Miles Apart (The Not So Bad Boys of Rock Book 2) (21 page)

The
rest of the afternoon wasn't nearly as dramatic. After dinner we all sat around
listening as Sebastian and Dek strummed their guitars and sang. Savannah sat on
one knee while Olivia took up residence on the other. He looked happy,
surrounded by their squeals of delight as he sang for them. I watched
helplessly as Rachel stared up at him with a look on her face that tore my
heart apart. For the first time in our relationship, I worried that someone else
may steal him away from me. I was going to have to confront him about it, but I
didn't know how to go about it without coming across as a jealous brat. After
all, she was a young widow and they were just friends. But what if that
friendship turned into something more? I wasn't about to stand around and watch
the man that I loved fall into the arms of another woman. No matter how lonely
that woman was.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Sebastian~

"You've been awfully quiet tonight. Everything
okay?" I lifted a hand off the steering wheel and wrapped my fingers
around hers. We were in the car, heading home after a long afternoon. Dinner at
Mom's seemed to go smoothly. At one point I had even caught Brooke hugging
Rachel. I'll admit, I had been nervous about them meeting, but it was important
for me to include them today. Rachel and Savannah didn't have family in the
area. Her parents lived in Michigan, that was who they had been visiting that
afternoon when we had first met on the plane. We had been talking on the phone
for the past few months. She had shared with me the story of how the love of
her life had been taken from them. Their loss tore at my heart. I couldn't
imagine being a single parent. She was so strong, and unbelievably independent.
When I thought about how Savannah's father must have felt, being away from her
to serve his country, my gut had told me what needed to be done. They needed
someone to help look after them in his absence. I often found myself thinking
how much he must have missed them, being so far away. I knew what that had felt
like. It had sucked, there was no denying it. Being apart from Brooke had made
my heart ache inside. She'd cried during one of our conversations, after
sharing a memory she had of Matthew. Before he left for Afghanistan he'd told
her that when he returned he would spend the rest of his life seeing to it that
she was happy and taken care of. When Rachel had told me about how hard it was
for her to find some time to herself, I immediately knew that hiring a live-in
caregiver was an easy way to help out. It seemed like the least I could do to
help honor her deceased husband's wishes.

I'm
not sure why I hadn't mentioned it to Brooke.

"Yeah,
I'm okay. It's just been a long day." She replied, giving my hand a light
squeeze before turning back to stare out the window.

"Okay."
I conceded.

Later that night we
were lying in bed, but
the atmosphere of the room was much cooler than it had been earlier that
afternoon. Brooke was on her side, and I stared at her back, watching the rise
and fall of her shoulder. I knew she wasn't sleeping. We'd been here for nearly
an hour, in complete silence, before she finally spoke.

"Why
didn't you tell me about Savannah's father?"

That
wasn't the question I had been expecting.

"Um.
Well, I um. I never really gave it a whole lot of thought. She first told me
about it after you left me." I reached out a hand, letting it hover just
above her. I was afraid to touch her. I wasn't sure how she would react, or if
she even wanted me to touch her.

"They've
suffered a tragic loss, and they're in your life. I think it's a pretty
significant piece of information." Her voice came out as barely a whisper,
and I could tell that she was now crying. Her back was still to me, so I
couldn't see her face, but that didn't stop my hand from settling on the curve
of her hip.

"I
agree, but I don't see how that detail affects what we have." I replied,
inching closer.

She
twisted to face me. There were tears on her cheeks. "Don't you get it? She
lost the love of her life. She shares a common bond with you, just like I did.
What happens when one day she calls and tells you that she needs you? If that
day ever comes, will you choose her over me? Because I'm afraid that maybe one
day you might think she needs you more than I do." Sobs overtook her,
making her body tremble. Instinctively, I drew her in, her face mashed against
my chest. I felt hot tears spill across my skin. I just held her tight and
spoke soothing words in her ear.

"Honey,
that day will never come. You will always be my first choice. Nothing comes
before you. We're getting married. I don't have those kind of feelings for
Rachel. She is a smart and beautiful woman, but she doesn't do anything for
me." I ran my hand over her back, attempting to calm her.

"If
she's so beautiful why doesn't she do anything for you?" She sniffed,
pitifully.

"Because
she's not you. No one will ever make me feel the way you do." She lifted
her eyes to meet mine. I took her chin between my thumb and forefinger and made
sure that my words left no room for doubt. "No one."

Her
mouth crashed into mine, seeking assurance, and I gave it. Her fingers wove
through my hair, tugging slightly as she fought to get closer. We were already
pressed together, there wasn't any space left to cross, but that didn't stop
her limbs from claiming me. Our legs were tangled, arms wrapped tightly around
one another's shoulders, lips pushing and pulling as our tongues tickled and
caressed. Soon, her body came to rest on top of me. Her legs settled in the space
between mine. Her small torso stretched out over the hard lines of my abdominal
muscles. She nestled her cheek above my heart. I crossed my arms, allowing my
hands to come to rest in the small curve of her lower back.

"Your
heart's beating fast. I can hear every thump." She used the tip of her
finger to trace the edge of my left pectoral. This action sent a shiver through
my body.

"It's
beating for you. It's racing because of what you do to me. Just being near you
like this. It's incredible. I want to spend the rest of my life holding you
like this." I lifted my head and strained to kiss her forehead.

"I
never want to be apart from you again. Everything I need is right here in my
arms." A few minutes later, we both fell asleep, our hearts beating
together in unison.

"Brooke, sweetie,
I've found
a florist that can get us all of the pink and white calla lilies you
desire!" Mom exclaimed, happily. She and Dad were here to discuss wedding
plans. Brooke had been meeting with Mom and Natalie fairly regularly, sometimes
Jade would even join them via Skype. The wedding was only a month away. I
couldn't believe how quickly the time had gone by.

"That's
wonderful news. I'm thinking we'll need at least two hundred. I need a large
bouquet and then I would like them to adorn each reception table." I
watched as she mentally ticked off all the fine details. She was in her
element. The reception was being catered by Max and his crew at Lardon's. Even
though Brooke hadn't returned to work, they kept in touch on a regular basis.
Her plan was to get married, go on our two week honeymoon, and then return to
the kitchen.

"Oh,
they will compliment the rest of the décor perfectly." Mom gushed.
"Why, just yesterday I was out shopping and I came across…" The two
of them continued to discuss décor while I admired the way Brooke looked as she
was hard at work. I saw her hand extend before her, pointing in the direction
of the beach, and I was suddenly hit with the realization that I needed to buy
a ring. Even though we only had a month to go, I wanted to do this the right
way. I wanted to see it proudly displayed on her left hand.

But
mostly, I wanted the world to know that she was mine.

"Dad,"
I called out. He appeared in the kitchen. "Do you feel like taking a trip
into town with me?"

"Sure.
Where are we headed?" He asked, following me to the car.

"The
jewelry store." I declared.

"Wait,
son. I have a better idea."

"Where
am I going?" I turned to him and asked. We were in the car, heading down
the driveway.

"Manhattan
Beach, there's something I want to show you."

Thirty
minutes later, we were in my parent's bedroom, a place that had served as a
safe haven for me when I'd been a small boy. I used to have really bad
nightmares and I would always make my way to their room and pad over to my mom's
side of the bed. She never got angry. Never once did either of them complain
about losing sleep. She would just pat the center of the bed and I would climb
up and settle in the comfort and security I felt lying between them on that
king-sized mattress. This room still held those same feelings of safety for me.

I
watched as Dad entered his closet, heard him rummage around, then saw as he
came back into the room carrying a small grey lockbox. A large grin filled his
face.

"What's
in the box?" I asked, curiously. I recalled seeing that box as a child. It
always sat perched atop the highest shelf in his closet, almost as if it
contained his most prized possessions. I'd never touched it back then, and I
was still a bit apprehensive now.

"Important
papers, valuables I've had since I was a child, and a few other items that are
irreplaceable." He slipped a hand in and pulled out a small black box. I
had an idea of what it held, but I knew that it was something I had never laid
eyes on. He handed it to me. I accepted it tentatively. "Go on, open
it."

The
small box creaked ever so slightly as I pried it open and came face to face
with the most exquisite diamond ring I had ever seen. The setting was just a
solitary diamond cut, but the band itself was remarkable. It was made of
silver, and slightly larger than your typical delicate setting. A beautiful
pattern had been etched into the band and at first glance it appeared to be
covered in smaller diamonds.

"It
was your grandmother's. My father gave it to her on their twenty-fifth wedding
anniversary." Dad stared at it lovingly. "He had been too poor to
give her one when they'd gotten married. I remember when he gave this to her.
The look on her face is still burned in my memory. It was a look of pure love and
adoration. My parent's loved one another fiercely. They worked hard on their
farm, raised two children, and still managed to find time for one
another." He fingered the ring, staring as if he remembered seeing it on
his mother's hand.

"I
vaguely recall playing with this ring when she would hold my hand. I remember
tracing my nail over the etchings." I mimicked that same motion. "Why
are you giving this to me?" I asked, feeling completely overwhelmed by
this act of trust.

"Because
I see the same love between the two of you. From the very moment I met that
girl I knew she was the one for you. I could see it in your eyes. The light
that shined in them told me that one day you would marry her and she would make
you the happiest man in the world. This ring spent twenty years on my mother's
finger before she passed away. She never took it off. She loved you very much,
and I know that she would want you to give it to the love of your life."

I
looked at him, there was moisture in the corners of his eyes. I pulled him to
me and hugged him hard. We cried for a few minutes, remembering my
grandparent's and their love for each other. I stepped back, running the heel
of my hand over both eyes.

"I
couldn't think of a better symbol of my love for her. Thank you."

Dad
held me at arms length, giving me a stern, fatherly look.

"Son,
you love that girl with everything that you have to give, and then some. Never
let her forget that she is the most important thing in your life. And if one
day you are blessed with children be sure to let them see just how special
their mother is to you. Make sure that they know she is someone to be
treasured. With an example like that, they'll grow up and do the same for their
spouse."

"Just
like you did with Mom." I whispered.

"I've
tried my best."

"Trust
me, you've been an excellent example." I slipped the ring in my pocket and
we headed home.

Twenty
minutes from my house, Dad's phone rang. Mom was calling to see where we'd gone
off to.

"We’ve
been gone over an hour, are you just now noticing I was gone?" Dad teased.
We both knew that once the girls had begun their wedding planning, they would
be oblivious to anything else around them. I could hear her giggling on the
other end, but I couldn't make out what she was saying. "We had to take a
little trip. We're almost home. I know, sweetheart, I love you too." They
spoke a few minutes longer and then Dad hung up.

"Aw,
is she missing you?" I gave him a wink.

"Son,
just shut up and drive." He gave a half-laugh and shook his head, it was
all I could do to keep from laughing.

"Yes,
sir."