Up in Flames
Page 29
“Good evening, Mr. Colt. We have the Bentley waiting for you right over here.”
Bentley? He had the Bentley reserved?
“Oh, yeah, thanks,” Major said, sounding almost as surprised as I was by this information. But when he turned to look at me, he was smiling like he’d had the best idea in the world. He held out his arm for me to take, and we walked over to the Bentley. Apparently, we weren’t staying at the club. We just needed one of its Bentleys for our evening.
After we were both in the backseat, I’d turned to Major to ask exactly where we were going when the driver spoke up. “We will be at your destination in five minutes, sir.”
Major nodded and said, “Thank you.” Then he turned back to me, a pleased smile still on his face. “You didn’t really think I’d take you to the club for dinner, did you?” There was a teasing in his tone that caused me to smile. I enjoyed Major when he was like this. Playful and entertaining.
“I guess I did. But I’m so glad that wasn’t our final destination.”
Major smirked and leaned back in his seat, looking smug. An image of Gannon flashed into my head. He never looked smug. He looked sure of who he was. He didn’t need praise. You either accepted him or you didn’t. My chest tightened, and I pushed that thought away. I wouldn’t let myself dwell on that brief affair. Because that was all it had been. He had known how to make me want him, and he’d played his cards well. I was almost sure I’d fallen in love with him or maybe with the idea of who I thought he was. The intelligent danger that he possessed fascinated me. I doubted I’d ever experience that again.
I glanced out the window, determined to change my thoughts, and I recognized exactly where we were. I hadn’t been here in years. Not since Blaire had walked into Rush’s life. I’d stopped coming here then.
“How did you know about this place?” I asked, as the car came to a stop.
Major looked a little startled by my question. Why was he acting so weird tonight? This was his idea of a date. If he’d gone through all this to figure out my special place as a child and most of my life, then he had dug deep. Only Rush could have told him about the garden. My garden.
It was a secret place I’d found as a child one day when I’d attempted to run away from life. I’d never gotten far, because I’d known it would likely be days before my mother would realize I was gone, and I could very well be abducted or starve by then.
The garden hadn’t looked like it belonged in the coastal town of Rosemary Beach. It had been very English, and in my imagination, it had been plucked from one of my favorite fairy tales and placed here just for me to escape to, where there had been no country club, tennis lessons, cocktail parties, or endless line of men parading through my house to see my mother. Here it had been just me. My pretend place where I’d been a beloved princess and my parents adored me.
Rush had found me here when he’d returned from a weekend at his fathers. I’d been missing all day, and my mother hadn’t noticed. Rush had gone down the street calling my name in a panic, and when I’d heard him, everything had been right again. Someone had cared about me. Someone had wanted me safe. Rush had been my hero then, and he still was to this day.
From that moment on, this garden had been my escape, especially on the weekends when Rush had gone to stay with his dad. He’d always come and find me here, and we’d pretend together. He’d gone along with my silly princess fantasy to appease me. He’d always tried to appease me.
“I asked around,” Major finally said now, as if he wasn’t sure that was the correct answer.
He had asked Rush. My brother had probably told him not to tell me he’d given away my special place. Although surely he knew that I would guess it had been him.
Smiling, I opened my car door before the driver could do it for me and climbed out. Coming here felt like coming home. I’d missed it and hadn’t even realized how much. The idea of Rush not coming to join me had been too much, so I’d stayed away.
“Thank you,” I said, glancing back over my shoulder at Major. “This is perfect.” I led the way into the secret haven, and my heart lifted with each step.
“You’re welcome,” Major replied, but I didn’t look back again.
I stepped into the place I knew so well and inhaled the floral scent I remembered, and my princess fantasy came back to me as if it were yesterday. The ache of lost childhood was gone when I was here. This was my happy place.
I noticed a table set for two, complete with a white linen tablecloth and candlelight. We were having dinner here. I’d had many picnics with Rush here in the past and tea parties with my favorite dolls. Rush must have told Major about those. Major had put a lot of thought into this, and my heart melted as I accepted that maybe he was different. That if I was smart, I’d give him another chance.
I watched as Major walked over to one of the chairs and pulled it out, then turned his baby-blue eyes to me. A crooked smile was on his lips, and he was obviously proud of himself for this. I had to admit I was touched and impressed. I’d never had a man go to the lengths he was going to in order to win me back.
“Rush told you about this place,” I said simply.
Major continued to grin and gave me a shrug. “Its a great spot. Never imagined something like this existed in a beach town.”
“That’s why its magical,” I replied, unable to keep from smiling like a silly little girl with a crush.
Bentley? He had the Bentley reserved?
“Oh, yeah, thanks,” Major said, sounding almost as surprised as I was by this information. But when he turned to look at me, he was smiling like he’d had the best idea in the world. He held out his arm for me to take, and we walked over to the Bentley. Apparently, we weren’t staying at the club. We just needed one of its Bentleys for our evening.
After we were both in the backseat, I’d turned to Major to ask exactly where we were going when the driver spoke up. “We will be at your destination in five minutes, sir.”
Major nodded and said, “Thank you.” Then he turned back to me, a pleased smile still on his face. “You didn’t really think I’d take you to the club for dinner, did you?” There was a teasing in his tone that caused me to smile. I enjoyed Major when he was like this. Playful and entertaining.
“I guess I did. But I’m so glad that wasn’t our final destination.”
Major smirked and leaned back in his seat, looking smug. An image of Gannon flashed into my head. He never looked smug. He looked sure of who he was. He didn’t need praise. You either accepted him or you didn’t. My chest tightened, and I pushed that thought away. I wouldn’t let myself dwell on that brief affair. Because that was all it had been. He had known how to make me want him, and he’d played his cards well. I was almost sure I’d fallen in love with him or maybe with the idea of who I thought he was. The intelligent danger that he possessed fascinated me. I doubted I’d ever experience that again.
I glanced out the window, determined to change my thoughts, and I recognized exactly where we were. I hadn’t been here in years. Not since Blaire had walked into Rush’s life. I’d stopped coming here then.
“How did you know about this place?” I asked, as the car came to a stop.
Major looked a little startled by my question. Why was he acting so weird tonight? This was his idea of a date. If he’d gone through all this to figure out my special place as a child and most of my life, then he had dug deep. Only Rush could have told him about the garden. My garden.
It was a secret place I’d found as a child one day when I’d attempted to run away from life. I’d never gotten far, because I’d known it would likely be days before my mother would realize I was gone, and I could very well be abducted or starve by then.
The garden hadn’t looked like it belonged in the coastal town of Rosemary Beach. It had been very English, and in my imagination, it had been plucked from one of my favorite fairy tales and placed here just for me to escape to, where there had been no country club, tennis lessons, cocktail parties, or endless line of men parading through my house to see my mother. Here it had been just me. My pretend place where I’d been a beloved princess and my parents adored me.
Rush had found me here when he’d returned from a weekend at his fathers. I’d been missing all day, and my mother hadn’t noticed. Rush had gone down the street calling my name in a panic, and when I’d heard him, everything had been right again. Someone had cared about me. Someone had wanted me safe. Rush had been my hero then, and he still was to this day.
From that moment on, this garden had been my escape, especially on the weekends when Rush had gone to stay with his dad. He’d always come and find me here, and we’d pretend together. He’d gone along with my silly princess fantasy to appease me. He’d always tried to appease me.
“I asked around,” Major finally said now, as if he wasn’t sure that was the correct answer.
He had asked Rush. My brother had probably told him not to tell me he’d given away my special place. Although surely he knew that I would guess it had been him.
Smiling, I opened my car door before the driver could do it for me and climbed out. Coming here felt like coming home. I’d missed it and hadn’t even realized how much. The idea of Rush not coming to join me had been too much, so I’d stayed away.
“Thank you,” I said, glancing back over my shoulder at Major. “This is perfect.” I led the way into the secret haven, and my heart lifted with each step.
“You’re welcome,” Major replied, but I didn’t look back again.
I stepped into the place I knew so well and inhaled the floral scent I remembered, and my princess fantasy came back to me as if it were yesterday. The ache of lost childhood was gone when I was here. This was my happy place.
I noticed a table set for two, complete with a white linen tablecloth and candlelight. We were having dinner here. I’d had many picnics with Rush here in the past and tea parties with my favorite dolls. Rush must have told Major about those. Major had put a lot of thought into this, and my heart melted as I accepted that maybe he was different. That if I was smart, I’d give him another chance.
I watched as Major walked over to one of the chairs and pulled it out, then turned his baby-blue eyes to me. A crooked smile was on his lips, and he was obviously proud of himself for this. I had to admit I was touched and impressed. I’d never had a man go to the lengths he was going to in order to win me back.
“Rush told you about this place,” I said simply.
Major continued to grin and gave me a shrug. “Its a great spot. Never imagined something like this existed in a beach town.”
“That’s why its magical,” I replied, unable to keep from smiling like a silly little girl with a crush.
