One More Chance, page 14
In her heart, she always knew he was the one for her. Thinking back on some of the things he’d said to her over the last week, she had a feeling it was the same for him.
“Now that we’ve thoroughly made a mess in here, how about we move this to the bedroom? I think I’d like to use the strawberries and chocolate on some very specific parts of you,” he said as he stood, water cascading down his magnificent body.
Sienna could only stare up in awe. He looked like one of those Roman Gods—all hard, chiseled muscles. Swallowing hard, she got on her knees and slowly kissed her way up his body. The sound of his ragged breathing spurring her on. By the time she was standing and pressed up against him, he was incredibly hard and she knew if they weren’t standing in this slippery tub, he’d be taking her right now.
“I feel like we’re going to have to hit pause on this moment just to get out of the tub,” she whispered. “But I promise it will be worth it.”
Taking her hand, Mick stepped out of the tub and reached for a heated towel, wrapping it around her before lifting her out of the tub. He grabbed another for himself and quickly dried off before picking up the champagne and carrying it to the bedroom. Then he came back for the strawberries and dips.
Then he came back for her, lifting her into his arms and carrying her to bed as if she was the most precious thing in the world to him.
And by the look in his eyes, she kind of felt like she was.
They were riding the ferry back from Alcatraz when Sienna asked, “Have you ever had to bail one of your clients out of jail?”
That made him laugh. “Definitely, but fortunately that sort of thing didn’t happen very often. Still...it’s part of the job.”
“What was the worst offense?”
“Mostly drunk and disorderly, but Dylan was involved in a massive accident in Vegas years ago. It was a miracle he got out of it alive. He was drunk and driving recklessly. Hit a car with four guys in it.”
“Oh, my goodness! Did everyone survive?”
He nodded grimly. “Again, it was a miracle. He went into rehab after that and it saved his life.” Looking back, he still remembered how he warred with rage and relief at the time. Dylan was lucky that things went the way they did, but part of Mick still felt a wave of guilt that he hadn’t stepped in and done something sooner.
“It must be hard,” she commented, staring out at the water.
“What?”
“All the responsibility you take on. Most people have a hard time just dealing with their own lives and keeping themselves in check. You do it for a whole list of people.” Turning her head, she looked at him. “It’s got to be emotionally draining.”
They moved to lean on the railings. “You know, while it’s going on, I barely notice it. I just sort of accept that it’s my responsibility. It wasn’t until lately that I realized just how tired I was. Burned out. For so many years, I was just focused on moving forward and keeping things in motion that I didn’t have time to think about myself.”
“You’re lucky. I spent a lot of years with nothing but myself to focus on. Going to college at sixteen wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. I was too young and too hyper-focused on my studies to really relate to any of my roommates or any of the students. I spent a lot of time by myself and I was miserable.”
Damn. Just thinking about it ate him up inside.
“So many times I wanted to beg my parents to come and take me home, but then I realized there was nothing there for me either.” She shrugged. “It just made me study harder and why I ended up getting my degree early.”
Reaching over, he took one of her hands in his. “I’m sorry.”
With a sad smile, she asked, “For what?”
“I feel responsible. You even said that to me not that long ago. You said...”
“Mick, please,” she interrupted. “I know what I said, but that’s on me. Not you. Back then, you never made any promises, so anything I was feeling was completely my own doing. I never meant for you to take any responsibility for it.”
“Still, I can’t help but wonder...”
“Don’t. Please. What good will thinking like that do? We can’t go back and we can’t keep focusing on what might have been.” Pausing, she stared out at the water again. “I think we’ve both done some great things with our lives and we shouldn’t minimize our accomplishments because it meant we missed out on some other things.”
“Maybe.”
“And...for all we know, if things had been different...it doesn’t necessarily mean that it would have been right for the two of us. I think back then, we would have ended up stifling one another.”
Hadn’t he once thought the same thing?
Looking over at her, he sighed. “I don’t know how to stop thinking about the past, Sienna. It’s there. It’s part of who we are.”
“And I get that. I really do. I’m just saying that maybe we don’t...overthink about it. Does that make sense?”
He nodded, but he still wasn’t sure he was going to be able to do it.
“Let’s change the subject!” Straightening a bit, Sienna smiled brightly at him. “What’s next on our stop today?”
“Hmm...I believe we were going to ride the cable cars through the city and see where the mood takes us.”
“Oh, that’s right. You didn’t trust any of those guided tours I looked up.” She gave him a mock pout. “I suppose you could have done something better, right?”
“I wouldn’t say better, but...I’m not a huge fan of letting some guide tell me what I should want to see. Alcatraz was really going to take up the most time, that’s why I booked us on the early tour. Now we have the rest of the day to run around the city.”
“Mm-hmm...”
“I think we should go to Fisherman’s Wharf when we get off the ferry and go find something for lunch. Then you can decide where you want to go from there.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Pulling out her phone, she added, “I may start looking up some places to eat now. We’re almost back, but I’m starving.”
“That’s because you didn’t want to get up and have breakfast this morning.” Moving in close and wrapping his arm around her, he playfully nuzzled her neck.
“I don’t recall you complaining...”
“Oh, I’m not, but I at least managed to eat a bagel and some fruit. You just...”
Her soft gasp cut him off.
“What? What’s the matter?”
Her hand shook as she covered her mouth. Mick took the phone from her and read the message.
Eleanor: Well, this sucks
Eleanor: The cancer has spread and spread fast. The doctors have told me there isn’t anything more they can do except make me comfortable
Eleanor: I was already against all the poking and prodding they’d been doing, but there was a small part of me that thought something was going to work to slow this stuff down
Eleanor: You know how much I hate being wrong
Eleanor: Just so you know, I’m comfortable and handling the news the best I can
Eleanor: One of the nurses has been printing out some of the photos you’ve sent and they’re all up on the wall here in my room. They make me smile.
Eleanor: Keep sending them, Sienna. I feel like I’m living my last days vicariously through you
Shit.
Gently, he pulled her into his embrace and held her while she cried. He wasn’t sure there was anything he could say to make her feel better and thought it was probably best to let her express how she was feeling and take it from there.
Only...he couldn’t.
“Would you like to go back to the hotel? We can order room service and you can call Eleanor and...”
But she shook her head. “No. She’d hate that and get mad at me if I cut our day of sightseeing short. Besides, I’m supposed to make sure I have some sourdough bread and tell her if it’s worth all the hype.”
Chuckling softly, Mick wished he could meet this woman.
“What about us taking a bit of a detour?” he suggested.
“What do you mean?”
“Maybe we should skip Napa and fly back to North Carolina so you can spend some time with her.”
If anything, she started crying harder.
The ferry docked and people were walking past them, and he wasn’t sure what to do.
“Sienna, I... um...”
She seemed to pull herself together—wiping at her tears—before she looked at him again. “First, we need to get off the boat. We’ll talk more about this over lunch.”
For the first time in his life, he felt completely helpless. He was used to being the one people turned to when they needed help or in an emergency; he was the guy who solved problems and made everything better. But to just stand by and watch this incredibly strong woman crumble like this was almost more than he could bear.
“Would you mind if we just called for an Uber or something?” she asked. “We can maybe ride the cable cars after lunch.”
“Of course.” He picked a random location on Fisherman’s Wharf to get dropped off and arranged for the ride.
Five minutes later, they rode in silence, and he felt a little silly when they arrived at their destination in only three minutes.
Sienna must have felt the same way because she laughed softly. “I guess we could have walked, huh?”
“Sure, but...this was easier.” Thanking the driver, they climbed from the car and walked over to the first restaurant they saw and waited for a table. It didn’t take long and as soon as they were seated, Mick could tell that she still wasn’t herself. They were scanning the menus when he asked her what she was going to order.
“Um...why don’t you order for us?” she said sadly, putting the menu down. “It’s like I’m looking at it, but nothing is even registering.”
He took a few minutes to look at all the options and then waved their server over. “We’d like to start with the baked tomato bruschetta,” he began. “Then we’d like to split an order of the clam chowder in the sourdough bread bowl.”
“Excellent choice,” their server said. “Would you like to order your entrees now, or wait?”
“Um...we’ll order them now, but please don’t put the order in until after the clam chowder.”
“Sounds good.”
“Excellent. I will have the halibut and the lady will have the seared scallop and crab risotto.” Handing off their menus, he added, “I’d like a glass of your Sauvignon Blanc and she’ll take a glass of Chardonnay. Thanks.”
Once they were alone again, Mick reached across the table and took her hand in his. “Talk to me, Sienna.”
She let out a long breath while studying their hands and when she looked up at him, he saw the sadness there.
“I knew this was coming,” she said quietly. “But I guess I was hoping for a miracle too.”
“Of course you were. That’s only natural.”
“The scientist in me, however, should know better. Eleanor had accepted what was happening and had made her peace with it, and I would never allow her to see how upset I am right now.” Another sigh. “So...I think I need to do as she asked and...keep with our plans and take lots of pictures. If that’s something that is making her smile, then that’s what I’m going to do.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “If I were sitting there with her, it wouldn’t have the same effect. If my silly little texts and pictures are something she looks forward to, then...I need to keep going.”
He nodded. “You’re a good friend, and I think you’re stronger than you realize. But if it gets to be too much and you want to go back to the room or just...I don’t know...hit something...then that’s what we’ll do.”
This time her laugh was a little lighter. “Hit something? Why would I hit something?”
“I’ve heard it’s a great stress reliever,” he said with a laugh of his own.
“You’ve heard, huh?”
Nodding again, he said, “Yup.”
“Michael Tyler, you are such a liar!” Now her laughter was full blown. “I have a feeling you’ve hit your share of things—and not always to relieve stress.”
“Okay, okay, okay...you got me. I’ve been known to not only hit the bag at the gym from time to time, but...I’ve also allowed myself to be on the receiving end of a handful of punches to help a friend.”
Leaning back in her chair, she eyed him shrewdly. “You let someone punch you so they’d feel better?”
“True story.”
“This I’ve got to hear...”
Mimicking her pose, he crossed his arms and shared his story. “About five years ago, Julian was at a pretty low point in his life. He had a very public breakdown in the form of calling off his wedding and had taken off for three months to find himself. When he got back, he met Charlotte. I knew right away that she was the best thing to ever happen to him, but I knew he was going to screw it up out of some misplaced sense of...I don’t know...punishment to himself. Anyway, he did screw it up and broke up with her, but I was doing some work with her. She was doing a lot of great stuff for the homeless and I got involved.”
“Impressive.”
He shrugged. “Not really. It was all Charlotte. Anyway, I went over to Julian’s place—which is now my place.” Then he paused and thought about that. “Actually, it was always my place, but I let him live there for a few months. Either way, I went over there one day and he was being so damn stoic—like he didn’t give a damn that she was gone and all that crap. So I poked the bear a little. I needed him to snap out of his damn funk and start living again. And ended up on the receiving end of a major ass-kicking. I don’t think I’ve ever been afraid of getting hurt the way I was that day. He broke one of my ribs, but I never told him.”
“Holy crap! Why? Why would you do that to yourself? And what kind of friend breaks another friend’s rib? I actually liked Julian, but now...”
Mick held up a hand to stop her. “I knew exactly what I was doing, Sienna. It was a little unorthodox, but it had the desired results.”
She looked at him like he was crazy and was definitely going to argue some more about it, but fortunately, their bruschetta arrived, along with their wine.
Saved by the food...
“Why don’t you let me get a picture of you with the bread bowl?” he suggested. “Then you can send it to Eleanor.”
“Oh, my face is probably a mess from crying...”
“So? You’re beautiful, Sienna.”
The look she gave him told him she didn’t believe it.
“Fine. Go run to the ladies' room and see for yourself.”
“But...the food...?”
“Will still be here. I promise not to start without you.”
She glanced at the table and then at him. “Two minutes. Three, tops!” And then she was gone.
Mick pulled out his phone and shot a quick text to Lynn.
Mick: I need you to find the fastest way to ship to Sourdough bread from San Francisco to Durham, North Carolina
Lynn: Anywhere in particular in Durham or just the city?
Mick: Ha, ha. You’re hysterical
Mick: I’ll get you an address in a few minutes, but let me know what you can find
Lynn: You got it!
Mick: Thanks
When he looked up, Sienna was walking toward him and looking a lot more relaxed. As soon as she was seated, she pulled the bread bowl toward her before handing him her phone.
“Good thing I don’t wear a lot of makeup,” she said with a small laugh.
“You don’t need it. I told you, you’re beautiful.” Holding up the phone, he took several pictures of her with the soup and then the bruschetta. Once he gave her the phone back, he asked, “So what hospital is Eleanor in? Or is she getting care at home?”
“She’s at Duke. It’s where we both work and she knows a lot of the doctors there. She sold her house as soon as she got the news, so she’ll spend the rest of her time...well...you know.”
He nodded.
“Listen, you can tell me to mind my own business, but...what would you think of sending her a loaf of the sourdough so she can taste it for herself?”
The spoon was halfway to her lips when she paused and frowned. “It would be stale by the time it got there, wouldn’t it?”
“Not the way I do it.” With a wink, he picked up a piece of the bruschetta. “I’ve got Lynn working on it, and I’m hoping we can get it there the same day.”
“Mick...you don’t have to...”
“A picture is great, Sienna. Like she said, she’s living vicariously through you. How much better would it be if she could actually experience even a tiny bit of it herself?”
Her shoulders sagged. “I know she’d love it. I wish I could send her more to make her feel like she was with me.”
“Like what?”
“Sand from the beach in Malibu, the bread, maybe a bottle of wine from when we get to Napa tomorrow...”
“Pfft...easy. Trust me. I’ve had to ship a lot more bizarre stuff. I think we can make this happen. Maybe a gift a day for the next few days. What do you think?”
Her smile was positively brilliant.
“I think you are the most amazing man in the whole wide world and I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
For the first time in a long time, Mick was speechless. He could have said something trite, but...he didn’t want to ruin the moment.
Instead, he went for something light that would completely change the subject.
“I’ll trade you a piece of bruschetta for a taste of the soup!”
“You’re on!”
****
Her feet were killing her, she was ridiculously full, and it was amazing how Mick had turned the day around for her.
After her mini breakdown on the ferry, he genuinely went out of his way to not only cheer her up, but Eleanor too. Lynn had found a service that was going to deliver the bread to her tomorrow afternoon, and Sienna still couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it. She wanted to argue about the cost, but for the first time on this trip, she was extremely grateful that he could do something so extravagant and that it was for someone other than her.
