Chapter Fifteen
Kory
After showering, I pulled my hair on top of my head in a messy bun before heading downstairs to grab a donut. The hot water had helped to flush out the alcohol lingering in my system. And the smell of wine was finally gone. The thought alone made my stomach turn over. It would probably be a while before I could drink wine again. When I came down the stairs, Drake and Alexa were sitting on the couch. She was curled into his side.
“Can I get you guys anything?” I asked to fill the silence.
I fidgeted with my hands. Drake seemed nice, but I still didn’t feel like I knew him well enough to be casual. It was nothing he’d done. I was scared I would mess up and make the wrong impression. Old habits die hard. For my entire life, I’d had to watch every move I made, ensuring it was the right one. And now… it was just me living in the moment. I loved it, but it kept me on edge at the same time.
Alexa sat up with a big smile on her face. “We’re good. Drake and I have decided to get married around Christmas. I’m going to ask Ike to walk me down the aisle today.”
Drake looked like he might burst with excitement at finally having a date set.
That meant their talk had gone well. I sat on the black leather chair opposite them. “That’s wonderful. Where are you going to have it?”
She shrugged. “I’m not sure. We’re going to keep it family only, but I’d like it to be a place where I feel connected to my dad, too. I want to feel like he’s part of it. We could have it at the cabin, but that isn’t the feel I’m looking for.”
An idea came to me. “Why not have it here? This is an excellent space to entertain. It’ll be cold, of course, so outdoors is out of the question, but Ike could walk you down the stairs to the fireplace.” I was getting excited, and I started to speak with my hands. “Since it’ll be Christmas time, we could decorate the fireplace with heavy greenery and accent it with your colors. Give it a country feel like you initially described as home to me. Depending on the number of people, the dining room could make an excellent reception area for the cake.”
Alexa’s eyes were delighted. “Oh my! That’s perfect. Have you done this before?”
“Well, I helped my mother a lot with parties. But I did graduate this last May with a degree in event planning. I’d love to help if you’d like.”
“I would more than like. I would love. We’d pay you.” Alexa was nearly dancing in her seat.
I flicked my wrist while shaking my head. “No, no way am I taking anything. Consider this my gift to you guys. Please.”
“Yes!” Alexa stood up and we started jumping together. “Thank you. This is going to be exciting.”
Things settled, and Drake stood, looking at his watch. “I need to get back to the Red Onion.”
Alexa looked at me. “I’m going to go help Drake at the Red Onion. I’m going to help him get caught up with some paperwork. Do you mind if I run back by here later on after Drake and I talk about what we want?”
“Please do. I’m going to unpack, but I’ll be here.”
“Perfect.”
From the look on Drake’s face, I imagined he’d agree to anything if Alexa would marry him sooner rather than later. Weddings were such beautiful events. Every time I attended one, I was filled with hope. The day partners said their vows was a day of new beginnings. The couple’s future was theirs to seize.
The house was quiet after everyone left. Unlike my house in Seattle, this place had a peaceful quiet about it. My house had been a tomb. I made some hot tea and decided to take a few minutes for myself outside on the porch.
The rocking chair on the back porch creaked as I rocked. It was a bit chilly on this October day, so I drew the blanket around me a little tighter. The sun cast beautiful rays of light on the field in front of me. There was a calmness that captivated me. It was still hard to believe this place was mine.
I allowed myself to get lost in thought. How was I so lucky to meet a man like Hayden? Fate had pushed me to go to Ketchikan. I smiled thinking about the first time I met him at Maggie’s. We’d stared at each other from across the room for what felt like forever. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off him. A couple of weeks later, he asked me out for coffee. It was there I decided I wanted to experience raw passion with someone, and Hayden was perfect.
He was a bachelor.
He said he never wanted to get married.
He didn’t want any strings.
After the first time we made love, I knew I was in trouble. There was so much more to what we had, and neither of us wanted to admit it.
The arrangement had been perfect… until it wasn’t.
And now we were committed to each other.
I took another sip of my tea and closed my eyes. Hopefully in the next hour or so, Hayden would be getting home. He’d called to check in this morning before I’d gotten in the shower. As it turned out, Eric’s brother, Scott, was on vacation with his family in California. So Hayden wanted to stay until he could get there. That poor family. My heart ached for them.
But I missed Hayden. We needed time together.
Just the thought of seeing him again brought the butterflies to the surface. This morning, Hayden hadn’t mentioned anything about the text Alexa had sent. I didn’t regret having her send it, even after I’d sobered up. I trusted Hayden to know when it was the right time. Maybe that was what had set me free for the next step. Or maybe I felt settled sooner than I’d expected. Who knows? All I knew was that I was okay with it.
Hopefully we were together sooner rather than later. I was ready to be in his arms as he made sweet, passionate love to me. There were no longer any secrets between Hayden and me. I truly wasn’t afraid of what my parents would think if they found out. At first, when we met in Ketchikan, I was wary of communicating with Hayden. I never gave him my real number. I worried my parents were tracking my activity. The last thing I needed was them having Hayden’s information.
My parents.
I wondered what was going on with them. If I’d stayed, Landon and I would have commenced our fake relationship by now. The thought made me sick. If Hayden hadn’t showed up… I’d still be there trying to figure out how to leave. But I wouldn’t have married Landon. The thought of going through with it turned my stomach. We only had one life to live, and mine would have been wasted. Completely.
I finished the last sip of my tea; the warmth felt good. It was the perfect balance in the colder temperature. As I set down my cup, my phone vibrated.
Hayden: I’m headed to pick up Eric’s brother from the airport. Then I’ll be headed home. Anthony is taking the tour for me this afternoon. I may have to take the one tomorrow. We’ll see.
Me: Is there anything I can do for Eric’s family or help Anthony at the hangar? And don’t worry about the tours. Do whatever needs to be done. I’m excited to see you.
Hayden: I’ll check with Anthony and keep you posted about Eric. I miss you, Kory. I’m sorry I had to leave right after you got here.
Me: Hurry home. And please don’t worry. It was nice hanging with the girls last night.
Hayden: I’m glad you had fun.
Me: I’m so sorry about Boo Boo Bear getting out.
Hayden: It’s fine, sweetheart. I’ve got dirt on my brothers, too. I’m confident in my manhood enough to withstand Boo Boo bear.
Me: Good! See you soon.
Hayden: Can’t wait.
This was where I was supposed to be. There would continue to be a distant, dark cloud looming over me until I settled things with my parents. Maybe someday they’d come to respect my decisions. I wondered if they’d tried to reach out to me via email. I’d mentioned in my voicemail that would be how I’d reach out to them at some point when I was ready to talk with them.
Without meaning to, I drifted inside toward the laptop Hayden had left on the counter. He’d mentioned I could use it any time I needed. I went to the web address and logged into my general mailbox. Taking a deep breath, I waited for it to load.
I had two new messages; one from my mother and one from Landon.
I hadn’t thought much about Landon through all this. Maybe I should have. I felt a little guilty having not given much thought to the shitstorm he was probably dealing with at home.
Which do I open first?
I stared at the two messages while I chewed on my lip. Opening the email was harder than I expected. I’m sure one was a reprimand from my parents. But Landon would be kind.
The worst one first.
I opened the one from my mother. The shouty caps in the subject line irritated me. I hated shouty caps. I took a deep breath before I started to read.
Remember, they are no longer in control. You don’t have to respond.
Subject: WHERE ARE YOU?
Dear Kory,
We arrived at your home after you failed to show up at brunch to find you’d left. To say we are disappointed is an understatement. This is your duty as our daughter. Please call me or your father. Not all is lost. We can get back on track with the schedule with some moderate changes. Your father and I need you.
Please contact us.
Your mother.
I sighed. The moment I told them where I was, they would be here within forty-eight hours. Guaranteed. And I wasn’t ready to deal with the drama until I knew Hayden would be around. Plus, I wanted Hayden and I to have just a little more time together as a couple.
If I was a little more established with a job and a plan, I might feel more confident. If I could show them I could make it on my own, it might help convince them to stop this sham marriage with Landon. Maybe then they would respect my choices, and we could find a way to be an actual family. While doubtful, I remained hopeful.
Next, I opened the email from Landon.
Subject: I heard…
Hey Kory,
Heard you stood me up. You know I’m kidding. Just wanted you to know you have my support. I respect what you did. Wish I had the guts to do the same. If you need anything let me know. My parents are having me stay around for a bit as your family is convinced you’ll change your mind. I’m hoping you don’t. I met a girl in Europe. For the first time… I have hope. Don’t be a stranger. If you want to catch up, reach out. I’ll keep it on the down low.
All the best,
Landon
I smiled at Landon’s email. He’d always been a nice guy. But that’s all he had ever been… a nice guy. There had never been a spark that made my toes curl or the anticipation of when I would see him next. Yes, he was good-looking, some would say extremely good-looking, but he wasn’t the one. He never had been or would be the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
At some point I would reach out to him. But if his parents were monitoring his account like my parents were monitoring mine, they’d tell my parents in a second to help bring me back to my former prison of a life.
I would rather die than go back to that life.
Never ever again would I be controlled.
Never.