by Ciara Knight
For several minutes, he savored the smell of her hair, which reminded him of fresh-cut flowers, and the feeling of her body against his. She slid from him but kept hold of his arms, looking up into his eyes. “You really don’t think it’s awful here?”
“No.” He cupped her cheek. “I think it’s beautiful, just a little sad at times.”
She bit her bottom lip and scanned the area.
“What is it?”
She shrugged. “Nothing. I just thought you might find it awful. Then I’d have to kiss you.” She pulled away. “But if you think it’s pretty, then—”
He grabbed hold of her and tucked her into his arms once more. Stalling for only a second to make sure she wanted what he longed for, he realized he didn’t have to guess. She rose onto her toes and pressed her mouth to his. His body inflamed from one sweep of her soft lips, and when she deepened the kiss, there were no more mosquitoes, or gators, or trash. Everything around him disappeared. In that moment, he knew she would be worth any wait.
Chapter Fourteen
Bri dotted at Julie’s neck with a calamine-lotion-covered cotton ball. “Mother, where in all of Summer Island did you go during daylight hours to get so many bites?”
Wind plopped down on the sofa. “She took Trevor to Friendship Beach. A fact I’m sure she wanted to keep a secret since none of us have ever taken a man there before. It’s sacred, and no men are allowed.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be with your sister?” Julie grumbled.
“Taking a break while her husband is home. Besides, the rest of our girl power will be arriving soon. I can’t miss the big reunion. Not to mention, you’re the one who called me to come save you, remember?” Wind crossed her arms over her chest and put on a scrunched-faced expression, as if she wanted the back row to see her disgust. “Glad I did, since I found out you broke a friendship vow and all.”
“It’s not worth the promise anymore. There’s nothing left of our special place. It’s dirty, polluted, and gator-infested.” Julie ignored the twinge in her chest.
“I know. I had to get you out of there. Or did you forget?” Wind pointed to her cheek, where a large raised bump from a mosquito bite damaged her perfect complexion.
“Trapped there?” Bri dotted Julie’s chin with the cool pink lotion, helping dull the itch if only slightly. “Sorry I didn’t answer my phone. I was…um…working on something.”
“What were you working on?” Julie asked, but when Bri did a side-eyed glance at Wind, she knew better than to ask any more questions until they were alone. “Yes, we needed saving. We went into the canal on paddleboards, which we’ve done before. Heck, how many times did we swim the river growing up? But for some reason, a gator decided to hang there today. And apparently every mosquito on earth.”
Wind huffed. “I know.” She pointed to her cheek again. “Good thing I have a week before returning to normal life. No way can I risk a picture of me being released with this gigantic blemish on my skin.”
“Why were there so many mosquitoes there during the day?” Bri asked, obviously not giving Wind the attention she was begging for.
“Probably from all the standing water in the trash and on the beach. The entire place was covered in plastic and garbage. Oh, Bri, it was awful.”
Wind obviously gave up on anyone paying her attention from her position in the room, so she moved and sat on the coffee table, putting calamine lotion on her own cotton ball and dabbing her cheek. “I can vouch for her story. I know. I had to take Trevor’s dinghy and motor over there, and then I had to paddle since it’s too shallow to use the motor through the canal. That’s how I got this.” She tapped her cheek again, as if they hadn’t seen the bite yet.
“And we thank you for doing so. I’m sorry about your cheek.”
“Just tell me it was worth my sacrifice.” Wind elbowed Julie’s side.
She touched her lips, remembering how kissing Trevor took the wind from her lungs and the strength from her legs.
Wind gasped. “Don’t tell me you’ve been sucker-kissed.”
Bri held a pink cotton ball a few inches from Julie’s face and eyed her. “Oh, no. I think she has.”
“What the heck is a sucker kiss?” Julie asked, regretting her question the minute it left her mouth.
Wind shot up from the table, and Julie braced for a theatrical performance. “Oh, darling. You really are out of the loop. I should’ve chaperoned you two.” She tsked and looked down at Julie with a disapproving shake of her head. “It’s a kiss that makes you believe there are no more guys out there for you. That no other kiss will ever be able to live up to that one kiss. That you won’t be able to sleep, eat, or function again without seeing, feeling, living that kiss over and over again. It is a kiss that suckers you into believing there is no life beyond that one single kiss.” Wind paced around the room uncharacteristically biting her thumbnail. She mumbled, “Trust me, I know.”
“You’re insane.” Julie swatted Bri’s hand away and headed for the kitchen to make some tea.
“Am I?” Wind followed, snatching the kettle from her hands. “Then tell me one thing.”
Bri joined them, and they both stood looking at her with narrowed eyes, as if analyzing every twitch and turn of her body.
“Were you just thinking about that kiss a minute ago when you touched your lips?” Wind tapped her foot, and Bri leaned in closer.
Julie didn’t know what to say. If she admitted she had been thinking about that kiss, they’d make a big deal out of it, but if she said no, Bri would know she was lying, so she snatched the tea kettle back. “You both need to get a life.”
Wind left the room, grumbling something about losing her best friend to a man again.
Julie turned on the water and filled the kettle. The sound of the pipes squealing at least covered Wind’s rantings.
A hand rested on her shoulder. “Mom, this is a big deal. I know how you don’t like change and how you’ve struggled with moving on after Dad’s passing. He would want this for you, though.”
“I know.” She patted Bri’s hand.
“And as for Wind’s comments,” Bri said, “I think she just wanted more time with her friend. She missed you. And after so many failed relationships, I think she’d hoped to keep things casual and fun between all of you.”
Julie remembered Wind’s mumbling about the sucker-kiss. “I think I know why she’s had so many failed relationships.” She turned, eyeing the living room where Wind had disappeared to, and leaned in to whisper, scared of the Wind wrath if she overheard the mention of a name. “Damon Reynolds.”
“You mean Mr. Reynolds, who lives in Cocoa Beach and went to your high school?”
“Yes, he and Wind had a thing back in the day. They were supposed to go off to New York together, but then, out of the blue, he told her to go without him. That they didn’t belong together and he had other plans for his life.”
“That’s terrible.” Bri took the kettle from Julie’s hand and placed it on the stove.
“Yes, it was. When she married husband number one when she was only nineteen, I knew it was a rebound, but I couldn’t get Wind to hear me. We drifted even further apart after that, so I wasn’t around when that marriage broke up. Perhaps if we had stayed in touch, I could’ve helped more, but life happened. Friends grow apart when they are geographically undesirable.”
Bri turned the knob on the stove, and the electric plate glowed orange in a matter of seconds. “Sounds like she’s had her own issues. Maybe things will work out with Dustin, or maybe they won’t. I can give you one piece of advice though.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t get involved. As much as Wind meddles in your life, she’ll never let you into hers. Unless you want to lose her as a friend for years again, let her figure things out with Dustin and you stay clear.”
“No worries. I learned my lesson last time.” Julie crossed her arms and leaned against the old white refrigerator door. “Do you really think there i
s something to this sucker-kiss thing? I mean, it sounds silly and made up.”
“It’s not,” Bri said with way too much authority that told Julie her daughter had the same experience.
“Who?” Julie asked.
Bri shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. It’s old news now. Happened right after Dad died, and honestly, I wasn’t in a place to be emotionally available to him. We went our separate ways and remained friends.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Any hope that’ll change? I mean, if he’s really still on your mind…” Julie said, careful how she worded her question so she didn’t cause more harm.
“No. Not at all. Trust me on that.” Bri smiled. “You’re good, aren’t you?”
“Me? At what?” Julie asked, not sure what she meant.
“At changing the subject so you don’t have to deal with your feelings. You must be who I get that from.” Bri removed three mugs from the cupboard and set them by the stove. “Do you like Trevor? Do you see yourself with him a day from now, a week, a month, years?”
Julie held up both her hands. “Whoooa, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“Come on, Mom. I know you’ve thought about it. You’re not the casual-dating type.”
The kettle whistled, so Bri removed it from the stove and poured the hot water into each of the cups before retrieving the box of tea bags.
Julie didn’t answer. Instead, she dropped her tea bag into her cup and watched it steep. The dark coloring reminded her of the brackish water. How Trevor had been such a trooper through all of the discomforts of getting to the beach, and instead of making her feel bad once they arrived, he tried to make her feel better. He was a good man. A man who made her feel things she never thought possible to feel again.
The front doorbell rang, announcing the rest of the crew’s arrival. Julie let out a long breath, but before she went to face her old friends and all the crazy they’d bring with them, she made a decision to say her thoughts aloud. That way, they were real and not a constant battle within Julie’s head. “How would you feel if I said yes, that I can see myself with him longer than today? Would that upset you?”
Bri abandoned her mug and rubbed both of Julie’s arms. “Mom, I want nothing more than for you to be happy. I’m a grown woman. I won’t have an issue with you having a new boyfriend. It’s about time.”
Julie took in a deep breath. “That’s good to hear. Then, yes. Despite all of my issues with moving on and the guilt, my feelings for Trevor are growing. I can see Trevor in my life, now and in the future. He is a good and kind man who is, as you put it so eloquently, hot. For the first time in a long time, I feel awake and alive and want to live again. Despite it being way too early to think of this as a long-term commitment, I honestly can’t see a future without him in it. Most of all, I’m actually considering my future.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Dude, you’re insane. Look at you covered in bites and sunburned. Is that woman worth it?” Dustin asked, sitting on the sofa with his legs up on the coffee table and eyeing Trevor with a look of disgust.
Trevor rubbed aloe on his chest and shoulders, trying to alleviate the sting of the burn. Obviously the sunscreen didn’t last after he fell in the water, despite being labeled water-resistant. He didn’t care. Each ache and itch was worth it. He’d never experienced such a deep connection with someone, not even Marsha. Despite the seven years they were married, they’d never had a serious conversation. It was all about marketing, attending events, and schmoozing people. Not that they’d spent much time together after the first four years, since she’d had her big modeling break and flown off to New York and LA all the time.
“You’re not going to do it again. Fall for some young, hot chick who’s going to ruin you?”
Trevor didn’t like the way Dustin spoke about Julie. “This is different, and she’s not in her twenties or thirties, even. She’s celebrating her fiftieth birthday soon.”
“Really?” Dustin’s eyes went wide. “It doesn’t matter. That’s not the point. You just got a divorce. You don’t want to settle down again and be miserable.”
Trevor left his shirt off and sat on the edge of the chair so his back didn’t touch anything. “First, I know part of you is saying this because you don’t want to lose your wingman again, but I also know you’re telling me this because you care. Regardless, I’m not getting remarried right now, so relax.”
Dustin shot up to a perfect posture as if his words finally commanded his attention. “Right now? So you’re already thinking about that?”
“I didn’t say that. No. I’m not. Julie needs to take things slow. She’s a widow trying to move on with her life, and I’m a man who had his heart broken, was lied to and used. We both enjoy each other’s company, and honestly, I feel safe and I trust her. And she trusts me.”
“You know this is doomed, right? This business, this new life with this new woman? I can only stay so long to pick up the pieces this time.”
Trevor tensed. “No one’s asking you to. I’m fine.”
“Are you?” Dustin shook his head. “Then what are you still doing here?”
Trevor’s temper rumbled inside like an approaching Florida afternoon thunder boomer, but he forced himself to remain seated. “I realize it’s difficult for you to comprehend a man caring for a woman so much he’s willing to work to make her happy, since the only thing you’ve worked at is moving on to the next victim.”
“That’s not fair.” Dustin stood and grabbed an empty cup from the coffee table and headed to the kitchen.
“Isn’t it? You have a three-month rule. The minute that mark hits, you move on before it can get too serious. You leave a trail of broken hearts behind and don’t care.” Trevor knew he was stepping over the line, but he couldn’t keep it in any longer. “I care about you like a brother. That’s why I’m saying this. You don’t understand why I’m here, why I got this sunburn or did something out of my comfort zone to please a woman, because you’ve never been in love. Not real love.”
Dustin slammed the cup down on the counter. “Maybe not, but I’ve also never allowed a woman to take everything I had just because she broke my heart.”
“You’re right.” Trevor rested his elbows on his knees and lowered his head to take a breath and calm his anger. “Marsha was a mistake, a huge, horrible, decision that cost me dearly. But she wasn’t the right woman. When we met, she put on a show, convinced me she was this nice woman with dreams who supported mine and that we could grow together. It was a lie. She only wanted me to introduce her to people at parties because she couldn’t gain access to anyone working as a waitress. There were warning signs I chose not to see because I was so flattered that this young, beautiful woman who didn’t want kids was interested in me. It was exciting at first. The perfect situation. I was caught up in it all when she asked me to marry her. And it all happened so fast.” He took in a deep breath and let it out again. “No, I’m not ready to remarry, but that doesn’t mean I’m not ready to care about someone.”
Dustin flopped back on the couch. “I get it, man. It’s lonely being single. Date Julie, enjoy your time with her, but just don’t get too serious too fast. You think I’m only saying this because I miss having my best friend to hang out with, but I do care. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“I won’t. I’m older and wiser now.” Trevor sat up and looked at his lobster-colored chest. “Okay, maybe not so much wiser.”
“See, this place is no good for you. Let’s go home. Tear up that arbitration agreement and take her to court. At least sue her so you don’t pay her that ridiculous alimony anymore. Heck, no judge will award her that.” Dustin shook his head. “Man, just stop running and fix this so you don’t go bankrupt and you can go home.”
“I tell you what. I’ll speak to an attorney and see what they say. If I have a case, I’ll take her to court. But no matter the outcome, nothing will get me to return to Seattle. I’m happy here.”
Dustin didn’t look
happy, but he picked up his phone, opened the screen, and tossed it to Trevor. He looked down to see Marsha on another news site. This time the title read, Marsha Thompson Left at Alter When Groom-to-be Discovered Her Truth—Pregnant With Her Ex’s Baby.
“No, not possible. It’s not mine.” Trevor scrolled through the article. “You’re right, I’m taking her to court. I’m not paying child support for a child who’s not mine. We divorced over three months ago. There’s no way. We haven’t been together since…” He froze, the last three months flashing through his memory in an instant and settling on one night. His pulse raced. His skin went cold. He wanted to scream. “The night before the papers were served to him. Marsha came over. She said we’d made a mistake.”
Dustin nodded. “I remember. The next morning she got a call from an agent and was gone. That’s when you decided to come here. If you read further down, you’ll see she’s about three and a half months along.”
Trevor didn’t know if the sting over his skin was from his sunburn or from the life-altering news. Either way, it hurt. “But I was told I couldn’t have children.”
“You were told that once, years ago. Did you ever think the woman you were with then might have been the one who couldn’t have children and it wasn’t you who had the problem? Did you ever have any tests run?”
Trevor thought back over the last decades of his life. “No.”
“And how many women have you had unprotected sex with?”
“None. Well, Marsha, but she had an IUD before we ever met and kept it until…”
“Until when?”
“A month before we divorced. Something about having an infection and she had to have it removed.”
Dustin took his phone back and looked down at Trevor. “Now you know why you can’t continue with Julie. She deserves better. Because now you have no choice but to return to Seattle.” He cleared his throat. “Ready to go home? Dad?”
