The Adventurous One: A Billionaire Bride Pact Romance Read online

  His heart started beating normally again when she came in a few minutes later.

  “Sorry,” she said when she reached the table. “It took longer than I thought to get her settled.”

  “No problem,” Lane pointed another chip at the dip. “I went ahead and ordered an appetizer, help yourself.”

  “Thanks.” She slid into her seat and picked up a chip.

  “So it went well?” Lane asked.

  Taylor nodded. “She’s glad to be out of the hospital, and I’m glad she’s out.”

  He remembered that feeling. Even with the pain and the difficulties he knew awaited at the rehab center, leaving the hospital had been pure joy, an acknowledgement that he’d successfully navigated the limbo between life and death and was decidedly on the road to recovery.

  Taylor’s eyes sparkled and she grinned at him as she ate.

  “You look like the Cheshire cat,” Lane observed. “What’s going on?”

  “I have some great news,” she burst out, drumming her fingers on the tabletop in excitement. “I called one of my friends from summer camp and she’s willing to pay for your prosthetics!”

  Shock washed through him, followed by a wave of euphoria as his mind raced through the list of what would be possible with new legs. But just as quickly, dollar signs rose in front of his eyes and the artichoke dip in his stomach turned to concrete. He shook his head. “No. There’s no way I could ever repay her.”

  “She doesn’t want repayment,” Taylor said. “She just wants to help.”

  “I told you I don’t want to be a charity project.”

  “It’s not charity. She has more money than she knows what to do with and she wants to help someone in need.”

  He flinched. “Yeah .... that’s charity. Look, I know you mean well, but this is something I have to do on my own.”

  “But you don’t,” she insisted. “Besides, I don’t see how you could ever—”

  “Taylor, I live at home with my parents and every few weeks, mother misses several days’ worth of work because she has to drive me around after I have an adjustment. She shouldn’t even be working so much, but she is, because of me. They’ve maxed out their retirement because of me and I’ve even kicked them out of their bedroom because I need access to a shower. Do you know what that feels like?” Shame boiled in his gut. “I need to be able to take care of myself.”

  “But you are taking care of yourself. You’re working, you’re driving, you’re doing all kinds of things.” Taylor said softly.

  “It’s not enough,” Lane insisted.

  Taylor paused. “No, it’s not,” she said finally. “Know why? You’re not you. You’re not the Lane I knew in school. You still are inside, I can see it when I look in your eyes. You still want to be out there, climbing mountains, traveling, river rafting, doing all those things you can’t right now. The Lane I knew would go crazy spending all day trapped behind a desk.”

  He dropped his eyes. She was right. Since the accident, he’d felt like only a shadow of himself, a smaller, paler version of the Lane that used to be.

  “Why won’t you let my friends help you?” Taylor asked. “If they were able to cover your medical costs, you could put your money toward those other things you need.”

  For a moment, it hovered in front of him bright and shiny—the possibility that this might not be his future, he might not have to spend the rest of his life in a call center. He could do everything he missed, things his heart ached to do. He could finish school, get a better job, travel, maybe he even get some of those fancy running blade prosthetics. But then he thought of the outrageous costs again and shook his head.

  “I can’t be a charity case,” he insisted.

  Disappointment filled Taylor’s eyes, but she nodded. “Okay, I understand.” She swirled another pita chip in the dip, but didn’t eat it.

  “I’m sorry,” Lane said quietly. “You probably had to go to a lot of trouble to set all that up.”

  Taylor continued to pick at the dip. “Not too much trouble. I was just really hoping you could ...” she dropped the chip and let her hand fall to the table.

  “Hey, look at me,” Lane urged. She raised her head and he felt a dart of guilt at the tears forming in her eyes. He reached out and placed his hand over hers on the white tablecloth. “I’ll get there,” he said softly. “I will. It will take longer, but I’ll make it. But I need to do it my way, okay?”

  “Okay,” Taylor managed a smile.

  Chapter 10

  Taylor was eating cereal at the counter the next morning when Cece emerged from her bedroom. Her cousin wore a lime green tank top and bright pink pajama shorts that barely covered her rear end. Behind her, she dragged the ugly blanket ... Taylor’s ugly blanket, like Linus from the Snoopy cartoons. Taylor fought back a surge of anger. When she couldn’t find it last night, Taylor figured she’d left it at the rehab center with Grandma. Cece probably hadn’t even known the blanket still existed until Taylor dug it out of the closet, but because it was something Taylor obviously loved, Cece would do her best to love it too. She’d always been a bit of a copycat.

  “How’d your date go last night?” Cece asked sleepily.

  “It wasn’t a date,” Taylor said shortly, unwilling to get into a conversation about Lane with Cece.

  “Did you kiss?” Cece’s eyes lit up.

  Taylor shook her head. After he’d shot her down with the prosthetics idea, they’d moved on to other topics, but the mood all throughout dinner was a bit strained. She’d been embarrassed to have run to Holly with what was obviously a very personal matter to Lane. He wore shorts in public and didn’t seem hesitant to discuss his legs with her, so she’d assumed it wouldn’t bother him. But it obviously did. After dinner they’d gone to their separate cars and shared a hug, but that was all.

  “No kissing? Dumb,” Cece declared. She grabbed the carton of orange juice from the fridge and filled a large glass.

  “Did you see Grandma last night?” Taylor asked as casually as possible. She’d left the care center to go to dinner with Lane, well before visiting hours were over.

  Cece shook her head. “I got too busy. I’ll go later today.”

  Taylor’s retort was drowned out by the doorbell jangling “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” She sighed and went to answer it.

  Brent lounged in the doorframe, a huge grin on his face.

  “Hi Tay.”

  She bristled. “What are you doing here?”

  “Brent!” Cece kicked out of the blanket and jumped over the back of the couch. She threw herself into his arms for a tight hug. “It’s so awesome to see you! I’ve missed you so much!”

  “The phone works both ways, you know,” Brent teased as he released her.

  Taylor did not miss the way Brent’s gaze lingered on her cousin’s bare legs and feet. “I think you need to go,” she said shortly.

  He smirked, enjoying her discomfort. “Aren’t you Little Miss Hospitality?”

  “Don’t listen to her,” Cece grabbed Brent’s arm and pulled him into the room. “She’s cranky because her date didn’t give her a good night kiss.”

  Brent’s expression hardened. “Date? And here I thought you were spending all your days at your grandma’s bedside.”

  “It’s none of your business what I do,” Taylor glowered.

  Brent shrugged. “You’re right. Besides, why I really came was to tell you I have the yacht at Okoboji for the day and ask if you wanted to come.” His eyes darted toward Cece. “Both of you.”

  Cece squealed. “Really? Now?”

  “Yup,” he said smugly. “I even hired a caterer.”

  “I am so there,” Cece did a little happy dance. “What do I need to bring?”

  “It’s casual,” Brent replied. “Grab your swimming suits, maybe a change of clothes, whatever.”

  “I thought you were going to visit Grandma today,” Taylor pointed out.

  Cece’s face fell.

  “She just moved yes
terday, right?” Brent asked and when Cece nodded, he went on smoothly. “I’d say you should probably give her a day to get settled in, then you can go tomorrow.”

  “That sounds perfect,” Cece agreed.

  “You’re not going with him,” Taylor said adamantly.

  “Uh ... yeah I am,” Cece insisted. “This is going to be awesome. I’ll be ready in a sec.” She took off down the hall.

  Taylor glared at Brent.

  “What?” He spread his hands innocently. “She’s been bugging me forever to go on the boat. I just feel bad it’s taken me this long to make good on my promise.”

  “Are you seriously trying to take my cousin on a date?”

  “It’s not a date if you come too” he countered.

  “You’re doing this because you know I won’t let you be alone with her, so I’ll have to come.”

  He snickered. “Someone sure thinks highly of herself. No, Taylor, you told me to get lost the other day at the hospital, and I took you at your word. Now I’m trying to fulfill a promise to Cece. What’s wrong with that?”

  When Taylor didn’t answer, he rolled his eyes. “Seriously? She’s like my little sister, you don’t need to worry I’m going to put any moves on her.”

  She grit her teeth, trying to think of an answer that would shut him down, but nothing came to mind.

  “If you’re so worried about it, why don’t you come along?” Brent suggested, as if this were a completely new idea.

  Taylor hesitated. Cece was an adult, she could make her own choices. Besides, it wasn’t Taylor’s job to babysit her. But ... Cece was hopelessly naive and spoiled and she adored Brent. And he was too much of a dirt bag not to see it and play it to his advantage.

  “I’m going to talk to her,” she threw him a glare and went down the hall. Taylor knocked on Cece’s door and then poked her head in without waiting for an answer.

  Cece hunched on her knees, sorting through a pile of laundry on the floor. “I can’t find my red shorts. Did you borrow them?”

  “No,” Taylor shook her head as she entered the room. She closed the door and leaned against it, expecting Brent to be eavesdropping on the other side. “I don’t think you should go with him,” she urged in a low voice.

  Cece looked up and scowled. “Easy for you to say. You’re traipsing all over the world having adventures while I’m stuck here living with an old lady. I haven’t had any fun all summer.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Taylor bit the inside of her cheek, trying to control her temper. “Brent’s not a nice guy, Cece. You shouldn’t trust him.”

  “Just because it didn’t work out with you two doesn’t mean I have to cut him out of my life,” Cece insisted, still digging through the laundry. “He’s always been nice to me.”

  “Yeah, because you have something he wants,” Taylor insisted. “It’s all a game to him and he always has to be the winner. Don’t fall for it.”

  Her cousin pulled a pair of tiny red shorts from the pile. “I don’t have something he wants don’t be gross. We’re just friends and he’s fun to be around. Besides, I can look out for myself.” She stood up, still holding the shorts, and went to the closet for her beach bag. “I’ve been dying to go on his boat and now I have the chance so don’t try and talk me out of it. I’m going,” she said stubbornly.

  Taylor sighed and left the room. Brent leaned against the wall opposite the door, not even trying to hide the fact he’d been listening.

  “So .... you’re going with us?” He said with a triumphant grin.

  “You haven’t given me a choice,” Taylor snapped. She spun on her heel and went to her room to pack, slamming the door loudly behind her.

  Brent’s black Hummer took up two spaces in the visitor parking. He opened the passenger door for Taylor, but she climbed in the back, ignoring his slight chuckle. Cece eagerly took shotgun in her place and kept up a nonstop chatter during the two hour drive to West Okoboji Lake while Taylor sat in the back and obsessively checked her texts. Her mother had been thrilled—too thrilled—to learn she’d be spending the day with Brent, glossing over the part where Taylor insisted she was only going along to watch over Cece. Great. By the time they got back, her mother would assume they were that much closer to resolution and maybe even remarriage. As if.

  They reached the marina and Taylor jumped out of the Hummer, pulling her bag along. She’d brought her laptop instead of a swimming suit. If she could get some work done, the day wouldn’t be a total waste. Besides, her readers would probably enjoy a post about spending a day on a luxury yacht.

  She’d never been on Brent’s yacht, despite the lake being so close to home. When they were together, it was something they’d always meant to do, but had never taken the time.

  The yacht was anchored in Bell’s Marina. It wasn’t huge, under fifty feet, but perfect for the lake. Taylor followed Brent and Cece down the gangplank, where the captain and crew waited for them.

  “Welcome aboard,” the captain said with a smile. “We’ll be ready to go in about fifteen minutes.”

  “Perfect,” Brent said, leading the way. “I’ll take the ladies on a tour while you finish up preparations.”

  “How long have you been planning this?” Taylor asked, casting an eye back toward the captain. He couldn’t have ordered up a fully staffed yacht within an hour or two, could he?

  Brent shrugged easily. “A couple of days.”

  “It’s awesome,” Cece said breathlessly.

  What the yacht lacked in size, it definitely made up for in luxury. Every surface was either smooth, glossy wood, or plush, buttery leather. There were two master suites, a TV room with a huge flat-screen and deep leather sofas, dining rooms inside and out, and the hot tub on the back deck was big enough for six. Once they were ready to go, Taylor selected a spot in a lounge chair and watched the marina recede as the captain steered them into open water.

  “Isn’t this great? What should we do first?” Cece asked, plopping down on the couch at her side.

  “He isn’t what you think, Cece,” Taylor said in a low voice.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Brent. He’s not the nice guy you think he is.”

  Cece huffed. “He told me you’d say that. I don’t get what it is with you. It’s so obvious he still loves you; I think you owe him another chance.”

  “I don’t owe him anything,” Taylor said. She twisted her fingers in her tiered skirt. She’d picked it up in Mexico and had fallen in love with the coral embroidery on the white background. Had it only been nine days since she’d been shopping at the marketplace with Summer and Josh?

  “He’s trying to make amends,” Cece countered. “He loves you, and I think if you’re honest with yourself, you’d realize you love him too.” The wind from the speeding boat whipped her hair into her mouth and she pulled it back with her index finger.

  “Why are you standing up for him?” Taylor said harshly.

  “I just ... I want you both to be happy,” Cece said.

  Taylor sighed. “I appreciate your concern, really. But I am happy, happier now than ever before.”

  “Because of Lane?”

  Taylor’s heart jumped and she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. “Other reasons too,” she insisted. “I love being independent. I love traveling and blogging.”

  Cece frowned, but she only twirled her hair around her finger and said nothing.

  They watched the waves in silence until Brent finally joined them. “We’ll be at a good spot for swimming in about twenty minutes. Do you want lunch before or after?” he asked.

  “After,” Cece said at once. “I’ll get sick if I swim too soon after eating.”

  He flashed her a smile and took a seat opposite Taylor, his legs sprawled so close their bare feet almost touched.

  Taylor drew her leg back. “Swimming, then lunch, then we go back?” She asked shortly.

  Brent glanced at Cece. “Wanna go change?” he asked. “You can use the front bedroom
.”

  Her eyes flickered between the two of them, then she unfolded herself from the couch and grabbed her bag. “Sure. I’ll be right back.”

  “Will you relax?” Brent snapped once Cece was gone. “You always said you wanted to come out on the boat. I thought it would be a fun surprise.”

  “That was before,” Taylor said icily.

  “Taylor, please?” Suddenly his polished manners fell away and he looked for all the world like a hurt little boy. “Please relax and try to have fun today. I just wanted to spend some time with you, get you away from the hospital and all the worries about your grandma for a little while. I’ll stay away from you, I swear. That’s why I invited Cece, so you wouldn’t have to be alone with me.”

  She eyed him skeptically. “So what was all that earlier about planning this because you’d promised her?”

  He flushed. “I had to say something to get you to come,” he admitted, his voice sounding remarkably humble.

  There had to be something else behind this, there always was. But they were already here, there wasn’t much she could do about it now. “Okay,” she finally said. “But this is a one-time thing. I don’t want to see you anymore after this.”

  Brent’s jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth, but he only nodded.

  As much as Taylor didn’t want to admit, it was nice on the water. They reached a spot for swimming and the captain killed the engines. The rhythmic water lapping along the sides of the yacht lulled Taylor into a sense of calm, even with Brent around.

  “I’m sure there are some extra swimming suits in the closets,” he told her as he stripped off his shirt. “Why don’t you go see if one fits?”

  “No thanks,” she reached for her laptop, stubbornly staying in her chair.

  Brent and Cece splashed and played in the water but Taylor’s thoughts were elsewhere. What would Lane be doing if he were here? Would he take off his prosthetics and go for a swim, or would he sit it out? Up until last night she’d thought his change in attitude was simply because of the limitations of his prosthetics, but maybe he’d really changed. Maybe he was moving away from being the thrill seeker he used to be. The thought made her sad.