“Ivy.” She reached over and took her sister’s hand. “That’s not true. Dad doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
“Maybe not.” Ivy shrugged, and Iris didn’t know how to erase the hurt in her sister’s eyes.
“Let’s go get a pedicure,” she said. “My treat.”
“Really? Do you have time?”
“Of course,” Iris said. “I always have time for you, Ivy.” That brought a smile to her sister’s face, and Iris’s spirits lifted. “And you know, I could use some tips on how to meet a guy’s family. You do it all the time, but I don’t.”
“Oh, that’s easy,” Ivy said with a wave of her hand, her usual bubbly self already back. “Especially this time, because it’s going to be all men. You just compliment them. Smile a lot. Touch their arms.”
“Ivy,” Iris said as she shook her head. “I’m trying to make them like me, not flirt with them.”
Ivy looked confused for a moment, which only made Iris laugh harder. “Never mind. I think I can handle it.”
She hoped she could.
Chapter Sixteen
Justin had showered, dozed for a bit, and eaten pizza on the couch with Heath, Diego, and Lucas before Iris arrived at his apartment. He practically leapt from the couch, knocking Diego’s empty soda can to the floor.
“Whoa, bro,” Heath said, looking at him. “Is that her?”
“It’s her.” Justin wasn’t sure why he was so nervous, other than he’d literally never had a woman in his apartment before. Had never introduced a woman to his friends. He looked around at them. “Remember, be honest. If she’s like, crazy and I can’t see it, tell me.”
“She’s not going to be crazy,” Diego said.
“I don’t know,” Lucas said, picking up the soda can and stacking it on some dirty plates. “She could be.”
That didn’t help Justin’s nerves as he stepped over to the door. He opened it and got the best view of his life. Iris leaned into the doorway with her hip cocked, wearing a flirty little sundress in a rainbow of colors.
“Hey,” she said, her smile so beautiful and her hair falling in curled waves over both her shoulders.
He wanted to eat her right up. “You know my friends are here, right?” he asked, stepping closer to her and bending his head down to kiss her. He paused an inch from her mouth, sensing her anticipating. “We’re not alone.”
“I know.”
“Why’d you wear this sexy dress, then?” He grinned and touched his mouth to hers. “Because wow, I’d like to be alone with you about now.”
She laughed, tipping her head back and exposing her neck. Justin’s hormones exploded through him, and he figured he better get her inside so he had an audience. He laced his fingers through hers and tugged her into the apartment. It suddenly smelled like males and marinara—and not in a good way.
“Guys, this is Iris McLaughlin. Iris, these are some of my former SEAL crewmates. Heath, Diego, and Lucas.”
She let go of his hand to move around and shake all of theirs. “And you guys are all still active?”
“That’s right, ma’am,” Heath said, and Justin covered up his laugh with a cough. Heath’s bright blue eyes sparkled like the ocean, and Justin decided introducing him to Iris was a very bad idea.
“Justin says you own a landscaping company,” Lucas said, handing her a soda.
Iris flicked a glance in his direction. “That’s right.”
“Pizza?” Diego asked, when not twenty minutes ago he’d refused to get up and get Heath another slice of the supreme.
“Sure,” Iris said, sweeping her hair off her shoulder, revealing the tan skin there, with that single strip of pink fabric. Justin wasn’t the only one who looked at it. Almost as if all of them had had the same thought, Heath, Diego, and Lucas looked at Justin.
He wasn’t getting any weird vibes from them, and he knew Iris was going to be a long-term part of his life when Lucas asked, “Justin also mentioned you having a twin sister. What’s her name?”
Heath elbowed him and Diego flat out said, “I was going to ask about the sister.”
“You snooze, you lose,” Lucas said while Diego put a couple of pieces of pizza on a plate and slid it across the island countertop to Iris.
She looked at Justin, a bit of alarm in her eyes. “Guys,” he said. “She’s not giving you Ivy’s number if you act like meatheads.”
“I have not asked about the sister,” Heath said like a dignified English gentleman. “Ivy, you said? She sounds lovely.”
Justin started laughing at the same time Iris did, and everything was right in the world. He enjoyed the rest of the evening with his friends and Iris, and finally he got up the nerve to text Heath and ask him to get the guys out of Justin’s apartment.
He glanced at his phone, and a moment later said, “Guys, time to go.” He got up and started picking up dishes and trash. “We’ve got an early morning mission to be ready for.”
A flash of jealousy stole through him, quickly eradicated when Iris put her hand in his.
“We do?” Diego asked, and Lucas said, “Dude, you never read your texts.”
Justin helped get everything cleaned up while Iris curled into herself on the couch. Heath leaned down and kissed her forehead, saying something to her Justin couldn’t catch from the kitchen. He left before Justin could catch him, and a moment later his phone chimed.
From Heath: She’s perfect for you, you lucky dog.
Justin smiled at the text, at the approval of his friends. “Bye, guys,” he called to Lucas and Diego as they said good-bye to Iris too. Finally, the front door closed, and Justin was alone with her again.
“Well,” Iris said, getting up from the couch. “They’re interesting.”
“Interesting good, or interesting bad?” Justin stayed very still while she prowled toward him. “Because we’re going to be spending a lot of time with them.”
She tiptoed her fingers up his chest. “I liked them a lot, especially Heath.”
Relief spread through Justin, along with a healthy showering of sparks from her touch. He hoped she’d always excite him this much. “I’m glad.” He bent down and kissed her, taking his time to let her know how he felt. Words built beneath his tongue, things he’d wanted to say on the cruise but had waited.
“Iris,” he whispered, dipping his mouth to taste her neck.
“Hmm?” She held onto him like she couldn’t stand without him, and he absolutely loved that. Wanted to take care of her for the rest of his life. Be her man.
“I love you.” He looked up and into her eyes just as she opened them.
Surprise flowed freely there, and then she grinned at him, her eyes crinkling around the edges. Joy radiated from her, and Justin smiled too, basking in the warmth of it.
“I love you too, Justin.” She kissed him, this time with more passion—and all the love he needed. When she pulled away, she giggled and pressed her face into his chest. “I never thought I’d be grateful for those killer whales who attacked our boat.”
She looked up at him again, serious and sweet and oh-so-gorgeous. “But I am.”
“Me too,” he said, touching the tip of his nose to hers. They might not have every detail worked out yet, but Justin knew they were on the same page about the important things. “Me too.”
Read on for a sneak peek at the next book in the series, STRANDED WITH THE QUARTERBACK to see if Orchid can risk her heart and get back into the dating game…
Woo hoo! I’m glad Justin and Iris found their happily ever after! If you are too, please leave a review here.
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Sneak Peek! Stranded with the Quarterback Chapter One
Orchid Stone stapled a packet of papers together, her thoughts on what she should make for dinner that night. She wondered if the other single women in the administration building at Petals & Leis had the same mundane thoughts she did.
She gl
anced around, though she only worked with three other people. They all looked as bored as she felt, and one of them really needed a boyfriend so they had something to talk about while they filed, answered phones, managed the huge orders that came in, and made sure everyone in the billion-dollar flower company got paid.
But yep, Orchid’s life was very, very boring.
She had Tesla, her seven-year-old daughter who kept things hopping, but not during the day while she was at school. And today, Tesla had after-school activities at the recreation center in downtown Getaway Bay, so Orchid wouldn’t see her until after dinner, as her father was going to pick Tesla up on his way home from work and take her for something to eat.
Orchid’s parents had been lifesavers since the boating accident that had claimed her husband eight years ago.
Eight long years.
She hadn’t been on a date since the funeral.
“Jordyn,” she said, getting up from her desk. “Didn’t you meet someone on that app?”
The pretty brunette rolled her eyes, though Orchid had drawn the interest of the other two women in this part of the building. Cathy and Dierdre both got up and approached Jordyn’s desk.
“It was awful,” she said with tons of dramatic effect. Jordyn was the youngest in the office, and she’d been the most active on the dating scene. Orchid watched her, a smile on her face, as Jordyn opened a drawer and pulled out a file.
“Total surfer, despite me asking him—twice—if he surfed. And you know how I feel about pretty-boy surfers.” She made a face, and Dierdre laughed.
“So he was pretty, then,” Orchid said.
“Oh, so pretty.” Jordyn smiled. “But I don’t want someone who’s whole goal in life is to catch the next wave. No. My husband will have ambition. Be someone.”
“Sure,” Dierdre said. “I’m just hoping for a date.”
“There’s that new speed-dating thing coming up,” Cathy said. “Have you girls heard of it?”
Jordyn shrieked, and Orchid was so glad she’d started this conversation. Anything was better than stapling together vendor packets for the carnation conference next week. Plus, once she finished that, she didn’t have a whole lot to do.
Spring was a busy time out in the fields, but in the office, summer and fall and winter were definitely their busiest times.
“Orchid, could I see you a minute?” The voice came from her phone on her desk, and Orchid walked away from the conversation still going strong at Jordyn’s desk.
“Yes, Mister Lawson,” she said into the intercom. “I’ll be right in.” She wasn’t worried or nervous. Burke Lawson was younger than she was, and while he was set to inherit the entire operation one day, he hadn’t done it yet. He did spend a lot of time consulting with his father, and George Lawson did inspire a bit of fear in Orchid.
So when she walked into Burke’s office and found his father with him, she stalled. “Oh, hello, George.” She closed the door behind her and fought the urge to smooth down her skirt. It suddenly felt too short and like it wasn’t good enough as the two of them said hello and shook her hand.
She settled in the chair in front of Burke’s desk, and he looked at his father, who nodded.
“Orchid, when’s the last time you took a vacation day?”
She blinked, surprise rendering her silent.
“It’s been over a year,” Burke said for her, flipping open a folder. “You have eighty-four vacation days stockpiled.” He closed the folder and smiled.
“I’m—am I in trouble for not taking time off?”
“Yes,” he said. “You’re a great employee, and we want you to be happy here.”
“I am happy here,” she said, looking back and forth between them. “Are you firing me?”
“Of course not.” He chuckled and pushed the folder toward her. “But take a vacation, Orchid. You work too hard.” He stood and smiled her right out of the office, leaving her more confused than ever—and now out of the loop in the conversation at Jordyn’s desk.
Later that evening, she stopped by Ivy’s apartment rather than facing her house alone. Tesla wouldn’t be done with her granddad date for another couple of hours, and Orchid hated entering a dark, empty house by herself.
“There you are,” Ivy said, opening the door before Orchid had finished climbing the steps. “What’s this about a vacation?”
In response, Orchid practically threw the folder her boss had given her. “This is so stupid.”
Ivy took the folder, clear amusement and bewilderment in her eyes, and opened it. A moment later, she sucked in a breath. “Orchid, are you going to do this singles cruise? I’ve always wanted to go on one of these.” She danced in front of Orchid, everything sparkling in her now.
Orchid worked hard not to roll her eyes. “Of course I’m not,” she said. “A singles cruise? I can’t imagine anything more demeaning. And the fact that my boss gave me that pamphlet? Humiliating.” She sank onto the couch, wondering where her afternoon had gone. Once she’d gotten the folder and opened it, all she’d been able to do was stare.
Ivy giggled and flipped pages. “They do fun things on these cruises, Orchid. You should totally go.”
“Who would watch Tesla?”
“Uh, Mom and Dad,” she said. “Eden. Now that she’s married, she certainly doesn’t need to work. Heaven knows she could take a break from that shed where she’s always tinkering.”
“I don’t want to go on a singles cruise,” she said.
“Uh, holy sharks and pearls, Orchid. Did you see this?” She lifted a piece of paper out of the folder.
Orchid had not made it past the first page. “What is that?”
“It’s a certificate,” she said, her eyes scanning the page. “This cruise is paid for.” She exploded to her feet. “Holy shipwrecks, Orchid.” Ivy’s eyes met Orchid’s, and the excitement there was undeniable. “It’s. Paid. For.”
Orchid couldn’t believe it. “That can’t be true.” She snatched the paper from Ivy, who started hopping around like someone had poured hot ants in her pants. She read the paper too, and sure enough, it certainly looked like she could book a two-week singles cruise free of charge.
“Wow.” She lowered the paper, so many emotions battling inside her. “Doesn’t mean I have to go.”
“Oh, you’re going.” Ivy took the paper back and pressed it to her chest as if in bliss. Her eyes snapped open. “If you don’t want it, can I have it?”
Something about that irked Orchid, and she took the paper and the folder back. “No, Ivy. You’re dating Brooks, and he’s going to propose any day now. You can’t go on a singles cruise.”
“I’ve always wanted to go,” she said, a whine in her voice.
“Tell me why,” Orchid said, glancing at the closed folder on the couch beside her. She couldn’t really go on a singles cruise. Could she?
Ivy started talking about how “super fun” they were, with “all the activities” they planned for people. “It’s so much more than laying by the pool,” she said. “They have themed cruises, and dances, and trivia, and paint nights.” She sighed. “You really should go. I can’t believe I haven’t suggested this to you before.”
Orchid could. She’d made it clear to her sisters that she wasn’t interested in dating. Period. The end.
But if she went on a singles cruise, wouldn’t that be like dating? Why had her boss given this to her?
Ivy kept talking, as Ivy was wont to do, and Orchid pulled out her phone and texted Burke. You gave me a singles cruise? What are you trying to say?
A singles cruise? His response did not inspire confidence in her. I don’t think so.
There’s a certificate for a singles cruise in that folder you gave me, she typed out, her thumbs moving like lightning over her screen. What does that mean?
She hoped she sounded offended and angry, and she must have, because Burke called.
“Yeah?” she answered, not even caring that the word came out like a bark.
“
That was an honest mistake,” Burke said instead of leading with hello. “I said we should give a few of our hardest working employees a bonus. We looked up who hadn’t taken time off in a while, and your name came up. My father said he’d get vacations for each of you, and I didn’t think twice about it.”
“Who else got one of these?” Orchid asked.
“Leslie in accounting,” Burke said, gasping in the next moment. “Lizzie in maintenance. She’s married.”
Orchid started laughing, and Burke joined in. “I’m sure my father didn’t know what he was buying. What’s the name of the cruise line?”
“StarMatch,” Orchid said, their horrible logo branded on the backs of her eyes.
“It was an innocent mistake,” Burke said. “I’ll see what I can do about it in the morning. Unless, of course, you want to go on a singles cruise….”
Orchid didn’t know what she wanted. She ended up telling Burke she’d let him know, and she hung up. Turning, she caught Ivy saying, “Yes, of course. Eight a.m. on Thursday. She’ll be there.”
She hung up the phone too, and when she looked at Orchid, Orchid knew exactly what had just happened.
Thursday came, and Orchid kissed her daughter good-bye while Ivy took her suitcase out to the car. She’d tried everything she could to get out of the cruise, but once Ivy had booked it, Burke couldn’t get his money back.
“It’ll be good for you,” Ivy had said in the three days since turning Orchid’s life upside down.
“You need this.” That was another one her sister had said several times.
Even Eden and Iris had gotten behind the idea of a singles cruise. Eden had come over last night and packed a backpack for Orchid with all the emergency supplies she’d need. She’d hugged her sister and told her to have fun.
Iris had sent her a list of ways to flirt with a winky face, and Orchid had been mortified. Her sisters knew what she’d been through. They knew she hadn’t dated in eight long years. They knew her better than anyone.
Stranded with the SEAL Page 10
