Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Keri
I know Adam is struggling, though he hides it from the others.
Since we landed in California, he’s put on a brave face, clinging to me and using forced banter to distract his cousin as he battles a raw ache of grief.
I stick close to him during dinner and afterward, on our private deck, stars shimmering above the restless ocean.
He squeezes my hand tightly all evening, as if afraid to let go.
I’m grateful for this refuge where he can let his feelings ebb and surge with the tide.
Adam told me the Dirk home suits me. That he could see me living in a grand house with magnificent views and enjoying champagne every day.
The funny thing is, he’s not wrong. I used to dream about living in Atlanta in a professionally decorated townhome near my besties, Candace and April.
I’d imagine landing a corporate job in upper management and being paid a ton of money for my expertise and people skills.
I’d meet my friends for brunch on the weekends or cocktails on a Friday night at the trendier bars, nothing like The Twisted Daisy back home.
I’d buy expensive furnishings to fill my home without batting an eye and take decadent vacations to tropical climates.
I truly believed I’d date powerful men and have a personal trainer.
But everything shifted after my father died and left me with a broken business and a crumbling farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. All my glittering dreams faded in the shadow of loss.
I’m not upset. I’ve realized I no longer need or want those things, because God’s plan is always better. Sometimes, He saves you from something because He’s saving you for something. Or for someone else.
And that someone is Adam.
I stretch across the king-sized bed, luxuriating in the softest sheets I’ve ever slept on. The smile on my face is unavoidable. My grin slips when I notice Adam isn’t beside me. I sit up and clutch the sheet to my chest, scanning the room for him. “Adam?”
No answer from the bathroom. Maybe he’s already downstairs making coffee?
I grab the white guest robe from the bathroom door.
Roxy suggested I use it and even take it home with me.
I brush my teeth and smooth my hair. Today will be busy with Roxy’s bridal luncheon and the rehearsal dinner, but those are hours away.
A few cups of coffee with Adam before our hosts wake up sounds perfect.
I shuffle to the French doors that open to our private balcony with panoramic views of the ocean.
The saltwater breeze caresses my face as I pan the beach and spot Adam zipping up his borrowed wetsuit next to a long surfboard stamped into the shoreline.
I smile, knowing he’s doing something he loves.
I quietly come downstairs and find the coffee already brewed with a note and a travel mug conveniently placed next to the machine. This man knows me so well.
Good morning, Angel Face. Come to the beach when you’re up.
I gather my things and make my way downstairs, still in the robe. Since it’s early and the beach is private, I decide there’s no need to change, confident nobody will notice.
I grab two towels from the shelf by the door and tuck them under my arm, then walk barefoot onto the sand.
I can see Adam paddle out through sunlit mist and breaking waves.
When he looks back, I wave, and his face beams with a huge smile.
We blow each other a kiss before he continues farther and sits, bobbing on his board to the ocean’s rhythm.
I find a dry spot, sit on a towel, and sip my coffee.
My toes wiggle in the grainy sand. Minutes pass.
And then my heart catches in my throat watching Adam launch.
His strong arms paddle hard to match the ocean’s waves.
The moment he catches one, he defies gravity, transitioning fluidly from paddling to standing.
He speeds across the churning water in a controlled descent, effortless amid the white cap’s force.
I step closer to the frothy surf, ocean water frigid against my toes.
In utter awe, I watch Adam connect with the sea.
Over and over, as the sun rises, each ride is a breathtaking sight for this landlocked Southern girl.
When he finally starts toward the shore, I grab the spare towel and wait for him to come out of the water.
“What a rush,” he shouts, planting his board in the sand. He shakes his hair, spraying water on me. I squeal and hide behind the towel. He’s breathless, energized, and joyful from the ocean.
“What did you think?” he asks, coming right up to me.
Before I have time to answer, he grabs the lapels of my robe and jerks me flush against the slick material of his wet suit and kisses me on the lips. He tastes salty and slightly briny, the ends of his hair scattering droplets across my face.
“Good morning,” he grins.
“Good morning.” I wipe his face with the edge of the towel.
“Thanks.” He takes it from me and rubs it aggressively against his hair.
“You were magnificent out there. It was like watching a skier on an avalanche while the mountain was moving.”
He chuckles and positions the towel around his neck. “Good analogy.”
“How did you feel out there?” I offer him the rest of my coffee, and he eagerly takes a swig.
“I felt… great, like riding a bike. It’s a natural high I can’t explain. It’s also a full-body workout. I hope I don’t end up too sore after the fact.”
“Drink lots of water,” I encourage.
“I will.” He eyes me playfully and grabs the lapels of my robe again. “Are you wearing anything underneath this?”
I smirk and playfully arch an eyebrow. “There’s only one way to find out.” I wiggle out of his grasp and take off running toward the house, sending a spray of sand in his wake. It takes him no time to catch up to me, my infectious goose honk causing him to laugh out loud.
I love this side of Adam—the happy, easygoing man. I wish I could bottle this moment of ocean waves, sand, and water on his face, keeping this version of him in my memory always.
He cages me with his arms against the wall under the deck next to an outdoor shower and licks his bottom lip. My eyes trace the curve of his sturdy jaw and his tangled, dripping hair. He runs his fingertips down my neck to my cleavage. I inhale deeply with a watchful stare.
“Adam?”
“Hmm?” He seems mesmerized by my bare skin underneath the robe, teasing me with each pass of his fingers. One hand is on the tie around my waist, and I know with one pull, he’ll be pleased to see me standing completely naked in front of him.
“I just want you to know that I love you.”
He stops his teasing and looks right at me.
“You’re the first person I’ve ever said those words to.
” I inhale a staggered breath. “I love you, Adam. I love everything about you. I even love the parts you think are too sad to love. To be honest, those are the parts that are the most beautiful. But I think all of you is perfect. I love all of you.”
His eyes are dark orbs staring back at me. He releases a breath, low and trembling. “Say it again, Angel Face.”
I swallow hard. “I love you.”
He finally smiles, one hand slipping down to the tie around my waist. “I love you too, Keri. Every single part of you.”
And with one pull, the robe slips from my body and pools around our bare feet.
***
It’s close to midnight California time, and exhaustion has started to creep in. I stifle a yawn and politely excuse myself to the ladies’ room.
I’ve had a great time today. First, at Roxy’s bridal shower, where I got to meet Justin’s mom and dad, his grandmother, and a handful of pretty bridesmaids.
The pre-wedding brunch event was held at a classy hotel where we dined on mimosas, mini-quiches, and chicken salad sandwiches.
We watched the bride-to-be open practical gifts from her registry for her new home.
I wore a colorful dress in a large flower print, happy I fit right in with the “garden-party” theme.
Thank goodness we had a couple of hours to nap after the bridal shower before it was time to get ready for the rehearsal dinner at the country club.
Adam wore a blazer over a black shirt and dark pants.
I wore a simple black dress with sparkly heels, and my hair twisted into a messy bun.
We dined in one of the smaller banquet rooms, perfect for the small wedding party and their significant others.
The elegant seafood buffet was delicious, and the numerous toasts honoring the bride and groom were enlightening.
Justin was attentive toward his bride, Roxy, even standing up in front of everyone and becoming teary-eyed while he offered a special toast in her honor.
After dinner, the older folks called it a night while the rest of us headed to one of Justin and Roxy’s favorite watering holes in The Valley.
The place reminds me of The Twisted Daisy but with an edgier West Coast vibe.
As I stare at my tired reflection in the bathroom mirror and tuck a rogue strand of hair back into my bun, I notice Roxy sitting on a bench in the corner.
“Roxy?”
She looks up at me, her eyes droopy with fatigue.
“What’s wrong?”
Her sigh is audible. “It’s midnight, and we’re still out partying. Isn’t it bad luck for the bride and groom to be in the same space after midnight the night before their wedding?”
I walk over and sit beside her. “I think that’s an old tradition and not a requirement for a successful marriage. I mean, y’all have been staying together indefinitely at the beach house while your new home is being renovated, right? Or did you make arrangements to be apart after midnight?”
“Nope. No arrangements. At least, none that I know of. I feel like I should’ve thought that through.”
I can smell alcohol on her breath and wonder if maybe she’s had too much to drink. Should I help her to the car service waiting at the curb to take us home?
“Are you ready to go? It’s late, and as the bride, you need your rest before the big day.”
She’s quiet and looks right at me. “Adam doesn’t like Justin, does he?”
I’m surprised by her comment. “Of course, he likes him. He just doesn’t know him very well yet, that’s all.”
Roxy goes quiet again. It’s heavier this time. “Do you like Justin?” she asks, her voice soft at the edges.
I reach for her hand and squeeze. “Of course, I like Justin. And it’s obvious he adores you.”
Her grin is tipsy. “Yeah. He sure does. The man definitely loves me. And I love him.” She blows out a breath.
Her silence holds. “I saw you and Adam this morning on the beach. The way you sat there in your white robe, watching him surf. The way he kissed you when he came out of the water and then chased you to the house.”
My smile is instinctive. Thank goodness she didn’t see what happened under the deck when he de-robed me.
“That’s the kind of love I want with Justin,” she confesses. “That’s the kind of love he had with Mia.”
I’m frozen, not sure what to say. Adam has told me numerous times how close he is with Roxy.
She’s like a sister to him. Of course, it only makes sense that she was close to Mia too.
Still, she shouldn’t be comparing Justin and Adam.
The saying, “comparison is the thief of joy” immediately comes to my mind.
“But you do have that kind of love with him, Roxy. I mean, he shed real tears when he toasted you this evening. Y’all are renovating a beautiful home together.
Your wedding is tomorrow, and then a whole month in Bali.
And you have to remember, Justin and Adam are two totally different men.
They’re going to express themselves in their own unique ways. ”
Roxy lowers her head and presses her eyes shut. “I know. I know. Justin can be so sweet. But sometimes…” She doesn’t finish.
I lean in gently. “Sometimes, what?”
She looks at me again, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Sometimes when it’s just the two of us, I feel…
invisible. And I know this is probably the fifteenth cocktail I had talking.
And what a horrible thing to say on the eve before my wedding.
He’s a workaholic, for sure, but he also tells me he wants to show me the world. ”
“Isn’t that a good thing?” My heart is pounding. I wish Adam were here to help console his cousin in her inebriated state.
“Yes. It’s a good thing. Justin is a good thing. He came into my life when I was at my lowest. When I was alone and lonely, wondering what I was supposed to be doing with my life after the fires. After I lost Mia and Evie. After Adam disappeared.”
I reach for a paper towel from the wall dispenser and hand it to her. I watch her dab it against her eyes. “Roxy, believe it or not, our stories are eerily similar. Adam came into my life when I was at my lowest too.”
“He did?”
“Yes. I think we saved each other.”
She seems to ponder my words. “I’m so glad he found you. He hasn’t been the same since he lost Mia and Evie. And when he left without saying goodbye, I was so worried. I’ve missed him terribly.”
I reach my arm across her shoulders and pull her in for a hug.
“I know this has been hard on you. I’m so sorry.
I promise, we’ll make time to see you and Justin more often.
We can make that happen. We’re working on our house too.
We have plenty of room for guests, and the Atlanta airport is less than an hour away. ”
She nods. And then she says something that wrecks my heart, in a good way.
“Keri, I’m glad lightning struck twice for Adam.
He, of all people, deserves it. He was happy for over a decade.
Really happy. Like, life-couldn’t-get-any-better happy.
And then it was all brutally taken away from him in the worst possible way.
Two years later, love found its way back to him… through you.”
I’m not sure how to respond and remain quiet. I watch Roxy sit up and wipe her eyes again. She clears her throat. “I’m glad that you’re here. You’re awesome, Keri. You really are.”
“I’m not all that.”
“Yes, you are.”
I stay quiet and give her my undivided attention.
“For the first time since the fires, I feel like Adam has a whole new life to look forward to. And that new life is because of you.”