****
After spending the entire day on the beach, I was wiped by the time dinner came around. Rainey and I packed our things after making love one more time that morning, so we were ready to leave after the last glass of wine was poured. There wasn’t a moment during the car ride, boat ride, and flight that we weren’t touching each other. I held her hand as if it were my life vest in a vast choppy ocean. Even though we declared that we wanted to be together, I still felt a little unsteady. I wanted to test our capability as a couple when our lives were back to normal at home, but at the same time, I didn’t want to jinx anything.
Rainey brought out a lot of first-time emotions from me. I actually felt nervous when we departed the plane and headed for my car. Constantine waited for us with the back door open.
“Hope you had a nice trip,” he said to me. Then he smiled at Rainey.
“We did,” Rainey said and took my hand.
Immediately, my fears were squashed. She had a way of anchoring me and my emotions. Something I needed to get a handle on soon. They say important people in your life changed you. And Rainey certainly changed me. For the better.
Constantine had to work to keep a smile off his face, but when I looked at him, his lips straightened, and he headed to the front of the car, leaving myself and Rainey to get into the back seat.
The ride to Rainey’s house happened in a flash. It was early so there wasn’t much traffic on the highway. I almost wished we would have been marooned on the highway in gridlock, but I had been the one wanting to test our relationship in the real world. Besides, it was time to get back to work. I had a lot to catch up on, and I wanted to call Natalia and get the ball rolling with this real estate investment for her.
When we reached the house, Constantine idled on the street in front of the driveway.
“Well,” she said. “I guess this is it.”
“No,” I said.
She cocked her head to the side. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I said, sliding closer her to me. “I’m a gentleman. I’ll walk you to your door.”
It was much colder outside than it had been on the tarmac. A fresh layer of snow covered the non-black top surfaces. But I still held onto Rainey’s arm as we navigated the driveway to the back staircase attached to the house. I made her go first so I could catch her if she slipped, but she had a firm grip on the railing. She knew this place better than I did, I wasn’t sure why I expected anything different.
She slipped in through the door and pulled me inside. “It’s freezing out there.”
I chuckled. “When we’re used to much warmer temperatures, it stings more.”
“No kidding,” she said and placed her bag down by the door.
She put her finger to her lips, and we sneaked into the kitchen.
“Is Tanner here?” I asked.
She shook her head and reached into the cabinet next to the refrigerator. “No. He’s downstairs with my parents. But the walls are so thin here, I don’t want to wake them. Do you want some coffee? Or do you have to go?”
“I don’t have to go anywhere,” I said, taking a mug she held out for me. It had a picture of her and Tanner on the front. He was much younger. On the other side, it said “World’s Best Mom”.
“This is cute,” I said.
“Ugh. I look horrible in that photo. I hated my mom for picking it out. But Tanner looked like a darling, so I try not to get too upset about it.”
“You look beautiful,” I said, admiring the mug.
She rolled her eyes and crossed the space, pulling out the coffee machine on the other counter.
I watched her for a moment, moving through the space like it was her own. Well, it was her own, but it was another side of her. One that she wanted to hide for some reason. This was all I ever wanted. Someone who felt comfortable around me. To live their life with me instead of keeping it a secret. But that was in the past now.
“Are we going into work today? To make up for lost time?” she asked as she pressed the BREW button on the machine.
“No,” I said. “I have some work to do at home, but I’m sure you want to spend time with Tanner.”
“I can go to work,” she said. “I don’t want to be given special treatment.”
I kissed her on the lips. “You aren’t. We’ve been on a plane all night. Get some rest and enjoy the rest of your weekend.”
She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated before saying, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “What time does Tanner normally get up?”
She turned to check the clock on the microwave. “Not for another hour or so. But I have a feeling he’s going to get up early today. He has a sixth sense for whenever I’m around.”
“He loves you,” I said. And it would have been the perfect time to tell her I loved her. I’d felt it for a while, but I hadn’t said the words yet. I wasn’t prepared for her to get scared off again. So I kept it to myself, wanting to find a better moment.
We had coffee together in the living room. Rainey said it was the farthest space from the guest room on the first floor. I asked about the photos on the walls, and she explained each one. The judgment I had when I first came there was unnecessary and rude. This place was small, but it had so much more warmth than my penthouse or any of my houses for that matter.
We were mid-conversation when I heard banging coming from the kitchen. I jumped up, ready to take on whoever was making so much racket.
Rainey’s hand clamped on my arm. “It’s Tanner. There’s an indoor staircase in the garage that leads up here.”
Before she finished her sentence, a door opened in the kitchen. The little boy with sandy blonde hair rocketed toward Rainey and jumped into her arms. I grabbed the mug from her hand just in time.
Watching them together made me smile so hard that my cheeks hurt.
Then the barrage of questions came. “When did you get back? Did you get me anything? Can I come with you next time?”
I stepped away from their little family, watching Rainey answer each of his questions.
She glanced up at me and waved me over. I sat down on the couch as both of them pulled me into the conversation and their family.