True North Book 3 - Finding Now Kate and Sam Read online

  Midnight rolled around, and because we had a big day scheduled for tomorrow, it was time to go.

  “Hey, baby,” I breathed in Heather’s ear. “If you want, I could have our driver give you a lift home.” I licked the sweet curve of her ear.

  “What if I didn’t want to go home?” She tilted her neck just enough for me to have access.

  “Then I’d say you should spend the night with me.” I traveled down her throat with my mouth, alternating between my lips and my tongue.

  She moaned ever so softly and positioned herself so no one could see her give a hard squeeze to my package.

  Perfect answer.

  We all walked together noisily down the two blocks to our hotel, because yes, we did in fact own Taos. At the hotel we all went our separate ways, me and Heather to my room, Will and Ange to his and Josh headed with Elena to his. The married folk went to sleep alone.

  The next morning I made a pot of hotel coffee and gently shook my date awake. “Hey there, gorgeous, sleep good?”

  She sat up and tried in vain to straighten her sex-messed hair. “Yeah, I did.” She smiled at the coffee. “For me?”

  “For you.” I pressed the ceramic cup into her hands. “My brothers and I have to get an early start.”

  “Right, the bachelor party.” She nodded and grinned. “Well, it was great getting to know you better, Sam. If you’re ever in the area again, look me up.”

  “Deal.” I gave her a kiss and grabbed my black backpack. “Feel free to hang out here as long as you’d like. Check out time isn’t for another five hours.”

  “Sounds good. Hope you boys have a good time,” she said in a sing-song voice.

  I was thinking that I already had.

  Jake and Nate … and Caleb for that matter, could get all caught up in their one woman plan, but me? No fucking way. I didn’t need one woman all up in my head—that kind of relationship made it impossible for you to think fucking straight.

  I texted Will, who was already in the lobby with the rest of the guys. When I walked in, Jake was giving him shit for being a “man-whore.”

  “And speaking of man-whore, Sam you may just be the fucking gold medal champ,” Jake accused, laughing.

  “Oh, what?” I began. “You’re with one woman for a year and you think you know it all?” I saw Nate give me a look, and realized he might think I was insulting his sister. “Not like Livie isn’t incredible,” I backtracked. “She’s maybe an exception.”

  “So is Jules,” Nate said threateningly with his arms folded across his chest.

  “I know, I know, Jules and Livie are amazing.” I rolled my eyes a little, throwing my hands up in my defense. “I’m not saying they aren’t. I’m just saying I’m not a man-whore. I resent the term,” I said. “Let me explain. Each woman I meet is special. I treat each one of them like a princess, and they love it. And don’t think for a second that sometimes a woman doesn’t need to just let go and allow her body to dictate its own fun for a night, without a commitment,” I mused. “For me it’s all about the challenge and the chase. I like uncovering a new landscape, one I’ve never discovered before. I also love a girl I can say goodbye to in the morning.”

  Josh and Will laughed and patted me on the back; the others laughed too, but were so pussy whipped they shook their heads.

  “Don’t you asshats act like you don’t get me ’cause I know you do,” I insisted.

  “It’s not that we don’t get you, Sam,” Caleb qualified. “It’s just that we’ve moved past that stage. When you find that one girl who takes your breath away and turns your fucking world upside down, you’ll get it.”

  “I don’t want to get it, I like what I got,” I retorted as we piled into the rented four wheel drive SUV Jake had picked up that morning.

  We pulled into the parking lot of The New Mexico River Adventures headquarters. An hour later we were geared up and ready to kayak the rapids for a two day man-only trip on the Rio Grande.

  I heard Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris” start up and watched as Nate nervously shifted his weight. It was so very subtle no one else may have noticed, but I could tell his frame shook just the slightest in either fear or anticipation.

  Probably both, I figured as I stood a little taller, knowing what was about to happen.

  The music was the audience’s cue to stand. They were seated in cushioned folding chairs that had been covered in soft, pale pink cloth—my sister’s favorite color—and set up in the far field on our ranch, close to the pond and gazebo. The grasses were autumn gold and they waved lazily in the breeze underneath a perfect blue sky.

  Nate stood at the center of his party; behind him was Caleb, then Jake, and then me—completely killer in our black fitted tuxes with a single pale pink rose in our lapels. Too bad the wedding party and guest list was so small. There were like maybe fifty guests—mainly Mom and Dad’s contacts, a few cousins and some old high school friends. The maid of honor was, of course, Livie (obviously taken), and the only bridesmaids were Piper (taken again) and Jules’ friend Amanda who had come up from Florida (with her boyfriend)—oh fucking well for me. Wasn’t my gig anyway—this was all about Nate and Jules.

  My sister emerged from behind a white lattice partition that was covered in ivy vines and roses. She carried a bouquet of colorful wildflowers and looked absolutely stunning in her lacy white gown. I couldn’t help but smile. She looked so ecstatic and so did Nate. I couldn’t have been happier for them both.

  My father and mother stood on either side of Jules as they walked my sister down the aisle to give her to Nate. It was a tradition my sister had seen in a Jewish wedding ceremony. She loved the symbolism, and my mom was so excited to be part of the wedding that way. Mom wore a pink dress, and my dad wore a black tux with his best black cowboy boots. When they each took my sister’s hands and placed them in Nate’s, my mother began to cry. Jules leaned over and kissed her, and then I saw my dad had tears streaking down his rugged, weathered cheeks too. Mom laid her hand on Nate’s face and dad squeezed his arm. Jules was their daughter, and for many years now, Nate had been their honorary sixth son. It was a perfect union.

  Watching them all melt into an emotional puddle made my lungs squeeze all of the air out of my chest. I was very aware of the life Nate had lived, and he deserved a little happiness. Maybe marriage seemed like a prison to me, but Nate was obviously thrilled, and I was happy for the lucky son-of-a-bitch.

  The way he looked down at Jules as my parents put her hands in his and stepped back made me think he was going to kiss her right there, before they were even married. The Justice of the Peace asked who gave the bride away and my parents answered that they did, and then Nate and Jules stepped forward underneath the flowered arbor and turned to face one another. They spoke the traditional vows. Because Nate had two best men, Jake, who held the ring box, handed it to Caleb, who then passed it to Nate. The new couple placed the platinum wedding bands on each other’s fingers and a moment later sealed the deal with a kiss.

  With my mom and sister in charge, the reception was elegant. White cloth canopies had been set up over the prairie to provide shade and beauty. Hung underneath were strands of tiny white lights, and there were flowers everywhere. On one side was a gourmet buffet, a bar, a lavish chocolate fountain with colorful fruits and other treats to dip, a five-tier wedding cake with edible flowers, an ice sculpture of wild horses running while others reared up at the sky, and a gift table that towered with fancily wrapped presents and envelopes. On the other side was the bride and groom’s table, where they sat and received their guests’ good wishes.

  For their first dance together as a married couple, Nate chose “Sweet Child O’Mine” by Guns and Roses. The two of them came together and looked at each other as if they were the only two people in the world.

  My mom and dad had an amazing kind of love; they could fight like cougars over a kill one moment and then be hot as wildfire in love with each other in the next. I never got it, and honestly didn’t think they
did either. They’d been to counseling a few times in their thirty year marriage to learn better ways to communicate. Ha! Whatever they’d tried obviously didn’t take. I smiled just thinking about it. It wasn’t always pretty, but damn, it worked for them. They were two extreme opposite personalities, but they loved the hell out of each other and were committed to each other one hundred percent. I could see that look in Nate and Jules’ eyes—stubborn, headstrong and completely out of their minds in love with each other.

  For a fleeting moment I wondered what it felt like for them, but shoved that thought away immediately. I was in no hurry to find out for myself. I was twenty-two, in my first year of grad school for my master’s in Engineering, and thoroughly got off on the rush and excitement of fast cars, faster women, loud music and the adrenaline surge of extreme sports. I fully intended to live my life for me and take on every challenge that I could conquer, just for the fuck of it.

  I shoved a chocolate covered caramel in my mouth. I chewed into the smooth cocoa, salt and caramel then chased it all with a swig of sweet champagne. One of the girls who worked with the catering company caught my eye as she walked by. I loved that look. That “maybe” look that burned with wonder. I made sure I returned the look, and as she captured my eyes, she smiled and quickly turned away. Music. Beautiful music. Sex was the best existing art form. Every woman was a new song to listen to, play and sing. I shook my head and walked away, knowing that I’d be watching for that girl later.

  Through the afternoon reception, each of us North boys danced with our sister.

  “You excited for the honeymoon?” I asked, taking Jules in my arms.

  “Samuel!”

  “Oh, gross! What’s wrong with you? I mean about traveling Europe for a month.”

  She laughed. “You’re such a pain! Yes, I’m excited. Are you excited about starting school Monday?”

  “Ecstatic,” I responded flatly. “So are you going to tell Mom and Dad you’re preggers before or after you come home?”

  She shot me a look full of sharp daggers. “How could you tell?”

  “You glow.”

  “Really?” she said, her expression becoming all gooey.

  “No.”

  Her face fell in frustrated exasperation.

  I continued, “I heard Jake on the phone with Livie, who was all excited because the two of you would be pregnant at the same time.”

  Jules rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh. “So, no glow?”

  “Not really, you just look sort of pale and kind of sick.”

  “Sam!” Jules pinched my arm hard while she smiled toward her guests. “Mom and Dad aren’t naïve and I know they know Nate and I sleep together, I just don’t want anyone thinking we got married just because I was pregnant. That wouldn’t be fair to him or me.”

  “Hey, your secret’s safe with me,” I promised.

  She nodded. “I know I can count on you. Okay, enough of that. So besides studying and chasing skirts, what are your plans once you get back to Seattle?”

  “I think I’m going to focus more on my music this year. The band has a lot of gigs booked,” I said.

  “So, are you setting racing off to the side?”

  “Hell no!” I shook my head. “But,” I said, resigned, “I’m obviously going to have to make some decisions about what I want the most. Going for your master’s is time consuming enough. I don’t know, Will is devoted to motocross …”

  “Is he still working on the petition to get the sport into the Olympics?” Jules asked.

  “Yeah, he is. And now going total pro ...” What made me think that figuring out what Will was going to do with his life would make me figure out my own? Maybe it was another twin thing.

  “I think he surprised everyone when he came back from summer vacay and announced he’d be waiting to finish his master’s so he could practice and tour full time.”

  “He earned his BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering, so the folks are happy. Surprisingly, even Dad is okay with the news. Will worried about what he’d think the most, you know.”

  “Why?”

  “’Cause he knew Dad wanted more of his kids to take on the business, especially Will and his big brain. But with Caleb and Nate fully on board, I think Dad’s relaxed a lot.” I thought about my next words. “I love driving, Jules, but … if I were approached by a record label … I don’t know, maybe I’d want to give my music a shot.”

  I guess I was deep in it, because Jules looked very serious when she said, “You’ll figure it out, Sam. When the time comes that you have to make a decision, you’ll know what to do.”

  “Hey, don’t get all serious on me.”

  She shrugged. “Sometimes life gets serious.”

  This conversation was getting serious. Too serious. Also, the song was ending, and I really didn’t want everyone grilling me over what we were discussing. I slipped my hand up sneakily to her rib cage and tickled her. That broke the tension fast.

  “This day is about you, not me!” I reminded her.

  The song ended and, as we made our way back to our seats, Caleb gave me the groomsmen cue. It was time for the best man’s toast.

  Caleb, Jake and I stood in the center of the room with a couple of cordless mics and directed all of our attention onto Nate, who watched us with a mix of amusement and concern. Oh, the stories we could tell! But we’d all decided on tasteful and honoring speeches.

  “I’ve known you forever, man,” Jake started and laughed. “Who’d have ever thought we’d marry each other’s sisters?”

  The crowd smiled and aww’ed, and Livie blew a kiss to her big brother Nate.

  “It just proves we were destined to be family from the start,” Jake said.

  “Nate, you’ve been my sixth brother for years, and now I have the paperwork to prove it. Oh and, Jules, thanks for being a girl,” Caleb said, making everyone laugh. “People may say love doesn’t last, but those people don’t know the two of you. Your love has been a long time coming and now it’s time. I’m confident that if the two of you each give one hundred percent—not the fifty/fifty cop-out crap, but a full one hundred percent of yourselves to each other—there will be nothing that can stop you and nothing in your way that you won’t be able to conquer together.”

  It was my turn. “Have fun together. Make sure that no matter what happens each and every day, that you laugh and play, it’ll keep your hearts young as you grow old together.”

  Caleb, Jake and I lifted our glasses and the audience followed suit. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Morrisey, may your path together be free of stones, may the sun and rain bring abundance, and may the love you feel today only grow in measure.”

  We all drank from our glasses, and then the guests applauded.

  “It was beautiful,” Piper mused.

  “They deserve to be together.” Livie laid her head on Piper’s shoulder. “They both waited for so long.”

  The two girls were sitting up on the table, which was still covered with white linen, swinging their bare feet, their high heels kicked to the grass. All the guests had cleared out and gone home, and the bride and groom were well on their way to Europe. Livie had put on a “Fun” playlist and “Carry On” was playing in the background while we drank, rested and watched the workers clean up and tear down the props.

  Caleb swigged his beer and stood on Piper’s other side. “That could be us someday.”

  “Could be.” Piper smiled up at him.

  “You tired?” Caleb traced a tender thumb over a dark circle that had started under her eyes.

  “A little,” she admitted softly like she wasn’t really happy about it.

  “I know I’m wiped!” Caleb covered. “Want to head to the house?”

  “If you want to,” she replied. “See you tomorrow, Liv?” Piper patted Livie’s leg.

  “I’ll be here,” Livie said.

  We all said our goodnights, and Caleb and Piper walked into the dark with a flashlight.

  Jake came
over and settled between Livie’s legs, turning and offering her his back. “The baby is hungry.”

  “Really?” Livie giggled.

  “Yep, so we’d better get something before they pack it all away,” he said.

  “Oh, okay.” Livie smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “The baby’s hungry.”

  As Jake carried her piggy-back, the two headed off to the last offerings at the buffet table.

  Will, Josh and I looked at each other.

  “How about a toast.” I raised my brown glass beer bottle filled with Nate’s favorite Irish ale.

  Will lifted his too. “What is it?”

  “That we make a pact,” I replied.

  “Ha! What kind of pact? Like none of us gets serious?” Josh smiled.

  “Exactly,” I confirmed.

  “And what if one of us does?” Josh asked. “What’s the consequence?”

  “You have to sing a Justin Bieber song at Wilds bar during a Saturday karaoke hour,” I suggested.

  “That would suck.” Josh snorted. “But I know I’m safe, so I’m in.”

  “I’ll do it. But I’ll tell you now,” Will warned, “I’m not sure how long it’ll take, but sooner or later one of us will cave.”

  “Let it be you then.” I laughed as the sound of glass on glass filled my ears.

  Chapter Two

  “Through Glass”

  Stone Sour

  Catherine

  “Catherine Jolie,” I rehearsed in the mirror. I even put out my hand as if I were going to shake someone else’s.

  I straightened the imaginary creases in my grey business casual dress suit, which fell below my knees. I had one for each day of the week in varying colors—navy, black, brown and grey. Simple and plain and boring; a good way to be invisible and not attract attention to myself.

  I twirled up my long blonde hair and pinned it up against the back of my head. No make-up, no perfume, no high heels … no trace of her anywhere.