GULP.
Thank heavens I finally (yesterday) finished all my Christmas shopping. I think. Not counting those last minute panics--the gardener! The mail person! The pool guy!
Anyway.
For your holiday enjoyment we have the second of Byron Beach's codas featuring Griff and Pierce from Stranger on the Shore.
As I mentioned last week (wait..was it last week? I'm losing track of time!) Anyway, this coda takes place a decade after the book ends. It's really lovely. I know you'll enjoy it!
A Pirate Christmas Eve
"I
missed you, Louis Lane," Chloe sighed, using the nickname she'd fondly
given Griff. "You really didn’t have to pick me up, but I guess you wanted
to flaunt this...vintage beauty?"
"Hey,
she's a classic," he defended, casting a sidelong glance at Chloe, who
raised an amused brow. “And you know I wanted to see your flawless beauty”
laughed Griff “But she is pretty sweet.
Nicky helped me polish her up just yesterday - all for you.”
“God
you are so sexy when you get all blue collar, but don’t go giving my nephew
ideas about becoming a mechanic, because I know he wants to be either a pirate
or a lawyer – assuming there’s a difference.”
Shaking his head, Griff expertly navigated his cherished '63 356B Porsche coupe,
in Irish racing green, onto the Highway, the subdued hum of the engine echoing
his current mood. Every bolt and weld of this car held memories from
discovering it in a dusty old barn out in Montauk while he was his research on
his second book to restoring it with loving precision.
“OK, spill, how
on earth did YOU, get talked into a Pirate’s Christmas Eve party?” inquired Chloe
“I would have bet big that you’d never agree to this kinda thing ever again,
after the wedding debacle.”
“Uhhhh,
please don’t mention that day” groaned Griff
“Hey, you
might have suffered, but that family photo is the best; it’s my screen saver”
Chloe cheerily answered “and I still laugh every time I see that look you have,
glaring at the camera, ready to deck the photographer – so priceless. Oh god,
and Pierce, looking like he’s about to panic, yet his mom and Jarrett are
smiling like Reagan has returned.”
“And, as I
remember, you look perfect in that pic.” Said Griff
“I do don’t
I? That was a great dress, and even
better Mom and Marcus were fully plastered, and Muriel looked constipated, but
come to think of it, that’s how she always looks”
”I do love
seeing Jarrett smiling, I miss him.” Griff said softly as Chloe put a hand on
his arm “Well, life is a learning experience, I figured out that despite mostly
being Superman, Pierce is powerless in the face of his mother. She has that
kryptonite vision that can bend him to her will.”
“Yeah, yeah
I get that, but that still doesn’t explain how Honey Mather talked you into
this Christmas Eve extravaganza – at your house?” Chloe said shaking her head
in mystery.
Griff
sighed, “Kids change everything – She and Diana joined forces with Nicky, and
it was all over. I get that ‘Daddy
please’ look and suddenly I have a Pirate ship with a 14-foot Christmas
tree mast in my living room and every child in Nick’s kindergarten coming over
for a Christmas Eve treasure hunt, oh and we must have something for the
parents, and gifts for everyone and ‘Just a small four-person jazz combo’ and
on and on...”
Griff gripped
the wheel tighter and pressed down on the accelerator as Chloe started crying
from laughter.
As he
reached for Chloe's luggage, a familiar, teasing tune emanated from inside her
carryall. The mischievous gleam in Chloe's eyes said it all.
"Really?
Pirates of the Caribbean?"
"Every
pirate deserves a sword," Chloe retorted with mock innocence.
Griff
snorted. "Designed to drive his dads mad, no doubt." But he couldn't
help the fond shake of his head as she sashayed past with laughter on her lips.
The house burst
with reunion upon their entry. "Chloe!" Nick's enthusiastic shout
drowned out the playacting roars of his pint-sized pirate friends. Before Griff
could properly react, he felt the little whirlwind that was Nick darted past
him, zeroing in on his beloved aunt. As he did, Griff looked to Pierce, who
silently acknowledged they were no match for Chloe's allure.
Chloe, ever
the dramatic, swept Nick into her arms, leaning in with a whispered promise of
a "special gift." The resulting gleam in Nick's eyes, as the sword's
tune echoed again, had Griff murmuring to Pierce, "She's diabolically
genius."
The bubbling
hum of Nick’s excited chatter enveloped him. “I’m Captain Kringle, and we have
a Christmas ship! Everyone’s got eye patches, Aunt Chloe. And there’s an actual
parrot! And everyone got presents - that Gramma bought so they are good”
Nicky said with a side look at Griff
then continued in his explanation, “We have Christmas cookies in lots of
colors and cake and a log thing Auntie Diana brought and, and, and we are going
to have a battle and kidnappings and a huge treasure hunt, and Auntie Diana said
we can replay it all again on Christmas Day.”
But amidst the
innocent exuberance, the word 'kidnapping' jarred Griff. True crime wasn’t just
a genre Griff dabbled in; he'd penned two bestsellers that dissected the
darkest recesses of the human psyche. Yet, that single word unraveled him,
rekindling old fears, that had been smoldering ever since Nick had turned four.
They smoked and flared, gradually building as Nick began leaving home in the
mornings for school. It was as though an old scar was being ripped fresh, the
familiar tension reawakening.
Feeling
Pierce's grounding presence — a gentle touch, the whisper of his breath by
Griff's ear. "Everything okay?" There was a layered concern in
Pierce’s soft query, a lifeline pulling Griff from his spiraling thoughts.
Griff took a
moment, then relaxed subtly, leaning into Pierce’s embrace. Their bond,
fortified over the years, remained steadfast. To Griff, Pierce was always the
sanctuary amidst the storm.
Nick’s
youthful enthusiasm acted as a counterpoint, pulling Griff back to the present.
"Daddy, it's going to be so epic!" The innocent in Nick's voice made
him feel all the chaos might be worthwhile. He ruffled Nick's hair, the gesture
carrying more weight than words. "I bet it is, buddy."
Taking in the
spectacle of their transformed home, Griff felt a wave of annoyance. The family
room, patio, and living area had transmuted into a curious blend of Christmas
and pirate wonderland. Family gatherings of such magnitude were not Griff’s
forte He'd imagined a simpler, humbler upbringing for Nick, away from the
spectacle of grandeur. But when Diana and her mother, Honey, kept telling Nicky
stories of Jarrett’s legendary Christmas Eve parties, and then painted a vivid
picture of what a Pirate’s Christmas Eve could be, and Griff knew resistance
was futile. Now, they were playing host to a boisterous mix of twenty children
and sixty adults, all decked in comically unique pirate-inspired Christmas
attire. The chorus of 'Yo ho yo ho' from Nick’s sword, was punctuated by a
horn, heralding the treasure hunt's beginning.
“It'll be a
week before everything’s back to its place,” Griff muttered under his breath.
Perceptive as
always, Pierce leaned in, whispering, "Arrr laddie, a couple of days and
the tide will recede. We’ll be sailin’ on smooth seas by Boxing day."
Griff
smirked, nestling into Pierce’s hold. “Only Superman could convince me of that
right now,” he retorted playfully. But there was the truth in that jest.
Pierce keeping to the pirate theme asked. “How about a drink me husband? A
little pirate grog to calm the stormy seas?”
“A beer
would do the trick,” Griff replied, distracted by the flurry of children
fanning out across the yard, their little feet in search of buried treasure.
Pierce returned, handing him a chilled mug of Blue point Brewery’s Winter
Warmer. Griff looked around, taking in the boisterous environment, and
whispered, “Thanks,” planting a soft kiss on Pierce’s jaw.
As the
enthusiasm of the treasure hunt mounted, it was Nick at the forefront of the
marauding pack, wielding his singing sword like a seasoned buccaneer. As every
clue was revealed, a renewed wave of excitement rippled among the young
adventurers.
Chatting with
his mother-in-law, the ever-elegant Honoria 'Honey' Mather, Griff inquired, “So
what treasures await these young pirates?”
Honey beamed,
“I've got delightful chocolate doubloons, candy jewels, honeycomb pieces of
eight and these exquisite silver horns. They'll be over the moon.”
“You have out
done yourself; Jarrett would be proud of this bounty fit for young buccaneers,”
Griff replied, chuckling.
As he took in
the scene, Griff observed clusters of tiny pirates pursuing their mission with
zeal. But amidst the frenzy, Nick's familiar grin was conspicuously absent.
“Nicky seems
to have made quite a few friends at the Country Day School. How's he liking
it?” Honey asked, pulling Griff’s attention back into the conversation.
As his gaze
darting around looking for Pierce, Griff answered, “He's makes friends easily
and is loving the activities. So far, it's just been half-days, but starting in
March, he'll attend three full days a week.”
Honey's
continued chatter became a mere hum in Griff's ears as anxiety began its
familiar ascent. Unable to spot their son among the bustling crowd, the din of
conversations faded. He turned, silently seeking out Pierce with a questioning,
worried glance. “Have you seen Nick?” he mouthed, barely concealing his rising
panic.
Pierce’s
eyes softened. “Give me a sec, love,” he murmured, slipping through the patio
doors.
The minutes
seemed to stretch, amplifying Griff’s anxiety. When Pierce finally returned, he
was carrying Nick’s sword, his expression was a puzzle Griff couldn't decipher.
“Diana and Chloe are scouring the gardens. I... I haven't spotted him yet. I
found this in the driveway.”
“He's gone,
Pierce!" Griff's voice broke, a pitch higher than he intended. Demons from
his own past were clawing back – the haunting memory of his own kidnapping
wrapping its cold fingers around him.
Pierce's
voice was controlled, yet Griff could hear the fear. "We'll find him. We
will"
The ensuing
minutes were a whirlwind of frantic searching, with every corner and hideaway
of the property being scoured for any trace of Nick. Griff's heartbeat echoed
in a pounding parental dread. This couldn’t be real; someone was playing an
awful prank.
Suddenly, a
muted commotion arose from the garage. Griff ran outside and peering through the
half open door there at the wheel of Griff’s beloved Porsche, Nick sat low in
the driver's seat, his youthful imagination having swapped pirate escapades for
visions of roaring racetracks.
The weight
that lifted from Griff's chest was overwhelming. As he met Pierce's gaze, without
words, they pulled Nick and each other close. Amid the chaos, this was their
grounding moment; a realization that the love they shared, this bond, was the
true treasure.
Pierce's voice floated through the dim bedroom, a gentle warmth, “Captain
Kringle crashed rather quickly tonight, didn’t he?” He moved closer, the
ambient light catching the sheen of his black silk boxers. A sight Griff had
seen countless times over the years, but it still made his heart race with
wonder.
“It's been a
day of adventures,” Griff murmured, the edges of fatigue blurring his voice.
“Maybe next year we can go away for Christmas?
Just the three of us?”
Pierce
cocked an eyebrow, playful challenge in his eyes. “As long as you are the one
who tells my mom, I am all for it. After
today you look as tired as I feel”
Griff
chuckled, flicking back the duvet. “Come here, Superman. Looks like you’ve got one
more Gotham citizen needing rescue.”
As Pierce
slid into bed, he drew Griff close, his fingers sketching circles of comfort on
Griff's back. “You alright?”
The exhaustion
in Griff's eyes spoke volumes. “I’m getting there.”
Pierce
looked into his eyes sensing what he was thinking, “That incident today... I
can't imagine what it triggered in you.”
Griff
swallowed, but in a resolute firm tone explained. “It’s not as though I am
plagued by fears, but the party, it was a lot, and it put me a bit on edge. But
ever since Nick turned four I started thinking about my parents; and then when
he started school - it’s like looking in
a mirror. The innocence, the fear of what might come."
Pierce
sighed, his embrace tightening. “I wish I could shoulder that burden for you.
But know this, Griff – Nick is safe, he’s protected.”
Griff shook
his head. “It’s not really about safety, it’s more about pressure. Every damn
reporter spins a tale about the ‘lost Arlington heir.’ But none of them get it.
None of them see how many people were ripped apart by that story.”
Pierce
adjusted their position, so they were face to face. “Maybe it's time you tell
it. For you, for Nick. I know you put your
book aside years ago but someday you should lay claim to it, it’s your story!”
Griff's
voice was soft. “But becoming a father has changed the story. I can feel the
anguish my parents must’ve felt losing their Brian. And not just them, I also
can see the heartbreak and fear Alice experienced.” He paused, inhaling deeply,
letting Pierce’s familiar scent soothe him. “But I am worried. I know how the
press works; I don’t want to activate the tabloids. Or laying us bare.” Looking
up a Pierce, Griff continued ‘This isn’t just my story, you and Nick are a part
of it too, I don’t want to do anything that could damage this, us, our family.”
Pierce
brushed a kiss on Griff's forehead, a gentle reassurance. “Your words are a
gift they are your power and your truth. I believe in you and I’m right here,
every step.”
Feeling the
weight of the day ebb, Griff nestled against Pierce. “Thank you, you and Nicky….
love...” he couldn’t finish.
As his mouth
found Griff’s, Pierce softly voiced “Merry Christmas my love.”
Deep in the
night, comforted by Pierce’s heat, Griff felt a weight on chest lift, his
breath ease. Under the canopy of love and trust he realized he was ready.
