finding Reese.: a SAFELIGHT novel vol.2 (SAFELIGHT Series) (26 page)

I laugh. “Oh my God. You went there!”

Tightening her grip on my shoulder, she grins. “I sure as hell did.”

With a practice schedule in hand Jackson and I say goodbye to Gregg and Kathryn and head back home. We’re exhausted, and as soon as I walk through the front door, I march my weary ass up the steps to my room for a well-earned bubble bath. Freshly bathed and completely exhausted, I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

My phone rings loudly. Mumbling my disapproval, I answer.

“Faith?”

“Goodness gracious, Cat. You answered!” her high-pitched squeal rings over the line. I adjust the pillows against the headboard and sit up.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I, Faith? How are you?” I reply between yawns.

“I’m great. I haven’t heard from you in weeks! I miss my best friend like a plant needs water . . . How’s your vacation? Are things still hot and heavy with your scrumptious cannoli? I bet the filling is quite delicious . . .”

I snort at her description of Stryder and laugh. “Things are well. He’s overseas right now on assignment.”

“What? Why?” she asks, her voice laced with confusion. “Where are you?”

“I’m in Casper with Jackson.”

“Wyoming? What the−why are you there?”

“I’m helping with Jackson’s recovery, plus I love it here. It’s nice to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city.”

“Are you two . . . ?”

“No, Faith! No. I love him like a brother. I’m just taking time out here to rest, and figure out what I want to do with my life.”

“You’re considering moving away? You haven’t been home for months, and I miss you . . .” Faith says rather sadly.

“I’m on vacation, silly. No need to be sad or worried, lady. You can’t get rid of me so easily.”

Faith laughs, and says, “Good, because I sort of need you around for the wedding and all. I’ve been meaning to ask, shall I make your invitation a plus one? Now that you have a sexy man in your life, surely you’ll want him to come along. Mom and Dad will be thrilled.” I cross my ankles in bed and play with my hair. “You’re family, Cat. Just because you met someone new doesn’t change the fact that you are part of the Mackenzie Clan.”

“I know, but I think it would be disrespectful to Blake’s memory, you know?”

“No, it isn’t. Plus one it is. Listen, if you don’t make time to come back soon, I’ll fly my merry ass out there to visit.” I hear the sounds of a PA system in the background. “Listen, I’m due for surgery in ten minutes. I have this hot patient that requires open-heart surgery. Talk to you soon?”

I giggle at her inappropriate remark. “Yeah . . . sure thing, and stop checking out your patients, you pervert.” Faith laughs and hangs up.

I look at the alarm clock; it’s close to dinnertime. Tip-toeing down the stairs I approach Jackson’s room- his door is wide open and the lights are off. I wonder where he wandered off to. In the kitchen, I busy myself making dinner and half an hour later, I’m sitting on one of the barstools eating.

With each bite I feel exactly like Jackson’s house- large, cold, and empty. The more I think about my loneliness, the more I lose my appetite. I push the plate away. My phone on the counter is silent. It hasn’t been too hard to get by because Jackson and I are always up to something, but now as I sit here in the quiet I hear the clicking of the wall clock and each second passes agonizingly slow. I call Stryder and my heart races with each ring. Sadly, I get his voicemail.

“
Stryder Martynus, here. At the beep, leave a message. Thanks.
”

“It’s me. I just wanted to say I miss your voice. I hope everything is well. I love you,” I breathe into the line. I’m not in the mood for dinner anymore, so I busy myself by clearing the kitchen counter, putting the food away, and washing the dishes. By the time I make it back to my room, it’s close to nine o’clock and Jackson still isn’t home. I crawl into bed and opt to watch a movie, but my eyelids feel heavy, and before I know it I’m fast asleep.

As dawn breaks through the soft curtains, I open my eyes and search for my cell phone. There’s a missed call and voicemail from Stryder. I press the button and with my heart beating like a drum I wait for the message to play.

“Hey, baby. Sorry I missed your call. I was grabbing lunch when you called, and didn’t hear my phone ring. I’m so sorry. Is everything okay? You sounded sad. God, I miss you so much, and I hope Jackson is behaving. We’ll video chat tonight. Love you, and I can’t wait to come home.”

I sigh and rest the phone against my chest. The days go by slower the more I think about the oceans dividing us, but my heart skips a beat when I consider our upcoming getaway. The two of us alone where no one knows us, far away from the distractions of the world, and building our love on the fragments of our pasts.

I have lessons with Kathryn today, and despite the ache in my body and feet from yesterday’s impromptu lesson I’m eager and motivated to learn more. Jackson’s sitting in the kitchen when I walk in, reading something on his tablet. When he hears me, he sits up straight and smiles.

“Good morning, Sunshine! How’s the newborn horse? Ready to start galloping?” he asks, and when I cast an evil glare in his direction, he laughs.

“Good morning to you, Jackson.”What I really want to ask is where he was last night, but it’s not any of my business. “What are you reading?” I ask.

With a sincere smile he replies, “Just looking over a proposal your bosses at
Xsports
just sent. They want a follow-up story, and they said you’d write it.” He rests his tablet against the table and stands. “Did you know about any of this?”

“I did. I didn’t say anything because I wanted it to come from your camp first, even though Kaelan asked me to tell you. The truth is I totally forgot about it. I’m onboard as long as you are.”

“It’s fine by me. I guess the pressure is on to get back on the board.”

I throw my duffle on the counter and rest my hand on his shoulder. “There is no pressure or timeline to get better. You come first, Jackson.
Xsports
and the rest of the world can wait. What is important is for you to recover on your terms, not anybody else’s. We dance to the beat of your drum, not the other way around, got it?”

Jackson nods and from his lips an amazing smile emerges.

“A million stories could be written about me, and at the end of the day no one will see me like I see myself. I’m just an athlete, Catalina. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’ve lost two of my best friends, and a part of my soul along the way. People mistake my failures as a sign of weakness, or take it as me giving up. Nah, Catalina, there’s only one person I’m up against, and that’s
me,
and regardless of what’s happened, in my eyes I’m still an Olympic and world snowboarder.”

Looking into his eyes, I say, “I’m so fucking proud of you, Jackson. You’re starting to realize that your ironclad determination is what will get you back into the sport. I can see the fire in your eyes. There is hunger, and I know you’ll rise on top again. Just be the best you can be.”

“Sometimes I just need a little convincing, that’s all. I work well under pressure. You of all people should know that, Catalina.” Jackson pulls me closer to his chest and gives me a fierce hug, and I sag in relief. “Hmm. Looks like you needed that hug more than I did. Come on, toots. I’m eager to see my sister whip our sad little asses back into shape.”

We leave Jackson’s home with determined steps. His walking has dramatically improved and the cockiness I adore is not so far behind. I’m taking my cues from him on the dance floor.
It’s all about having self-confidence
I repeat to myself like a broken record, remembering Kathryn and Gregg’s words to me yesterday. My heart races as a wave of determination hits me in the best of ways. It blows my mind when I consider how much my life has changed. A year ago I was stuck in a crippling depression, yet now I’m eager and willing to try new things. My smiles are no longer forced, and I don’t feel the need to hide my feelings under a mask of make-up and clothes.

I wasn’t living my life back then. I was only going through the motions of living and breathing. The truth is I was nothing short of a zombie, alive yet dead, but not anymore. I thank my lucky stars and God for bringing a new breath of fresh air into my life in the loving arms of Stryder and the gift of Jackson’s friendship. I’m confident there is no luckier girl out there.

We arrive at the studio, and I make a beeline for the lockers. My body is buzzing with excitement, and I’m not letting my lack of self-confidence take away from this joy I feel inside my chest.

As I’m about to step into my dance heels, Kathryn walks in.

“No heels today, Catalina. We’re going to work on basic choreography and see how quickly you learn. It’s all about footwork and lines. Your upper body is graceful, but at the end of the day footwork is just as important.”

I smile at her words and counter-challenge, “You think I’m graceful? That’s crazy. You must be blind.”

Kathryn shushes me. “Cut the shit, Catalina. Are you the instructor?
No.
I’ve been doing this long enough to recognize talent where there is any. If you want this experience to work then I suggest you come to terms with the fact I know what the hell I’m doing.”

I
FEEL TAKEN ABACK
BY
the stern tone behind Kathryn’s words. All of a sudden I feel like a child who’s been scolded. My arms fall limply to my sides, and for being such a loud mouth I find myself at a loss for words. I guess I must’ve made a face because Kathryn bites her upper lip, and I see a smile creeping from her mouth.

“Oh my goodness, that was mean! Jackson told me you need metaphorical slaps every now and then, but damn that was harsh!” She laughs at herself, and I follow.

I grin and breathe. “Metaphorical slaps? That was like you punched me square in the tits, Kathryn.” We both laugh, and in true Reese fashion Kathryn hugs me.

“I’m so happy I get to groom you for Jupiter even though he’s such a broody son of a bitch sometimes. I’m dying to see you blow him away with your hips, which certainly
do not
lie.”

We emerge from the locker room laughing, and I stop in my tracks when I see Jackson doing what I can only describe as kicks and flicks in front of the mirror to Eddie Cochran’s “C’mon Everybody.” His brow is furrowed in concentration as he focuses on his footwork in the mirror. He’s definitely dancing through his pain with every jump and shimmy. Turning to Kathryn, I whisper, “Should he be doing something as physical as that?”

Kathryn shakes her head. “No, I specifically told him not to do a jive. But, this is Jaxy’s favorite dance ever since he was a kid. Jupiter is the best dancer all-around, but when it comes to the jive no one comes close to Jax. He’ll know when to stop. I hope!”

We redirect our attention to Jackson, watching the fun, fast jive in amazement. It’s a physically exhausting dance which has me breathless at the mere sight of it. Kathryn starts chanting steps under her breath and hands me her bottle of water before walking onto the dance floor. She circles Jackson, as if memorizing his routine, and they begin to dance side by side, their footwork in perfect sync.

I start to clap and jump in place as they dance. Jackson looks at me, his cheeks flushed with the physicality of the dance, and winks. I grin. As the song progresses, Jackson takes hold of Kathryn in a proper hold, and as they dance I find my left foot tapping to the beat of the music. The next thing I know, Gregg is coaxing me onto the floor.

Laughing hysterically, I attempt to mimic the kicks and flicks I saw them doing earlier, with Gregg coaching me on. I’m not going to lie. It’s only been seconds and I’m sweating profusely, and find myself nauseated and completely out of breath. The realization that dancing is as physically grueling as snowboarding helps me understand exactly why Stryder and Jackson are in top shape.

When the song ends, I clap twice before bending over, my hot breath warming my leggings. Jax walks over and lays his back against the maple floor, his eyes finding mine. With a satisfied smile, his breaths long and hard, he says, “Fuck, that was fun.”

I try to laugh but I don’t have the energy. I fall to my knees and then lie on my back, mimicking the pose of a dead body at a crime scene. Kathryn and Gregg watch us sprawl on the dance floor, and their belly laughs echo in the open space.