Chapter 20
“Rhett is a dark horse and I’m finding the idea of horseback riding more and more appealing.” ~ Dakota
Dakota
T his is stupid. This is a mistake. I dig my phone out of my jeans pocket – intent on messaging Rhett to say I changed my mind – but my finger hesitates over the send button. I made an agreement. I need to stick to it.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet,” Sadie says.
I stop pacing to point to the floor. “Really? You’re worried about this carpet?”
She wags her finger at me. “Nope. We’re not discussing the carpet.”
I give her my back to stare out of the window. I have a sneaking suspicion I know what she wants to discuss and I’m not interested.
“You’re going to ignore me when I know you can hear me?”
“Yep.”
She giggles. “This is fun. Way more fun than when my sister, Scarlett, fell in love with Weston.”
She told me all about how her older sister ended up trapped in a log cabin with a police officer during a snowstorm this past Christmas. Scarlett hated Weston because he teased her in high school, but somehow, they fell in love during the time they spent together.
“This is not a love story.”
“Did you tell Rhett it’s not a love story?”
I told him entirely too much about my past. I thought he’d run in the other direction. Instead, he offered to pay off my debts – no, thank you, I don’t need a man to save me – and asked me out.
I tried to resist him. I truly did. But when he yelled at his brothers in defense of me, I caved. The crack in my walls blew wide open and I said yes before I had the chance to grab some mortar and fix my fortifications.
“I’ll answer your question if you tell me why you race to the mailbox whenever the mail is delivered.”
She frowns. I knew she wouldn’t answer my question. When she gets a letter, she rushes to the restroom and locks the door behind her to read it.
“Where are you going?” she asks instead.
All my anxiety comes rushing back, and I wring my hands together. “I don’t know.”
All I know is he said to dress casually and not to bring a purse. My mind is whirling with possibilities. Or, rather, the lack of possibilities. What do you do on a date in jeans? How come I’m not allowed to bring my purse?
Rhett’s SUV turns into the parking lot of the Mermaid Motel and I hurry toward the entrance.
Sadie whistles. “That is some vehicle.”
“What do you mean? It’s an SUV. There are tons of them on the island.”
She snorts. “But very few of them cost as much as most people earn in a year.”
Great. Something else to worry about. Rhett is wealthy. How could I have forgotten? My boss is a billionaire and they’re brothers.
“Have fun!” Sadie hollers as I rush outside.
Rhett frowns as he walks toward me. “I wanted to be a gentleman and pick you up at your door.”
“I’ll let you open the car door,” I offer.
“You drive a hard bargain, Havoc.” He opens the door, but when I try to climb inside the vehicle, he grasps my hips and helps me up. Then, he leans over me to fasten my seatbelt.
“I could have climbed inside on my own.”
He tweaks my nose. “But now you didn’t need to.”
He shuts the door before I have a chance to respond.
“Where are we going?” I ask the second he opens his door.
He chuckles. “Impatient?”
“Curious.”
“What I say next has to remain strictly confidential between the two of us.”
I groan. “I am not robbing a bank with you. You do realize banks don’t actually have cash anymore?”
“I won’t rob a bank unless I have to.”
“I’m confused. Why would you have to rob a bank?”
He switches on the engine and drives away from the motel. “You’ve met my brothers.”
“I never realized siblings could be close but drive each other batty at the same time.”
He reaches across the console to squeeze my hand. “I’m sorry you grew up without siblings.”
“Judging by the way you are with your siblings, I’d have more scars if I did.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what? Make fun of your family? I’m sorry.”
“You can make fun of my brothers all you want. Have at it. What I meant is, don’t be flippant about how you grew up. You’re allowed to be sad for missing out.”
I glance out the window. “I never thought of it as missing out.”
“Can I ask how you ended up in care?”
I debate what I should say. Before I come up with an answer, he sighs. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer me if it’s painful. Pick another topic.”
“It’s not painful. I just never discuss this stuff.”
“I get it. It’s private. You’re a very private person.”
Am I? I’ve never had the time or energy to self reflect or go to therapy. I was too busy going to school and working, and then working and building a life, and now trying to survive. Therapy is for people who can afford it. [i]
“My mother was an addict. I was born addicted to heroin. While I was in the NICU, my mother left the hospital and was never seen again. She was admitted under a false name. I never knew her real name or who my dad was.”
“Shit, Dakota. I’m sorry.”
“Why are you sorry? You had nothing to do with it.”
He sighs. “You know what I mean. I’m sorry for all you went through.”
I shrug. “I don’t remember it.”
“And no one ever wanted to adopt you?”
“Children born addicted have a higher risk of developing long-term problems. No one wanted to accept the risk.” It’s true. Just not the entire truth.
“Assholes.”
My brow wrinkles. “They’re not assholes. Having a sick child can be costly.”
“It doesn’t matter. When you love your children, you do everything for them.”
“You make it sound easy.”
He chuckles. “It’s not easy. It’s hard as shit. When Dad left us, I wasn’t even fifteen. Eli was older, but Jaxon, Miles, Zane, and Kai were all younger. Eli and I worked our asses off to make sure our four brothers had everything they ever wanted or needed.”
“What about your mom? Where was she?”
“In between working two jobs, she was falling apart because the man she’d loved her whole life left her for another woman.”
My heart aches for her. I know how she felt.
Rhett squeezes my hand. “Enough about them. I want us to have fun today.”
“And how are we going to have fun?”
He nods toward the road sign. “Guess.”
“This is Pirate’s Perch?” I ask as I glance around. There isn’t much to see. A few houses along the main drag, but there aren’t any stores of any kind.
“It’s the smallest town on Smuggler’s Hideaway.”
“This is not a town. Maybe a hamlet?”
“It is pretty small. Almost all of the shops on the island are located in Smuggler’s Rest.”
“What are we doing here?”
“Can you guess?”
“Can I get a clue? Because the only thing I can imagine doing here is sitting on a porch in a rocking chair watching paint dry.”
“I’ll give you a clue. Viking.”
Viking? What does he mean? Are we searching for a Scandinavian seafaring pirate? History wasn’t my subject, but I’m pretty sure the Vikings restricted their raiding to north-western Europe.
I gasp when I realize where I’ve heard the word Viking recently. “Did the otter escape? Shouldn’t we organize a search party? The two of us alone will never find her.”
“Viking is perfectly safe. She’s in Smuggler’s Rest, where she belongs. Not in Pirate’s Perch, where another animal belongs.”
“I know each town has a live mascot, but I don’t remember what the Pirate’s Perch mascot is.”
“It’s a parrot named Plank.”
My mouth drops open when I remember another tidbit about the live mascots. “Are we going to steal him?”
Rhett smirks. “We are. And then we’re going to rub it in my brothers’ noses.”
“Do you know where Plank is?”
“I happen to know who is hiding Plank and this person happens to be working overtime today.”
I bounce in my seat. “This is exciting. I’ve never seen a parrot up close before. Do they really talk? Are they mean? Will he poop on us? Should we have a cage for him?”
Rhett laughs and points to the backseat. “I’ve got a cage but I make no guarantees he won’t poop on us. Plank is a foul-mouthed asshole.”
“You’ve tried to steal him before, haven’t you?”
“Back in high school. Jaxon and I teamed up. It was not the best team. Jaxon kept reading instructions from his phone but he refused to help otherwise.”
I rub my hands together. “Don’t you worry. I’ll help.”
“Do you love all animals or just otters and parrots?”
“I love them all. Animals are sweet and cuddly. Humans not so much.”
“I don’t guarantee Plank will be sweet and cuddly.”
He turns down a driveway and we bump around as he drives the unpaved road for a few minutes until we arrive at a cabin in the woods.
“Phew,” I say when the cabin appears. “I was worried you were leading me into the woods for nefarious reasons.”
He switches off the engine and glances over at me. His blue eyes are full of heat, and I shiver at the promise in them. “Whenever you want me to kidnap you for nefarious reasons, you let me know. I’ll get the handcuffs ready.”
My jaw drops open. I’ve never used handcuffs in the bedroom before. But judging by the tingling in my nether regions, I’m ready to try. With Rhett. No one else.
He pinches my jaw and shuts my mouth. “You’re trouble, Havoc.”
He kisses my nose before jumping out of the vehicle. He rounds the front and I wait for him. I might as well enjoy his gentlemanly act for as long as it lasts.
He opens the door and grasps my hips. His fingers dig in as he lifts me to set me on the ground. I remember how good those fingertips felt digging into my hips as he sank into me from behind.
“Trouble,” he murmurs before pressing his lips against mine in an all too brief kiss.
“Says the man who wants to commit a felony on our first date.”
He chuckles as he takes my hand and leads me around the cabin to the shed out back.
I frown. “Is Plank in the shed?”
“Nope. But the extra key to the back door is.”
I wait by the back door as Rhett sneaks across the yard to the shed. He opens the door – it’s unlocked – and snatches a set of keys from inside.
“Is there anyone home?” he asks as he returns to me.
Damn. Was I supposed to be doing reconnaissance? I suck at committing felonies. I blame Rhett’s ass. It’s very distracting. And sexy.
“I don’t think so,” I hedge.
We listen at the door for a minute but when we don’t hear any movement inside, Rhett unlocks the door and we tiptoe into the house.
“Where’s Plank?” I whisper as we walk through the kitchen.
“Where’s Plank? Where’s Plank?” A not quite human voice mimics.
“I think we found him.” Rhett points to the bird in the cage in the corner of the living room.
“He’s pretty,” I say as I walk toward him. He’s a vibrant red with blue and yellow on his wings.
“Plank’s pretty,” the bird mimics.
“And you’re smart, too.”
“Pretty and smart,” it mimics again.
“You can continue to flirt with the bird on the way back to Smuggler’s Rest,” Rhett says. “We shouldn’t stay too long. We don’t want to be caught.”
“Because we’re committing a felony.”
Rhett opens the door to the cage and reaches for the bird. It pecks at him and he snatches his hand back. “Ouch.”
“I want the sexy one,” the bird says.
I giggle. “I didn’t realize parrots talked this much.”
“Stop flirting with my girlfriend,” Rhett grumbles at the bird.
“She’s out of your league,” it says.
I clap a hand over my mouth before I laugh out loud. “I love you, Plank.”
“Plank loves you, too.”
“Shall I get him?” I ask Rhett.
“Crap. I forgot the cage.”
“Crap. I forgot the cage,” the bird mimics.
I study the parrot. He appears gentle, but I’ve never handled a bird before. I’m a bit apprehensive about stealing him from his cage. What if he flies away? He’s domesticated. He’ll never survive in the wild.
“Freeze! Hands up!”
I scream and rush for the door. I am not getting arrested for stealing a parrot. Rhett chases after me.
“Stop, Havoc, it was Plank. He was pretending to be a cop.”
I screech to a halt on the back porch. I grab my side where I can feel a stitch forming. I wasn’t kidding about not being a runner.
“Okay,” I gasp out. “Get the cage and we’ll go back.”
He heads for his vehicle but swears and pivots on his heel to return to me. “There’s a car coming. We need to get out of here.”
He shackles my wrist and leads me around the house. We jump into his SUV and he drives away as fast as possible on the bumpy driveway. We pass a car and I wave to the occupant, who wags his finger at me.
“Close call,” Rhett says as we turn onto the main road.
“But it was fun. Especially since Plank liked me more than you.”
“Of course, he did. You’re magnificent.”
I wait for the punchline, but apparently there isn’t one. He’s serious. He thinks I’m magnificent. No wonder I’m falling in love with him.
My world tilts and I grab the door handle before I fall over. Falling in love with Rhett? I can’t fall in love with anyone. I should know better.
Apparently, my heart doesn’t care. It wants what it wants.