Love, Again, page 14
Hearing those words gave me hope, but I wasn’t going to say it. My life was in her hands. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her.
* * *
—
Exploring the Outer Banks had been my favorite so far. Aubrey reluctantly went deep-sea fishing with me, and it was cut short when she couldn’t stop throwing up. I snuck a few pictures of her as she was hunched over the side of the boat. She’d kill me if she knew I had them. We drove all the way down to Ocracoke and explored Hatteras while on the way. Aubrey’s favorite place was Rodanthe, where we decided to spend most of our time. It just so happened we’d rented the iconic Inn at Rodanthe, the same house that was in the movie Nights in Rodanthe. Before Aubrey left for California, it was one of the last movies we ever watched together.
Kicking my feet up, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the sound of the waves. I tried not to think about that time ten years ago, but it was hard not to. I was completely fucked up without Aubrey in my life.
“You look deep in thought,” Aubrey quipped.
I opened my eyes and looked over at her. She had on a long blue dress and a white sweater to cover her bare arms from the wind. In her hands were an empty antique glass bottle, a sheet of paper, and a pen. “I was,” I confessed.
“Oh yeah? What were you thinking about?” She walked over and stood in front of me, positioning her body between my legs. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her close.
“Just how fucking sexy you are right now,” I said, not wanting to tell her the truth.
Clearly not believing me, she pursed her lips. “Now I know you’re lying. My face is still pale from being sick on that boat yesterday. I haven’t felt right since.”
It was true, she hadn’t been the same. “I think we picked the worst day to go. The ocean was really choppy.” A hurricane had barreled through the Atlantic, but we were far enough away from it to cause any problems other than wind.
Aubrey stepped back and clutched her stomach. “Hopefully things get better soon. I’m tired of eating just crackers and toast. I’d have given anything to eat some of your steak and potatoes tonight.” And I felt bad eating it all in front of her when I knew she wasn’t feeling well.
“As soon as you feel you can stomach regular food, I’ll cook you whatever you want. We can go to the grocery store again tomorrow.”
Her lips pulled back in a smile. “Sounds good to me.”
I nodded down at the bottle and paper in her hands. “What’s with that?” I asked.
She placed the bottle on the table and sat down on my lap. “This is something I’m adding to my bucket list.” The small piece of paper was a little crinkled, but she spread it out across her thigh and clicked the pen. “I want it to be a message in a bottle. Maybe somebody will find it.”
I rubbed her back and smiled. “Always the romantic. When I watched your movies, I could always point out the things you added.”
A spark of sadness flashed in her eyes, but she shook it off. “Like what? I need to hear this.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she had a skeptical look on her face. Being observant was something I was always good at with her, even if she didn’t think I’d noticed. It was hard watching her movies, and at first I was glad she’d gotten everything she always wanted. I thought she’d come back to Oklahoma a lot sooner than she did, and when she didn’t, that was when the anger and hurt took over.
“All right,” I said, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Let’s see if I can get this right.” Closing my eyes, I could see the different scenes play out in my head. No Turning Back was one of Aubrey’s most famous movies, about a young mother whose daughter gets kidnapped as payback for her husband’s role in convicting an infamous mafia leader in New York. It just so happened that Emilia played the young mother. Guess you could say I tortured myself by watching Aubrey’s movies. It was hard not to see her work when all everyone did was talk about it, but it was a stark reminder of everything I’d lost.
“In No Turning Back,” I began, “Emilia plays Maggie, whose daughter gets kidnapped.”
Aubrey’s face softened and she nodded. “Emilia did an amazing job with that role. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to lose a child, but she pulled it off fabulously.”
By the look in her eyes, she knew what I was going to say next. “There’s a certain thing Maggie would do to her daughter. The only time I’d ever seen it was when your mother would do it to you.”
Slowly, I lightly traced my hand down her face, skimming my fingers across her skin. She’d smile as she did it, then afterward she’d rub her nose against Aubrey’s. As a kid, I just figured it was something mother’s and daughters did to show affection.
Tears glistened in her eyes and her voice shook as she spoke. “I wanted the viewers to see the connection Maggie and her daughter had. Emilia and little Rachel hit it off perfectly, but including that gesture made me feel it even more. It brought back the memories of my mother.”
Cupping her cheeks, I wiped her tears away with my thumbs. “I knew it had to be your doing.”
She sniffled and blew out a sigh. “Nobody else has mentioned it. Then again, you were the one who was always around. The only other person who might’ve seen my mother do any of that stuff would be Heather, and she hasn’t said a word about it.”
I winked. “Are you shocked I noticed?”
Eyes narrowed, she stared at me for a second, then shook her head. “No, but I have a question.” My brows lifted, and she continued. “Have you seen all of my movies? Even the ones nobody has really ever heard about?”
From what I could recall, she’d only directed five movies so far, and I knew each one. “I’m pretty sure everyone’s heard about all the movie’s you’ve directed, sunshine.”
She snorted. “Think again. You might want to do a little more research.”
Now that had me intrigued. As much as I wanted to forget about her over the years, I often found myself googling her name. It was hard not to hear things about her when all of Dusty Valley was interested in her.
I pulled out my phone, but she gasped and grabbed it out of my hand. “I don’t think so, mister. I’m not going to let you look me up right now.”
Bursting out with laughter, I held my hands up. “Fine. Are you ashamed or something?”
A sad smile spread across her face, and she looked down at the blank paper. “Not at all. When you mentioned earlier about being able to point out the things I added, it got me wondering if you were thinking the same thing I was. Now I know you have no clue.” She ruffled my hair and sighed. “Which makes me sure you’re going to look me up the first chance you get.” She was right, but all I did was wink and smile. With a shake of her head, she focused on the paper and wrote something down.
“Words of wisdom, I assume?”
Her lips tilted in a small smile as she handed me the paper. “Yep. You never know who it might help.”
I read her words aloud. “ ‘Always follow your dreams, but don’t leave the ones you love behind. You might come to find it’s too late if you do.’ ” I handed the note back to her. “Luckily, things worked out for us.”
Taking the paper, she rolled it up so she could slide it into the bottle and cork it. “And I thank God every day for that.” She stood and held out her hand. “Come on. I need your strong arms to throw it into the ocean. If I do it, it’ll float right back to the shore.”
Chuckling, I reached for the bottle and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.” We walked down the porch stairs and across the wooden walkway down to the beach. The sun had started to disappear behind the clouds, and there wasn’t a single person in sight. As much as I loved living in Oklahoma, I enjoyed the sound of crashing waves. I was actually going to miss it when we left.
Once we got down to the water, I grabbed the neck of the bottle. “Ready?” I said, gripping it tight.
Aubrey nodded excitedly. “Throw it hard.”
Taking a deep breath, I reared back and threw the bottle as hard and as far as I could. “You know it’s probably going to come right back to us.”
Aubrey snickered. “If it does, it’ll be okay. At least we tried.” I draped my arm over her shoulders. I loved the feel of her body next to mine.
“Where should we go to next?” she asked, looking off into the distance. The water was vast and calm. “I’m thinking someplace warmer. Don’t get me wrong, it feels nice here, but I’m thinking something a little more tropical.”
I couldn’t agree with her more. “How about Turks and Caicos? You have on your bucket list you want to go snorkeling. Turks and Caicos have some of the best spots in the world.”
Grinning wide, she looked up at me. “You just want to see me in a bikini.”
The thought had definitely crossed my mind. Sliding my hands down to her waist, I pulled her in tight so she could feel how much that idea turned me on. “Is there something wrong with that?” I said, bending down to nip the spot behind her ear.
Her body shivered. “Definitely not.”
I kissed her neck again, gently biting her as I moved down her skin. “How about we head back to the house? I can think of several things I’d like to do to you right now.”
She trembled in my arms and giggled. “Why don’t you do them to me out here?”
Brows furrowed, I stepped back. The lustful look in her eyes made my dick jump. “You’re serious?”
With a nod, she bit her lip. “There’s no one here. Besides, I want to add another entry to my bucket list.”
I held her close. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
She grabbed my neck and pulled me down to her lips. “I want you to make love to me. Out here. Right now.”
I picked her up in my arms and carried her over to the dunes. “I’m all up for that.”
* * *
—
Aubrey fell asleep soon after we took our showers. It was still early, so I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and sat out on the porch to catch up on my calls. The wind had picked up, and I could smell rain in the distance.
I talked to Bennett for a good thirty minutes, listening to him go on and on about Emilia. They were still going strong. I wasn’t going to lie, I was worried about him getting too attached, but he didn’t seem to be. I’d never heard him so wrapped up in a girl before. They’d eaten dinner with my parents on several occasions, and my mother loved her. That was a good sign.
In other news, everything was all set for me to be fire chief at the beginning of the year. Nobody at the station knew that I might not be coming back. If it didn’t work out, I’d always have the Haywood farm and Aubrey. That was enough for me.
Now that my check in calls to my family and to the fire station were all done, I pulled up Google and typed in Aubrey’s name. A ton of hits came up, but not what I was looking for. I wanted to find the movie she was talking about earlier. All I’d ever known her to direct were box office hits.
I typed in lesser known movies directed by Aubrey Reynolds in the search bar, and waited for the responses to come up. I scrolled through them until a headline popped out at me. It was just what I was looking for. The article talked about Aubrey’s fame, but it focused on where she started. Her very first film never made it to theaters, but according to critics it had stellar reviews. It just so happened the movie was available to download. I purchased it and uploaded it to my phone.
Glancing over my shoulder through the glass doors, I could see Aubrey still sleeping in the bed. I was curious to see what the movie was about. Judging by the title, No Time to Waste, and a picture of the movie cover, it was clearly a romance. Propping my feet up on the porch, I sat back and hit play.
Usually I’d be bored out of my fucking mind watching something like that, but knowing it was Aubrey’s film had me hooked. She was talented, much more than I ever gave her credit for. I knew filmmaking was her passion, but she never did anything with it until out of the blue she wanted to move to Hollywood. It was a shock, but now I was glad she did it. She’d only have a lifetime of regret if she’d stayed and married me.
As I watched the movie, I waited for something to pop out at me that reminded me of Aubrey. It wasn’t until the scene came up with the guy and girl lying in the back of the truck and looking up at the stars that brought back memories. They talked about their future, and how much they loved each other. Then one thing led to another, and they lost their virginity to each other. Luckily, it didn’t show any of that, because in reality, a guy’s first time only lasts mere seconds. I knew without a doubt that the scene was all Aubrey’s doing. The couple mirrored exactly what happened between us that night we made love for the first time, including the words that were spoken. It was all the same. A part of me didn’t know if it was a good or bad thing, I’d never seen it until now.
“You couldn’t resist, could you?” Aubrey’s voice scared the shit out of me.
My phone fell out of my hands, and I turned around. “Damn, sunshine. I didn’t hear you.”
Smiling mischievously, she tightened the pink blanket around her body. “That’s because you were into my movie. Don’t worry though, I won’t tell anyone.”
She winked and picked up my phone, the look on her face pure joy as she played a few more seconds of her movie. “This film will always be one of my favorites. It’s where I first started.”
She held out my phone, and I took it from her. “It’s actually pretty good. The truck scene was a little familiar.”
Her smile saddened as she sat down in the chair beside me. “Yeah, I had it changed to that. The movie is based off a book the producer loved. Originally, the guy and girl were in her driveway when the guy said he loved her. Then after that, they go inside her house to make love. I asked if we could change it, and the author agreed. She loved it.”
“Out of all the movies you’ve directed, which one is your favorite?” I asked.
She tapped my phone. “That one. I put a lot of my energy into it. No, it wasn’t a big hit, but it reminded me of us.” Her eyes turned to the dark ocean. Thunder rolled in the distance, followed by a flash of lightning. “It holds a special place in my heart.”
“Think you’ll ever do anymore films like that?” Her newest ones were more action packed, angsty, and funny.
Aubrey’s lips spread wide. “I don’t know.” She turned to me, and her eyes twinkled as if there was something on her mind that she wasn’t telling me. “I’ve been pondering an idea, but I don’t want to say anything yet. I’m still working out the details in my head.”
“And you can’t tell me?” I said.
She shook her head. “Not yet, but I think you’ll be on board with it. Or at least, I hope you will.”
“I look forward to hearing it.” She yawned, and I grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”
She yawned again. “Lead the way. And tomorrow we’ll buy our tickets to Turks and Caicos.”
It was going to feel good being on a tropical island. I kissed the top of her head. “Sounds good to me.”
Chapter 21
Aubrey
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
“Holy shit,” I shrieked, hanging on to the Jeep’s door. Cole sped through the traffic circle like he was a NASCAR driver. It didn’t help that everyone in Turks and Caicos drove like maniacs. Not to mention, we had to drive on the opposite side of the road from what I was used to.
Cole chuckled and patted my leg. “Relax, sunshine. I got this.”
Clutching my phone, I took a deep breath. “I sure hope so.” I looked out at the sky, and a patch of dark clouds started to come in. “Looks like we’re going to get some rain.”
He continued to speed along with the other drivers. “Shouldn’t last long if it does.”
“Hopefully we live through it,” I mumbled, earning me a sly smile. I stared at him, and it was the first time I’d realized the differences in him. He’d changed over the years. It was like our personalities had mingled with each other’s. He used to be the serious one, and I was playful. Now we were a combination of each. I loved the change in him, and it was obvious he loved scaring the shit out of me by the mischievous smirk on his face. That wasn’t anything new. Cole was always a daredevil.
We were almost to the rental house according to my GPS. Instead of staying on the resort side of the island, we opted for the other side where it was calm and quiet. It was where most of the rental houses were.
The owner of the house, Donna, wanted us to text her when we were almost there so she could meet us in person. I’d talked to her about an hour before our flight, and she was probably one of the most interesting people I’d ever talked to. Before tourism even became a thing in Turks and Caicos, she had moved there and watched it all unfold, along with other famous families. She had ties to the Kelloggs, Roosevelts, and the Rockefellers. It was insane the amount of people she knew. I looked forward to meeting her.
When we arrived, it was even more beautiful than the pictures. The house had a Mediterranean feel to it. There were lush trees surrounding the house, making it appear like it was in the heart of a jungle. The pool was off to the left, and just past the pool was a walkway that led right down to the water. On this side of the island, the clear blue water was a smooth as glass. However, it was starting to churn with the wind. We were about to get a storm.
Mouth gaping, I got out of the Jeep, completely mesmerized. Even Cole seemed to be impressed. “This is amazing,” I gushed.
Cole glanced around and nodded. “It is.”
“Hey there,” a voice called out. I turned to see a tall, slender woman with short gray hair walking out of the house. She wore a patch over her right eye, and while she appeared to be in her early seventies, she looked amazing.
* * *
—
Exploring the Outer Banks had been my favorite so far. Aubrey reluctantly went deep-sea fishing with me, and it was cut short when she couldn’t stop throwing up. I snuck a few pictures of her as she was hunched over the side of the boat. She’d kill me if she knew I had them. We drove all the way down to Ocracoke and explored Hatteras while on the way. Aubrey’s favorite place was Rodanthe, where we decided to spend most of our time. It just so happened we’d rented the iconic Inn at Rodanthe, the same house that was in the movie Nights in Rodanthe. Before Aubrey left for California, it was one of the last movies we ever watched together.
Kicking my feet up, I closed my eyes and concentrated on the sound of the waves. I tried not to think about that time ten years ago, but it was hard not to. I was completely fucked up without Aubrey in my life.
“You look deep in thought,” Aubrey quipped.
I opened my eyes and looked over at her. She had on a long blue dress and a white sweater to cover her bare arms from the wind. In her hands were an empty antique glass bottle, a sheet of paper, and a pen. “I was,” I confessed.
“Oh yeah? What were you thinking about?” She walked over and stood in front of me, positioning her body between my legs. I wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled her close.
“Just how fucking sexy you are right now,” I said, not wanting to tell her the truth.
Clearly not believing me, she pursed her lips. “Now I know you’re lying. My face is still pale from being sick on that boat yesterday. I haven’t felt right since.”
It was true, she hadn’t been the same. “I think we picked the worst day to go. The ocean was really choppy.” A hurricane had barreled through the Atlantic, but we were far enough away from it to cause any problems other than wind.
Aubrey stepped back and clutched her stomach. “Hopefully things get better soon. I’m tired of eating just crackers and toast. I’d have given anything to eat some of your steak and potatoes tonight.” And I felt bad eating it all in front of her when I knew she wasn’t feeling well.
“As soon as you feel you can stomach regular food, I’ll cook you whatever you want. We can go to the grocery store again tomorrow.”
Her lips pulled back in a smile. “Sounds good to me.”
I nodded down at the bottle and paper in her hands. “What’s with that?” I asked.
She placed the bottle on the table and sat down on my lap. “This is something I’m adding to my bucket list.” The small piece of paper was a little crinkled, but she spread it out across her thigh and clicked the pen. “I want it to be a message in a bottle. Maybe somebody will find it.”
I rubbed her back and smiled. “Always the romantic. When I watched your movies, I could always point out the things you added.”
A spark of sadness flashed in her eyes, but she shook it off. “Like what? I need to hear this.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she had a skeptical look on her face. Being observant was something I was always good at with her, even if she didn’t think I’d noticed. It was hard watching her movies, and at first I was glad she’d gotten everything she always wanted. I thought she’d come back to Oklahoma a lot sooner than she did, and when she didn’t, that was when the anger and hurt took over.
“All right,” I said, wrapping my arms around her waist. “Let’s see if I can get this right.” Closing my eyes, I could see the different scenes play out in my head. No Turning Back was one of Aubrey’s most famous movies, about a young mother whose daughter gets kidnapped as payback for her husband’s role in convicting an infamous mafia leader in New York. It just so happened that Emilia played the young mother. Guess you could say I tortured myself by watching Aubrey’s movies. It was hard not to see her work when all everyone did was talk about it, but it was a stark reminder of everything I’d lost.
“In No Turning Back,” I began, “Emilia plays Maggie, whose daughter gets kidnapped.”
Aubrey’s face softened and she nodded. “Emilia did an amazing job with that role. I can’t imagine what it’d be like to lose a child, but she pulled it off fabulously.”
By the look in her eyes, she knew what I was going to say next. “There’s a certain thing Maggie would do to her daughter. The only time I’d ever seen it was when your mother would do it to you.”
Slowly, I lightly traced my hand down her face, skimming my fingers across her skin. She’d smile as she did it, then afterward she’d rub her nose against Aubrey’s. As a kid, I just figured it was something mother’s and daughters did to show affection.
Tears glistened in her eyes and her voice shook as she spoke. “I wanted the viewers to see the connection Maggie and her daughter had. Emilia and little Rachel hit it off perfectly, but including that gesture made me feel it even more. It brought back the memories of my mother.”
Cupping her cheeks, I wiped her tears away with my thumbs. “I knew it had to be your doing.”
She sniffled and blew out a sigh. “Nobody else has mentioned it. Then again, you were the one who was always around. The only other person who might’ve seen my mother do any of that stuff would be Heather, and she hasn’t said a word about it.”
I winked. “Are you shocked I noticed?”
Eyes narrowed, she stared at me for a second, then shook her head. “No, but I have a question.” My brows lifted, and she continued. “Have you seen all of my movies? Even the ones nobody has really ever heard about?”
From what I could recall, she’d only directed five movies so far, and I knew each one. “I’m pretty sure everyone’s heard about all the movie’s you’ve directed, sunshine.”
She snorted. “Think again. You might want to do a little more research.”
Now that had me intrigued. As much as I wanted to forget about her over the years, I often found myself googling her name. It was hard not to hear things about her when all of Dusty Valley was interested in her.
I pulled out my phone, but she gasped and grabbed it out of my hand. “I don’t think so, mister. I’m not going to let you look me up right now.”
Bursting out with laughter, I held my hands up. “Fine. Are you ashamed or something?”
A sad smile spread across her face, and she looked down at the blank paper. “Not at all. When you mentioned earlier about being able to point out the things I added, it got me wondering if you were thinking the same thing I was. Now I know you have no clue.” She ruffled my hair and sighed. “Which makes me sure you’re going to look me up the first chance you get.” She was right, but all I did was wink and smile. With a shake of her head, she focused on the paper and wrote something down.
“Words of wisdom, I assume?”
Her lips tilted in a small smile as she handed me the paper. “Yep. You never know who it might help.”
I read her words aloud. “ ‘Always follow your dreams, but don’t leave the ones you love behind. You might come to find it’s too late if you do.’ ” I handed the note back to her. “Luckily, things worked out for us.”
Taking the paper, she rolled it up so she could slide it into the bottle and cork it. “And I thank God every day for that.” She stood and held out her hand. “Come on. I need your strong arms to throw it into the ocean. If I do it, it’ll float right back to the shore.”
Chuckling, I reached for the bottle and grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.” We walked down the porch stairs and across the wooden walkway down to the beach. The sun had started to disappear behind the clouds, and there wasn’t a single person in sight. As much as I loved living in Oklahoma, I enjoyed the sound of crashing waves. I was actually going to miss it when we left.
Once we got down to the water, I grabbed the neck of the bottle. “Ready?” I said, gripping it tight.
Aubrey nodded excitedly. “Throw it hard.”
Taking a deep breath, I reared back and threw the bottle as hard and as far as I could. “You know it’s probably going to come right back to us.”
Aubrey snickered. “If it does, it’ll be okay. At least we tried.” I draped my arm over her shoulders. I loved the feel of her body next to mine.
“Where should we go to next?” she asked, looking off into the distance. The water was vast and calm. “I’m thinking someplace warmer. Don’t get me wrong, it feels nice here, but I’m thinking something a little more tropical.”
I couldn’t agree with her more. “How about Turks and Caicos? You have on your bucket list you want to go snorkeling. Turks and Caicos have some of the best spots in the world.”
Grinning wide, she looked up at me. “You just want to see me in a bikini.”
The thought had definitely crossed my mind. Sliding my hands down to her waist, I pulled her in tight so she could feel how much that idea turned me on. “Is there something wrong with that?” I said, bending down to nip the spot behind her ear.
Her body shivered. “Definitely not.”
I kissed her neck again, gently biting her as I moved down her skin. “How about we head back to the house? I can think of several things I’d like to do to you right now.”
She trembled in my arms and giggled. “Why don’t you do them to me out here?”
Brows furrowed, I stepped back. The lustful look in her eyes made my dick jump. “You’re serious?”
With a nod, she bit her lip. “There’s no one here. Besides, I want to add another entry to my bucket list.”
I held her close. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
She grabbed my neck and pulled me down to her lips. “I want you to make love to me. Out here. Right now.”
I picked her up in my arms and carried her over to the dunes. “I’m all up for that.”
* * *
—
Aubrey fell asleep soon after we took our showers. It was still early, so I grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and sat out on the porch to catch up on my calls. The wind had picked up, and I could smell rain in the distance.
I talked to Bennett for a good thirty minutes, listening to him go on and on about Emilia. They were still going strong. I wasn’t going to lie, I was worried about him getting too attached, but he didn’t seem to be. I’d never heard him so wrapped up in a girl before. They’d eaten dinner with my parents on several occasions, and my mother loved her. That was a good sign.
In other news, everything was all set for me to be fire chief at the beginning of the year. Nobody at the station knew that I might not be coming back. If it didn’t work out, I’d always have the Haywood farm and Aubrey. That was enough for me.
Now that my check in calls to my family and to the fire station were all done, I pulled up Google and typed in Aubrey’s name. A ton of hits came up, but not what I was looking for. I wanted to find the movie she was talking about earlier. All I’d ever known her to direct were box office hits.
I typed in lesser known movies directed by Aubrey Reynolds in the search bar, and waited for the responses to come up. I scrolled through them until a headline popped out at me. It was just what I was looking for. The article talked about Aubrey’s fame, but it focused on where she started. Her very first film never made it to theaters, but according to critics it had stellar reviews. It just so happened the movie was available to download. I purchased it and uploaded it to my phone.
Glancing over my shoulder through the glass doors, I could see Aubrey still sleeping in the bed. I was curious to see what the movie was about. Judging by the title, No Time to Waste, and a picture of the movie cover, it was clearly a romance. Propping my feet up on the porch, I sat back and hit play.
Usually I’d be bored out of my fucking mind watching something like that, but knowing it was Aubrey’s film had me hooked. She was talented, much more than I ever gave her credit for. I knew filmmaking was her passion, but she never did anything with it until out of the blue she wanted to move to Hollywood. It was a shock, but now I was glad she did it. She’d only have a lifetime of regret if she’d stayed and married me.
As I watched the movie, I waited for something to pop out at me that reminded me of Aubrey. It wasn’t until the scene came up with the guy and girl lying in the back of the truck and looking up at the stars that brought back memories. They talked about their future, and how much they loved each other. Then one thing led to another, and they lost their virginity to each other. Luckily, it didn’t show any of that, because in reality, a guy’s first time only lasts mere seconds. I knew without a doubt that the scene was all Aubrey’s doing. The couple mirrored exactly what happened between us that night we made love for the first time, including the words that were spoken. It was all the same. A part of me didn’t know if it was a good or bad thing, I’d never seen it until now.
“You couldn’t resist, could you?” Aubrey’s voice scared the shit out of me.
My phone fell out of my hands, and I turned around. “Damn, sunshine. I didn’t hear you.”
Smiling mischievously, she tightened the pink blanket around her body. “That’s because you were into my movie. Don’t worry though, I won’t tell anyone.”
She winked and picked up my phone, the look on her face pure joy as she played a few more seconds of her movie. “This film will always be one of my favorites. It’s where I first started.”
She held out my phone, and I took it from her. “It’s actually pretty good. The truck scene was a little familiar.”
Her smile saddened as she sat down in the chair beside me. “Yeah, I had it changed to that. The movie is based off a book the producer loved. Originally, the guy and girl were in her driveway when the guy said he loved her. Then after that, they go inside her house to make love. I asked if we could change it, and the author agreed. She loved it.”
“Out of all the movies you’ve directed, which one is your favorite?” I asked.
She tapped my phone. “That one. I put a lot of my energy into it. No, it wasn’t a big hit, but it reminded me of us.” Her eyes turned to the dark ocean. Thunder rolled in the distance, followed by a flash of lightning. “It holds a special place in my heart.”
“Think you’ll ever do anymore films like that?” Her newest ones were more action packed, angsty, and funny.
Aubrey’s lips spread wide. “I don’t know.” She turned to me, and her eyes twinkled as if there was something on her mind that she wasn’t telling me. “I’ve been pondering an idea, but I don’t want to say anything yet. I’m still working out the details in my head.”
“And you can’t tell me?” I said.
She shook her head. “Not yet, but I think you’ll be on board with it. Or at least, I hope you will.”
“I look forward to hearing it.” She yawned, and I grabbed her hand. “Come on, let’s get you back to bed.”
She yawned again. “Lead the way. And tomorrow we’ll buy our tickets to Turks and Caicos.”
It was going to feel good being on a tropical island. I kissed the top of her head. “Sounds good to me.”
Chapter 21
Aubrey
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
“Holy shit,” I shrieked, hanging on to the Jeep’s door. Cole sped through the traffic circle like he was a NASCAR driver. It didn’t help that everyone in Turks and Caicos drove like maniacs. Not to mention, we had to drive on the opposite side of the road from what I was used to.
Cole chuckled and patted my leg. “Relax, sunshine. I got this.”
Clutching my phone, I took a deep breath. “I sure hope so.” I looked out at the sky, and a patch of dark clouds started to come in. “Looks like we’re going to get some rain.”
He continued to speed along with the other drivers. “Shouldn’t last long if it does.”
“Hopefully we live through it,” I mumbled, earning me a sly smile. I stared at him, and it was the first time I’d realized the differences in him. He’d changed over the years. It was like our personalities had mingled with each other’s. He used to be the serious one, and I was playful. Now we were a combination of each. I loved the change in him, and it was obvious he loved scaring the shit out of me by the mischievous smirk on his face. That wasn’t anything new. Cole was always a daredevil.
We were almost to the rental house according to my GPS. Instead of staying on the resort side of the island, we opted for the other side where it was calm and quiet. It was where most of the rental houses were.
The owner of the house, Donna, wanted us to text her when we were almost there so she could meet us in person. I’d talked to her about an hour before our flight, and she was probably one of the most interesting people I’d ever talked to. Before tourism even became a thing in Turks and Caicos, she had moved there and watched it all unfold, along with other famous families. She had ties to the Kelloggs, Roosevelts, and the Rockefellers. It was insane the amount of people she knew. I looked forward to meeting her.
When we arrived, it was even more beautiful than the pictures. The house had a Mediterranean feel to it. There were lush trees surrounding the house, making it appear like it was in the heart of a jungle. The pool was off to the left, and just past the pool was a walkway that led right down to the water. On this side of the island, the clear blue water was a smooth as glass. However, it was starting to churn with the wind. We were about to get a storm.
Mouth gaping, I got out of the Jeep, completely mesmerized. Even Cole seemed to be impressed. “This is amazing,” I gushed.
Cole glanced around and nodded. “It is.”
“Hey there,” a voice called out. I turned to see a tall, slender woman with short gray hair walking out of the house. She wore a patch over her right eye, and while she appeared to be in her early seventies, she looked amazing.
