Chapter Eight
“You’ve got to trust me,” Doc said.
Maeve laughed. “I’m blindfolded, in the middle of nowhere, or wherever we are. My cell phone is switched off, and no one knows where I am. Trust me, Doc, I trust you.” Even as she said all that, if Eden had told her she’d done this, she would have hit the roof, and then some.
This was not just any man, though. This was Doc. She trusted him, and he’d never done anything to hurt her. So, when he turned up at her home this morning, after Eden and Razor had left for the day, he told her he had a special surprise.
On the ride, she’d been blindfolded, and she was still blindfolded. Her first time riding on the back of a bike, and she couldn’t even enjoy it, as she pressed her face to Doc’s back and held on for dear life.
“Don’t worry, I’m not an axe murderer or a serial killer,” he said.
“That’s a relief.”
He chuckled.
They were moving over uneven ground, and Maeve felt her nerves start to pick up. No one had ever given her a surprise before. Technically, they had, but it had involved lingerie and them wanting to have sex.
Suddenly, Doc stopped and moved to step behind her.
The blindfold released, and it took her a second to get accustomed to the scene before her.
There was a lake, and they were on some of the greenest grass she had ever seen.
Before her was a checkered blanket, and on top of that was a picnic basket.
“You prepared a picnic?” she asked, turning toward Doc.
“Yes, I did. I think it’s a good idea for you to get away from whatever is troubling you, and this is one of my favorite spots.”
“It is?” she asked. The view was stunning. It looked so secluded, and it seemed no one knew of this lake, because the ground hadn’t been worn.
“Yeah, I found it not long after we lost Jake.”
“We’re not in Rivermont Ridge?” she asked.
“No, on the outskirts, but not a lot of people come through here. It’s like a dead road.”
“And you came here after you lost your son?”
“I needed to get away from all the shit.”
She looked around and then sat down on top of the blanket, as Doc poured them both a glass of flavored sparkling water. The bubbles were light, and the drink was fruity. She took a sip and smiled at Doc. “Have you ever brought anyone else here?”
“No one,” he said. “You’re the first person.”
This meant something. It was his special hiding place, and he’d brought her along. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s peaceful and allows me to think.”
“You believe I need time to think?”
“You’re going through something right now.”
She looked down at her glass. “You noticed.”
“You keep your cell phone on vibrate or you turn it off. You’ve not gone back to work, and I’ve heard you giving jobs away. I heard Kristin offered you a space at the salon, and you’re helping Charlotte out. I’ve even heard Eden said this is the longest time you’ve ever had off.”
“I didn’t think anyone noticed.”
“They notice when you’re gone, of course they’re going to notice you’re still here.”
She smiled but this time it was forced. “Trying to get rid of me, I see.”
He shook his head. “Worried about you.”
“Eden doesn’t need to be worried.”
“You’re her sister, of course she’s worried.”
But they didn’t talk about it. They rarely had time to talk about anything. Razor was always there, and Maeve didn’t want to talk about her own world with him there.
“What are you thinking?”
“It’s a lot right now. Eden’s pregnant, and I know it’s stupid because I figured we would always live together, even though I also knew we would find ... other people to be with. It’s messed up and I get that.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s just a lot to take in right now.”
“You’re sad about not being number one in Eden’s life?” he asked.
“I was never number one in her life.”
“She has always been number one in your life.”
Maeve took a deep breath, she felt that burning within her throat, and she didn’t want to cry. She didn’t want to feel this emotional. “I have no idea what is going on with me.”
Doc moved behind her, and she tried to pull away, but he banded an arm around her waist. “Just talk. It doesn’t have to make any kind of sense, but whatever it is that is eating away at you, you need to talk about it. There’s no judgment from me. Just talk.”
Maeve took a deep breath. Talking was supposed to help.
“It’s hard, that’s all. Since I was a kid, like ten years old, Mom and Dad always said take care of Eden, keep an eye on Eden, and that is what I did.
When they died, I knew there was no way I was letting Eden go into care.
I love my sister, and even though they were assholes and attempted to make it as hard as possible, I fought to keep her.
Eden doesn’t know how bad it got, but I don’t know, maybe she did, because she was always so good.
She didn’t rebel and she just ... she flourished.
They had no choice but to back off. When she reached eighteen, it got a little easier.
Eden has been my world for a long time, but now I know I’ve got to let her go.
I don’t know if I should offer to move out and let them have the house, or look for a new place for them.
I don’t want them to think I don’t want them around.
” She felt the tears begin to fall, and now it was like opening up a dam.
“And fucking work,” she said. “That is all I do. I’m worse than my parents.
At least they took the time to have a couple of kids, to find one another.
All I do is work. My cell phone goes off, and I hate it.
I love my job but right now I hate it, and it fucking sucks.
I promised myself my work wouldn’t become my only focus, yet that is exactly what it is.
” She didn’t want to spend this date moaning about work, and that seemed to be exactly what she was doing.
She took a sip of her sparkling fruit drink, and tried to stop the tears from falling. “Ignore me.”
Doc placed a hand on her hip and his other hand across her body. “No, I’ll never ignore you, Maeve. You need to talk to someone and I’m right here for you.”
She let out a little sob. “But it’s so stupid. I don’t want to be crying about a job I actually have. There are people out there who don’t have a job and are desperate for work, and can’t get any.”
“So. You’ve been through a lot, and I don’t give a fuck what other people say, and you know what, neither should you. You can enjoy your job and hate it, and I don’t know whatever the fuck emotion that rushes through you. You have a right to feel this way. Let it all out.”
With his arms wrapped around her, it was the strangest sensation, but she felt like she could breathe. It was a long time since she felt this way.
Doc took the glass from her hands, and she covered her face and sobbed.
She just let the pain out. The pain of losing their parents, of being afraid to lose Eden, of making the mistakes.
Even the anger at a past boyfriend for falling for his lies.
Maeve let everything go, and Doc held her throughout.
She didn’t know how much time had gone by as she fell apart, but eventually the tears stopped. “This must be so unattractive right now,” she said.
“Actually, I’m happy I was the one to hold you.”
She looked out across the lake. “This is really beautiful.”
“I know.”
“And you found this place after losing your son?” she asked.
“Yeah, I did. It’s where I come to think and where I made the final decision to end things with Nancy.”
“Was it hard?”
“No,” Doc said. “Nancy and I made beautiful kids, but terrible people for each other. It wasn’t good between us.”
“I’m so sorry for your son.”
“Me too. He was such a special kid. Charlotte is as well, the two of them together lit up my whole world, and I know at times it’s hard on Charlotte. She loved her brother.”
“Do you think this is why she’s struggling to find herself?”
“It could be. Does any kid really know what they want at eighteen?”
Maeve laughed. “Technically I did, I wanted to be a makeup artist, but now I’m questioning that decision.”
“We all change as we grow up.”
She sighed. She’d grown up a long time ago, but she also knew what she wanted now more than anything. She wanted a family.
****
Doc would hold Maeve to the moon and back if she needed it. After she composed herself, they enjoyed the picnic he prepared. There were mini quiches, some tiny triangle-cut sandwiches, some deviled eggs. None of which he made. These were all made at one of the bakeries in town.
Once they finished their food, he took Maeve’s hand and they took their time walking around the lake. It was a really good, warm, yet fresh day.
“Did you always want to be a biker?” Maeve asked.
“It’s in my blood. The guys rely on me, and there’s nothing more I’d want to do.”
“What about being a dad? Did you always want to be a dad?”
He loved the questions. “No, I never wanted to have kids.”
“You didn’t?”
“I don’t regret my kids, but I didn’t want them.”
“What about now?” Maeve asked.
He stopped near the lake and put both of his hands on her waist, pulling her in close. “You want to know if I want kids now?”
She nodded. “Like you said, people change.”
“Do you want kids now?”
“Yeah, I do,” she said.
He wanted her swollen with his child. “I’m open to more kids.”
“What do you think Nancy would think of you having more kids?”
He leaned in close so his lips were next to her ear. “In all honesty, I don’t give a fuck what my ex-wife thinks about me having kids.” He lifted her up in his arms. “I think it’s time we go for a little swim.”
She let out a squeal and wriggled in his arms. “What if there’s a lake monster?”
“There’s no lake monster.” He walked her into the lake, and she wrapped her arms around him, and her grip tightened. He had absolutely no problem with how she held onto him.
It felt good to hold her. “You’re being insane.”
Tensing up, Doc used his strength and threw her into the water. She came up seconds later, laughing, but then pushed some water toward him, splashing him. “How do you like it?” she asked.