ChapterSeventeen
Rhett
I’d been in Costa Rica almost a week, but I wasn’t ready to go home. Time away had been the medicine I needed. The sun beating down on my skin. The lull of the ocean banishing all other thoughts. The rain beating down on my roof at night, coaxing me to sleep. I’d been more relaxed than I’d been in years. The first few days I’d been tense and restless, thinking about Briar constantly, but the torment subsided when I locked my devices in the safe on day three and vowed to immerse myself in the laid-back lifestyle that prompted me to buy the home in paradise seven years ago.
I loved everything about Guanacaste. The friendly people. Relaxed vibe. Good food. Endless sun-filled days. Lively nights. I’d been able to do what I want, when I want, with whom I want. I’d ventured into the small local villages a few times. Made friends with some locals. Turned down the advances of a few pretty girls, both locals and tourists, but not before buying a few drinks and sharing some laughs.
The whole experience made me realize my life had been too one-dimensional. My business had been everything for so long. I hadn’t made time for anything or anyone else. As a result, my relationships suffered. I wasn’t as close to my family as I would have liked. Didn’t spend as much time kicking back with my friends as I should have. And barely gave my dates a chance before I wrote them off. That had to change. I had to change. I knew it would be a while before I was ready to let another woman in. Briar had been hell on my heart, but eventually, maybe I could find someone else. Someone who was the antithesis of her because I’d come to realize she was too much like me for it to ever work.
I admired her strength but hated her impenetrable walls. I loved her sass, but longed for signs of vulnerability. I wanted to know that she needed me as much as I needed her. But she didn’t. She didn’t need anyone. She wouldn’t allow herself to rely on anyone, to trust anyone, and I couldn’t spend my life with a woman who had one foot out the door. That would break me.
I had a towel over my shoulder and I was sliding my feet into flip-flops when my landline rang. Few people had the number, so I knew I had to answer it. It could be important. An emergency at home.
I grabbed the cordless, my heart beating hard as I feared the news one of my parents had an accident or health episode. “Hello.”
“Jesus, Rhett. Don’t you check your cell anymore? I’ve been texting you for two days!”
Jake. Of course. “You were the one who told me to go off the radar. That’s what I’m trying to do. Truth is, my phone, tablet and computer are locked in the safe. With dead batteries, no doubt. What’s up?”
He sighed. “Uh, just wanted to check in. How are you, man?”
I’d taken friends like Jake for granted too long. That had to change when I got back to the States. I had to let the people in my life know they mattered to me— more than money.
“I’m good.” My smile spread as I stared out at the private sandy beach stretching out in front of me. I’d been jogging on the beach every day. No music. No problems dogging me. Just the sound of the ocean as my soundtrack and I was itching to get back out there.
“For real?”
“Yeah.” I inhaled deeply, feeling the truth of that statement. “Honestly, I’m better than I’ve been in a long time. This time away has been good for me. Just what I needed to help me put things in perspective.”
“Good, glad to hear it. Any idea when you might be coming back?”
“No.” A week ago I would have felt guilty taking a vacation with no end date, but I’d convinced myself I deserved it. I’d already earned more money than my great grandkids would ever be able to spend. Employed more people than I’d ever dreamed possible. Made countless lives better with my vision, tenacity, and work ethic. I’d earned the right to chill for a while, without the guilt.
“Uh, okay. What does that mean? Are we talking weeks, months—”
“Don’t know. I’ll come back when the time is right. And until I do, I know you’ve got things under control. You’ve been by my side building that business from day one. You know it as well as I do. No one else I would trust to run the show for me.”
“Jesus, Rhett. You make it sound like you’re not coming back…”
“Of course I am.” Ashland was my home. The people I loved were there. But for now, it felt like I was exactly where I belonged. “I just can’t say when. But when I do, you need to do this, Jake. Take a nice long vacation. Come out here, in fact. Stay as long as you like. It’s good for the soul, man. Trust me. I should’ve done this years ago.”
“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. But, uh, what about things back here? You make your peace with that?”
I knew he was referring to Briar, but I didn’t want to talk about her. I wasn’t bitter or resentful. I could never hate her. I was just resigned to the fact things would never change. She would never change. And I was tired of wasting my time and energy on a lost cause.
“Jake, I’m not here hiding out. Let’s be clear about that. I’m not afraid to face anyone or anything back home. I’m here because it’s where I need to be right now. I need the rest. I need the relaxation. I need time… to put things in perspective and start making plans for my future.”
“Okay, what does that mean?”
Jake deserved details. He was more than my V.P. of Operations. More than my right-hand man. More than my friend. He’d been my brother in combat. The guy who kept me alive and helped me stay sane in a war zone. That kind of bond was unbreakable.
“Being with Briar made me realize I’m ready for the next phase of my life to start, I think. Marriage. Kids. I’ve always shied away from commitment, but I think that was because I kept waiting for her to come around. Now I know she’s not going to. We tried. It didn’t work. Time to move on, for real.”
“What if Briar came to you and told you she was ready—”
“Not gonna happen, buddy.” The last thing I needed was false hope when I was finally starting to accept reality and let go of the fantasy. “And even if it did, you think I could trust a woman with a track record like hers? When things get real, she bails. I deserve better than that.”
“I don’t disagree. But you can’t deny she’s special. And the way she makes you feel—”
