Single Wide Female in Love Complete Bundle: Books 1-4

by Blake, Lillianna

  “You found me. You found me, Max.”

  “It’s alright, we’re going to get you out of here, Sammy. You’re going to be okay.” He lifted me up to the arms of the man in the boat.

  Chapter 21

  As I sprawled out on the bottom of the powerboat I became aware that this was not a fantasy. I was safe. Max was pulled up onto the boat after me. He fell on his knees next to me.

  “Sammy? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  The other man in uniform leaned over me and pressed his fingers against my wrist. He studied me closely.

  “She looks good—just needs some water.” He tipped a bottle of water to my lips.

  Max took it out of his hands and held it steady for me.

  I still couldn’t believe I’d been saved.

  Max pulled the bottle of water away from my lips and sighed. “I was so worried, Sammy. What happened?”

  “Uh—well, I—I don’t think I want to talk about it right now.” I glanced at the other two men.

  I could feel the boat being turned around and the power of the motor as it sped back toward shore.

  “You’re lucky that thing held up in the storm,” one of the men said over his shoulder. “It pushed you so far out we almost didn’t find you.”

  My eyes widened. “Seriously? You mean I might have been out there all night?”

  “Or more.” The man nodded. “We were about to turn back, when we saw all of those birds.”

  “Birds?”

  “The seagulls. It’s unusual to see a large amount gathered in the middle of the water, so we thought we should check it out.”

  “Those birds liked you for some reason.” The other man chuckled.

  “Might have had something to do with this.” The first man held up the tube of edible lotion.

  “What’s that?” Max raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh, it’s—uh—sunscreen.”

  “I don’t think it did the job.” Max frowned.

  “Huh, I’ve never heard of edible sunscreen.” The man holding the tube read the label. “A delicious way to enjoy a sensual massage with your lover.”

  “Hey!” Max’s eyes widened. “Sammy?” He looked over at me.

  “I was going to surprise you.” I hung my head. “I thought I’d wait for you on the boat. But when I stepped on, the boat started drifting. It wasn’t tied.”

  “The owner probably untied it because of the storm. He probably went to get a larger boat to tow it away.”

  “Wow.” Max shook his head. “I’m sorry, Sammy.”

  “You’re sorry? Why? I’m the one that did something so silly.”

  “Because I never should have left you there alone.”

  “Oh Max, I don’t need a babysitter.” I laughed. The two men in uniform both looked at me with faint smirks. “Okay, I don’t normally. I just wanted to do something special for you. You’ve made this trip so memorable, and I wanted you to have a good memory to take home with you.”

  “Sammy, you didn’t have to do that. It was a lovely thought.”

  I sighed. “Maybe, but now I just want to go home.”

  “First you need to go to the hospital.”

  “The hospital?” I shook my head. “I’m fine, really, I don’t need to go.”

  “We’d just like to take you in—to have a look, make sure that everything’s in order.” The man tried to keep a straight face. “We want to ensure that lotion didn’t have any chemical reaction on your skin from being in the sun so long.”

  If my face was already red it must have burned crimson in reaction to the man’s words.

  I looked over at Max and grimaced. “I’m sorry. I’ve ruined the last night of our honeymoon.”

  “You haven’t ruined anything. I’m just glad that you’re okay.” He kissed the back of my hand. Then he stuck the tip of his tongue out and took a taste. “Mm, that’s not bad.”

  “It’s terrible. I tasted it.” I laughed.

  “Well, maybe it’s your skin that tastes so good then.” He grinned at me.

  Despite the horror I had just endured, Max made me feel wonderful.

  When the boat pulled up to the dock, a cheer went up from the beach.

  “Are they cheering for me?” I sat up in the boat and looked at the shore.

  “We formed a search party. They’re just happy that you’re safe.”

  I ducked back behind Max. “Max, I can’t let all those people see me. I’m in my bikini and the color of a sunburned lobster.”

  “Don’t you mean just a lobster?”

  “No, I’m redder than a lobster!”

  “Sammy, they just want to see that you’re okay. You don’t have to show them, but you’re going to have to get off the boat somehow.”

  All of the people on the beach were cheering for me. Not because I had done anything worth cheering for, but because I had returned alive. They offered their support without having any idea who I was. I couldn’t even stand up because of a bikini and some sunburn?

  I stood up and stepped off of the boat onto the dock. The cheers grew louder.

  “Thank you!” I waved to the people that were gathered. “I’m fine now, thanks a lot.”

  Max touched the small of my back. His touch was gentle.

  “You might be red, but you’re still beautiful, love. Let’s get you to the ambulance.”

  “Ambulance? Is that really necessary?”

  “Oh, trust me, you don’t even want to think about sitting on the vinyl seat of a cab.” Max shuddered.

  “Good point. I’ll take the crisp cool sheet of a gurney.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m going to stay right by your side.”

  As the ambulance drove away I held onto Max’s hand. The last thing I wanted was to let him go.

  Chapter 22

  When we arrived at the hospital, Max walked beside the gurney. He didn’t let go of my hand.

  When I was wheeled into a room, Max remained right by my side.

  Once I was settled in the room he sat down on the bed beside me. “How are you doing?” He met my eyes. “It had to be so scary out there alone.”

  “It was.” I nodded. “I honestly didn’t think I was ever going to get back to shore.”

  “Sammy, I wish I had been there with you.”

  “But the birds—”

  “Sammy.” He laughed. “I would have braved the birds for you.”

  “I would never ask you to do such a thing.” I giggled. “Thank you, Max.”

  “For what?”

  “For making the worst day of my life one of the best.”

  “As long as we’re together we can make any day the best.”

  “Aw, Max, I still wish our honeymoon wasn’t ending like this.”

  “There’s still time left, sweetie. The important thing is that we make sure you’re healthy.”

  It was such a loving moment that I hoped it would never end. Then the nurse walked in.

  “Who is the patient here?”

  “Sorry, I was just keeping her company.”

  “Is that so? I wasn’t aware that being in the hospital was a team experience.”

  Max stared at her for a moment. “She’s fine, she’s just here for observation.”

  “So, now you’re the doctor?” The nurse put her hands on her hips. “I decide why she’s here, not you. Of course, if you would kindly move out of the way I might be able to examine my patient.”

  The nurse’s abrupt nature had Max flustered, but I bit into my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

  Max stood up and glanced over at me.

  “I’ll just be over here.” Max walked toward the edge of the hospital room.

  “Over here.” The nurse edged him right toward the door.

  “Now wait a minute. There’s no reason that I can’t be in the room with her. She wants me to stay, don’t you, Sammy?”

  I looked from the nurse to Max. “It’s okay, Max. Let her do the exam. We’ll be able to get out of here faster.”

&
nbsp; “Yes, Max. Listen to Nurse Diana. Out with you. And if you try to come back in here before I call you, I will find a reason to give you a shot.”

  “A shot?” Max’s face grew pale. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am quite serious, young man. Now out.”

  I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing.

  “I’ll be right outside, Sammy.” Max stepped out the door.

  Nurse Diana pushed the door shut behind him. “Finally, we’re alone.” She smiled at me.

  When she walked toward me I felt a slight flutter of fear. She had been so harsh with Max, how would she react to the ridiculous reason I was in the hospital in the first place?

  “So it seems we have some major sunburn to deal with. Also, you were a little dehydrated but your vitals are stable. I think that you’re going to be just fine.”

  “Oh, good, so I can go?”

  “Not just yet. I have something for you.”

  “It’s not a shot, is it?” I cringed. “I mean, of course it’s fine if it is.” I resolved to be brave.

  “No, it’s not a shot.” She laughed. “The paramedics let me know what happened on the boat. I checked the composition of the cream that you used, and I didn’t see anything that should cause a reaction. Now this cream should help with the burn.” The nurse handed me a tube of cream. “Don’t eat this one though, okay?”

  “Very funny.” I sighed and took the cream. “I can’t believe I did something so ridiculous.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. You’re young and in love, and you were just trying to do something fun. No shame in that, sweetheart. If you let other people tell you how to live your life, you’ll never have a life to live.” She patted the back of my hand. “You’re going to be just fine. Do make sure that you use that cream though or you’ll be peeling in a few days and—well, honey—no amount of lotion or lingerie is going to make that sexy.”

  I burst into laughter at her words and the visual that she gave me. “Alright, I promise I will use the cream.”

  As the nurse left the room I was reminded of the surrender I’d felt in the water. She was right, I could relax. Yes, what happened left me embarrassed and sunburned, but it was over. I was still alive and lucky enough to get another shot at an amazing life.

  A light knock on the door drew my attention.

  “Come in.”

  Max poked his head into the room. “Is it alright if I come in? Is the nurse still here? Is she coming back? Did you see her?”

  “She’s gone.” I grinned at him. “You’re safe.”

  “Good. She was a bit cranky, huh?”

  “She’s okay—just doing her job.” I smiled. “I can understand that.”

  “Well, your only job right now is to get better.”

  I nodded and sat up in the bed, but I couldn’t look right at him. My chest ached with regret. It was our last night, and I would spend it trying not to move.

  “Sammy? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry, Max. I just feel like I’ve taken away our last chance to enjoy our honeymoon.”

  “Sammy, today I thought I lost you. Just having you here with me is a miracle. How could that be disappointing? Besides, our honeymoon doesn’t end just because we go back home, does it?” He smiled. “I mean, it doesn’t have to. Being in a beautiful place is great, but any place is beautiful when I’m with you.”

  “That’s it, you win.”

  “Win what?”

  “Best husband ever!”

  “Remember that in a year when you find my underwear under the bed and whiskers in the sink.”

  “I’ll try.” I laughed.

  As we left the hospital there was no question in my mind that I’d still be grateful for Max in a year—and in fifty years.

  Chapter 23

  Max got me settled at the bungalow.

  “I’m going to go get us some dinner, will you be okay while I’m gone?” He met my eyes.

  “I’ll be fine. I promise—no wandering off onto boats.”

  “Okay, good.” He smiled. “I’ll be back soon.”

  After Max left I found it hard to get comfortable. The sunburn was not as painful as I’d expected, but my body was stiff and sore. I decided to call my best friend Stephanie to get my mind off of things. Her phone only rang twice before she picked up.

  “So she is alive!”

  “Huh?”

  “Girl, I thought you’d at least call me when you got to Bermuda.”

  “I’m so sorry, I didn’t even think about it. Max has kept me busy.”

  “I bet.” Stephanie chuckled.

  “That’s not what I meant!” I laughed.

  “Sure, sure.”

  “How are things back in the real world?”

  “No way, I’m not talking about me. I want to know what you’ve been up to! Oh my god, I’ve been dying for some details. How is everything going? Did you like the honeymoon surprise?”

  “I sure did. Max did a wonderful job. I feel closer to him now than I ever have before.”

  “That’s great. I can’t say that I’m not looking forward to you coming home. I miss you.”

  “I’ll be home soon, trust me. I think I’ve had enough adventure for a while.”

  “Uh oh, did something happen?”

  “All that matters is that I was not eaten by a shark. Let’s leave it at that.”

  “That’s funny. Wait, are you serious?”

  “Yes, I am. I think I’ve also developed a phobia of dolphins.”

  “But dolphins aren’t scary.”

  “They are now.” I laughed. “And pirates too. No more pirate movies for me.”

  “Okay, you’re going to have to tell me this story.”

  “I will, but not just yet.” I sighed and settled back against the bed. “I’ll see you soon, Stephanie. I can’t wait to get settled in and get things straightened out with my next book release. I’ve got so much to do when I get back.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m sure that Max will help you. That’s the plan, right? For you two to work together?”

  “Well, I’d hoped. But it doesn’t seem like it’s going to work out that way. That’s okay. I’d rather Max do what he’s passionate about, instead of being forced into something that he doesn’t want to do.”

  “Why don’t you just talk to him about it? Max is reasonable.”

  “I think I’ve mentioned it enough times. I’m just going to let it go. If it’s something that Max really wants, then he’ll come to me about it.”

  “I can’t see how working together with you would be anything but perfect for you both, but okay. Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out when you get back. You still have a few hours of honeymoon left, so get off the phone and go enjoy it.”

  “I will, Stephanie. Thanks for everything!”

  When I hung up the phone I felt the slightest bit of sadness. I didn’t want to dwell on it. I thought of ways to distract myself.

  I decided to check on my blog. I only had a little bit of time before Max would be back, and there wasn’t much more that I could do. It would give me an opportunity to anticipate the amount of work I had to do when I got back—plus I wanted to see if Jenny had updated me.

  When I logged into my e-mail I found a note from an address I didn’t know. I opened it up and discovered that it was a message from a promoter that wanted to offer me the opportunity to do a book tour throughout France. It never even occurred to me that someone might offer me such an amazing opportunity.

  I read over the details, realizing that the offer appeared to be legitimate. The woman who extended it owned several small bookstores throughout France and she wanted to give new authors an opportunity to showcase unique work. Apparently my work was unique enough for her.

  My chest swelled with pride. It was an honor to have such an offer extended to me. However, when I noted the dates of the tour my heart sank. It was only a month away. That meant I’d need to spend the next few weeks preparing and planning, with ver
y little time to get settled into my new life with Max.

  How would he feel about my work taking me away from him so soon? I frowned. In the past I never would have hesitated to seize such an amazing opportunity, but I had to think for two now. Max had made it clear to me that our marriage was his priority. Was it mine too?

  I shook my head and closed the computer. I hoped to be able to push my concerns out of my mind, but they resurfaced the moment I thought of going home. Could I really turn down what might be my big break? Could I really expect Max to understand that I had to take off on a tour that could last weeks, just after we were married?

  Chapter 24

  “Dinner!” Max walked in with a few bags of food. “I hope you’re hungry. I may have overdone it.”

  “I’m starving.” I sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed.

  “Were you working?” He nodded toward the computer.

  There it was—the chance to tell him about the e-mail, to ask him what he thought and talk it out. The curve of his lips and the flush of his cheeks made him look so happy. I didn’t want to do anything to further damage the remainder of our honeymoon.

  “Just checking on a few things. Oh, and I talked to Stephanie.”

  “How is she?”

  “She’s good—looking forward to us coming home.”

  Max spread the food out on the small dining room table. “I’m looking forward to it too. I can’t wait to see your personal touches throughout the house and get to snuggle with you on the couch as late as we want.”

  “Really?” I joined him at the table. “Is there anything you’re nervous about?”

  “No.” He looked at me. “You?”

  “Maybe.” I laughed. “I’ve never lived with anyone before.”

  “I’m not just anyone.” He smiled. “I’m the best husband ever, remember?”

  “Oh, yes.” I grinned.

  “Seriously though, as long as we communicate and we’re honest with one another, I don’t see what could be hard about it.” Max shrugged. “We’re already great at communicating and always honest with each other, so I’m not worried at all.”

  “Neither am I.” I bit into my bottom lip. Again I thought about telling Max about France. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not just yet.

  The first bite of food that hit my tongue tasted so good. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast and I was ready to scarf down everything that was in front of me. After I shoveled in a few bites, I suddenly stopped. I recognized that my hunger was not just hunger for food, but hunger for something more. If I weren’t careful I would slip back into my old habits of binging to quiet my emotions.