Fate Interrupted 3

by Kaitlyn Cross

  Dean shook his head in disbelief. “You only brought five joints?”

  Ben laughed out loud, the wind ruffling his black v-neck.

  “You’re better than this, Shaun. Your brew is served in seven bars across this town now.”

  “Screw you, Dean. It’s eight bars and you know it.”

  Ben glanced at Will and the captain. “Well, what about the captain anyway? If there’s no boom-boom on the boat, there’s probably no smoky-smoke either.”

  “We were planning on paying the captain off,” Shaun told him. “But Evy’s dad? He’s probably a cop!”

  “He’s not a cop,” Ben replied. “He’s a salesman.”

  “Dammit, Ben,” Jon said with the same sneer in his voice as Shaun. “This shit was spendy as hell, too.”

  Shaun slapped a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “Nothing’s too good for our boy here.”

  A sheepish smile crossed Dean’s lips. “Thanks guys.”

  Jon leaned back and exhaled a forlorn breath. “Man, I just wanna get high and take a giant shit.”

  “Good one, Ben!” Shaun scowled, taking a long pull from his beer.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about it.”

  “You’re damn right you didn’t think about it,” Jon said, squeezing his knees together.

  Dean leaned forward in his fold-up chair. “Will you guys quit talking about this? We’ll just have to take a pass tonight.”

  They watched Will, who was busy pointing out to sea and talking the captain’s ear off.

  “Fuck it,” Shaun said, pulling a joint from a silver cigarette case and lighting up.

  “Shaun!” Dean yelled in his quietest whisper. “Not cool, man.”

  “Trust me,” Ben said, quickly lighting a cigarette for cover. “You don’t want to get on Will’s bad side. Dude has guns. Lots of guns.”

  Shaun exhaled a cloud of smoke that smelled like someone had splattered a skunk with an eighteen-wheeler. The plume quickly drifted out over the water behind them. He passed the joint to Jon. “Relax, as long as the boat is moving, they’ll never know.”

  Will bellowed with laughter, drawing their jittery attention. He stretched his arms out and casually took the wheel like a high school sophomore going for second base on a first date. The captain smacked his hand away and got into the throttle, making Will stumble.

  Jon put the joint to his lips and sucked hard, the cherry glowing red against the backdrop of twilight. He held his breath while speaking. “They’ll never know. We’re professional hit men.”

  The motor suddenly cut out, plunging them into a placid stillness as the boat gently rocked to a floating rest.

  “Oh shit,” Jon said, exhaling a massive cloud and coughing like he had just swallowed water down the wrong pipe.

  Will and Captain Taylor turned around, their faces difficult to read in the dim light.

  “This is bad,” Ben whispered as Will and the captain meandered closer.

  “The hell you boys think you’re doing on my boat?” Captain Taylor barked.

  Shaun avoided his interrogating eyes, smoothing his long sleeve Eddie Bauer shirt with patches on the elbows.

  Will lifted his nose and sniffed at the air, like a wolf sensing prey on a snowy night. His face stiffened. “Smells like the evil-weed to me, Captain.”

  “No drugs on my boat!”

  Ben held up his cigarette and smiled, smoke slipping between his white teeth. “Just a cigarette.”

  Will aimed a cold glare at Dean that chilled him to the bone. “Really Dean? Drugs?”

  “It’s just a clove cigarette,” Dean calmly countered. “Personally, I can’t stand the things.”

  Will sniffed at the air again, this time slower. “You must think I’m an idiot.”

  “I don’t think that at all.”

  Will set his jaw, tightening a tendon in his neck. “I think you do, because I obviously know what that is.” He stared at Jon.

  Jon looked down and realized he was still holding the smoking gun. He passed the joint to Shaun, who looked away and started whistling.

  Ben spread his palms. “Will, it’s not a big deal. The stuff’s legal in Colorado.”

  “This isn’t Colorado! It’s Wisconsin!”

  Dean almost said something – something about how he hadn’t even touched the stuff - but swallowed it back down instead.

  “And I’ll be damned if my daughter is going to marry some…goddamn druggie.”

  Dean shot from his chair. “I didn’t even smoke any of it!”

  “Horseshit!” Will barked. “At least be a man and admit it!”

  Water slapped against the sides of the boat in the thunderstruck silence that followed. Jon cleared his throat and it sounded like he was coming through a PA system.

  Anger bubbled to the surface in Will’s eyes, his chest rising and falling beneath his orange Polo. He pulled his cell phone from his jeans and angrily tapped at the screen.

  “Will, come on, man.” Dean held his hands out in a helpless display, a light breeze running its fingers over his shirt. “Who’re you calling?”

  Will put the phone to his ear and took a deep breath, branding Dean with the evil eye. “Evy,” he grumbled as the phone began to ring in his ear. “This marriage is off.”

  Chapter Seven

  It was already hard to hear in Bad Genie’s. House music melted with animated conversation like chocolate syrup and milk, swirling together for the perfect Saturday night blend. Brooke snagged the last open table in the bar just before two tall brunettes got there. They shot Brooke an icy look and kept moving.

  “Snooze ya lose,” Brooke murmured, pulling a tall chair back.

  Evy sat down with a lethargic sigh. “Nice grab, Brooke. I don’t think I could’ve stood in these heels another minute.”

  “Damn, there are a lot of hot guys in here,” Tasha said, taking a seat.

  A candle in the middle of the table flickered off Brooke’s roving eyes. “If you can’t find a guy in this town, you’re not doing it right.”

  Tasha tugged on the neckline of her lavender top, creating more cleavage. “How about those guys over there?”

  They followed her gaze to two guys with curly brown hair leaning against the bar and smiling at them.

  Brooke scrunched her nose up. “What is wrong with you? Those guys look like the twins on motorcycles from the Guinness Book of World Records.”

  Tasha curled a strand of hair around a finger. “I don’t mind a little meat on my bones.”

  “Then go to the LongHorn.”

  “Be nice, Brooke,” Evy admonished, perusing a slender drink menu.

  “You can do better than that, Tasha.”

  Tasha avoided Brooke’s eyes. “After you made me break up with Matthew, I kind of started missing it.”

  Brooke cocked her head to one side. “It? As in flabby gut and beer farts? I don’t know how you’ll ever survive.”

  “I like something to hang onto.”

  “Try a big hard cock sometime, sweetie. It never fails.”

  Evy looked up from the menu. “Do you two ever talk about anything besides big hard cocks?”

  Brooke turned an ear to Evy. “What?”

  Evy raised her voice. “I said – do you two ever talk about anything besides big hard cocks?”

  Tasha cleared her throat and nodded behind Evy.

  Evy turned to the waitress standing behind her and cringed. The waitress flashed an easy smile that turned Evy’s cheeks a blistering shade of red.

  Brooke ordered for them and watched the waitress head back to the bar. “Way to embarrass us, Evy.”

  Evy rolled her eyes.

  Brooke and Tasha looked at each other and giggled.

  “Hey, you won’t let us use penis-shaped straws so we have to have some fun on your bachelorette party,” Brooke said.

  Evy studied the diamond engagement ring around her finger, the candle setting off a sparkle in her eyes. “I still can’t believe I’ll be married two we
eks from right now.”

  “I love your ring,” Tasha said, admiring the modest stone. “It’s so presh!”

  Evy spread her fingers and let the jewel shine. “He did such a great job. Not too big, not too small.”

  Brooke’s eyes softened. “I’m so happy for you, sweetie.”

  “But, legally, you can still fuck somebody else tonight, right?”

  Evy slowly rotated her head to Tasha, eyes wrinkling around the corners.

  Tasha shrugged. “What?”

  “Hello, ladies.”

  They turned to the motorcycle twins, who stood there smiling and bobbing their heads.

  Tasha’s eyes lit up. “Well, hello,” she said sweetly.

  Brooke arched an eyebrow. “We are right in the middle of a Wiccan meeting.”

  The two heavyset men traded curious glances, bottles of Miller Lite clutched in their hands. “We don’t mind,” the one with a loud Affliction t-shirt replied.

  Brooke flattened her lips. “You will when I turn you into a tree and shove you up your friend’s ass.”

  The other man raised his glass to them. “Enjoy your stay,” he said, going back to the bar with his friend in reluctant tow.

  “Dammit, Brooke!” Tasha watched them go, twisting around in her seat. “That’s one sandwich I wouldn’t mind being the meat in.”

  “You’d need a barrel of mayo.”

  Evy leaned an elbow on the table and planted her chin in her hand, letting out a thoughtful sigh as she scoped the festive crowd. “What do you think they’re doing right now?”

  “Who? The guys? Probably wishing they were at a club.”

  “Yeah,” Tasha said. “Who goes fishing on their bachelor party?”

  “There’s nothing wrong with that,” Evy said, defending her man’s decision. And in the end, it had been his decision. She hadn’t pushed him one way or the other, knowing that even if Dean had picked the standard strip bar bachelor party faire she would have nothing to worry about. Not with him. The fact that he had been so considerate of her feelings by lining up something with just the guys said a lot about his character. He would walk on fire for her and she loved him for that. “And besides,” Evy continued, “it’s not some piddly little lake with bluegills in it. They’ll have a great time, especially Ben.”

  The flickering candle threw dancing shadows across Brooke’s face. “Oh my God, he was so excited! He watched Jaws three times just to get in the mood.”

  Evy laughed. “Sounds like something dad would do!”

  Brooke took a steadying breath and grew quiet, watching the flame. “I’m so glad they get along so well.”

  “Who?” Tasha asked.

  “Ben and my dad.” A comforting smile shaped her shiny lips. “That could’ve easily gone the other way.”

  Evy crossed her legs and swung a black high heel with leather straps through the air. “Dad definitely knows how to hold a grudge; that’s for sure.”

  A light bulb went off behind Tasha’s eyes. “The closet!”

  Brooke’s gaze jerked to her. “Never talk about that.”

  Tasha held her hands up in surrender. “Talk about what?”

  The waitress dropped off their cosmos and started them a tab.

  Tasha studied the cherry colored contents inside the chilled glass in front of her. “Why do we have to drink these if it’s Evy’s bachelorette party?”

  Brooke took a careful sip. “Because I’m paying the bill.”

  Tasha put the glass to her lips and swallowed with a grimace. “Too sweet.”

  Evy took a cold sip. “Next time let’s get wine.”

  “Or how about some beer,” Tasha added. “This is Milwaukee.”

  Evy smiled at them over the rim of her glass, taking a second to appreciate this moment in her life. Last year at this time, everything was in doubt. Sugars, Dean, their safety and peace of mind were all at risk. Fortunately, things were different now and she felt stronger for it, like she could handle any curveball thrown her way with the grace of a small town minister. Her lips pulled up at the corners. “I’m so glad it’s just us tonight. I’m sorry if it’s boring, but this is the best bachelorette party I could’ve hoped for. It really is.”

  Tasha scanned the room, twirling a lock of hair around her finger. “You’re not shooting high enough, girl.”

  Brooke took another careful sip and swallowed. “Keep drinking; it’ll get better.”

  “Personally, I like the bachelorette parties where hot guys come out wearing nothing but giant bear heads and boners.”

  Evy stopped the glass in front of her lips. “Bear heads?”

  Tasha nodded rapidly. “I had a friend do that last year at her house. These two ripped guys in bear heads came over and sprayed whip cream on their dicks before going around the room looking for takers.”

  Brooke laughed and started choking on her drink.

  “Oh. My. God,” Evy muttered, not taking her eyes from Tasha. “You were a taker, weren’t you?”

  Tasha balled her face up in disgust. “Ew! No! I did not suck whip cream off of some stranger’s junk,” she said sternly, lowering her voice. “Well, not that night anyway.”

  Evy laughed out loud, swinging her heel back and forth through the air. Her laughter died when she saw the gravity pulling on Brooke’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  “Don’t look now.” Brooke hid behind her hand like the lights were suddenly too bright. “But Megan and that redheaded bitch just walked in.”

  Evy’s heart lodged in her throat. She wanted to turn and look but couldn’t move. The conversation level around them grew louder, the lights brighter. Her cheeks flushed with heat. She knew Brooke had to be messing with her but the look on her sister’s face said different. “Don’t even kid around about something like that, Brooke! Jon has been doing that to Dean all year and he hates it.”

  “Hi Evy!”

  Evy’s heart thudded in her ears. She swallowed against the lump in her throat and mustered the strength to twist around in her chair.

  Her heart slipped onto the floor.

  Megan smiled brightly.

  Chapter Eight

  Dean’s lips moved but his mouth was too dry to form words. The severity gripping Will’s face made his pulse pound thickly in his temples and he was glad he hadn’t partaken in the evil-weed. That would have only made things worse. A seagull screeched above them, egging on the fireworks.

  “You can’t be serious,” Dean sputtered, his voice coming out much weaker than intended.

  Will pressed the cell phone tightly against his ear as it began to ring. “We don’t let dope fiends into this family, pal!”

  Ben spread his arms out, accentuating his massive biceps with the movement. “Will, come on, man. This is…”

  Will’s heated gaze pounced on him next, silencing Ben with their heavy weight. When someone answered, Will turned away and started speaking into the phone. “Yeah, Evy, it’s your father.” He paused for a second. “Well, I’ve been better. Did you know your fiancé is a giant pothead?”

  Small waves lapped against the boat. Captain Taylor kept a close eye on Jon as a seagull swooped down.

  Will raised his voice. “I’m talking about catching Dean and his friends smoking marijuana on the boat!” He nodded, his searing glare back on Dean and set to high. “Listen, I drove up to surprise him for his bachelor party but it looks like the surprise is on me.”

  The others exchanged troubled glances, Dean’s face wrenched with concern.

  “That’s right, Evy, your fiancé is a goddamn doper!” Will nodded some more, listening intently to her reply. “I also caught him butt-fucking Jon in the bathroom.”

  Jon’s jaw went through the deck floor. “What!”

  “That’s right,” Will continued, “in the bathroom below deck.”

  The color drained from the captain’s leathery face.

  “What the fuck, Will!” Dean cried, planting his hands on his hips. “That is bullshit and you know it! He’s lyi
ng, Evy!”

  Will lost it and started laughing uncontrollably, dropping the cell to his side. “I’m just messin with you, Deano!”

  Shaun and Ben swapped nervous looks.

  Dean mopped sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. “Jesus Christ.”

  Will pointed at him, eyes watering. “You should’ve seen the look on your face! That was classic.”

  Ben rubbed his hand back and forth across his head, exhaling a weary breath into the night. “That is so wrong.”

  Captain Taylor arched an eyebrow at Jon, glancing at the joint in his hand.

  Jon slipped him a twenty and Taylor pocketed the cash.

  “And stay outta my pisser!” he said, returning to the helm.

  Will inhaled a deep breath and narrowed his sunken eyes. “Like I care if you guys toke up a little weed. Give the old man some credit, for God’s sake!”

  “I like this guy,” Shaun said, tipping back his beer.

  Jon threw his arms out. “Why is it I’m the one he was having gay butt sex with in the bathroom?”

  Will’s face sobered as he considered the question. “Because you’re tall and slender.”

  Jon violently shook his head. “So?”

  Will came over to him and extended his hand. “You gonna bogart that thing all night long or what?”

  Hesitantly, Jon passed him the smoking spleef.

  “Careful, Will, that’s some heavy stuff,” Shaun warned.

  Will fanned a hand through the air at him. “You should’ve seen me back in the day, Shaun,” he said, blowing ash from the end of the joint like a seasoned pro. “I once smoked three joints by myself at a Winger concert.”

  Ben pinched his eyes together. “That is nothing to brag about.”

  Will held out a fist to Dean. “We good, man?”

  Dean stared at him for a moment before bumping his fist. He nodded to the joint. “You better go easy on that. The stuff these days is way stronger than it was back when you were wearing spandex.”

  “I never wore spandex.”

  “Not what I heard.”

  Will put the joint to his lips and inhaled, the cherry turning his face a glowing red.