Trust Excerpt 6: Windcrest

 

“Welcome to our home,” Tom said from the balcony. “Eric is finishing something up and then he will be out. We were thinking we could sit on the veranda.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said as I tugged Nic toward the stairs.

He was still looking around in awe. I couldn’t wait to see his face when he saw where we'd be having this meeting. I tried to take the stairs at a normal pace, but my legs started shaking. Nic pulled me closer and let me lean on him. I knew Tom noted the change as we got halfway up the stairs.

“Your home is beautiful,” Nic said as we took the last few stairs.

“Thank you,” Tom said, smiling broadly. “We've enjoyed putting it all together.”

“Tom,” I said. “This is Nic.”

“It’s so good to meet you,” he said stepping up to Nic and enveloping him in a hug. It took him by surprise and I had to suppress a grin. “And Vanessa, you look especially gorgeous tonight.”

He gave me a hug, lifted me off my feet, and spun in a circle. When he set me down, I kissed his cheek. Nic raised his eyebrows at the gesture, but Thomas leaned over and said something to him.

Tom had done that the first time we met because he said I looked like I needed something to make me smile. I didn’t know what to make of it then, but now he did it every time he saw me. Eric always shook his head and grumbled if he saw it happen. He didn’t like how informal it was.

Tom was never formal. His copper hair was always tousled like he just got out of bed, and he would fit in well at the beach at all times. I'd never seen him in anything other than gauzy shirts and pastel shorts. If he had to have shoes on, he wore sandals but preferred to be barefoot.

“James and Thomas,” he said fondly. “I haven’t seen you in far too long.”

He gave them both hugs, and then whistled twice. Coco came sprinting from somewhere down the hall. Her head came to my hip, and her shaggy hair was always in her eyes. As she ran to Tom, her tongue flopped out of her mouth. Tom patted her head and then she head butted Thomas’s hand. He dropped down into a squat and rubbed her cheeks while talking nonsense to her.

“I thought her name was Coco,” Nic said.

“It is,” Tom chuckled. “Eric’s idea of a good joke. A pure white dog named after a dark brown powder.”

Coco noticed Nic and galloped over, almost knocking him down, but he grinned and did the same thing Thomas had done. Coco leaned into him and then licked his face. She was always excited to have company over.

“Let’s head out there,” Tom said. “Coco can come along for now.”

Nic stood again and Coco whined. He reached out and patted her head. He held out his other arm for me and we followed Tom. When we came to a bank of French doors, Nic slowed his pace. I grinned at him and tugged him along.

The view was incredible. The gardens were impressive on their own. A few fountains were interspersed among the flowers, benches, and a pond, and from up here you could see out to the sea. We stepped out on to the pale wide planks that made up the floor, and Nic was speechless. Wood latticework went up one side and over the top with bright vines winding themselves through it. The railing on the other two sides was wrought iron bent into intricate patterns. The glass top table was already set for six. It was a perfect oasis back here.

“This is incredible,” Nic said, barely audible.

“Please,” Tom said. “Sit. Rose will be out in minute to bring drinks. Eric shouldn’t be long.”