Chapter 23
SIENNA
The past couple of days have been relaxing beyond relief.
Filled with board games, dips in the lake during the hottest part of the day, and food made by Leo that should go down in history books as the most delicious food ever made.
It also helps that without the pillow wall in the way, Theo and I have woken up tangled in each other’s arms each morning.
I hate to admit that it’s the best sleep I’ve gotten in a while.
What’s been most surprising is how much fun I’ve had hanging out with him and his brothers.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still keeping my eye out for anything that points to there being bodies buried in this expansive land that they own.
But I’ve been able to relax these past few days in a way that I haven’t been able to for years.
Beth says it’s because I finally got “laid,” and no matter how much I insist that we didn’t have sex, she’s still skeptical.
“I swear, we only fooled around and did hand stuff when we were out on the porch. You know I don’t jump into bed with men that quickly,” I said to her when she didn’t believe me.
“I still think you’re hiding something. No man is that good with their hands,” she said in response.
I was careful not to remind her that it’s been a while since she was with a man, since she had taken an oath (self-imposed) to only date women, and she rarely brings a man home with her.
Beth and I are on the back porch, enjoying the lake view.
It’s warmer than usual today as a heat wave rolls through the area.
Going into full effect tomorrow, we decided to spend some additional time outside.
The remainder of our days will be spent inside, enjoying the air-conditioning or dunking ourselves in the lake if the heat lasts as long as our weather app says it will.
It may rain here in the Pacific Northwest 90 percent of the year, but the other 10 percent can get so hot that sometimes it feels like your skin is going to melt off.
“I’m telling you, man, best buns I’ve seen in my life.” Alex and Theo walk out onto the deck, mid-conversation.
“Ew! Alex, what the fuck?” Beth says, crinkling her nose. Beth grabs a pillow from the cushion next to her and chucks it at Alex.
“Hamburger buns, Beth. I’m talking about hamburger buns.” Alex waves his arms at Beth in an effort to correct her. The look on her face tells me she’s not convinced.
Theo follows Alex, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, showing off every toned muscle of his legs. A piece of his hair falls forward onto his forehead, and the combination of the two is enough to make a girl rethink her life choices.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still focused on deciding about this job offer. Just one more peek at those thighs, though…
No, Sienna. Obsessing over him is a slippery slope to breaking another rule.
“God, you’re such a man sometimes.” Beth gets up from the couch, walking past Alex to head back inside.
“Why, thank you,” Alex responds, beating Beth to the door and sliding it open for her. He bows slightly as she walks past, and I fight to hold in my laugh. When she gives him the middle finger as she crosses the threshold, the laugh bursts out of me.
“You too?” Alex gasps. Looking at me, he places a hand on his chest as though he’s been injured by my laugh at his expense. I ignore him, but the smile on my face doesn’t fade as he follows Beth inside.
“This is a good look on you,” Theo says from beside me, pulling my attention to him.
Instinctively, I step closer to him, knowing we are alone on the patio.
As I do, Theo pulls me toward him by my waist and plants a kiss on my lips.
The action is similar to two magnets clicking together when they’ve been placed too close to one another.
“What’s a good look on me?” I pull back slightly, looking down at my old band camp T-shirt, which I’ve had since the ninth grade. “This old thing?”
“No.” Theo tugs at my waist as he huffs out a chuckle. Planting another kiss on one corner of my lips, he says, “This.” Then he does the same to the other corner. “Smile.”
I swat him away, and he continues, “I just like seeing you happy. Although now I’m very curious about this band camp. What instrument did you play? Were you good? Do you still play?”
I laugh as it’s my turn to pull him in for a kiss now, successfully shutting him down from asking more questions. “I played the flute. I was decent but not good enough to continue after high school. No, I do not still play. Now, no more questions.”
Using his finger, he tilts my chin toward him. “I bet you were adorable. I’d love to see pictures of you from your childhood. Oh! I bet you had a stuffed bear that you tugged around with you everywhere, huh?”
Laughing, I move away to head inside. “It was a bunny, and I only had it until I was seven. Now leave me alone. Don’t we have somewhere to be?
” I swat his hand away as he attempts to grab at my waist playfully.
He tries to ask me more embarrassing questions about my childhood, but I promptly ignore him.
My smile only falters when I realize his interest in my childhood is nothing more than a means of flirting. This is just a fun fling, no strings, no commitment. Hell, we haven’t even had sex, so I highly doubt Theo has any actual interest in my past.
The idea of that makes my stomach twist into a knot.
When I catch up with the rest of the group in the kitchen, the conversation is a welcome break from my thoughts.
The burger competition is tonight, and I find myself more excited than I expected.
Although I credit that excitement to the prospect of tasting Leo’s supposed “life-changing” burgers.
Also, maybe because Theo and I are on the same team, we have a plan to give Leo a run for his money.
Beth opted out of this one but said she would help Theo and me pick out ingredients. Hence why all of us, except Roman, are currently in the kitchen deciding whose car we will take to the grocery store.
“Six people and we all drive Mustangs. Not something we really thought through here,” Alex says to the group.
“So let’s just take two cars then,” Leo says as though the solution is obvious. Which, to be fair, it is, but then it poses another question.
“Who rides with who, then?” Theo asks from beside me, his hand wrapping around my waist again. I’ve learned it's his favorite spot to rest his arm.
“Well, you two should ride together, obviously.” Alex motions toward Theo and me.
“Beth can ride with us, then,” I add.
“And leave me with Mr. Grumpy? No thanks,” Alex responds.
Leo rolls his eyes. “He’s not that bad.”
“Maybe not to you. But the drive to the grocery store is too long to be stuck in a two-door car with him. Theo, you take him, and we’ll take Beth.” Alex nods in Theo’s direction.
“Not a chance if we’re driving your car,” she says to Alex with a scoff.
Roman finally joins us in the kitchen, having come from upstairs. He looks at all of us gathered around the kitchen island, his brows furrowed together.
“You ready?” he says to the group.
“Yeah, just trying to figure out the car situation,” Leo says to Roman.
“It’s a ‘situation’?” He looks at his brother confused, and Leo grimaces as he shrugs. Roman pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs.
“Okay,” Roman begins. “Theo, Sienna, you’re with me.” He points at Alex, Beth, and Leo. “The three of you can ride together.”
Roman’s confident tone leaves no room for debate.
As we head toward the door, Beth stops me with a look.
Staring at me with wide eyes, she mouths the words “kill me” before reluctantly taking off after Alex and Leo.
I look after her with the best “I’m sorry” face I can muster, but I don’t think it does much to set her at ease.
As everyone files out of the front door, I can’t help but notice something peculiar that all the men do as they exit. I must have the question written all over my face because Theo leans down and speaks softly, just loud enough for only us to hear.
“You think it’s weird, don’t you?”
Looking up at him, I’m even more confused now.
“Weird? No. Not at all. Just curious is all. She’s a gorgeous woman, but I’m not sure…
?” I’m not even sure how to finish the sentence.
As each of the men exits the front door, they kiss the tips of their fingers and touch the picture frame.
The photo is of a beautiful woman with wavy brown hair that falls to her shoulders and a smile that reminds me of Theo’s.
Taking a second look at the photo, I don’t need Theo’s explanation to know exactly who the woman is.
“That’s my mom. We never fail to say goodbye to her every time we leave the house. It started when we were younger, and the habit just grew with us as we got older. I can’t imagine leaving now without doing it. Strange, I know.” He shrugs one shoulder as though he’s embarrassed by the habit.
Shaking my head, I turn to Theo in hopes of reassuring him.
“Of course. I should have known. I’m so sorry.
I don’t think it’s weird or strange at all.
I think it’s very sweet. My dumb summer brain just didn’t put two and two together.
” That earns me a smile as he stands next to the photo of his mom.
It’s nice to see where he got his smile from.
“She was a beautiful woman,” I say, looking back at the photo.
“Yeah, she was.” I catch Theo smiling somberly at the photo of his mother before he kisses his fingertips, touches the frame, then exits through the front door.
I follow him, but not before lifting a timid hand, gesturing a small wave toward the photo. My own little “goodbye,” mimicking theirs.