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Today, about a month after I had returned home to Lantana, I sat in my apartment with the phone in my hand. Maverick was out on the lodge property, down by the river, and had called me for some company. The cell phone reception out there wasn’t the best, but it was enough. I could hear him, and he could hear me. Even if it was a little garbled at times.
“I’m glad to hear that the sales are picking up,” Maverick said. “Your journals are beautiful. I finally got mine in the mail. It looks even better in person than in the online images, which is a testament to how beautiful they are.”
“I’m getting great reviews and some have absolutely loved them and wanted more immediately, which has been nice,” I replied.
“And how about the purses?”
“They’re moving to, and I have plenty of stock, so I’m all right for now,” I replied. “Hold on… it sounds like you’re cutting out again.”
The call cut in the middle of that sentence, and I sighed in frustration. He simply texted me.
I think reception just cut us off. I’ll call when I’m back at the lodge. Sorry.
Chapter ten
Maverick
Amonth had passed since Caleb and Stacey’s wedding. Fortunately, Luke’s brother Jesse only suffered some minor burns in that scare that brought me back here so suddenly.
But it was also a month since I had seen Maria in person. It hadn’t taken me long after returning to Waterfront to know for sure what the feelings I had for her were. I had managed to fall in love while in Eagle Falls for a wedding.
The only problem was that she was in Texas, and as far as I was aware, she had no intention of leaving anytime soon. I had no intention of moving to Texas, but I was also very sure that I wanted her to be part of the rest of my life.
Even though we had been talking frequently on the phone, neither of us really broached the topic of our relationship. I had really tried that day at the hot tub but was interrupted. I was afraid to go there again, I suppose. At least via phone. That’s a topic that should be discussed face to face, eye to eye. I knew now that I loved her, but did she feel the same way? I’d be crushed if she didn’t.
I had been standing on the lodge’s beautiful, long porch, gazing toward the mountains as I pondered this matter of love. Suddenly, Luke appeared.
“You know - I’ve noticed that look way too many times in the last month for it to be simply something someone said while you were at the wedding,” he said. “And you’ve been on the phone more often lately. What’s going on with you?”
I sighed. I should have known that Luke, of all people, would be able to see what was going on. What I didn’t know was whether he would understand or not when I said that I was torn between here and Texas.
“I fell in love with the maid of honor,” I shared as we started walking off the porch and onto the property of the lodge. “She lives in Texas, and I can’t bring myself to tell her that I fell in love over the phone. That feels like something I should tell her in person, Luke.”
“I understand how you feel.” Luke nodded slowly. “There’s always a bit of apprehension at the beginning. There’s not a lot I can do for you on that front, but you know, Seth and Wyatt are still here. They don’t have plans to leave until next month.”
I looked at Luke, a little confused. Was he implying that I could take more time off to go tell Maria in person what I thought of her, what I envisioned our life together to be like?
“What are you suggesting, Luke?”
“Rick, you deserve to be happy just like the rest of us do,” Luke said. “If you want to go down to Texas to see this woman, I’m not going to stop you. Heck, you could leave tomorrow, and I’d not stop you. But you can’t continue to mope around the lodge during the height of tourist season. I’ve gotten so many regulars asking what’s wrong with you this year.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the way he had phrased the last part of his speech. I hadn’t realized that the regulars could tell, too. If it was that obvious, I supposed a trip to Texas was indeed in order.
“Then, I think I’m going to go to Texas, Luke. Thanks.”
Luke nodded, patted me on the shoulder, and walked away to take care of other things around the lodge. Instead of calling Maria back, I pulled my phone out and looked at plane tickets. They were all pricey, but I decided to get a ticket to Houston, leaving tomorrow morning. I’d come back in a week, hopefully with Maria at my side. Or with her soon to follow.
After informing Luke of how long I’d be gone, he simply smiled, nodded, and motioned for me to go.
I hurriedly packed everything and decided to head out to Portland tonight. I could get a hotel room there and get to the airport on time without having to worry about that drive in the morning.
I did make a single stop on the way out, which was part of why I decided to leave tonight instead of tomorrow. If I was flying all the way to Texas, I wanted to have something to show for it. I stopped at a jewelry store.
I picked up a simple gold band with a chocolate diamond on it – as brown as the leather that Maria worked with. It was a simple ring, but I hoped she’d like it. I had no idea what kind of jewelry she normally wore other than gold and red, so the brown was a risk in itself. I stuck to the gold because the necklace she had worn for Stacey and Caleb’s wedding had been beautiful against her skin tone. In fact, most of the women looked stunning in gold jewelry, now that I thought about it.
I shook all those thoughts away.
At the hotel that evening, I texted Maria for her address, telling her that phone reception in the lodge wasn’t good this evening to avoid having to answer a call for now.
