Chapter 11
“How are you feeling, babe?” Waylen leaned in and kissed Presley’s cheek. He adjusted his backpack, which housed his computer and a bottle of wine. The past and the present collided in his mind as he stood under the starry sky. Tall sailing masts danced under the moon. He’d kissed her for the first time on the docks at this very marina.
He remembered it like it was yesterday.
He’d been all of thirteen years old and it had been one of the best days of his young life.
“That’s an odd question.”
He placed his free hand on her back and nudged her toward the dock. “You had a lot to drink. Just doing a little check on that.”
“My buzz is gone. I had a lot of water after Vernon left.” She stepped onto the dock. “Where are we going?”
“Mano’s boat.”
“That thing ain’t a boat. It’s a yacht.”
Waylen dug his hand into his pocket. “Well, I got the key and permission to board.” He smiled wide. “That man has more toys than any human should be allowed.”
“I’m so glad he finally found a nice girl who isn’t after his money.”
“Bella seems cool,” Waylen said. “I get the feeling Mano’s been a bit lost since his parents died.”
“That’s putting it mildly. He was devastated when their plane went down, and he holds himself responsible.”
“Why?”
“He was supposed to go with them, and he has this stupid notion that the outcome might have been different if he’d been with them. Or he would have died with them. Survivor’s guilt had a huge grip on him until he met Bella. She pulled him from a serious depression. However, he struggles with all that money. He doesn’t know what to do with it, or with himself sometimes.”
“Al told me he’s started a few foundations and charities and tried to help you pay off Vernon.”
“That’s money I would have taken, only Vernon wouldn’t let me buy him out. At least not when I divorced him.”
“That’s what doesn’t make sense to me.” Waylen stopped in front of the big yacht at the end of the dock. “Jesus. This is a floating house.”
“Wait until you see inside. It’s got all the bells and whistles. Mano could barely maneuver it through the channel when he first bought it. I had to show him how to do it.”
“I bet you had fun showing off your skills.” Waylen opened the side gate and held Presley’s hand while she boarded. He took the key and unlocked the galley. “Let’s sit on the deck and enjoy a glass of wine.”
“Aren’t we on high alert?”
“Harlan and Raider have eyes on Vernon. Mano’s sitting outside your place. The rest of my team is overlooking all the weak spots at the marina. I’ve got some work to do on my computer to get ahead of whatever Vernon has planned, but Vernon isn’t doing anything tonight.”
“How can you be so sure?” She climbed up the ladder toward the bow.
“I’m not.” He followed, easing onto one of the lounge beds and taking out the bottle and two plastic glasses. “But I trust that my team has it covered, so let’s relax for a little bit. Besides, I do want to talk to you about a few things.” He poured the wine and handed her a glass. “I spoke to Hale after the incident at Al and Lisa’s.”
“And?” She brought the glass to her lips and sipped. The way the light from the moon caught her hair took his breath away.
“Frank’s still in a medically induced coma and the doctors can’t give him a date on when they will try to pull him out so he can interview him.” All Waylen wanted to do was take her into his arms and love her the way she deserved. She was the kindest and most caring human he’d ever met outside of his mother and his team. But he had to set aside his emotions for the moment. “Everyone on that charter is sticking with their story, saying that they know nothing about a deal between Frank and Vernon.”
Presley opened her mouth, but he hushed her by pressing his finger over her plump, sweet lips. “Hale did learn that Frank has a lending business.”
“What does that mean?”
“Exactly how it sounds. He lends money to people and expects to get his money back on a certain date. When he doesn’t get it, he puts a certain kind of pressure on his clients and it’s not the kind a bank would.”
“That makes Frank sound like a bad man,” Presley said.
Waylen set his glass on the fancy drink holder and pulled out his computer. “That’s where my skills come in handy. I can peek inside places Hale wouldn’t dare go legally.”
“I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
Waylen chuckled. “I won’t. You have to remember this is what I did for a living for the government when I wasn’t deployed on missions. I might not have the security clearance I used to have, but I have friends in high places.” He winked. “All I need is to give Hale a connection between Frank and Vernon so Hale can take his investigation to the next level.”
“You think Vernon was trying to get out of paying Frank back money? That’s why he tried to blow up my boat? With me and innocent people on it?”
“Unfortunately, that’s only step one.” He lifted her chin with his thumb. “Vernon’s not stupid, but he’s not as smart as I am. When you make a new will, it has to be signed by you, two witnesses, and generally, it has to be notarized if you don’t want it challenged. Vernon was smart enough to do that.”
“Wait. What?” She bolted upright, sloshing her wine all down the front of her shirt. “Shit.” She wiped her chest. “He actually made a new will? For me? How do you know that?”
“It took some digging on my part.” He flipped open his computer and pulled up the new document. “The two witnesses are Herb Buckley and Jessica Leroy. Do you know either of them?”
“Yeah. Herb is one of his old business partners when he worked selling time-shares and Jessica is the chick he cheated on me with.”
“That’s fucking cold,” Waylen muttered. “I need to send this document to Hale along with your actual will, but not until I’ve had a friend finish their analysis of your signature. If there’s even a remote possibility that Vernon got you to sign something?—”
“Don’t even finish that statement because I will hurt you if you do.” She glared. “I look over everything that man sends me. I don’t sign one fucking thing without reading the fine print.”
“Babe, I wasn’t going to say you did. But that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have slipped your signature onto something. As I said, he’s not stupid, and there are ways to forge a person”s signature properly. I won’t put you or your parents’ family business at stake without having all our ducks in a row.”
She leaned back and closed her eyes. “How could I have ever been married to such a snake. I look at him, and all I have is hatred in my heart. What did I ever see in him?”
Waylen set his computer to the side. He wrapped his arm around Presley and pulled her tight. “I often wonder the same thing about Elena.”
“She didn’t cut the gas line on your boat and nearly kill you.”
“Nope. But she made my life a living hell for a few years.” There were so many things about his marriage that he never told anyone except Kian and Lane. He certainly didn’t tell his mother.
She would have gone into Mama Bear mode and ripped Elena a new one.
Elena wasn’t worth it.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t see how fighting over a piano is the same.”
He chuckled. “Honestly, that was the least of our problems. And it wasn’t just about my unwillingness to retire early. Or even my bond with my team. When Elena and I first met, she made me believe she was on board with my career. She quit her job and relocated from Virginia to Florida before we even got married. And then again to California shortly after.”
“That’s what a Navy wife does. I’m sure it wasn’t easy, especially when you were a SEAL and being deployed.”
“It’s not, but that first move seemed to go flawlessly. I thought she was happy. Outside of our very different ideas about a wedding, we got along great. The second move didn’t go so well. She dug her heels in and demanded I not re-enlist when my contract came up. She told me she’d leave me if I did.”
“But she didn’t.”
He burst out laughing. “Actually, she did. I brought the papers home and told her I wasn’t ready and that it was unfair of her to ask me to do that after I’d worked so hard to get where I was. She packed a bag and flew back to Virginia. I left for parts unknown and was gone for six weeks. When I came home, I expected it would be to an empty house. Only, she was there. Begging for my forgiveness, but that came with a price.”
“How can one place a price on forgiveness?”
“She would stay, and we’d work out our martial issues, if I promised that at the end of that contract, that would be it and I would give her a baby.”
“What did you say?”
“I don’t like to fail at anything,” he said. “So I agreed, except the idea of becoming a father made me cringe under those circumstances, and let’s just say I avoided sex. Of course, I was gone a lot, which didn’t help.”
“No offense, but this still isn’t the same.”
“I’m getting to the similarities.” He lifted his glass and sipped. “When I finally realized we were both miserable, I came home and told her that I wanted a divorce. She was so pissed she took a hammer and smashed all the windows on my brand-new pickup. She pawned her wedding ring and mother’s engagement ring.”
“That bitch. Your mom must have lost her mind.”
“I found the pawn shop and paid a ridiculous amount of money to get it back.”
“I’m sorry you had to do that. Elena should have given it back. It’s a family thing,” Presley said.
His heart beat so fast it got stuck in his throat. Ring. Family. All the confusion of why his mother wanted him to bring the damn thing with him filled his soul. He shoved the conflicting thoughts from his mind. This had nothing to do with his mom and her strange request.
“Elena wanted to hurt me and part of me understands why. She gave up her life in Virginia to be married to me, and it wasn’t what she had expected, although I’m not exactly sure how she couldn’t have known. Her father was Air Force. She knew the drill.”
“Did she do anything else?”
“Yup,” he admitted. “While I was deployed during our separation, she gave away my dog. She gave all my clothes to Goodwill, and she listed that damn fucking piano on the internet for sale. One of our mutual friends emailed me that juicy piece of information.”
“She’s vindictive.”
Waylen nodded. “Now that she’s remarried, I don’t have to deal with her. But the divorce was ugly as hell. I don’t wish it on anyone. I swore after that I’d never get tangled up with another woman again.” He kissed her temple. “But here I am, holding you, and all I can think about is all the what-ifs of the past and the possibilities of the future.”
Presley rested her head on his chest. “Seeing you again, seeing the kind of man you’ve become, I have to believe I did the right thing by you.” She glanced up. Tears welled in her eyes. “I didn’t write that last letter to hurt you. It wasn’t that I didn’t love and care about you. We were a million miles apart. You had to follow that dream. Being a SEAL is all you’ve ever wanted.”
He shifted, taking her face with his hands. “Babe, my only regret regarding all that is not reaching out after graduation. Or any time after that. I’d thought about it so many times. You were right about me needing to do that. But I should have followed more than my career aspirations. I should have followed my heart, because I left it here with you.” He stared into her eyes, hoping to find the same deep passion.
She palmed his cheek. “You’re a very sweet man.”
“I’m being serious.”
“I know and that’s what scares me.”
“Why?” He traced his finger across her lower lip. At seventeen, or even twenty-one, he had so much life ahead of him that moving on without her seemed somewhat possible. But at forty? He knew he couldn’t do it again and be content, much less happy.
“I can’t ask you to turn your back on your friends or the dreams you’ve created with them to stay here on Big Island with me. It’s not fair to you or them.”
“You’re not asking me to do anything.” He lifted her chin. “Three of my buddies have found ladies they don’t want to leave behind. And have you seen the way Kian and Blake look at each other? There’s most definitely something brewing there. And even if none of them had a connection to the opposite sex, we’ve all been talking about wanting to stay.”
“But there’s something else that’s pulling you to stay and that’s your sense of duty and responsibility. I won’t have it.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Presley. Sure, the fact we’ve been irresponsible when it comes to using birth control is in the back of my mind. But it has no bearing on wanting to be with you. To have a second chance with you.”
“Bullshit.” She pressed her hands on his chest and inched away. “You forget how well I know you and how honorable you are.”
He couldn’t believe he was going to do this. Not even Kian or Lane knew. A fair amount of shame still filled his soul regarding how he’d handled leaving Elena and the circumstances surrounding it. But what the hell? “You don’t know me as well as you think you do, and I can prove how wrong you really are.”
“Yeah. How?”
“The day I told Elena I wanted a divorce, she told me she was pregnant.” Waylen reached for the wine bottle and topped off his glass. He downed half of it. Saying the words out loud made his chest burn. That day hadn’t been one of his shining moments. As a matter of fact, it made him the biggest asshole on the planet.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“What came first? The I want a divorce or the we’re going to have a baby?”
“She told me she was pregnant, and instead of being a supportive husband, I told her I didn’t love her anymore and it was over. That I would be a good father, if the kid was mine, but she and I were done.”
“Jesus, you’re an asshole. Although, I do want to revisit the question of paternity.”
“Trust me, I know what a dick I was. I’ve apologized to her for my timing, but it will never make up for it.”
“So, you are a father?” Presley blinked. Her lips parted. Her face contorted as if she swallowed a lemon.
He shook his head. “No. Turns out it was an ectopic pregnancy. She’ll tell you that it was all my fault and I don’t blame her for that. My mother explained to me what ectopic meant, because I had no idea, so in reality, I didn’t have anything to do with what happened, but I still feel guilty as hell.” He raised his finger. “And to answer that burning question, I’ll never know if it was mine or not.”
“She stepped out on your marriage?”
“Elena had an affair near the end of the marriage. I was gone so much, and all we did was fight, but she swore the baby was mine. I did the math on when she got pregnant, and it didn’t really add up. Still, that doesn’t erase the way I went about things.”
Presley straddled his legs, took his glass from his hand, and set it aside. “It certainly does not. But do you think that maybe when she informed you of its existence, you reacted the way you did because, deep down, you knew the baby wasn’t yours?”
“That’s what my mom thinks.”
“I’ve always thought your mother was one smart cookie.”
He laughed. “I’m shocked you don’t hate me after that revelation.”
“I’m not sure I could hate you if I tried.” She leaned in and kissed him softly. “I need you to promise me that any consideration you have about staying on Big Island will have nothing to do with whether or not I’m pregnant.”
“I can’t make that promise,” he whispered. “Because if you are, of course it will. But what I can promise is that I’ve already decided that staying is what I want. If the Brotherhood Protectors offers us a job, we’re taking it. If not, I’m going to find another way. This is my home.” He batted her nose. “And I’ve already asked my mom to move back too.”
Presley jerked her head.
“See, I told you I was serious and that?—”
“Shut up and kiss me.”
He took her mouth in a hot, wet kiss. Their tongues wrapped around each other’s in a wild, familiar dance. He squeezed her ass, molding his fingers into her flesh. “We better take this down below.”
“I like sex under the stars.”
“So do I. But I have team members with binoculars on rooftops.”
She jumped to her feet and scurried around the side of the boat and down the ladder. “What are you waiting for?”
Snagging his computer, he stuffed it in his backpack. He’d deal with the wine and glasses later.
It took all of four minutes to make it into the master state suite. He pushed open the door and his jaw dropped as he stared at Presley sprawled out on the bed.
Naked.
“I like grown-up, Presley.”
She laughed. “As if I had all that much shame and modesty when I was a teenager.”
“That’s a true statement.” He set his bag on the dresser, kicked off his shoes, and shed his clothing. Pulling back the sheets, he climbed into bed with the only woman he’d ever loved.
And the only woman he would ever need.
Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her close, their bodies melding together like two halves of a single soul. The moonlight shined through the porthole and cast a soft glow on her face, illuminating the delicate curves and features that he had come to know and love so intimately. She was his beacon, his anchor, his everything.
Her tender caresses and breathless whispers filled the room with an intoxicating energy. The dangers that lurked outside faded away as their passion and affection for one another created a cocoon of intimacy that defied time and space.
With each tender touch and gentle kiss, the intensity of their love grew, fueling the flames of desire that had burned unabated for years.
He brushed a lock of hair from her cheek, tracing its soft curves with his fingertips. He’d never tire of loving her, ever.
Their bodies moved in perfect sync, as if their souls were speaking a language only they could comprehend. The room seemed to pulsate with the rhythm of their passion, and Presley”s intense moans whispered against his skin in the sweetest of aftershocks.
As their passion reached its peak, he whispered her name over and over again. He wanted her to feel loved. Adored. Appreciated. Valued.
Their bodies moved together like dancers, locked in an eternal waltz, as they found release in each other”s embrace.
The world outside no longer mattered. He was home, with the one woman who could make him feel complete.
She rested her head on his chest, draping her arm and leg over his body.
Running his fingers through her soft hair, he stared out the porthole. The idea of becoming a dad when he’d been married had been utterly terrifying. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe he’d be a good father. It had more to do with the fact his marriage had already failed. As a couple, they weren’t equipped to be parents.
But him and Presley?
That was a question he honestly wasn’t sure he had the answer to. They fit together. He loved her, even if he hadn’t said the words out loud, and he believed that love was reciprocated.
However, it took more than love to make a family.
“We’re following a pattern.” He turned, pressing his lips against her temple. “Freud would have a field day with us, especially after all we’ve discussed.”
“To be totally honest with you, I’m not all that stressed over it.”
“Really? Why’s that?”
“It took a year for me to get pregnant. After that, Vernon and I tried for another three years and didn’t use birth control for the rest of our marriage. I never got pregnant again. I’m almost forty and as regular as I am with my periods, I feel like it’s something that’s not meant to be for me.”
“But having a child is something you want.” His heart hammered in his chest. He’d given up the idea of marriage, kids, family a long time ago and he’d been okay with that.
Not anymore.
He wanted it and he wanted it with Presley.
All of it. The house with a swing set in the backyard. The cute little cat and maybe a dog. Thinking about it made him want to kiss his mother for making him bring that ring.
Damn.
That was a big fucking thought.
But it made him deliriously happy.
“I’m not having this conversation with you.”
Gently, he tugged at her hair until their eyes locked. “But it’s the truth.”
“All right. And what about you? You gave up on all that. How do you feel about it now?” She arched a brow.
He smiled. “As crazy as it sounds, I still want everything with you.”
“It’s motherfucking nuts.” A tear rolled down her cheek.
“Why are you crying?”
“I can’t think about it. Or hope for it. Or anything. My heart was crushed when I lost my baby. It might have been a blessing in disguise, but it doesn’t change how it made me feel.” She swiped at her face. “I should have stopped you and asked you to wear a condom. I get that. But until I either get my period or pee on a stick and it confirms one way or the other, I can’t let my brain go there. Can you understand that at all?”
“Oh, babe. I’m sorry, and I can totally respect that. I won’t bring it up again.” He made a key sign across his lips and tossed it over his shoulder.
“Well, we will have to discuss?—”
He hushed her with a kiss. “Whenever you’re ready. Not a second before. Now close your eyes and get some sleep. I have to get up early, but I promise to be quiet.”
“Please don’t leave me alone.”
“If I must step off this yacht, I’ll wake you.” He kissed her nose.
“Waylen?”
“Yes.”
“Since we’re saying crazy things, you should know I’ve never stopped loving you.”
“That’s the least crazy thing I’ve heard all day.” He held her gaze intently. “I love you, Presley. I always have and I always will.”