Shelter Me(2)

“Hey, brat. How was the beach?” he asks.

“It was perfect, just as I remembered it. It’s so damn beautiful and peaceful there. What did you do all day while I was gone?” I ask him.

“Not much, really. Just bought us some groceries and cleaned up a little. I was thinking about going down to Bubba’s and watching the baseball game tonight. Do you want to go with me?”

“Sure, I haven’t had a burger from Bubba’s in years. Let me shower and get all this sand off me. I’ll be ready to go in about an hour.”

After showering, I dry my long dark hair, deciding to just let it hang loose down my back in natural soft waves. I apply a little bit of makeup and since it’s the middle of June and so damn hot, I pick out a pair of shorts and my favorite tank top.



************



Pulling into the parking lot of Bubba’s, I check out the overflowing lot. “Shit. I forgot how packed this place gets.”

“Yeah, this place is always hopping, but you know Bubba’s going to love seeing you. He always had a soft spot for you, Shayne. I remember back in the day having to tell to him back off one night, because you were way too young for him. As a matter of fact, I remember telling half this fucking town to stay the hell away from you.”

“Oh, I remember. If anyone as much as looked at me you were all up their ass. ‘Stay away from Shayne, you asshole.’ ‘Don’t look at Shayne, you asshole.’ ‘What the fuck are you looking at, you asshole.’ I swear, Adam, asshole was your favorite word.”

“It still is ‘asshole’. Now get your ass out of my truck and into the damn bar.”

“You’re an asshole, Adam,” I say, bursting into laughter. Adam joins and we both exit the truck, laughing hard as we walk into Bubba’s. I look around, trying to find anyone I recognize from school. Someone scoops me up from behind and I let out a little screech of excitement. I would know those arms anywhere.

“Shayne Andrews, let me take a good look at you, girl,” Bubba says. I turn around and look at my dear old friend. He lets out a long whistle.

“Damn, girl, I thought you were hot at nineteen. At twenty-six, you’re fucking gorgeous. Come here and give me a proper welcome.”

“Bubba, you look amazing. How are you?”

“Great, girl. I got married two years ago. Jen and I have a daughter, she’s one. Come on over to the bar, I’ll introduce you to my girl and get you both a beer. You still drinking Corona?”

“Hell, yeah. Nothing but Corona for me.”

Bubba escorts me to the bar and introduces me to his wife, Jen. My God, she's beautiful. Jen and I start chatting, getting to know one another. When she goes down to the other end of the bar, I nudge Adam and give him a kiss on the cheek.

“What was that for, cuz?”

“Thank you, Adam. This is what I needed today. When I was at the beach earlier, my mind kept drifting to Luke and all the memories. I just…needed this, so thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Shayne. I know how hard all of this is for you, and I know better than anyone that what happened destroyed you. But I hope that by you being back here, you can finally let go, if that’s what you really want to do, and move forward; get the happiness we both know you deserve.”

“What do you mean, if that is what I want to do?”

Adam looks down at his beer for a few seconds and appears to be deep in thought. When he looks back at me, he just shrugs his shoulders.

“I just mean closure, sweetheart. You haven’t been back here since the day you left and like you just said, you sat on the beach and kept thinking about Luke. That’s all. Really. Now enough talking about that asshole.”

Adam and I both burst out laughing at his use of his favorite word, again.

Three Coronas later, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom. As I’m walking out of the bathroom digging through my purse and, of course, not paying attention to where I’m going, I slam into someone and fall flat on my butt. A big hand reaches down to help me up and a voice so deep, yet so familiar, says, “Give me your hand.”

I just stare at the hand. After what seems like forever, but is probably no more than a few seconds, I shake my head back and forth. That hand… oh God. That hand is going to lead me to the face of the one person I prayed I would never have to see again.

I can’t move, can’t think, I just stare at that hand.

That beautiful fucking hand. His deep voice calls out to me again, but this time, it’s just a whisper at the base of my ear.

“Shayne, please look at me and give me your hand.”

Automatically, I extend it to him and let him pull me up, but I can’t find it in me to lift my head and look at him. With my head down and my eyes closed, I suddenly feel that beautiful hand underneath my chin. Slowly, he lifts my face and says, “Shayne, please look at me. I need you to look at me, my tesoro bella.”