Page 26 of Absolute Valor

I look down at her, “Nope, we have a guy who is trailering them back to Charleston. We’ll take a car back, Momma can’t handle riding for extended periods of time. Besides, I’ll get to hold your hand on the way back.”

Austin leads us to the elevator bank and presses the up button, fidgeting the whole time. I toss him a look, reminding him to chill. The doors open and I tug a reluctant Audrey into the elevator. Momma and Claire were going ninety to nothing over all the amenities the resort offered. Leaning my back against the cool glass of the elevator, I pull Audrey into my arms, my chin resting on her shoulder as I watch her fingers still playing with the key card. “Sweetness, you’re going to wear the letters off the thing.”

Her fingers stop and she wraps her hand around the card. “Sorry,” she whispers as she brings her hand to her chest.

Hugging her tighter, I know this is going to be an uphill battle. Audrey is exactly what I’ve always needed—I have to reverse all the garbage she’s been told all these years. I know it will be worth it, she will be worth it.

“Austin wanted to do this for us, as a thank you for helping him get Lainie back.” I whisper into her ear. She nodded her head, but I knew she was trying to figure out how much her room cost him. Leaning my head back against the back of the elevator, an idea for dinner pops into my head.

A soft ding announces we’ve reached our floor. The doors open to a large glass window overlooking the pool and ocean. Words are not needed to express what we’re all feeling. “To the left people, bathing suits are optional, and the tips will be good.” Leave it to Dylan to ruin the moment. Austin and Lainie turn to the right, as we plan to meet at the pool in twenty minutes.

It takes Audrey three attempts at inserting her key—something tells me this is possibly the first time she had ever stayed in a hotel. As the green light flashes and the sound of the door unlocking clicks, her smile once again fills her face. “Twenty minutes, Sweetness, or I’m coming to get you.” I threaten as she quietly closes the door.

I’ve always loved hotel beds. When we were little, momma would let us jump on them all we wanted. So, I close the door of my room, toss the room key to the table beside the bed, and then throw my body into the center of the bed. I enjoyed the bounce just as much as I did as a kid.

With fifteen minutes to kill, I have an important call to make. Pulling up the number that Dad gave me in my phone, I hit the send button.

“South Carolina Power, this is Melissa, how can I help you?”

“Afternoon, Miss Melissa. May I speak with Raymond Gilbert, please?” It’s clear Melissa has no social skills when she doesn’t ask me to hold or even who the hell I am before putting me on hold, exposing me to this god-awful music.

“Hello, Gilbert here.” A gruff, smoker’s voice interrupts the power company’s ads for what to do before drilling in your yard.

“Mr. Gilbert, hello. This is Chase Morgan, Dean Morgan’s son. How are you today, Sir?” I, on the other hand, have perfect manners, between momma and the Marine Corps, although dealing with Priscilla Morgan is far worse than any drill sergeant I’d ever met.

“Well, hello, Sir. I’m doing well, thank you. What can I help you with today?” I hate dropping Dad’s name, but this is important and I have a big enough throat to swallow my pride and take care of my girl.

“I have a favor of sorts to ask. My girlfriend was unable to pay her electric bill and I would like to take care of it for her. Dad led me to believe you were the man to speak with, in regards to getting power restored.” Another skim of the truth. Dad had helped Gilbert when his wife took off with the contractor he’d hired to fix their leaky roof. He’d taken twelve grand of the man’s money, along with his wife and kids. He could care less about the money and the ex-wife, but Gilbert wanted full custody of the kids. Dad did some digging and settled out of court with what he found.

“Of course, I’ll need the name on the account or the address.”

“Audrey Helms, 142 Beaumont Way, Lot Seven.” I waited silently when I heard his fingers clicking away on the computer. It reminds me of when I talked with Austin. Speaking of Austin, I get up off the bed and walk over to the window. I glanced down the beach and the line of cabanas facing the water, scanning them all until I spotted the last one. Workers had it roped off and were pulling the lounge furniture out of it, replacing them with a table and chairs. As soon as I got this paid, I would call the restaurant downstairs and make a reservation.

“Mr. Morgan, I apologize for the delay, but I have the information you requested. In order to restore service we will need to collect the past due, and the current amounts. Now, considering your affiliation, I can accept at least half of the past due—”

The only favor I wanted was for him to get Audrey’s electricity back on. “Mr. Gilbert, I apologize for interrupting, but I am prepared to pay the full amount. The issue may be the urgency in having it back on as soon as possible.” I hear him begin typing again.

“Mr. Morgan, considering the amount of help your family has given me, I would be willing to personally go out to the residence myself and connect the power. However, since I have no training in that area, I’ll leave it to the professionals. If I can process a payment today, we can contact Miss Helms and make sure an adult will be at the residence for the reconnection of the service.”

I pulled out my wallet and the sporadically used credit card. “I’m ready with my American Express whenever you are. Someone from your office can call her tomorrow and set up a time to be out there.” As I wait to give him my card number, I watch the staff carry several lanterns out to the cabana, as a photography crew sets up in the brush behind the hotel.

“All right, Mr. Morgan. To restore the service, the total we would charge to the card is one thousand, ten dollars, and nine cents.”

For a second I thought we had a bad connection, but I recalled Dylan saying something to Carson about the electricity being off for a while now. “Not a problem, whenever you’re ready?”

“You’re sure about this, Austin?”

“As sure as you are about saving Audrey.” He returned, as the bartender slid our beers across the wooden surface of the bar.

“I’m not trying to save her. Well, not like you’re implying. I like her a whole lot, a hell of a lot more than a friend and I want a future with her.” I tip back my bottle, as we make our way to the edge of the pool. I’m waiting for the shit storm of questions my revelation is about to bring me. I’m counting on Dylan to be the first to say something.

“You know Momma thinks something is brewing with her. She’s had me watching her house for the past month.” Dylan is my brother; devoted heart, body, and balls to Claire. Still something stirs in me knowing another man was watch her.

“Chase?” Austin looks at me from his spot on the edge of the pool. “I love you to death, man, but I am telling you straight up.” Plopping myself down beside him on the tile of the side of the pool, I wait. “If you really care about her, don’t waste any time with games and bullshit. Tell her how you feel and the truth about Ginny. But…” He points his beer in the center of my chest, “I don’t give a flying fuck how many ways they taught you to kill a man over there. You make her cry, I will kick your motherfucking ass.”

Easing myself down into the cool water, I look one more time at the doors of the hotel to see if the girls have made it down yet. I lean my arms on the side of the pool, watching as the waves crash along the beach. “I’m taking her to dinner while you do your thing with Lainie.” I pause as I consider whether I should tell them about the necklace, or discuss it with her first. “I also called the electric company and paid the bill. Had the guy switch the billing address to my PO box so I can pay it for her from now on.” A sense of pride fills my chest as I think about all the things I want to take care of for her, and places I want to take her to.

“Carson is having a guy keep an ear to the ground for Lucas. After what Ginny had to say, he wants us to be careful.” Lucas is a punk ass bitch. He may have a few thugs in his corner, but if push came to shove, the motherfuckers would hide like bitches. I’d still feel better if he wasn’t in the picture.

“Maybe I should move her into Claire and Lainie’s building. It’s secure and she would have friends close by.” I think aloud, watching the horizon.

“I hear there may be an apartment opening up soon.” Austin snickers, his face already showing the anticipation of what he’s planning on doing. I can feel eyes on me as if someone was watching me. I’ve never lacked attention when it came to women, but this time, I’m hoping the eyes I feel belong to a certain hazel-eyed girl.

“There’s my beautiful bride.” Dad calls from his chair beside the pool. I can’t help the smile that comes automatically as I turn to see my girl.

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