Do I regret the other night with Tiller?
No, I can’t say that I do. I don’t regret much of anything I do with him because it’s the excitement I lack in life that he provides.
What I do regret is leaving River that night. I didn’t get home until four in the morning, and she’d barely slept, constantly asking Tracy when I’d be back. I felt absolutely horrible for it.
In the morning, standing in the foyer waiting for Tiller, I ask her, “Are you okay that I was gone?”
Playing with the handle of her suitcase, she seems to have forgot, or maybe it’s the excitement of leaving town, but her eyes are bright as she waits by the front door for Tiller to pick us up. “Where you go? I missed you.”
I swallow over a lump in my throat at the memories of last night. I kiss her forehead. “I was at Tiller’s house,” I admit, drawing back to watch her expression.
Tight and clinging, she worms her arms around my neck. “I don’t want to go to the wedding.”
Me either.
My cell phone beeps and I hear the rumble of his truck in the driveway. “I have a surprise for you.”
“What?”
“Tiller’s coming with us.”
You would have thought I told her she could have a new puppy at the excitement she shows when she sees him at the door and rips it open.
“Hey,” he says when he sees me. His eyes burn like his touch, all reminders of what we did and how even though I don’t feel his touch physically, his presence is enough. His eyes drop to River. “Ready?”
She nods and grabs her bag. “Yup.”
Well, that went easy, didn’t it?
Don’t get too excited. It’s about the only easy part of the weekend. I’m sure of it.
I leave Kona with Tracy next door because the last thing I need is a dog in Tiller’s truck. Actually, he flat out told me no. And I couldn’t blame him. It’s a brand-new truck and Kona slobbers.
Given River’s lack of conversation lately, I will say, I’ve never heard her talk as much as she does when we’re driving up to Muir Beach with Tiller. We take his truck, because he never lets anyone drive but him if he’s in the car. He hates not being in control. You even have to drug him when he’s on a plane, it’s that bad.
His shoulder’s healing. Once they put it back into place at the event. It was just a matter of healing and not using the shoulder for a few weeks. Other than you know, tossing me in a pool. It essentially got him out of rounds five and six of the After Dark tour though, so he certainly wasn’t complaining about going to a wedding. Well, not yet at least.
While Tiller and River talk about lizards, Alexandra texts me, outraged Tiller’s coming to the wedding.
Alexandra: I can’t believe you’re bringing him.
Me: He’s my plus one.
Alexandra: You weren’t given a plus one for the wedding.
Me: Well, then I won’t come and neither will your flower girl.
I’m getting bolder with Alexandra, and I think maybe I might have Tiller to thank for that. He gives me the courage to stand up for myself.
It’s ten minutes when she texts me back.
Alexandra: Fine. But he better not cause a scene.
I want to reply with “you know he will,” but I don’t. Instead, I slip my phone into my bag on the floorboard.
Tiller glances over at me, one hand draped over the wheel, the other flipping his cell phone around like he can’t stand to not be doing something with his hands, even when driving.
By the look in his eyes, if River wasn’t in the back seat, it’d be up my dress for sure.
I blush. “Stop it.”
He laughs softly. “I didn’t do anything.” But then he lifts his index and middle finger to his bottom lip, tapping them against his lip seductively, a wicked grin present.
What a jerk.
The memory of the other night flashes in my mind, the way he got me off in the chair, the way his body slumped against mine in the shop, and the way he stripped my dress off me and washed it because it had him on it.
“Who were you texting?” he asks, curiously nodding to the floor where my phones at.
“Alexandra.” I look behind me when I don’t hear any noise for a few minutes but the faint sounds of River’s iPad in her lap. She’s sound asleep. Car rides seem to do that to her, but a six-hour car ride was sure to knock her out at some point. It’s hour three when she’s finally passed out and drooling. “She’s upset I brought you.”
He nods. “Does that mean I don’t have to go?”
“Nope. You’re my boyfriend this weekend.”
He cringes at the word again, but still smiles and shakes his head. “I still can’t believe I agreed to this.”
I smile, reaching for my water. “I can. Secretly you’ve always wanted to be my boyfriend.”
He doesn’t answer me, and I don’t push for him to because there are just some things I know I’m not going to get out of him and a title is one of them.
But then I wonder and ask, “Are you sure you want to go?”
His eyes snap to mine. “You said I had to.” He glares. “Did I not have to?”
I deflect and ask, “Is the only reason you’re going because you want. . .” I pause and sneak a peek at River. Thankfully sleeping. I keep my voice soft when I ask, “Because you want to you know. . . seduce me?”
He smiles and mouths, “You mean, fuck you? Because I’m already fucking seduced.”
I nod, my heart jumping into my throat.
Staring out the windshield, there’s amusement to his tone when he laughs out, “Wanting to fuck you is only 99 percent of why I agreed.”
A heaviness centers in my chest. “What’s the other 1 percent?”
His eyes travel over my face, searching my expression. “I didn’t want you going alone.”