Tristan Williams thought the path of his life was on the
right journey. He had a successful career, good looks, and a carefree
lifestyle. One conversation changed Tristan’s way of thinking forever as his
father presented him with a bottle, representing his journey and forcing
unwanted thoughts of a lasting relationship to the surface. Running from the
fear of commitment, he pushed away the only woman he ever had feelings for and
turned to the one girl he knew he didn’t love.
Ryn Webster was finally putting her past behind her. Moving
to Texas and concentrating on the success of her own company, she had her life
almost where she wanted it. One thing was missing though…love. She thought she
had found love with Tristan until he casted her aside.
After being hurt by Tristan, Ryn does whatever she can to
push him from her heart, even if it means being with a man she doesn’t love.
Regardless of the path one thinks they are on, the journey
of life can cause unexpected turns, altering the planned course. Will Tristan
and Ryn’s bottle be tossed about, lost in the rocky waves of life? Or will calm
seas prevail to help Tristan and Ryn finally find their journey of
love…together?
PROLOGUE
I had
been sitting on the beach for the last hour just staring out at the black
ocean. I tipped the beer bottle back and drank the last of my beer.
“Well
hell. Looks like I have to go back,” I said as I got up and brushed the sand
off my pants. I turned and looked back at the house. My brother Lark and his
new wife, Azurdee had left two hours ago for their honeymoon and I couldn’t
take watching Ryn another second.
I sucked
in a deep breath of salty air and slowly let it out. My phone went off and I
pulled it out of my pocket. I let out a deep breath when I saw it was Liberty.
Liberty: Just letting you know I’m thinking about you. If you
want me to join you I’ll come down. Just text me back and I’ll be there.
Me: I think I just need some time to think, Liberty. We need this
time apart.
Liberty: I didn’t mean to push you. I’m always pushing you, I
know. I just really wanted to see your parents and would have loved to have
seen the wedding but I understand you have your reasons for going alone. Things
haven’t been so great with us lately. I’ll work on that. Promise.
Me: We’ll talk when I get back to Austin.
Liberty: Okay. I love you, Tristan.
I let out
a sigh and shook my head. I’ve never told Liberty I loved her. I wasn’t sure
anymore how I felt about her. We had been on and again and off again so many
times I was beginning to lose count. Currently, we were off. All she had been
doing is pushing an engagement ever since she found out Lark and Azurdee were
getting married. When I thought of my future I didn’t see Liberty. I only saw ...
Ryn. And that scared the piss out of me.
I turned
my phone to silent and shoved it in my pocket. I started heading back to the
house and began putting on my game face. The one I’d been wearing for the last
ten months. The one where everyone thought I was happy, but deep down inside I
was the unhappiest I’d ever been in my life.
I walked
up the stairs to the deck and the first person I saw was Ryn. She was leaning
against the railing with her head back and her eyes closed. There was no one
else out here.
She
looked tired. I smiled when I thought about what I had overheard earlier when
Mom and Azurdee’s best friend, Jessie, were talking. Ryn had taken a two-week vacation
and was renting a house on the beach just two houses down from here. I already
began planning ways to ‘run in to her’ while we were both here.
She
hadn’t talked to me in over ten months. No matter how many times I called and
left her messages begging her to call me, she never would.
Her cell
phone rang and she quickly answered it. I walked around to the other side of
the deck and sat down to where she couldn’t see me.
“Hey,
Dodge. Are you on your way? Yes. I thought I could, but I can’t. I need you.”
Dodge?
Who the fuck is Dodge?
She
laughed at something he said and then she let out a sigh. “Well, considering I
still need my RFB, I’d say yes ... it’s been a sucky last three days.”
I peeked
around the corner and saw her smiling. She reached her hand up and began
playing with her nipple.
What
the fuck?
“That
sounds like heaven. Yes. I’m going to need it a lot. I don’t know, you’d think
after all this time you’d have been able to fuck him out of my head and heart.
Maybe you’re not as good as you think you are?”
My mouth
dropped open and I quickly turned back and stared out in the night sky.
She
laughed again and said, “I’m still at the wedding. Yes. It was hard to see him.
I don’t know. Maybe, I’ve thought about that. Yes. I realize I only use you for
sex to forget about Tristan, but maybe I’m falling for you and just want your
company. You ever think of that?”
My heart
started beating faster and I wanted to pound this asshole’s head in.
She let
out a sigh and said, “Okay. I’ll see you then. Oh trust me. I’ll be waiting and
I will most certainly be ready for you. Yes naked. Hey, Dodge? Hurry please. I
need to be fucked in a bad way. Bye.”
She let
out a sigh and then I swore I heard her crying. I slowly stood. She was looking
out toward the ocean. Her shoulders were moving up and down and when I saw her wipe away her tears, my knees about
buckled out from underneath me.
I started
making my way toward her. I didn’t want to walk up on her crying, so I cleared
my throat and asked, “May I join you?”
She quickly wiped her tears away and looked the other way. “It’s your house,” she whispered. “How have you been, Ryn?” She turned and looked at me. If looks could kill, I’d be on the floor right now.
“You’ve ignored me for three days and now you ask how I’ve been?”
I shrugged my shoulders and said, “I wasn’t sure you wanted to talk to me.” She let out a small laugh.
“Usually people attempt to talk to a person before they make that assumption.”
“Well, considering I’ve been calling you for months, and you ignore my calls—” She took a step back and shook her head.
A look of hurt moved across Ryn’s face as she slowly said, “You’re seeing ... another ... girl.”
“It’s not like that. We are kind of off and on. I mean ... I’m not seeing her right now.” She rolled her eyes before looking into mine.
“Do you have any idea how much you hurt me?”
My heart felt like it was physically hurting as I swallowed and said, “I just thought ... I wasn’t planning on—” I looked away and then back into her eyes. “I thought you just wanted to have fun, Ryn. Then you started acting different and I started having these feelings and ... I was confused.”
Anger replaced the hurt in her eyes. “The only thing that confused you is why you brought the wrong girl to meet mom and dad.”
She turned and began walking into the house. I wanted to call out for her but I couldn’t. My heart felt like it was squeezing in my chest as I stood there and listened to her retreating footsteps.
Kelly Elliott is married to a wonderful Texas cowboy who has
a knack for making her laugh almost daily and supports her crazy ideas and
dreams for some unknown reason...he claims it's because he loves her!
She’s also a mom to an amazing daughter who is constantly
asking for something to eat while her fingers move like mad on her cell phone
sending out what is sure to be another very important text message.
In her spare time she loves to sit in her small corner
overlooking the Texas hill country and write.
One of her favorite things to do is go for hikes around her
property with Gus....her chocolate lab and the other man in her life, and Rose,
her golden retriever. When Kelly is not outside helping the hubby haul brush,
move rocks or whatever fun chore he has in store for her that day, you’ll find
her inside reading, writing or watching HGTV.
