Sneak Peak - Chapter 1

His Secret Gift 

Chapter 1: A New Chapter – Kayla 

 No way. My mouth drops as I watch Maggie, a small-town farm girl, and Jasper, a British trust fund baby, who Maggie previously detested, start hooking up on my favorite show, Yacht Life. 

             “Molly?” I call her immediately. 

             “Are you watching?” she says after picking up. 

             “Of course, I am! Can you believe it?” I snuggle deeper into the couch and shovel more popcorn in my mouth as I watch them kiss. 

             “No! But . . . I like it.”  Molly’s fascination with Yacht Life stems from her involvement in her family’s business, Tiffany Yachts, a well-known lucrative yacht maker.  She owns a few of them herself but prefers to keep that information private.  She has experienced judgement in the past when others have found out her family is extremely wealthy.

             “Right?” I feel that delicious pressure and heat raising down below. 

             However, the line soon beeps to let me know that another call is coming in. 

             “Ugh.” 

             “What?” 

             I hit ignore. “Nothing.” It was my brother, Collin, calling. Don’t get me wrong, I love him to death, but I already know what he’s going to say—Why don’t you have a job yet, Kayla? Do you really get fulfillment out of watching those cheesy reality TV shows all day? The world is your oyster. There’s so much more of it that you have to explore while you’re still young. 

             My answers to such questions are the following: No, yes, and . . . blahhh. I enjoy our small town. 

             But that makes me hear his voice all over again. Indiana lacks culture, Kayla. Culture, fun, and pizazz.

             I shake my head again to dismiss such thoughts. “Anyway—” 

             But I’m silenced again after hearing a rattling at my door. 

             I stand up immediately with my blood running cold. “Molly? I’ve gotta go.”  

            Without hearing her response, I end the call. I need the line free if I need to call the police. Setting the phone down, I go over by the fireplace and take one of the pokey instruments that is hanging near it. 

            Then, I hold it up over my head and look through the peephole to find my brother standing there. 

            There’s more clanging. 

             I’m still holding up my weapon when I open the door to scare him for coming over unannounced.  

             “Jesus Christ, Kayla!” 

             “Collin?” I drop the weapon. “You could’ve been a robber.” 

             Now that my brother is assured of his safety, his body relaxes, and he chuckles softly. “A robber? In Aurora? Yeah, right.” He works from home as an IT professional, but he’s dressed fancier than normal—with a light brown button-up and a sweater vest dark green with cream details over it. His spikey, colorless hair and small, silver glasses are still the same, however. 

             His narrow and often negative opinion of our town irritates me. So, after he drops two plastic bags, which smell heavenly, off on the table, I cross my arms. 

             “What about what happened to Mrs. Maisey?” 

             He grins and raises his eyebrow. “Are you referring to the time when her grandson got drunk off of wine coolers at the Fourth of July parade and then stammered into her garage?” 

             Tucking some of my hair behind my ear, I quip, “He stole a beer from her fridge.” 

            He makes a funny face and flails his hands in front of him. “Ooh. Big deal. Taking a beer bottle from your grandma’s garage.” 

             I clench my jaw. “Still.” Then, wanting to change the subject, I ask while gesturing with my head, “What’s all that?” 

             He starts unpacking plastic containers. “Weh’s Palace.” 

             “Oh, no.” I completely forgot we had dinner plans. I erroneously thought the finale was on Thursday, and not today. It was chance that I just happened to be watching on the right day of the week. “I’m so sorry.” As much as I don’t want to admit this to him, as he already makes fun of me for my reality television obsession, but I also don’t want him to think I just ditched him. 

 “It was the finale of Yacht Life. I must have . . . forgotten to let you know.” 

             He clicks his tongue. “It is what it is.” 

               I walk over and give him a hug. “So, you forgive me?” I’m still holding him but looking up at his face. 

             He sighs and meets my gaze briefly before responding, “I guess.” 

             “Thanks, Collin.” My arms release him, and my hands go on the small of my back, and I kind of swing. “What’s for dinner? Sweet n’ sour shrimp?” 

            “Duh!” He looks at the containers to find the right one, grabs a white box of rice, a packet of chopsticks, and hands all of it to me. 

            “Thank you. What do I owe you?” 

             He flicks his wrist at me. “Don’t worry about it.” 

             After sitting on the couch again, I’ve already dug into the food. “Collin, come on.” My mouth is full, but I’m sure he could make out what I was saying. 

             “What, Kayla?” He’s leaning on the counter with one hand at his hip. 

             “I—” I already know what’s coming. I hate having these conversations with him. 

             “What happened to you?” 

             My heart sinks, and I look at the shaggy carpet. 

             “You were top of the class, but after you graduated—with honors, mind you—you just decided that you didn’t have any ambition anymore. What gives with that?” 

             His words sting because they’re true. But I don’t want him to see just how badly they make me feel. 

             In the swirl of events that unfolded when I thought he was a strange man trying to rob me, I didn’t think to pause my show, but I lean over to the remote on the coffee table and do so. Then, after straightening my back, I say, “First of all, I didn’t ask for your opinion on what I should or shouldn’t do with my life.” 

             He rolls his eyes. “Someone has to watch out for you, Kayla.” 

             That’s an attack toward our father. His excessive smoking led to his early death.

“Really?” I ask as I set my food down. “We’re doing this tonight?” 

“Well—”

He sits down next to me. 

“Well, what?” I demand even though I already know what he’s going to say. 

 Pushing his glasses up on his nose, he says, “You have no plan, sis.” 

 I sigh. “That’s not true.” 

He finally turns to me with his eyes wide. “Really?” 

 “Yes.”

 “Okay, let’s hear it then.” 

 “I—” I glance down at my twiddling finger before looking at the paused TV. “I’m going to work on a yacht.” 

He snickers before taking a drink of a nearby water bottle. “Is that so?” 

“Yeah.” Now that I’ve said it, I have to buckle down. 

“It’s not going to be like that show.” He gestures to the screen. “It won’t be as exciting or as sexy . . .” 

Ew. Hearing my brother say sexy makes a shiver down my spine, and I shimmy my shoulders in response. 

 He seems to notice, and he laughs again. “I know. Sorry. But it’s the truth. In reality, that kind of work is just waiting hand and foot on some rich asshole who doesn’t appreciate the luxury.” 

 “I know.” I lied. Then, swiping my hair from one side to the other, I explain, “I’m going to get drinks with Molly.” I note to watch the episode of Yacht Life online later that evening, and I text her quickly to let her know about this new plan. 

 “Seriously?”

 In rapid time, she messages me back that she’ll be at Mo’s Pub, our favorite spot up the road, in a few minutes. 

 “Yeah, I’m sorry.” I do feel bad for just ditching him, but I also don’t want to talk about this anymore. 

 “Kayla—”

 “What?” I put on my coat, pull my hair from underneath it, and turn to him. 

 He glances at the ground before meeting my gaze again. “Good luck on the job.” 

 “Thanks.”

 “No, I mean it. I think it’s time to finally release you from my coat tails.” 

 My eyes squint. “What does that mean?” 

 “Well, there’s no time like the present, I guess.” 

I’m starting to get even more concerned, and a bite down on my lip as I watch him squirm a little. 

 “Collin, what is it?” 

After scratching the back of his neck, he confesses, “Claudia’s pregnant.” 

“What?” My hands raise to cover my mouth. I knew they were trying, but I didn’t expect it to happen so fast. “Congratulations!” 

I walk over and give him a big hug. 

“Thanks.” He tugs on the sleeves of his shirt. “That’s one of the reasons why I applied for a job at a big firm in Cincinnati.” 

Now I understand the dressier clothing. But then something else hits me. “Cincinnati? Like Ohio?” 

Smirking, he confirms, “Yes, of course.” 

“Oh.” Other than when we were at college, we’ve always lived in Indiana. And I guess I thought that’s where we’d always stay. 

He grabs my shoulders and seems to search my eyes. “It’s only forty minutes away.”

“I know. But I’m just so used to you being single-digit minutes away.” 

He then pulls me closer and plants a kiss on my forehead. “No matter where I go, I’ll always be here for you whenever you need me . . . besides, it sounds like you aren’t going to be around much anymore either.” 

 I tilt my head. “What?” 

 “. . . the yacht job.” 

“Oh, right.” With the exciting news, I forgot the whole point of this conversation. However, after the reminder, I panic because it’s pretty clear that I have to follow through with those plans. 

 Again, my bubble is pretty small, and the idea of traveling around the world terrifies me. 

“Kayla?” Collin says like it wasn’t the first time he tried to get my attention. 

“What?” I ask after jumping back out of my head. 

“Aren’t you meeting Molly?” 

“Ah! Yes. Yes, I am.” I grab my scarf and throw it around my neck. “Congratulations again. Please give my love to Claudia.” 

“Will do. Do you mind if I finish up eating here?” 

“Of course not.” 

He chuckles, crosses his arms, and widens his stance. “Thanks. The food wouldn’t make it far past the front door if I brought it home. The pregnancy cravings and everything.” 

I laugh along. “Right. Well, please just make sure you lock up,” I say while turning to leave. 

“Got it. Have a fun night. Call me if you need a ride.” 

“Collin.” I face him again. 

“What?” He’s gripping either side of his mouth with his thumb and pointer finger. 

“I’m old enough to know how stupid it is to drink and drive.” 

He then raises his hands up as if in defense. “Okay. I’m just saying . . .” 

From the day our father died, he’s made it his mission to protect his darling, baby sister. But soon, he’ll have a child of his own to look after. 

“I appreciate it. But I’m good.” 

I spin around again. 

“See ya,” he calls from behind me.   

“See you. I love you, Collin.” 

“I love you too.”