Posts tagged “TENSION”

Chasing Truth: Chapter 34

Posted on 14/02/2020

Mari kicked back in her chair with her punch, taking in the scene around her. The beach was filled with islanders. A bonfire was going in the middle of the crowd. Music, laughter, and chatter mingled with the sounds of the waves crashing along the shore. They never needed an excuse to get together, but they’d done all of this because she called Reese friend. They wanted him to feel welcome. She loved these people and the way they so freely gave love.

Reese had been drawn into far too many conversations to count since they made their way down the sand. She’d left him to his admirers. He entertained them all good-naturedly, but he was never too far from her. He’d just helped Leo toss more wood onto the fire a few minutes ago and now he was striding toward her.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” she asked as she tipped her head back to look up at him.

“I am. You guys know how to throw a party.”

“One of our many, many talents,” she assured, brandishing her coconut drink.

No sooner had he settled in the chair beside her, Keon walked over to them.

“Reese! My man! Here,” Keon offered a coconut drink.

“No. No,” Paul protested joining them. “He’s got to get the authentic experience. Let him carve out his own.”

“Coconut or pineapple?” Raoul asked holding both.

“It’s gotta be a pineapple,” someone else chimed in.

“Pineapple it is,” Reese agreed accepting the pineapple and the knife.

He cut off the top and handed it off. Mari watched the concentration on Reese’s face as he pressed the knife to the inside of the pineapple.

“Is this a good place to start?”

“Don’t cut too far down or too far in,” she corrected gently. “Like this.”

She set her drink down and leaned in closer. Laying her hands over his, she drew the knifepoint closer to the edge of the pineapple. It didn’t take him long to get the hang of it. She grinned as she let go.

“You’ll be a pro before you leave the island.”

He smiled over at her. “There are some pretty good teachers around.”

“Hold it up,” someone encouraged once the pineapple was hollowed out.

“No alcohol, please.”

She knew that request was for her. She started to counter him, encourage him to enjoy the night, but she knew it wouldn’t change his mind. He might be personable, but he was here for a reason. Everything she’d seen from him indicated he wouldn’t take that lightly.

An arm landed around her shoulder. Mari tilted her head back and Tyler filled her vision.

“Hey,” he greeted with a sound kiss on her lips. “It looks like the party is in full swing.”

“They’re in rare form tonight.”

He nodded his head toward the drink she’d picked back up. “It looks like you are too.”

She giggled as he lowered his head to playfully nibble her ear. “Go away, you brute.”

He kissed her ear before he straightened. “How are you enjoying our hospitality, Reese?”

“I’ve never had better,” he said raising his drink with a smile.

“It’s good you got to experience a real party before you leave.”

“Leave?” Paul echoed. “When are you leavin’? I thought I heard you were stickin’ around for a while?”

“No date yet. Mari’s got a good couch and I’m enjoying it here far too much to leave any time soon. I’ve got more pineapple drinks to make,” he assured Paul with a warm smile.

He didn’t even look at Tyler, whose arm squeezed Mari for a moment.

“Tyler! Come help me out, man!” Obi called.

Tyler glanced over his shoulder before looking down at Mari. “Be right back, sweetheart.”

She nodded and sank deeper into her chair. Her eyes closed as she took a long sip from her straw.

“This is the life.”

The music stopped suddenly. Moments later, the sound of soft drumming reached her ears. Chills raced over her skin as the drumming increased. Her eyes shot open as Leilani squeezed through the men and tugged on her arm to get her out of her seat. She hastily passed her drink off to Reese and jumped up.

Julia came up on her other side and the three of them gathered with the rest of the women. She could do the dances in her sleep. It felt like she’d known them since she could first walk. It didn’t matter how many times she did them though. They still filled her with joy and a sense of unity. Her feet moved with ease over the sand as she danced with the women of the island she loved.

Every time she looked for Tyler, he was nearby but in conversation. Reese was never too far away either. More than once, she heard his rich laughter mingle with the beat of the drums. As the women gave way to the men dancing, she looked on in surprised delight while Keon and Kojo’s son drew Reese with them and taught him the dances. It didn’t surprise her to find Reese was a fast learner. He didn’t get every step right, but he seemed completely engaged in the moment. His eyes found her in the crowd. She smiled and raised her drink toward him.

Leilani sighed in appreciation. “He looks like he’s been doing it for half of his life.”

“Are you looking at Reese? Or Keon?” Julia teased as she brought them fresh drinks.

The furious blush that stole over Leilani’s cheeks made Julia and Mari burst into laughter.

“You are far too easy, my friend.”

“Whatever,” Leilani mumbled into her drink. “We were talking about Reese.”

“Were we?” Mari asked.

“Yes! People seem to be taking to him.”

Mari shrugged. “He’s a likable guy.”

“Tyler doesn’t seem to like him half as much,” Julia noted.

“Tyler’s not a fan of any man I haven’t known since I was a kid.”

The girls laughed. The drumming slowed and the music from the speakers began once again. Everyone mingled together and danced then, enjoying the drinks and each other.

Mari and Julia stumbled around the side of the bonfire much later, laughing and holding onto each other as they separated themselves from the crowd where Keon and Leilani were still dancing. 

“Did you get a picture?” Mari demanded through her laughter.

“Of course I did! What kind of friend do you think I am?”

Tyler caught them. “Steady there, party girls.”

Mari laughed as she leaned into his chest. “Hey there, Handsome. Where’ve you been?”

“Watching my girl enjoy her evening.”

Julia kissed Mari’s cheek before gently untangling herself and slipping away. Mari sighed and nestled deeper into Tyler’s embrace.

“It’s been a good night.”

“I’m glad you’ve been having a good time.”

“Ready to head home?” Reese asked as he approached from the other side of the fire.

Mari lifted her head.

“I’ve got her.” Tyler protectively tucked Mari into his side. “I don’t want her driving. Why don’t you drive her truck and you can follow us back?”

“I should ride with him. I can’t just leave him,” Mari murmured in protest.

“We’ll be right in front of him. He’ll be fine. Give him your keys.”

Reese wordlessly pulled them from his own pocket, making Tyler frown. “That settles it then. I’m parked up by Laney’s.”

He started in that direction with Mari in tow without waiting for a response.

<< Chapter 33

Categories: Chasing Truth

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Chasing Truth: Chapter 23

Posted on 28/11/2014

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She couldn’t sleep. All night Mari tossed and turned in an attempt to get comfortable and find sleep. The sheets were a tangled mess around her. The pillow had been bunched up, flattened out, and then bunched up again to no avail. She rolled onto her back and glanced at the blue digits to her left. 4:00. In less than eight hours she would come face to face with Blake Mason for the first time she could remember. As promised, she’d called Tyler after Gage’s visit and told him when Blake would arrive. Unease was her silent partner when she made the call and not for the first time she wondered if she was making the right decision keeping Tyler’s secret.

She blew out a harsh breath and reached behind the clock. Her hand came up against the square picture frame and she pulled it in, holding it above her face. She’d memorized the features long ago; natural coily brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a smile that engaged her entire face.

She always thought her mother beautiful. To grow up and hear others remark on how much she looked like Miranda was the world’s greatest compliment to a girl who missed her mother more than anything. She traced a finger over Miranda’s face in the picture. There was unadulterated joy on her face as she wrapped her arms around a young Mari and squeezed tight, the two of them laughing into the camera.

Mari shoved the covers off of her and climbed out of the bed. She was already moving toward the door as she tugged on a pair of jeans and reached for a long-sleeved shirt. In minutes she was walking out into the dark of the morning. She considered sitting out by the water or up at the overhang, but her feet didn’t hesitate to find that old familiar path winding up the hill.

She didn’t stop to breathe in the ocean or admire the view. She leaned the picture frame up against the headstone before she lowered herself on the ground beside the grave and propped her chin up on her arms. She lied there in silence for several minutes just staring at the picture. Gradually some of the starch left her shoulders thanks to the video loop of memories with her mother in her head; the two of them building sandcastles together, lying on their stomachs in front of pinwheels and blowing on them when the wind was still, and just the sweet sound of Miranda’s laughter.

She rarely ever talked about Blake. Young Mari had questions about her absent father Miranda answered vaguely. Then she was gone before Mari was old enough to know the right questions to ask. Still, there was one thing she said about him more than anything else. “He is a good man, Mari. A very good man who loved you.”

“I don’t know about the love thing and I don’t know if he’s still a good man, Mama. I am going to meet him. I already gave my word on that and it’s too late to go back. I just hope he’s still the man you fell in love with and not the man Tyler thinks he is.”

She freed a hand to tuck strands back away from her face. “I worry about that too, if I made the right decision or not agreeing to let him dig around. I feel like I’m stuck in the middle trying to make decisions with not even half of the information. I’m walking blind here.”

As usual there was no response, but something in her eased at sharing her concern.

“It’s hard trying to figure all of this out…I wish you were here.”

She kept the picture within view but rested her cheek against her arms. The sounds of the night were a quiet reassurance compared to the silence of her bedroom and the next thing she knew, she was waking up to the sun warming her face and the kiss of the sea breeze.

She blinked sleepily and lifted her head just as Gage climbed up the hill. She dropped her head back down and watched him reach the top. His eyes touched on the picture by the headstone before they came back to rest on her.

“We’ve been looking for you. Did you spend the night out here?”

“No, just a few hours. I couldn’t sleep.”

“Neither could he I’ve heard.”

She wasn’t sure what to do with that bit of knowledge so she let it lie and pulled herself into a sitting position.

“What time is it?”

He squatted down beside her. His dark eyes searched hers and she knew he would see far more than she wanted him to.

“A little after nine.”

She combed her fingers through the wild strands of hair and ducked her head. “I need to go shower and stuff.”

He cupped the back of her neck until she lifted her head to look at him.

“He already loves you.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t need to shower.”

He laughed and sat all the way down, pulling her into him as he did. She went willingly and wrapped her arm around him as she leaned in.

“I just want him to be the man Mama was crazy about.”

“Everyone changes over time. I think losing you and Miranda would have done something to him. It would have changed him, changed anybody. But when it comes down to it, who we are at our core is who we are. And I think your mother knew your father’s core better than anyone.”

“He didn’t ‘lose’ us. He left us. There’s a difference.”

Gage just hugged her close. “You’ll find out the truth from him soon enough.” With a kiss to the top of her head and a pat to her hip, he encouraged her to let it rest. “Come on, time to get moving.”

Only a few short hours later she was pacing the length of her living room. Blake would arrive any minute now. She’d asked to meet him at home alone rather than at the house with everyone else. Raoul hesitated over the request, but bowed out to her wishes. He, Gage, and Allison left her to the guesthouse by herself. Nerves tap-danced in her stomach while she fought to think of something other than Blake’s impending arrival.

A soft but firm knock against the door penetrated the silence. She froze in the middle of her circuit. The lack of anyone calling out to announce his or her presence confirmed it could only be one person. She swallowed hard and scrubbed her hands over her thighs before she stepped to the door. Another deep breath and she pulled it open.

Two men stood on her porch, but it was the man directly in front of her who stole and kept her attention. He was taller than her; not tall enough to make her neck ache but there was an inch or two difference. He wore his black hair shorn close to his head.

She was her mother’s mini-me, but as she stared at the man before her she saw him in her too. It was in the height of his deep brown cheekbones and slant and color of his hazel eyes; eyes that were hungrily taking her in.

“You look just like her,” Blake breathed and the emotion touching his eyes nearly broke her. “I always told her you would.”

No matter who Blake was or what he’d done, he’d loved Miranda Drake. It was in his voice and his eyes. She didn’t know what to say to his words. Her hand tightened on the doorknob and she fought to find some calm.

“I get that a lot.” She tore her eyes from him to wander over the man witnessing their awkward reunion.

Stubble coated the rich brown-bronze of his jaw and chin. His amber brown eyes took in everything from her to the house to Blake in mere seconds. He commanded every inch of his height, which only seemed to emphasize the three or four he had over her. He carried the weight of fine muscles like a man who knew how to use them to his advantage. Her heart tripped. He had the same edge about him she saw in Tyler. His speculations about Blake’s activities came back to mind.

“This is Reese,” Blake introduced them when he caught the direction of her gaze. “He’s a very good friend of mine.”

Mari didn’t look away from Reese. Her mind was supplying her with a myriad of different meanings for friend. “Mari, but you probably know that.”

He nodded and she pulled her attention back to Blake. “Is he going to be our audience while we stumble through this?”

His answering smile was pained. “No, he’s going to go with your family. They said you wanted us to be alone.”

I nodded.

“Anyone else in the house?” Reese asked reclaiming her attention.

She arched a brow and stepped back to open the door wider. “You want to search?”

There was the start of a smile near the corners of his lips. “Your word is good enough for now.”

She didn’t miss the “for now”, but it was hard to fight a faint smile of her own. “Then there’s no one here.”

He nodded and looked to Blake. “Call when you’re done.”

Blake barely nodded before Reese turned and jogged down the stairs to walk to the main house. She watched him go, sucking in another breath before she met Blake’s eyes and let go of the door. He took the invitation for what it was. She could’ve sworn she heard him draw in a deep breath of his own before he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

 

<< Chapter 22 || Chapter 24 >>

Categories: Chasing Truth

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