“My family owned a beach house in North Carolina my whole life. I didn’t spend a ton of time there. We went once a summer, but I’ve always felt more at home in the mountains.”
Another thing we’re opposites on. I tuck that little fact away for later when I try to remember why I shouldn’t want more.
“I loved the resort, but I can’t imagine not hearing the waves.”
He shrugs. “I can’t imagine not being in the forest. However, this, being here now, is really great.”
I lean my head against his shoulder. “Why is that?”
“Because I’ve been killing myself with the resort. All of us have been going nonstop for months, trying to get things done. Since I’m the only one who isn’t married with kids, I’ve had a heavier load to bear.”
Almost everyone at Cole Security Forces is married with kids. Jackson and Mark have growing families and put a lot of emphasis on how important it is to balance. Natalie works from home a lot of the time when Liam is deployed or when she just needs to be there for her kids. Gretchen and Ben are on rotating shifts so one of them is always home with the kids, and there are no set hours, so everyone just does what works best for their situation. The only thing they ask is that we show up when we’re needed.
It’s great, and I fully support their priorities, but being single—it sucks. I’m always there. I work a lot, and sometimes it feels like the expectation for me to fill the gaps is greater because there is no one relying on me at home. I can be available to the company.
“It’s hard when people think all you have is work, and that, because you’re single, you should always be the one to sacrifice.” I understand that sentiment all too well.
“They never say it is that way.”
“But you still feel it.”
He laughs once. “We’re a pair, huh?”
“Overachievers with a high sense of responsibility?”
“That’s one way to put it.” He wraps his arm around me, pulling me against his side. “How about for the next five days we don’t think about work or family or anything but having a good time?”
I look up into his blue eyes. “Do you think we can?”
“I think I can focus on much better things.”
My stomach flutters at the lusty look in his eyes. “And where would you direct all that attention?”
He shifts me so I’m standing in front of him, looking up at his face. “You.”
“Me?”
“You.”
“Well, I think I can get on board with that.”
Twenty
OLIVER
I wake up to the blaring noise of my phone ringing. When I roll over, Maren isn’t in the bed, which is odd, but I don’t dwell on it when I see it’s Alex calling and it’s almost noon.
“Alex,” I say with a huff.
“Married?”
“Egypt?”
My brother is a good guy, smart, funny, and not all that good-looking. He loved what he went to school for and absolutely hated our parents forcing him to work for our dad’s inns.
After we walked away from the family company, he ended up taking a job offer that took him to Egypt. That means, we are down a Parkerson and Alex is out of the loop.
“Say what you want, I think my going to Egypt was a less surprising thing than you getting married.”
“I’m assuming you know the whole story.”
I sit up, rubbing my hands over my face.
“I know some of it. Josh was my source, so you know it’s probably half bullshit. But I hear she’s hot.”
“Hey, that’s my wife you’re talking about.”
Alex chuckles. “So, are you going to tell me everything or just let me make up my own version?”
“Your own version sounds fine.”
“Ollie, stop being your normal joke-away-serious-things-guy idiot and tell me what the hell happened.”
After throwing my legs over the side of the bed, I fill him in on how Maren and I came to be and how every stitch in our ridiculously sewn plan came undone. When I say it all aloud, I feel like a dumbass. This was destined to fail from the beginning.
“Sounds like we can blame Stella for this mess.”
I nod, feeling vindicated. “Yes, yes we can. I said no, and she got all up in my feelings about doing the right thing. It is her fault.”
“Agree.”
“Now that we have that settled, I feel better.”
“I’m sure you do.” Alex snorts. “You shouldn’t because, while you’re cleaning up your mess of a life, she’s happy with her husband.”
“Still, I get to blame her, which we all know she hates.”
“This is true. Do you like her?”
I jerk my head quickly. “Stella? Of course. She’s our sister.”
“You know I meant your wife.”
I look toward the door, wondering where she is and if she can hear me. “I like her a lot. She’s great, and . . . if we didn’t do such a bang-up job fucking this up from the beginning, who knows . . .”
That’s a lie. I know. I never would have allowed myself the possibility of a relationship. I really want no part in it. I’m happy alone. I’m safe alone. I don’t have to worry or wonder if the girl I’m head over heels in love with wants to boink someone else. There’s a lot of ease in that kind of living. I’ve had less stress, sex, and misery thanks to it.
Although, the sex part isn’t exactly true anymore.
“Sorry to hear that, man. I didn’t just call to bust your balls though,” Alex says before he clears his throat.
“Oh? Did you finally decide to come home?”
“Nope. I am actually staying here. For good. I met someone, and . . . she’s amazing. She’s like, legit royalty. Her family isn’t too happy she’s falling in love with an American, but she’s happy, so they’re allowing it for now.”
Jesus. Him too? “Dude, it’s been like, a few months?”
“You married a girl after two weeks, let’s not judge.”
“You’re getting married?”
“Not yet, but we will. She’s the one, Oliver.”
This is great, but I’m also sad. I hoped that Alex would go to Egypt, live his dream, realize it wasn’t actually his dream, and come home. I know that makes me a selfish dick, but part of the excitement of opening the resort was us doing it together.
Regardless, my brother deserves to be happy and if that means Egypt, then so be it.
“Then hold on to her, Alex. With both hands.”
“I plan to. I’m going to let everyone else know soon so I need you to keep this between us.”
“Of course.”
“Listen, I know it’s early and you’re on your honeymoon, so I’ll let you go. Just . . . I talked to Delia yesterday, and she seems to think there’s more to you and your new bride than you’re admitting. Take your own advice and hold on if there’s a chance it could work.”
“Look at you, the world-traveling philosopher. Thanks for the call, we’ll talk more when I get back.”
“You got it.”
I toss my phone to the nightstand and go to find the woman who should be in bed where I can do rude things to her. Today is the first day of our vacation. I refuse to call it a honeymoon because that would mean we’re really married and I’m going to end up divorced. So, I’d rather not go there. This is a vacation. That’s it.
I find Maren sitting out on the deck that overlooks the ocean with a book in her hand. She’s so damn gorgeous. Even doing nothing.