Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
Wendy stood beside Jane. Out of all the women here, she knew Jane the most—probably because she was Serenity’s sister. Jane had been kind and outgoing when they’d first met. It was no wonder people were drawn to her.
Currently, though, Jane didn’t seem the least bit thrilled about going on an overnight camp outing. Sure, they were only minutes away by horseback, but they were still expected to rough it for a night.
Jane uncrossed then crossed her arms before huffing. “Okay, even I have to admit this is a bit much.”
Wendy bit back a smile, cutting a glance in Jane’s direction as the guys loaded up horses and an ATV with a trailer. It looked like all the women would be staying in one tent while the men were in the other. “Not much of a camper, huh?” she murmured.
Jane huffed again. “I’m not against sleeping under the stars every once in a while…
” The way she trailed off made it more than clear that might have been a true statement once upon a time, but now?
Jane wasn’t interested. Maybe being married to one of the wealthiest men this side of the Mississippi had changed her even if it was a little bit.
“What happened to going to Vegas or Hawaii?”
Hiding a smile behind her hand, Wendy shrugged.
“I don’t know, but I would guess that Serenity and Reese are just happy with sharing their joy at home—with the people that matter most.” That, and they were probably being considerate of financial restraints.
Wendy certainly wouldn’t have been able to afford leaving town.
Jane’s expression remained pinched, but she nodded. “Yeah, I can understand that I guess. There’s something nice about being part of this big family, you know?”
Wendy knew just how wonderful it was to have a large, close family. And not people who were related by blood. Some of her family back in Georgia were chosen family—friends who she would donate a kidney to without a second thought.
As if against her will, her focus slid to Tripp.
It was really too bad that he was such a player.
She couldn’t help but wonder if he treated his family like he treated the revolving door of women in his life.
Olivia had told her about Tripp’s tastes when they’d been in college to which Wendy had warned her to be careful.
It didn’t help matters much to find out that Tripp was seen with another girl not even a week after he’d broken things off with Olivia.
If steam could have erupted from Wendy’s ears, it would have.
She’d gone from enjoying Jane’s company to seething mad in less than five minutes.
Her face felt hot and was likely flushed.
She needed to breathe. Tripp might have hurt Olivia, but her best friend was doing better now.
She was married. Had one kid and another on the way.
Wendy knew Olivia well enough to know she wouldn’t want Wendy holding this grudge.
At least that would be what she’d say out loud.
Didn’t mean she meant it, though. Wendy had been there when Olivia had been broken hearted over that sorry excuse for a man.
How he’d managed to make her fall in love with him was still beyond Wendy’s understanding.
An elbow dug into her side and Wendy jumped and looked over to find Jane giving her a strange look. There was a little concern, but more amusement in those eyes. “You doing okay?”
“Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?”
Jane snickered. “Because you’re staring at Tripp like you want to bite his head off. I can tell you right now, he’s not as delicious as he looks.”
And now Wendy was blushing for an entirely different reason. “I’m not—he’s not—I hate him,” she finished lamely.
Jane full out laughed. “Really? That’s the story we’re going with here?”
“What?” Wendy demanded. “I do. He’s not a good guy.”
Jane cast a glance to Tripp and to Wendy’s mortification, he was looking at them.
It was clear to anyone watching who they were having a conversation about.
Wendy turned so Tripp couldn’t see her face as well, then she muttered, “He’s a jerk.
I get that technically he’s your family, but he’s been nothing but—”
“Good morning, Miss Scott,” came the low, almost seductive tenor of the one man she wanted nothing to do with.
She spun to face him, eyes narrowed. “How’s the truck?”
His smooth expression cracked but only momentarily. Then he flashed her a grin. “Not a scratch on her. Safe and sound.” He leaned entirely too close to her so Jane couldn’t hear his next words. “Not that I can say the same about you.”
Wendy stiffened. Was that a threat? Of course it was. He was already planning his retaliation.
Was it bad that after the initial wariness passed, a thread of excitement snaked its way into her body? Probably. She wasn’t going to look too closely at her reaction. This was now their thing. Wendy did something to mess with him and he retaliated.
She swallowed the golf-ball sized lump in her throat then attempted to clear it with a cough.
Jane was watching them far more intently now.
Plastering her brightest smile on her face, Wendy turned to face Tripp and placed a comforting hand to his arm.
A spark of energy nearly had her tearing her hand away, but she pressed forward.
“You don’t have to whisper, Tripp. We’re all friends here. ”
He frowned, obviously confused and her smile widened.
“I’m sure there are plenty of full-grown adults who need nightlights to chase away bad dreams.” It was a weak attempt to make him uncomfortable and she knew it. With her luck, he wouldn’t care what Jane thought. It wasn’t like he had any reason to flirt with her.
The moment Tripp snaked his arm around her waist to pull her into his chest, she knew she’d made a mistake.
But it was the words he said next that had her body quaking and the unease in her chest morphing into anticipation.
His face was only inches from her own. “Maybe I’ll leave the nightlight behind, and you’ll keep the nightmares at bay. ”
Stunned, she stared into his stormy blue eyes. Her mouth felt like it was full of sand. Her tongue weighed a hundred pounds. And all her usual level-headed thoughts were now in a tizzy. Up was down and hot was cold. She couldn’t breathe.
For a split second, she could finally understand what Olivia had been going through.
To gain the attention of this man in this way did something to the brain chemistry.
The way he held her. The smell of his cologne.
And those eyes! She could happily drown in them.
What she was experiencing in this moment was far away from the typical flirtatious behavior she’d witnessed upon meeting him for the first time.
Only the distinct clearing of a throat was enough to pull her from her spiral. Wendy became all too aware of the situation Tripp had pulled her into. This right here looked intimate. More than intimate, from the outside perspective they appeared to be a couple.
Wendy brought up both hands and pushed against his chest hard. Yes, she knew if he’d wanted to keep her pressed up against him, he’d have no problem accomplishing that. Thankfully, Tripp released her and stepped back a few paces.
She could finally breathe when he gave her distance—gulping in the oxygen—like she’d been stuck under water and starved for it. The dizziness in her head remained even as Tripp sauntered away with a skip in his step and a lighthearted whistle.
Gaping after him, she didn’t realize Jane was still standing there until she let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah,” she drawled, “totally looks like you hate him.” She winked then headed toward her husband.
If Wendy was capable of throwing a full-blown toddler tantrum, she might have done just that.
Tripp had whipped out the big guns, apparently.
She didn’t want anyone believing they were anything more than enemies.
Serenity was fully aware just how much Wendy disliked Tripp, but not the nitty gritty details.
She’d simply asked Wendy to play nice until the wedding was over.
A garbled growl burst free and Wendy marched off toward her horse. It was going to be a long night.
The location for their little campout was beautiful.
They’d gone into the edge of the woods that sat on the perimeter of the property so they’d have coverage from the sun during the hottest part of the day.
The guys had set to work immediately setting up tents, canopies, and putting together the fire pit.
The girls had grouped together to prep dinner.
It was nice, this camaraderie, this family.
She really had missed it.
The afternoon wore on without incident, though Wendy could feel Tripp’s eyes on her for most of it. The more time that passed, the more anxious she became. The anticipation for whatever was to come continued to build until she wasn’t sure she could handle it any longer.
They had their dinner and the bonfire was lit. A couple of the guys pulled out their guitars and everyone sat around the flames. Sparks shot into the sky like miniature fireworks. Wendy allowed her focus to drift to the other couples, enjoying the little nuances between them.
Most people couldn’t tell the differences between certain relationships.
Some started out as friendship. Those were more playful and lighthearted.
They could tease each other good naturedly one second then share a passionate kiss the next.
Others were more deeply rooted in desire.
They weren’t any less strong, quite the contrary.
Wendy had always felt the heady, almost palpable draw those couples had for each other.
And she wanted that, too.
She craved it.
In all the romance books she read, that passionate, inability to live without the other called to her. Yet, she hadn’t managed to find it for herself. It was her fault, really. She had a hard time letting people in.