Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
As they boarded the airplane in Corpus, Layne looked forward to having this brief getaway with Keaton. Their lives had been a whirlwind ever since she had arrived in the Bay, and she knew once the Bay Breeze reopened in a couple of weeks, things would only grow more hectic.
She was pleased with how the renovations to the inn had helped update it while retaining its charm.
It had been fun selecting furniture for each room, as well as choosing other pieces to decorate the B&B.
Some had come from Keaton’ gallery, art representing local talent, while some knickknacks had come from several shops on the square.
Thankfully, Piper would take on the job of managing the inn and its guests for the spring and summer, giving Layne time to secure a more permanent innkeeper.
She doubted her friend would want to make the management job hers, but if she did, so much the better.
Layne had followed Keaton to Corpus in her rental car, turning it in at the airport before they checked in.
He told her it was time to shop for something she could keep, and she supposed that was one of the reasons they were staying in Houston tomorrow.
A large city would give them plenty of car dealerships to visit.
Although she knew he had booked them on a flight back to Corpus Sunday morning, it would be easy to cancel her ticket if she had a new car to drive back.
He stored her carry-on in the bin above them.
She hadn’t brought much with her. For tonight’s concert, she would simply wear what she had on now, jeans and a shirt, with a light jacket.
She had packed something to wear for tomorrow, along with pajamas and toiletries.
She would wear her jeans again with a fresh shirt she had brought for the flight home on Sunday.
After he sat and buckled his seatbelt, Layne said, “I’m really excited about the concert tonight. I haven’t been to a live event in ages.”
“Do you enjoy going to concerts? Or even plays?” he asked.
“Both.” She frowned. “I haven’t made play a priority in a long time. Maybe we can choose one live event to go to once a month in Corpus. Or even San Antonio. It’s not that far away, and they draw better acts.”
He took her hand and kissed it. “You’ve already made me fall in love with San Antonio, same as I fell in love with you. I’m ready to go back anytime you are.”
“Well, we probably won’t be going far for a while, not with you needing to get back to painting and me helping Piper with the Bay Breeze.
She doesn’t know how to cook, so I told her I’d handle breakfast each morning for the guests.
That means I’m committed daily to providing that meal.
I do want to arrange with Seaside Sweets to have fresh cookies every afternoon for those staying at the B&B. Piper can pick those up, though.”
“You need to teach your friend how to cook. I’ve taught you, and look how fast you’ve caught on. You’re already offering to cook breakfast every morning.”
“I guess I could try to give her lessons,” she agreed. “Piper is really smart. She picks up things fast. Like the piano. One minute, she was hitting a couple of notes. The next, she was playing chords and then entire songs.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing her perform,” Keaton said. “It’s too bad she doesn’t have a teaching certificate. If she did, she could take over her mom’s position in choir and drama at the high school. Maybe they could hire her on a provisional basis until she could earn the certificate.”
“Piper doesn’t have a degree,” Layne explained.
“She’d need to finish that before she would eligible to earn an alternative teaching certificate.
She dropped out of college after two years because she had the chance to tour in a musical production.
The lure of performing live, coupled with money and travel, was just too much for her to say no. ”
“I know you’ve got two degrees, but college isn’t for everyone. Look at me. I’m proof that you can succeed without going to college. Of course, I’m one of the lucky ones. If I hadn’t gotten the breaks I did, I’d still be doing blue collar construction and remodeling jobs.”
She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m so glad you were able to quit and follow your dreams, Keaton.”
Layne couldn’t help but think of her own dad and how he’d put his artistic dreams aside to marry and run the Bay Breeze. She hoped their kids would be able to chase their dreams.
It surprised her that she was thinking about having kids with Keaton.
He’d never mentioned them, but her heart told her that he would be a fantastic dad.
She told herself not to put the cart before the horse, though.
They were just now living together. Hopefully, they would talk marriage down the road. And then kids.
The flight to Houston’s Hobby Airport went off without a hitch. Layne was glad they could bypass the luggage carousels as they headed for the car rental counter.
“Where’s the concert being held?” she asked as they waited in line.
“The Toyota Center. The Rockets play their home games there.”
“So, we’re talking a big arena.”
He nodded. “Huge. I remember going to see Case in some dive bar that didn’t hold twenty people. His wife was there. Janine. She was pregnant and his biggest supporter. Janine was always the one who encouraged him to give up the day job and concentrate on writing and performing.”
“Were you close?”
“Not really. You know me. The lone wolf. But we worked together for a few years. Talked some. He would sing, both other people’s songs and his own. It made the jobs go faster.”
“Wouldn’t it be great if you could see him?” she asked.
Keaton chuckled. “I don’t think the seats Stacy bought are on the floor.”
She slipped her hand through the crook of his arm. “It doesn’t matter. This is going to be such a fun experience. One of many we’ll have over the years to come.”
They reached the front of the line and were given the keys to a dark green SUV. Keaton put directions into his phone and drove them to a Marriott.
As he handed the key to the valet and they headed inside, he told her, “We can walk to the concert tonight. The arena is about ten minutes from here. The car is more for running around tomorrow.”
“I like hearing that we’re so close. I hate getting stuck in traffic after a concert. Sometimes, you’re in it longer than the actual concert ran.”
They checked in, going to a room on the seventh floor. It took less than five minutes to unpack.
Layne went and wrapped her arms around his neck. “How would you like to kill time until the concert?” she asked coyly.
Keaton gave her a lazy smile. “Why don’t you show me what you have in mind?”
Slowly, she began unbuttoning his shirt, kissing his chest after she undid each button and peeling back the material. When she reached the last one, she pushed the shirt from his broad shoulders, neatly placing it on the nearby chair.
“Wouldn’t want it to get wrinkled,” she purred.
He returned the favor, his lips nuzzling her neck, sending lightning bolts shooting through her. No matter how much time passed, she knew she would never grow tired of his touch.
Greedily, they kissed, removing the rest of their clothes, sinking onto the bed and making love. As he thrust into her, her hips rising each time, she thought every day with him was a new adventure.
They dressed afterward, and Keaton said, “I’m hungry. Let’s set out toward the arena now. I’m sure we’ll find something along the way where we can stop and grab some dinner.”
Two blocks down, they stumbled across a Korean noodle restaurant. Keaton ordered jajangmyeon, a noodle dish with pork and vegetables swimming in a black bean sauce. Layne opted for spicy garlic shrimp noodles.
“My mouth is on fire,” she admitted, finishing her entrée.
“Then we need to order something to cool it down.” He glanced at the dessert menu. “How about this makgeolli ice cream? Says it’s mildly sweet with the delicate flavor of Korean rice wine.”
They asked their server about it, and she explained that it was light, between a sorbet and a full, creamy ice cream.
“Okay, one order of it and another of the yaksik,” he said, referring to a sweet rice dessert.
They split the desserts so they could each have a taste of both, and Layne couldn’t decide which had been better.
“It’s nice to know you’ll try a new cuisine,” she said, recalling how set Jeremy was in his ways when it came to eating.
“I love Korean food,” he told her. “I ate a lot of it during my construction years. Miss Peggy learned how to make a few Korean dishes from a neighbor and taught me how to prepare them, too.”
She squeezed his thigh. “You are just like an onion, Keaton Maxwell. I peel back one layer, and I learn something new about you every day.”
He signed the bill and slipped his credit card into his wallet. “Oh, you have so much more to learn about me.”
Layne laughed. “We’ll start with if you know all the lyrics to the Case Wellborne songs we’ll hear tonight. I’m betting no.”
“That’s a bet you’d win. I’m familiar with a lot of his songs, but I don’t know the lyrics by heart.”
“Well, I do. I’ll be singing in your ear all night long.”
They left the restaurant and headed to the downtown arena. Instead of joining the lines in front of the building, Keaton led them to the side of the structure.
“Where are we going?” she asked. “Or will my man of mystery keep that a secret?”
“You’ll see.”
They came to a side door where security guard stood. Keaton approached him and gave their names. The guard consulted a list on a clipboard he held and then radioed someone inside.
“What is going on?” she asked.
“From this point on, I don’t really know. It’ll be as much a surprise to me as it is to you,” he admitted.
The door opened, and a man in his mid-fifties emerged. He was bald with a salt-and-pepper beard and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.
Offering his hand to Keaton, he said, “Dusty McGraw.”
“Keaton and Layne.”