Maybe she'd be able to find happiness again. Maybe even with Grant.
Chapter Eleven
"I don't exercise," she groaned from down the hill behind him.
Grant turned around to look at a sweating, gasping Simone as she trekked up behind him in her tight spandex tank top and leggings. "Well, we are trying new things."
"Fun things! The speakeasy, the casino, windsurfing, the drive down Pacific Coast Highway? Those were fun. No one ever put 'more exercise' on their bucket list," she said, catching up to him and placing an arm on his shoulder to lean against him.
He grinned at her, loving the way her cheeks were bright red from exertion. They'd been going out a lot over the last week, and certainly knocked quite a few things off their combined bucket list, but he was clearly the more outdoorsy type out of the two of them. He didn't mind one bit, though. Her theatrics were part of the reason he loved spending so much time with her. She could always make him laugh, and even doing the most mundane things, like working together, was always fun when Simone was there.
Simone let out a long exhale. "I hate you. How are you not even sweating yet?"
He laughed, glancing down at his chest. True to form, his shirt was completely dry. He worked out pretty often, so it took a lot more than a small climb up the side of a hill to make him feel the burn. He offered her his water bottle. "Do you want some water?"
"God, yes." She took it and quickly drank at least half of it. "Ah. Much better."
"Ready for the last half to the top?"
Simone's eyes widened. "We're only halfway there?"
Grant took her hand, laughing. "Come on, you baby. It's not that far. It'll be worth it."
"It's a giant sign, Grant. One we can't even legally go near, so…"
"The Hollywood sign is a staple of living here. You can't be a Los Angeles native and never have gone to see it in person."
Simone shrugged. "I see it in person all the time."
"That doesn't count when it's from a distance." Grant squeezed her hand. "It'll be worth it. I promise."
"Okay, but let it go on record that I'm being held hostage against my will and forced to perform torturous activities. You could be arrested, you know."
Grant laughed again, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "You're absolutely ridiculous, you know that?"
"Maybe," she teased, clearly calming down now as they slowed their walk.
Her hand was warm in his, but he liked it. He liked everything about having her next to him. She'd shared his bed the majority of the nights since they'd met, and they spent all their free time together but it never felt like enough. He found himself thinking about her all the time and counting down the moment until they next saw each other again.
"You know, I've been to jail," she suddenly said.
Grant glanced at her through his peripheral. "Uh…what?"
She nodded. "Yep. In high school, I spent the night in jail when I was caught drinking at a house party. Everyone else's parents came and picked them up, but mine made me spend the night to 'teach me a lesson.’” She made air quotes around the last part. "It was really rude."
"Sounds like you deserved it," he teased, not wanting to think about his own impending jail time. Fingers crossed he would be able to avoid it.
"Maybe," she said with a small laugh. "Either way, I didn't talk to my parents for two weeks. My dad was such a hard-ass back then. What about you?"
He shrugged. "What about me?"
"Ever been in trouble with the law? Am I dating a bad boy?"
Grant chuckled, but nerves scattered through his stomach. "Uh, I'm no stranger to the legal system."
She waited a beat, giving him a chance to explain. He wasn't about to lie to her, but there was no fucking way he was going to tell her that there was a warrant out for his arrest and he had a list of white collar crimes against him.
"Feel free to be less mysterious," she teased. "I told you mine!"
He pulled her closer to his side as they walked. "Is this tit for tat now?"
"It's only fair—" Her shoe suddenly caught on a rock and she stumbled.
Grant reached out quickly and caught her right before she hit the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Whoa." She took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the assist."
"We're almost to the top. Come on, let's double time it, and we'll be there in minutes." He squeezed her hand tighter in his, guiding them up the hill at a faster pace.
She moved quickly to keep up with him, but she didn't look fooled for one moment. He had no doubt she could tell that he was avoiding answering the question, but he hoped if they were out of breath, she couldn't ask again. Sure enough, within a minute, she was huffing and puffing beside him and conversation was impossible.
"I fucking hate this," she gasped between breaths. "This sign better be worth it."
A few minutes later, they reached the top of the hill, and stared down at the back of the Hollywood sign below them.
"Wow," Simone said. "DoowylloH. Certainly never seen the sign backwards before. It is beautiful though."
Grant laughed. "Look at this view." He gestured toward the valley below them.
Sure enough, Los Angeles and the surrounding area stretched out beneath them like a blanket of hills and valleys covered in patches of thick urban developments and strolling dessert suburbs. The Hollywood sign itself was surrounded by fencing with signs to stay out, but it was still strikingly beautiful to see such a giant structure so close. The massive strength of each letter shadowing across the city below was stunning, and it was one of his favorite spots in all of America.
"Let's set up here." He pointed to a flat area not too far away. They walked over and he took off his backpack, opening it up to pull out a blanket. With a quick shake, he laid it flat across the dirt and then pulled out the bottle of wine and box of crackers they'd brought with them.
Simone stretched out across the blanket, lying flat on her back and looking up at the sun. "This is my favorite part of the hike so far."
"Lying down?"
"And wine," she added, sitting up and pulling two paper cups out of his backpack. "Never forget the wine."
He opened it quickly—thanks to the ease of a screw-top—and poured them both some.
"We need to toast," she said, taking the glass from him and sniffing the wine.
"What are we toasting to this time?" he asked, seated himself next to her.
"The way you make me feel," she replied, lifting her glass to his. "Here's to butterflies."
He tapped his glass against hers. "I give you butterflies?"
She nodded her head, a slight blush creeping up her already-red cheeks. "Is that bad to say? Too soon? It’s only been a few weeks."
"It's never too soon for honesty." He kissed her neck, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. "It feels like time stand stills with us. Do you know what I mean? Like we've been here forever…been together forever."
She nuzzled her nose against his cheek as she turned her head to face him. "I know what you mean."
"You're not the only one with butterflies," he finally said after a long moment of silence.
He could feel her smile against his cheek where her head was leaning.
"I know," she replied.
"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" he asked after a few moments of silence.
Simone sighed, shaking her head lightly. "I'm not looking forward to it…and I am. The memorial is going to be huge. A ridiculous amount of people RSVP'd. It should be a beautiful event, and I know my mother really needs it."
"I'm honored you asked me to go with you," he admitted. "But I'm also a little nervous. I don't know what to do or say to make you feel better. I've never lost a parent. I’ve suffered loss, but I can’t pretend to know what you’re going through. I’m just so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"
"There's nothing I need you to do." She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "But you're sweet to worry. Just having you there. Just knowing you
'll be by my side…that's more than enough."
He didn't reply, but it honestly didn't feel like enough. At the same time, part of him was nervous about how serious everything felt. It was insanely selfish to even think that way—he knew that and hated himself for it—but at the same time, he couldn't stop the slight panic in his gut at the idea of going to such a serious family event as her date. They'd agreed to date for one month—just for fun. It wasn't supposed to be serious. It wasn't supposed to be real.
This felt really fucking real. And he didn't hate it. That was the weirdest part. He wanted to be there for her. He wanted to help her through this and have her lean on him.
He wanted to be her person, and that scared the shit out of him.
Chapter Twelve
"That was a beautiful ceremony," Aria said, wiping a tissue under her eyes. "Dad would have really loved how many people came."
The entire Reynolds family was standing in the church's vestibule, having just said goodbye to each and every one of the over one hundred guests who'd attended their father's memorial. Ben had his arms around Aria, and Reed had cut his trip short to be able to be here for Teagan. She leaned into his side, her hand on her stomach. Her pregnancy was still a secret, but Simone warmed at knowing that their father knew his future grandbaby had been there.
Everything about today had gone perfectly. People had shared stories and memories, and the minister had given a short sermon about grief and love. The church had been beautifully decorated, and everyone who'd been there had commented on what a wonderful time they'd had. Despite the sad purpose for being there, everyone had been in a great mood. The stories had brought laughter and happiness, and they'd reveled in the joy of remembering who Jack Reynolds had been and how much of an impact he'd had on every one of their lives.
Simone nodded. "It was a great day."
The front door opened and Grant walked in. He held up a set of car keys and then handed them to her. "Pulled the car up front so you don't have to walk all the way back to the lot," he said.
She'd been the one to drive her mother there and the lot had been so full of cars that she'd had to park a ridiculous distance away. Simone put her hand over her chest. "That was really sweet, Grant."
He shrugged, kissing her temple and wrapping an arm around her waist. "It's been a long day. I figured you were probably tired."
That was definitely true. The sheer emotional journey of today had exhausted her, and she felt like she could go to bed right now and not wake up until tomorrow.
"Thank you, Grant," Betty spoke up, placing her hand on his forearm. "That was very gentlemanly of you. I'm glad my Simmy has found such a great man."
Simone could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. "Mom…"
"What?" Betty replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I think your father would definitely have approved, too." Tears rimmed her eyes, and Aria handed her a tissue which she quickly used to wipe her eyes. "It's been a great day, girls. All of you—" She gestured toward the entire family. "All of you have made today beautiful for Jack. I know he's looking down on all of us and smiling right now. Thank you. Thank you for making today as easy for me as you could."
Simone stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her mother. "We love you, Mom."
Aria and Teagan joined, and it turned into a group hug for a moment until they all finally let go.
"All right. Enough crying," their mother said, taking a deep breath. "Let's go on home and have dinner. I'm starving."
"That sounds like a good idea," Aria replied. "The food should be ready by now."
Aria had had her private chef cook dinner at their mother's house for the entire family so it would be ready by the time the memorial was over. Simone had done a lot of legwork for today's event, but her sisters had been with her every step of the way. She couldn't thank them enough for everything they'd done to help. Honestly, it was amazing to see the entire family come together like they had today. They'd always been close, but this was different. This was even more than she'd ever expected, and she knew her father would be happy to see them all coming together like this.
Grant was standing to the side, talking with Ben and Reed. She couldn't help but smile to see him being a part of this. He was laughing with her brothers-in-law and, honestly, he fit in seamlessly. They'd only been dating a short time now, but he looked like he belonged. Her family already loved him and she…well, she wasn't going to say that she loved him. That wasn't an option. It was off the table. He was leaving at the end of the month, and then…nothing. That was it.
She swallowed hard, her heart squeezing at the thought. She'd promised herself that she'd be okay with their arrangement. And she was…or at least, she had been. But every morning that she woke up next to him, every night that she fell asleep in his arms…it seemed harder and harder to think about the day coming where he wouldn't be there anymore.
"Ready to go?" Grant asked, suddenly standing right in front of her.
She blinked, pushing away the distracting thoughts of their imminent ending. "Yeah. Are you coming back to the house with us for dinner?"
He shook his head. "I think I'm going to let you all enjoy some family time together. I don't want to intrude."
"You wouldn't be intruding," she assured him. "You've been amazing all day."
"Well, you needed me here." He pulled her into his embrace, kissing her gently. "I'll always be there if you need me, Simone."
"At least for a few more weeks." She swallowed hard at the thought, knowing she probably shouldn't have even said that, but somehow unable to stop herself.
Grant frowned. "No. Forever. I'm only ever a phone call away."
Part of her didn't even want to hear that. She didn't want that hope, that lingering maybe. But the other part of her warmed at the reminder that even though they had a deadline, they were always going to be a part of each other's lives. Being together had impacted both of them, and that would never go away.
Even when they were apart.
"Thank you," she finally said, kissing him back. "I really appreciate that."
He lowered his voice, leaning toward her ear. "Call me later tonight, okay? After dinner. If you want some company."
She smiled, her tongue sliding across her lower lip. "Are you asking me to booty call you, Mr. Mercer?"
He chuckled lightly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "My booty is yours to call anytime, Ms. Reynolds."
She couldn't hide her grin, laughing at the very imagery. Only Grant could bring humor to such a heavy moment. She loved the way he knew when she needed that relief.
"I'll see you tonight then," she replied. Leaning up on the tips of her toes, she kissed him one more time and then watched him leave. Turning, she wound her way back around the vestibule to find her mother. "Mom? You ready to go?"
Betty stood at the front of the church in front of a large photograph of Jack. She let out a loud sigh. "I'm ready. I guess I have to be."
"We can stay longer," Simone assured her, but her mother shook her head.
"No. I'm ready." She squeezed Simone's hands, then linked their arms together and walked back down the aisle. "Let's go. It's time."
Simone felt a frown pulling at the corners of her lips. "Are you okay, Mom?"
Her mother nodded slowly, keeping her gaze forward. "I will be."
That was exactly how she felt, too. She wasn't okay with losing her father. She wasn't okay with losing Grant in only a few weeks. Maybe less. But she would be.
She had to be.
Chapter Thirteen
"I can't believe you've lived here your whole life and never gone surfing," Grant said, shaking his head. "I only come here a few times a year, and even I get out on the water more than that."
"Well, I still go swimming and boating and all that. That counts as out on the water." Simone shrugged her shoulders. "I just never learned how to surf. It looks pretty complicated."
Grant lifted the rented surfboard from the sandy beach and leaned agains
t it. "Well, today's the day."
She grinned, picking up her rental surfboard as well. "You better be my lifeguard, too. I'm not about to get swept out to sea in a wave."
She didn't need to worry about that. Grant stepped closer to her, lowering his voice. "I'd never let anything happen to you."
A visible shiver rippled through her, the sight sending a similar thrill through him. They'd already spent all morning in his bed, but he was more than ready to go again anytime he looked at her. Every moment they weren’t in the studio rehearsing, they were either in bed or working on another item on her bucket list. Honestly, it was the busiest, yet most fun, month of his entire life. They were making every second count.
"Promises, promises," she replied, a tiny smile on one half of her lips. "Come on. Let's get wet."
He growled slightly. "I better get in that water before I create a scene on this beach." His eyes flickered down to his crotch where he was already becoming hard.
Simone giggled and lifted her surfboard above her head, racing to the water's edge. "First one in wins!"
Grant took off after her, reaching the water at the same time as she did and paddling in deeper. "Beat you!"
"That was a tie!" she insisted, smacking his shoulder with a splash of sea water. She shimmied on to the top of her surfboard, laying across it and using her arms to guide her farther into the sea.
Grant joined her closer to where the waves were breaking and then spent a good five minutes explaining to her how to hop up on her board and catch a wave inbound for the shore. After a few practice runs, she had the general concept down, but not the actual skill to implement it just yet. Wave after wave, she plummeted into the sea and slid off the surfboard, but each time she came up, she was laughing.