Beautiful Ties Read online

  “I see it,” he said, slowing to turn into the parking lot. He pulled into an empty space not far from the building before rotating to face me. “You picked a steak house for dinner?” he asked with a boyish grin.

  “Everyone loves a well-cooked steak.” I winked.

  He let out a throaty chuckle and placed his hand over the center of his chest. “You’re my kinda girl, Abbey,” he replied in a down-to-earth and outright sexy tone.

  I leaned over the center console separating us and placed a quick peck on his lips. “Glad you think so,” I teased, returning to my former spot.

  Jason and I exited his truck. Then, he came to my side and offered me his hand. We strolled toward the steak house.

  “Wow,” Jason murmured. He was staring ahead with an amazed expression glued on his face. He dropped my hand and walked around the small area to appreciate the view.

  The wooden pathway led to an entrance that looped around a waterfall made of dark slate and rocks with lights shining on the display. The small pond was filled with white water lilies and other greens growing around the edges. The natural-colored bricks and varying sizes of natural stone, each different and unique, flawlessly blended together to make up the front of the building. Donald’s Steak House was etched into one large piece of stone just above the door. Accent lights reflected off the writing perfectly, so the sign could be read at night.

  We ambled to the center of the mini garden, and then Jason finally looked back over at me.

  “Did you remodel this place?”

  “Actually, Kyle and I did it together. It was our first major remodel when he started his company. Since the owner, Donald Johnson, knew my father very well, he was willing to give Kyle a chance,” I said, placing my hand on the rail running down the path. “Kyle mainly designed the building, and I focused on the garden. Then, the two of us tackled the inside as a team.”

  Jason nodded, his eyes dancing between the building, landscaping, and me. “That was some first chance. You both are very talented,” he said, stepping forward to twine his fingers with mine. “So, did you bring me here, so I could see some of your work?” His eyes shimmered with mischief.

  “Nope.” I laughed. “I come here all the time because Don cooks the best steaks within a thirty-mile radius.”

  “Well then, let’s get moving because my stomach is about to eat itself,” he joked as he tugged me toward the double doors.

  Once inside, it was my turn to drag Jason behind me as we followed the host to our seats. Jason rotated his head back and forth, looking at every detail, ranging from plush leather bench seating outlining the far walls to large granite pillars evenly placed throughout the inside.

  The attendant seated Jason and me at a round wooden table near the back of the restaurant. It was a small, intimate setting with a large oak wine cellar behind us. The table was decorated solely with a small tea light burning in the center.

  A waitress approached Jason’s side to take our orders. Then, she quickly returned with our drinks. Jason thanked her before rotating his head to gaze at me.

  “I can’t get over the incredible design of this building,” he said in awe.

  “Thank you.” I smiled tenderly at him.

  “So, back to our date,” he said after a moment of silence. “What do you do for fun?” he asked, making polite conversation.

  “Not much these days.” I shrugged. “I mostly work,” I answered, knowing my time was very limited, especially over the last few months.

  He frowned and shook his head. “That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

  “Sure it is.” I smiled. “I love my job.”

  “What do you normally do when you’re not working?” he asked with an amused expression.

  “Usually, I spend my free time with my best friend, Gail. We met back in college, and the two of us have been inseparable ever since,” I said, noticing he was intently studying my face. “The rest of my spare time is divided between seeing my family and Pearl whenever she stops over.”

  He nodded. “What about the lake? Do you still go there?”

  My eyebrows slightly rose, surprised he remembered me telling him about that memory as we’d gazed at the painting at the art gallery the second time we met. “Sometimes.” I smiled fondly as I thought of growing up by the water. “Not often enough,” I added, promising myself I’d make the trip soon. “What about you?”

  “Well, I’m a workaholic, just like you,” he said, grinning mischievously. “But I do know how to let loose and have fun.”

  “And how do you do that?” I asked with interest.

  “I love anything with a motor and power—four-wheeling, dirt biking, jet skiing.” He shrugged.

  “Ah.” I chuckled with humor. “So, that’s how you bonded with my brother so fast,” I said, referring to how he and Kyle had gotten along so quickly.

  Usually, Kyle was tough with letting people in, just like me, but Jason had something about him that was easygoing, and his lighthearted personality had pulled us right in. However, he also had a more intense side that I was still trying to figure out. I could tell that when he set his mind to something, he followed through until the end.

  He threw his head back, laughing profoundly. “That’s probably true,” he said, glancing back at me.

  I smiled over at him again for the hundredth time in nearly two weeks, reveling in his easygoing personality, the way his smile met his eyes, and how his presence filled a room.

  The waitress emerged with our food, and we began to eat. I snuck glances at him in between bites, and I silently found myself wanting to know more about him and his past.

  “So, what made you move to Lake Tahoe? Just the business arrangement you and Damon made with Kyle, or was it more than that?” I asked inquisitively.

  His eyes lifted from his plate to me. He was quiet for a brief second, pondering his answer. I waited patiently, suddenly aware of how intrigued I was to know his answer.

  “The opportunity with Kyle was a huge part of it, but so was Lily,” he replied, his tone softening when he spoke her name. He took a sip of his beer, and then his hand aimlessly ran up and down the label of his bottle. “Lily and her family were a big part of ours. We all did everything together. After her family passed away in the car accident, my family and I felt like we lost her.” His eyes showed a deep sense of anguish, and he cleared his throat. “She just left. We had no idea where she was at first. Then, for the next three years while she was gone, we all tried to move on and continue with our lives, but there was this huge gaping hole,” he trailed off.

  My heart constricted at seeing the devastation in his expression. “So, you want to be by her?” I asked, hoping he would tell me more.

  He nodded. “Yes. Damon and I were about to go to Florida right before she came back home to Colorado. When we finally saw her, we realized how she was trying to piece back together her life. I believe that was partially in thanks to Kyle. Damon and I didn’t want to lose her all over again. At the same time, Kyle started talking with my brother and me about our similar interests in construction, and from that point on, it was as if everything just fell into place.”

  His explanation helped me understand his reasoning for relocating, but there was still so much more story to be told. “What about leaving your parents?”

  He smiled fondly. “At first, they were a little upset,” he confessed, catching me off guard. “But when we explained everything, they quickly understood. And with my dad retiring this fall, my parents plan to travel, so they’ll be leaving Colorado anyway. I figured if we settled here in Lake Tahoe by Lily, we could all be together more.”

  I processed what he was saying, and it did make sense to me. With the way he’d talked about Lily, I could see how close the two of them were and how much he cared for her. He was trying to keep everyone together and happy. The thought made my heart pull him in a little more.

  Emotions flitted across his face, and I gave him a minute to collect himself. This was ano
ther side of him revealing itself to me. I couldn’t help but think back to how he’d admired Kyle for helping Lily.

  “Lily helped Kyle, too, you know,” I finally broke the quiet atmosphere between us.

  Jason’s eyes filled with shock at my revelation, so I elaborated. “Kyle wasn’t the same when he came home from the Army. He looked so sad and empty, and we could tell he was suffering a great deal. My family and I didn’t know why, and we couldn’t get him to open up to us. But when he went to Florida a couple of months ago, he met Lily, and she changed his whole world in just a few short weeks. She brought the light back into his eyes.”

  Jason smiled lovingly at what I had said. That same dimple, the one I was beginning to become familiar with, appeared at the corner of his mouth.

  “That’s exactly the way I felt about how Kyle helped Lily, and she’s so happy now. I guess they saved each other,” he responded affectionately.

  I nodded. “I think you’re right.”

  Jason slowly leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, and he reached for one of my hands. He ran his thumb back and forth across my knuckles. I wanted to close my eyes and revel in the feeling, but his gaze was locked on mine. My breathing faltered, and I had to remind myself to keep taking in air.

  “I don’t know what this is between us, Abbey, but I have never felt this way about anyone before. It’s like I’m drawn to you with your beauty, your laugh, your smile.” He hesitated, searching over my expression. “I know you feel the same way because I can see it in your eyes, in the way you look at me when you think I’m not watching”—he smiled as his forefinger deliberately ran up the top of my hand, and my gaze followed—“and in how your breath catches when I touch you.”

  Oh my…

  He overwhelmed my senses, and I was consumed with him. I bit my lip and exhaled a sharp breath, trying to gather and rationalize my thoughts. I peeked back up at him through my lashes, knowing I needed to form a coherent response to his heartfelt speech.

  “You’re very observant,” I nervously replied at last.

  A relaxed smile spread across his face. “I am,” he acknowledged. He looked at me as though he needed more from me.

  “I’ve let go of the whole working-together excuse,” I said.

  He released a confident grin.

  I shook my head at him, smiling. “How about we take it one day at a time?” I offered.

  Jason nodded. “I can live with that.”

  “Are you going to tell me where we are going yet?” I asked for the second time as Jason cruised along the curvy back roads of California.

  Last night, after kissing me good night like a proper gentleman, Jason had asked to take me somewhere on Saturday afternoon, but he’d refused to tell me where, saying it was a secret. I had a gut feeling about where we were going since he’d told me to dress in a tank top and shorts with my swimsuit underneath. That had pretty much been a dead giveaway that we were going to a beach, but there were tons of them around Lake Tahoe. I was curious to know which one he’d planned to take me to. I had already fired off my guesses, but he had neither confirmed nor denied any of them.

  The man was driving me crazy with anticipation.

  “Nope.” He chuckled throatily, still focusing on the street in front of him.

  As we neared the turnoff to the main public beach, he surprised me by going straight.

  I pointed as we passed the road. “Uh…I think you missed the turn,” I said, rotating to face him.

  He tilted his head at me, and his dirty-blond hair fell forward. My eyes were stuck on the sight, and I wanted to reach over and brush it back with my fingers, but I resisted the urge since he was driving.

  “We aren’t going that way.” He grinned devilishly.

  I knew he was intentionally being sneaky, so I wouldn’t figure it out.

  “Then, where are we going?” I asked.

  “Somewhere,” he replied ambiguously.

  Before I could try to guess again, my phone beeped in my pocket. I reached for it and slid my finger across the screen. It was Gail—a very angry Gail.

  WTF, woman? I have not heard from you in FOREVER. What the hell has you so tied up? I’m going to assume the answer is Jason. ;) P.S. Going through major Abbey withdrawals over here.

  I chuckled at her theatrics while typing my reply.

  LOL! So sorry! I’ll make it up to you soon! I had a busy week at work with the remodeling on Lakeview Avenue…and I’m going to plead the fifth on Jason. ;-)

  Gail’s response was immediate.

  **Insert gaping mouth here!** So, you have been out flirting with that hot and sexy hunk! And why am I just now finding out about it?

  The next text from Gail came before I could even finish reading the first.

  You, me, and a bottle of wine have a date on Sunday night! No excuses! I work till 7 p.m.—UGH—so I’ll be over right after. Be prepared to be bombarded with questions!

  I laughed while still picturing her gaping mouth expression in her other text. I typed a quick response.

  Sounds like a date! See you then. ♥

  “What has you giggling over there in your seat?” Jason asked with humor.

  I looked over at him, noticing we were now parked. “Gail. I haven’t talked to her in quite some time, and she had some strong feelings about that.”

  “Uh-oh,” he teased. “Do you usually see her often?”

  “We regularly text back and forth most days, and we try to get together for a girls’ night out at least once a week,” I answered. “I haven’t talked to her much this week though. I’ve been distracted.”

  His adorable chuckle had me smiling at the sound. He leaned over to rest his hand behind me on the seat, and he tenderly kissed my cheek. “I like distracting you.”

  “I’m sure you do.” I chortled. Then, I glanced out the windshield in front of me. We were parked on the side of an isolated gravel road. I did not recognize the area. “Where are we?”

  “Almost to our destination,” he replied good-humoredly. His expression told me he would not give me any hints.

  I rolled my eyes at him, making him laugh. I could tell he loved the fact that he had me wound up with eagerness. Jason hopped out of the truck, walked over to my door, and helped me out. He opened the back passenger door and grabbed each of our duffel bags. He threw them over his shoulder, so one of his arms was still free.

  Past the gravel road, I could see a wooded area. I knew this road was near the lake. I just wasn’t positive where exactly we were.

  He took my hand in his. “Be careful, and watch your step,” he said with concern in his voice, guiding me forward along the trail in between the tall pines, farther into the wooded area.

  There was just enough of a worn path that I could see where we were going. I held on to Jason’s strong grip as I carefully stepped over old twigs and pine needles that had fallen to the ground. My eyes scanned the surroundings to find anything that looked slightly familiar, but I was drawing a blank. Texting while Jason had driven the last several minutes had thrown me off from being able to anticipate our location, and these treed expanses all started to look the same once we were in the middle of them.

  After a few more minutes of walking, a secluded part of the lake came into view. With each step, I increased my pace as I started to feel like I recognized our whereabouts, yet it seemed as if we were approaching from what I assumed was the opposite side.

  Nearing the end of the pines, we appeared to be on the south side of the beach. An orange, white, and black sign that read, Sudden Drop-Off, came up on my right side. My flip-flops sank into the sand as we rounded a slight bend. The hot sun was shining down on me as I saw it from afar. It was my beloved wooden dock that led out to the center of the water. He had taken me not to just any beach but my favorite one.

  I gasped softly. Warmth flooded my chest, creating havoc in my heart, at the thought of him bringing me here. He’d remembered this was my favorite place to go.

  I s
pun around to face Jason.

  He dropped our duffel bags while smiling down at me. His sky-blue eyes were transfixed on mine, absorbing my reaction. “Surprised?” he asked tenderly. He extended his arm around the small of my back, hauling me closer to him.

  I angled my head to meet his gaze. “How did you know where to find this place?” I asked in awe.

  “I called your brother, so he could give me directions,” he admitted sheepishly.

  The unexpected south entrance to the lake inlet instead of the usual northwest made sense to me now. My brother had always been one of those men who knew multiple ways and every back road to the same destination.

  My eyes bulged from their sockets as my brother’s involvement sank in a little more. “You called Kyle?” I asked, repeating Jason’s answer to make sure I’d heard him right. That means… “My brother knows about us?” I shrieked.

  While still on his honeymoon, Kyle was probably freaking out about Jason and me dating.

  Jason chuckled quietly. “Yes. Don’t worry, Abbey. When I told him I wanted to bring you here, he was much calmer than I’d expected.”

  My brow rose. “What do you mean, calmer than you expected?”

  Jason’s lip twitched in amusement, and I knew he was playfully laughing at me.

  “I was pretty tough on him when he was dating Lily, so I thought he was going to return the favor. But after a short moment of stunning him into silence, he threatened me and said that if I broke your heart, he’d bury me in his backyard. Then, before giving me directions to the dock, he murmured to Lily that she was right.” He chortled. “Apparently, Lily had a hunch that you and I would soon be an item,” he added with a grin.

  I never would have thought that Lily could foresee Jason and me actually dating. She’d only seen us together at her wedding and reception. I should have known better though. The way that bouquet had barreled straight for me should have been a dead giveaway, except she couldn’t have predicted that Jason would catch the garter.