Trial by Fire
TRIAL BY FIRE
CAM
The pulse-stopping image of Rachel Kicklighter in her bikini was burned onto my soul now. Actually, it wasn’t a bikini, it was a lethal weapon. Following her out of the ocean and watching the water sluice off her shapely body was something I kept replaying over and over in my mind. Partner that with the fact that she was so patient when emotions got the best of me, and it was almost more than I could bear.
The extreme attraction to her was one thing, but what scared me more was that I was starting to really lean into her friendship. I wanted her opinion. I loved talking to her, whether that be about my fractured family or about something as insignificant as which Scottsdale restaurant made the best french fries. I wasn’t even offended when she didn’t pick one of mine.
As I started getting dressed for the wedding, I paused, glancing at myself in the mirror. This arrangement was going to be tougher than I thought.
Should I just get blackout drunk and pass out in the sand? Maybe the tide would do me a favor and sweep me away to a distant island where I could build a shelter out of palm leaves, befriend a coconut, and live a solitary life where I could stop lusting after her.
“Get it together, man,” I said aloud as I buttoned my simple short-sleeve linen shirt that Jill insisted all men wear to the wedding ceremony. “No one is falling in love here.”
This was easier said than done, but I had to stay strong. No matter what she’s wearing or how the tropical sunset casts a glow on her dewy skin, no matter how much her laugh sends little prickles up my spine.
No one’s falling in love .
Especially not me .
Rachel’s just a friend .
A supersonically hot friend that I’ve now kissed a few times .
Rachel and I had agreed to meet back in the hall again. When her door clicked open, it sent my heart rate soaring. It was everything I could do not to gawk when I saw what she was wearing. It was flowing and wispy, an emerald-green color contrasting with her tan skin, a plunging neckline, and a long slit that rode up her thigh, beckoning me to fantasize about what was underneath.
Fuck .
Her eyes lingered on me, and my face burned like I had just held it over an open flame. “Wow, you look so handsome,” she said.
“Why, thank you.” I held out my arm to lead her to the elevator. “And you are lovely once again, but I mean, seriously, don’t you have a tent you could wear or possibly a potato sack?”
“Is my dress triggering your male gaze?”
“Not at all. You must know that I like to be the center of attention at all times, and now people are only going to be looking at you. Rude.”
“We’ll see about that.”
I called the elevator. “All right, fine. Since you are in such desperate need of a compliment …”
Her cheeks dimpled and I almost didn’t notice the elevator doors opening.
“Not even the Caribbean can compete with how stunning you are.”
She blushed and stepped in. “Thanks.”
My eyes swept over her as I followed her into the elevator.
Her dress was backless.
Outstanding .
“Well, we’re at the wedding part of our trip. You going to be okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine. Like I said. I’m done feeling sorry for myself. I’m here to support Jill and Trent. I’ve got a beautiful friend by my side, and we’re staying at the one of the best resorts on the island. I can’t complain.”
“That’s the spirit,” she said, winking. “And what are you not to do while you’re here?”
“Besides pour a glass of champagne on Britt’s head?”
“Yeah, besides that.”
The elevator chimed and the doors opened. “Oh, yeah. No shrimp.”
“Right. Safety first.”
Rachel took the lead, smiling and socializing our way through the crowd of wedding guests. She had this way of immediately putting those around her at ease, myself included. For the first time since my wedding, my stomach didn’t turn at the sight of those ubiquitous fold-out wedding chairs. And even more importantly, I didn’t give a shit where Britt was in relation to us.
I motioned for her to go into the row of seats first, but she shook her head.
“Oh, I do prefer the aisle even when I’m not on a plane,” she said, waiting for me to go in. I obliged, we took our seats, and I had to fight the urge to put my arm around her. While it would have felt like the most natural thing I could do, I restrained myself and settled on flashing her a quick smile instead.
With my wedding anxiety somewhat calmed, I was able to enjoy the view. Jill wanted a quick and simple ceremony so she could get to the party as soon as possible. The set of forty white folding chairs faced the turquoise water and were decorated with tropical flowers, as was the wooden arch that stood at the end of the lavender carpet cutting a path through the chairs.
I should have known by the sudden chill in the air that Britt and Roman had arrived and were taking their seats. They sat in the same row as us, just across the aisle. When Rachel and I glanced over, Britt’s icy blue eyes were drilling holes into us. They should have been sitting on the bride’s side. Leave it to Britt to not follow the rules.
Rachel scowled at Britt and then leaned into me. “Don’t freak out, but I’m going to hold your hand,” she whispered.
“Oh no, what operation is this? Red Lightning? Wait, lightning is yellow.”
She jabbed me with her elbow. “Nothing like that. I can’t have you pining away for me the rest of the night in front of all these people.”
“Must we play these games? If you want to hold my hand or touch me anywhere else, just say so.”
She giggled, took my hand in hers, and squeezed.
“Oh, shit!” I yelped, pretending to jolt as if I had really been electrocuted.
The woman and man in front of us turned around briefly and eyed us suspiciously while Rachel laughed. She leaned her head on my shoulder, and I hoped it was because she was having fun and not another ruse to make Britt jealous.
Wow.
I was actually enjoying myself at a wedding .
“Don’t freak out, but I’m going to put my arm around you,” I whispered into Rachel’s floral-scented hair. “But it’s not because I like you at all, it’s part of my own operation.”
She sat up and cocked her head my way. “And the name of this operation?”
“Operation … Majestic … Jellyfish.”
She grimaced. “Worst op name ever. Literally the worst. Seriously, you’re fired from ever naming operations again.”
Rachel sank into my shoulder, and I gently stroked her arm. If the processional music hadn’t started, I would have closed my eyes and imagined us in my bed cuddling on a lazy Sunday morning. When the music began, we all stood in unison as the wedding party started to glide down the aisle. Rachel took my hand again and didn’t let go until Jill took Trent’s arm under the arch and we resumed our seats.
I was proud of myself. I wasn’t letting my old wounds stop me from enjoying this moment with my cousin. It felt strange to not feel like I had to hide, just because Britt and I were in the same space. Rachel and I were present in the moment, clapping and laughing at the appropriate times, and ten minutes later we were filtering out row by row and heading back to the resort. Britt bolted off ahead of us, tugging Roman behind her.
“Wait,” Rachel said as we reached the grassy patch that hugged the edge of the patio.
“What?” I halted.
Rachel pulled her phone out of her bag. “I’ve got to get a picture of this.”
“Of what?”
“You’re at a wedding and you’re smiling.”
I purposely made a face when she snapped the picture.
“Boo,” she said, sticking her tongue out.
“C’mon, I need a drink.”
Once we had champagne in our hands, Rachel floated around conversing and making friends while I enjoyed standing by the bar with my Aunt Virginia, the other introvert in the family.
“Cheers,” Aunt V said, clinking my glass.
“Cheers, you made it. How do you feel?” I asked, taking a sip.
“Exhilarated and exhausted. Glad the planning is all over and Jill and Trent finally get to enjoy being a married couple.” Her eyes crinkled as she smiled, and she rubbed my back. “It’s been wonderful to see you, Cam, and this lovely lady you brought. She is beyond delightful.”
My eyes wandered to Rachel, who was laughing with Jill and the bridesmaids. “She certainly is.”
“How long have you been dating?”
I gulped my champagne. “Oh, we’re friends. That is, she was kind enough to be my plus one so I didn’t have to come solo since Roman and Britt are here.”
Aunt V’s expression of happiness dissolved, and her mouth made a swift downturn. “I wish they hadn’t come, but it seems like my sister is repairing things with your brother, inviting them felt like something we had to do.”
“I understand,” I said.
A family friend touched my aunt on the shoulder and she turned to hug them. I noticed then that Britt had approached Rachel and Jill, a huge smile on her face.
Uh oh. What’s she up to?
Britt was speaking to them animatedly and I cocked my head, wondering what she was saying. She had taken Jill’s phone and was motioning for Jill, the bridesmaids, and Rachel to walk back toward the beach.
Very odd for Britt to be so willing to do Jill a favor…
I tried to shrug the bad feeling off and instead chatted with a few more people who had approached the bar. I almost dropped my glass when Rachel’s scream pierced through the revelry of the reception. I sprinted toward the sound, and when I got to the beach, Jill was ripping her phone from Britt’s hand, and Rachel was barreling toward the ocean with the other bridesmaids running after her. She yelped and rushed into the water, frantically splashing it on her legs. She shook her arms and then fell backward when a wave crashed over her.
“Kicklighter!” I shouted, splashing through the waves to get to her.
She coughed and spit out water, still rubbing her arms and legs.
“What happened?” I said, reaching for her.
She rubbed and kicked her legs more in the water. “Fire ants. They were all over me.”
“What? How?”
“It was Britt,” one of the bridesmaids said as they followed us back up the beach.
“Britt?” I repeated, whipping around to search for her. Lucky for her, she had already faded back into the reception.
I turned my attention back to Rachel. Her dress was wet through and clung to her in ways that triggered my male gaze. I shook it off and fished her out of the water, lifting her into my arms. She clung to my neck and started to shiver as I waded out of the water and placed her down gently on the sand.
Jill hustled over to us. “I’ve got your purse, Rachel.”
“Someone tell me how Britt caused this?” I demanded.
Rachel coughed and then spoke her voice shaky. “Britt walked by when we were taking a selfie and she offered to take the picture. She said she knew a better spot on this grassy area down by the beach. She kept telling me to back up until I must have been standing on the mound.” She cringed. “They were all over me instantly. I looked down and my legs were covered. Shit, that hurt.”
“Are you okay?” Jill asked. “I can’t believe how many were on you!”
“I’m okay,” Rachel said.
Her face said it all, though. She was not okay. She was struggling to stand so I picked her up again. Jill walked with us as we made our way back into the resort and toward the elevator.
“I’m going to take her up to her room,” I said, readjusting Rachel in my arms.
“Okay, I’ll see if I can find some stuff to help those bites and have it sent up,” Jill said.
“No, oh no, please don’t bother. This is your wedding day,” Rachel protested. “Please don’t worry about me.”
“I can help and still enjoy the wedding.” Jill touched Rachel’s arm and handed her purse back to her, waving as we stepped into the elevator and the doors closed.
Once my pulse slowed to a point where I could think straight, I glanced at Rachel, who leaned her head on my shoulder.
Moments later she lifted it up again. “Um, your heroic prince thing is super cool, and I appreciate the ride, but I probably can walk this last bit just fine.”
I swallowed. “Oh, yeah, sure.” I set her on her feet and lifted my soaking shirt off my chest.
“Listen. I’m fine. Please go back down and enjoy yourself,” Rachel said, examining the bites on her arms.
I held the elevator door for her. “The only reason I’m going back down is to finally give Britt a piece of my mind.”
Rachel found her key and unlocked the door. “No, don’t. It’s my fault I let her lure me into that kind of trap. I do have to say that bitch is diabolical.” She stared down at her legs. Dozens of tiny welts had popped up all over her feet and calves. “How are there fire ants near the beach? Ugh, they burn like hell.”
“Those bites don’t look good,” I said, typing how to treat fire ant sting into a Google search on my phone.
“You don’t have to stay with me, Cam.”
“Says here you should ice them. I’m going to go get you lots of ice.”
“I’ll take a cold shower.”
“You’re freezing already.”
Rachel’s mouth quirked up at the corners. “I appreciate you being concerned, but I’ll wait for whatever medication Jill is having sent up, and then I’ll take a lukewarm shower.”
I shoved my phone back in my pocket. “Tell you what. I’m going to find Britt and throw her in the ocean, find some ice and some Benadryl, and meet you back here so I can order room service.”
“Cam …”
“Unless you don’t want me to stay with you,” I said, taking a step closer to her. “If you need space or really want to be alone … no problem.”
Even as that statement left my mouth, I was hoping she would want me to stay with her. What Britt had done had made my blood boil over like an unwatched pot on a stove. At the same time, the urge to take care of Rachel overwhelmed me.
Rachel bobbed her head up and down. “I want you to stay.”