liking a woman’s input so I can store it in my memory for a later date and time, in case I screw up, I ask, “Such as?”
“A break up gone wrong. A stalker. After a fight where the meaning is acceptable as long as they’re followed up by an apology,” she lists. “Those are just a few examples. I can think of many more, but that’ll take us sitting down for a long conversation.”
“Those things won’t be an issue between Van and me so they’re moot,” I state as I juggle my little man, situating him in a more comfortable position on my hip.
Letti’s lips lift in the corner in amusement as she gets to work.
I sit my boy on the wooden floor and give him a cloth book to occupy him while I help her tie the flowery bundle to the center of the ribbon that’s holding the tulle together on the beams. Once we’re done and I take a step back, I’m satisfied that it’s just the right amount of romance to set the scene I had in my mind.
“Icer and I were talking,” Letti says, breaking into my review of the setup.
“That’s dangerous,” I quip. “What have y’all been talking about?”
“Hardee, har, har,” she lambastes, giving me the evil eye, shaking her head at me as if she’s disappointed in me. “You’ve got jokes today, Riptide. And they’re not funny.”
“I thought it was,” I counter. “Sorry if I offended you, Letti. It’s just the thought of Icer talking instead of grunting that gives me room for concern as far as chats go. What were y’all talking about?”
She answers by telling me, “We want to give you two the entire night to yourselves so you don’t have to come back to kids after this amazing evening you’ve got planned.”
“You’ve got my attention. I’m listening,” I say, suddenly liking where this conversation is going. “What did y’all come up with?”
“A big slumber party at my place. It’s quiet and secure,” she promises. “Icer hooked me up with a system that’d put the president’s to shame. We thought we’d bunker down in the living room and make a night of it without the hanky panky.”
“I’d hope not,” I say, fucking with her. “Y’all would have a lot to answer for if you did.”
I’m not worried they’ll do anything inappropriate in front of the kiddos—Icer’s too damn protective over them to do something of the sort. Letti’s important to him, but Elodie and Gage Jr. are his entire world. He wouldn’t do anything to rock that.
“Zoey’d skin me alive,” she laughs.
“And answer a few things I bet she’s not quite ready for,” I chuckle.
“Truth,” she mumbles as she puts the final touches on the bouquets and making sure they’re centered. Satisfied they’re perfect, she nods her head. “There. Van’s going to be so damn touched by this, Riptide.”
“That’s the hope,” I mutter as I reach down and grab my boy off the ground.
“She hasn’t had the best experience in the past when it comes to sentimental gestures.
Gage put the circuit and whatever had his attention at the time ahead of her.
I want her to know that I’m the type of man who will put her first. Always. ”
“It’s good to know you won’t shuffle her to the back. She’s a good one, Riptide.”
“She’s the best, Letti. I thought my life was fulfilled by the club before she and our boy taught me otherwise. Suddenly, with her by my side the world wasn’t as dark. I didn’t see things in shades of gray anymore.”
“That’s a beautiful analogy, Riptide.”
“It’s how I feel, Letti.”
“She’s ripped those rose-colored glasses off your face, huh?” she teases. “Good for her.”
“If you say so,” I tell her, shrugging. I don’t want to get too deep into this with her so I switch topics. “Sorry you and Icer aren’t getting to celebrate the holiday like the rest of us are.”
“It’s one day out of the year, Riptide. I live my life with the idealism that one isn’t more important or special than the other. I make the best out of each one that I wake up for because not all of us are that lucky.”
“You’re good for him, Letti. I hope some of your thoughts and beliefs seep into his head. Fuck knows out of all of us, he needs the reminder that he’s worth it.”
“He’s good for me too,” she counters. “Not everyone is fortunate enough to find their soul mate. I count my blessings every day that I did.”
“Never thought I’d hear a woman profess that her soul was tied to Icer’s. He’s not exactly the soul binding type.”
“He’s like an onion. You have to peel the layers back one at a time to get to the soul of him,” she expresses. “And once you find that center, it’s one of the most beautiful sights you’ll ever see.”
“I’ll take your word for it because I doubt he’ll ever let any of us get that close to him,” I rebuff.
“He’s a hard man, Riptide, but he’s worth the effort and patience it takes to find his true self.”
“And now I’ve been properly put in my place,” I harrumph.
“As long as you stay there, we won’t have any issues,” she says as she turns on her heels and walks away.
I’ve always known there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to my brother, but considering he puts off vibes that scream stay the fuck back, that’s exactly what we’ve done.
I need to take my cues from his woman and spend some one-on-one time with the Ice man and see if I can get that wall he’s got around him to melt.