Chapter Thirteen
The past few weeks had flown by, and Breeze’s only disappointment was Seth had only sent her a few texts. It was nice to hear from him, but she wanted more. If only she could rewind to that night in the park in Preston and forget her pride and beg him to take her and Ridge. She smiled to herself. No. Everything was probably as it should be, even though she missed him and thought of him often.
She loved her job, her apartment, her new clothes, her interactions with Mar when she wasn’t in Colorado, and Cosette, when she flew in for a few days each time Isaac was gone. The women made her feel like she was their new best friend, even though it was obvious they’d been destined from heaven to be best friends.
Late summer in San Francisco was chilly but Mar had outfitted her accordingly and she loved exploring the intriguing city and nearby Muir Woods. She hated the garbage, urine, and feces she often encountered in the city, but there were so many interesting and fun things to do that she could overlook the unpleasantries.
Ridge called her often and seemed the happiest he’s ever been in his short life.
One Wednesday evening, as she left work and walked to her nearby apartment, her phone rang. Ridge. She smiled as she said, “Hello, little bro.”
“Hello, big sis. How are you?”
“Fabulous. It’s above seventy today and sunny. I’m going to walk down to the beach, as soon as I change out of my fancy clothes from work.” Mar had insisted on outfitting her, claiming it was a signing bonus. Though Breeze still hated handouts, she’d literally had nothing but the clothes on her back, so she couldn’t very well refuse.
“Sounds nice.”
“Where are you?”
“We’re driving across the country. I think we’re in Nebraska. We had to bring all the equipment and bikes to Southern Cal for a race next weekend. There are a few on the west coast now so hopefully I’ll be able to see you.”
“I’d love that.”
“Seth flew ahead of us. Have you seen him?”
Breeze swallowed and looked around the quiet streets by her apartment. “No. Should I?”
“Maybe,” Ridge said vaguely. In all their conversations, she and her brother hadn’t really discussed her undying obsession with his boss since that night in the Preston motel. An obsession Seth obviously didn’t return. He hadn’t asked her to be his groupie. He hadn’t called her or come for her. Granted it’d only been three weeks, but she still missed him.
“Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Go for it.” She walked slowly in her heels — she hadn’t mastered the things yet — as she clutched the phone.
“Seth and I have worked out a schedule for me to pay back that twenty grand. With as well as he’s paying me, minus my living expenses, it’ll be done in a few months. I don’t want you worrying about it ever again.”
“Ridge,” she protested. “I’m making good money now too. I want to help you.”
“It’s my debt, my mistake,” he insisted. “Thankfully, Rachel seems to be doing great and Flint’s in prison, so it’s hopefully all good with the Jewels. I just …” His voice got gruff. “I don’t want you to you worry about that money again or feel like you owe Seth anything. Got it?”
She nodded to herself, forgetting that Ridge couldn’t see her.. Her voice felt thick. After a moment of realization, she said, “Got it. I’m proud of you, Ridge.”
“Thanks. I’m proud of me too.” He chuckled softly. “And I’m always proud of you. Thanks for raising me, sis, for teaching me how to work hard and have pride in what I’m doing and myself.” His voice lowered. “Thanks for teaching me how to pray.”
“Of course.” Her lessons had actually sunk in? Many times, he’d acted sullen and annoyed when she prayed with him or shared a scripture about Jesus. Her heart was so full of happiness right now. “I love you.”
“Love you too. Gotta go.”.
Breeze slipped her phone into her purse and climbed the stairs to her apartment. There was so much joy knowing that Ridge had found the right spot for himself and was doing well physically and spiritually. There was also a hole in her heart as she missed her only family member. She supposed her parents were out there somewhere. It would’ve been comical to see her dad show up for one of his sporadic visits and see the trailer as nothing but a burned-out shell. She didn’t really care about either of them or think of them as real family. At least she had Ridge.
Reaching the third level, she walked slowly along the outdoor balcony. As she approached her door, her steps slowed. A tall, well-built man leaned casually against her door frame. He was dressed in a logoed t-shirt from some sports company and jeans that really complemented his long legs. When he saw her, his handsome face split into a grin and his blue eyes lit up.
“Seth?” She put a hand to her throat, not believing he was really here. She wanted to run and throw herself at him, but he simply straightened and kept grinning at her. He didn’t move her direction.
“Hey.” He raised a hand in greeting.
“Hey.” She fought to calm her heart as she walked toward him. He’d kissed her goodbye at the airport. Would he kiss her hello now?
She was so focused on his handsome face that she stumbled forward in the too-tall high heels.