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“I thought you moonlighted as his bodyguard. I did not know you were the next James Bond.” He gestures0-0-7with his fingers. “Did anything happen while you were guarding him?”
I lean back in my chair, thinking. “I traveled with Hayes as his personal security and set up surveillance so I could give him a heads up on any potentially harmful situations. A few of my team building business employees are disabled former Navy Seals. They freelance when I need help to watch for unusual activity, and they notify me if something is up. We caught the person. Our original assumption was the exact opposite of this man. The man worked for his sister-in-law’s family.”
Maverick’s brows pull together as he chews on the information. “It’s always the family. I’ll keep you in mind if my clients have a situation.” He purses his lips together. “So, have you seen Vanessa since she’s been back in town?”
The weight of a bourbon barrel drops onto my chest, crushing what’s inside. I'm unable to utter "no", so I stay quiet. Scotty mentioned he saw her at The Brown Jug last weekend. Other than that, no one has mentioned her name. Scotty said she hasn’t changed and is still living on the edge and isn’t ready to lead her father’s business yet.
God, I loved her adventurous spirit—until I didn’t. She had a tendency to take things too far. Perhaps I entered team building to relearn to trust. I teach other people to trust even though I have had little success since Vanessa. Mark's passing had put the final nail in the coffin. I may never put my full faith in someone else again. The pain of losing two of the people closest to me was nearly unbearable.
Ignoring his question, I clear my throat. “I have two weeks from Wednesday available. We can do a three-day retreat. I’ll email you what your employees should bring and wear.”
He removes his ankle from his knee and puts both feet on the floor. “Thanks, man. And look, I understand you don’t want to talk about her, but I feel you ought to know; Vanessa’s dad is missing. It’s not public information at this point.”
My head whips back around, stunned by the gravity of his words. “What?”
“A week ago, I flew Mr. Barron to Jackson Hole for a liquor convention. The return flight was a few days ago, and he didn’t show up. My pilot waited, then the general manager reached out to me. He has contacted no one at the distillery. That’s all I know.” Maverick rubs his lips together as silence weighs heavily between us. Then he mumbles, “Jessica told me what happened after high school before you went into the Navy.”
I’m surprised by his comment. We were never close friends until he and Jessie got together. He was seven years older than his brother and me, and it seemed a huge age gap, but I feel like we’re the same age now. We’ve both been through a fair amount of heartbreak.
“Water under the bridge.”
“Is it? Because you’re either living under one or you have it so bad for Vanessa that you haven’t come out of your hole since she moved back.” He slaps his hands against his dark jeans, standing up, not wanting to take it further. “Reminds me of the old me.”
Turning my back to him, I stare out my office window, overlooking trees exploding in the earth’s natural colors. Every single one of them reminds me of Nessa. Some women remind you of pink because they’re bubbly, or some of blue because they’re cool and reserved. But Nessa is a mixture of them all. She lives each color as the moment strikes her, unaffected by societal expectations. I chuckle out loud, thinking of the color red. Whenmood redstruck her, watch out.
“Thinking about her?” he asks. “I know you all had good times with Jessica and Mark.”
Maverick’s brother, Mark, died in a car accident and Jessica was his girlfriend of five years. Somehow, Maverick and Jessica found comfort and love in each other. What society claims is wrong. To fall in love with your brother’s ex looks completely right to me. Maverick and Jessie’s love is strong.
“Vanessa is probably happy that you and Jessie put your own happiness first instead of worrying about pleasing others.”
“The end result justified the worrying and stress. Good to see ya, Beau.” He heads toward my office door.
“Yeah. Inform me of the headcount.”
He raises his eyebrows. “Thirty-six or I don’t want them, right?”
“Right. See you then. Tell Jessie I want to get together soon.” A soft chuckle escapes me. “Sorry man, I just can’t call her Jessica. She’ll always be Jessie to me.”
Vanessa, Jessie, Mark, and I were always together in high school. I was—by far—the most conservative of the foursome. And by conservative, I mean I stayed sober to keep them out of trouble—most of the time.
“It’s fine. When someone calls her Jessie, I know it’s someone she knew as a kid.” His mouth curves upward into a half-smile. “Talk soon.”
As I walk around my property, inspecting the different courses, tightening ropes, and rolling logs, I wonder where I would be if Vanessa and I stayed together. I wipe some damp leaves from a large rock and park my ass there while looking out over the lake.
Now, I'm not in the mood for my date tonight. Since Scotty informed me that Vanessa’s back, I’ve stayed on my property—other than grocery shopping before daybreak. Vanessa would never be out that early.
I’ve kept myself busy building a new obstacle course I hope to have ready soon. I’ve done anything and everything to keep my distance from the girl I’ve loved since puberty—or maybe even before.
Taking the worn-down path to my house, I kick rocks along the way, watching them tumble until they come to a stop. You never know where life will take you. I certainly didn’t think I’d be unmarried and without children at twenty-six, since we had been together for so long.
* * *
Cindy looks amazing. Her red hair is pushed behind her ears and hangs down her back. Her heels must be four inches tall, but she still comes in under my chin. After twirling beside the truck door, I tell her she looks terrific.
She blushes and responds in kind.
The waiter at The Two Fourteen, the fanciest restaurant in town, escorts us to our seats on the rooftop patio. I haven't been here for ages. I believe it was the prom night of my senior year of high school. The twinkling lights zigzag overhead, producing a soft glow. There are green topiary trees in the corners, and candles adorn the center of the white linens.
