Chapter Thirteen
ZANDER STOOD SHIRTLESS and barefoot on the beach behind his house, coffee mug in hand, watching the morning waves roll in as an app on his phone read him information from a website.
He heard the patio door open, and something inside him lit up.
Shauna. He was worried she’d change her mind about getting married, and he’d be right back to square one, trying to figure out how to convince her to let him help with Brian.
His inclination was to turn around and ask if she had changed her mind, but he fought that urge, which was no easy feat for a guy who acted first and worried about repercussions later.
But things were different with Shauna. She’d been through so much, he was determined to let her breathe this morning and ease her into that conversation.
“Good morning,” she said as he turned around. Her eyes widened, and she lowered her voice. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were on the phone.”
“I’m not.” He ended the text-to-speech narration, drinking her in. Damn. His future wife looked hot in the morning. Her messy dark hair tumbled over the shoulders of her lavender sweatshirt, which covered all but the hem of her shorts. “I was just listening to something.”
“Oh, good.” Those dimples came out to play as she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. “Brr. Aren’t you cold?”
“Not anymore. Have you seen yourself in those shorts? I might have to buy you some baggy sweatpants…and a mask.”
“You’re into thunder thighs and masks? Okay, weirdo.”
“I’m the king of causing thunder between thighs,” he said arrogantly, chuckling at the eyeroll it earned. “And the mask is to cover that gorgeous smile of yours and those insane dimples. They’re too fucking cute, and don’t knock my future wife’s thick, juicy thighs. They saved my life.”
“Your future wife?” she asked carefully. “Does that mean you haven’t changed your mind?”
“Wickeds never back out of a deal.” He draped an arm over her shoulder, pulling her against his side. “You’re stuck with me, Flores, and you’re stuck with this.” He handed her the coffee mug. “I tried your recipe of twelve parts creamer to one part coffee. I don’t know how you drink that shit.”
“Easy. I hate the taste of coffee, and I love everything French vanilla.”
“Guess that makes sense. Hold the mug between both hands. It’ll warm you up.”
“I’m already getting warmer. You’re like an oven.”
“You calling me hot, darlin’? Because I’m not sleeping with you no matter how much you compliment me. That’s not what this arrangement is about.”
“Oh, darn,” she said sarcastically.
“I knew you’d regret it.”
“Shut up.” She nudged him with her arm. “Do you have coffee out here every morning?”
“I never did until after the accident. I used to take a lot of shit for granted.”
She sipped the coffee. “Mm. Your taste buds must be broken. This is perfect.”
“Good. Let me know when you’ve had enough caffeine to talk about Brian.”
She went rigid against him. “Did something happen?”
“No. I talked to Zeke a little while ago, and Brian was still out cold.”
“Good. I feel horrible about bringing your brothers and cousins into this. I’d better get ready. I should be there when Brian wakes up.”
“I don’t think you should. It’s best if we let the guys handle him while we take care of all the things we need to do. Like finding him a rehab center. If we can find one that’ll take him, then we’ll need to talk him into going.”
“I’ve been thinking about that.” She gazed out at the water, then down at the mug in her hands, worry riddling her features.
“What if he won’t go? I mean, I hope he will.
He was so happy when he got out from under his addiction before, and I know in my heart he’ll want that again.
But he may not hear what’s in his heart when he’s this lost. What if he’s pissed, like you were worried about?
Or if he takes off and we can’t find him? ”
“He can’t take off with the guys there, and there’s nothing my brothers can’t handle.
Blaine can be a bulldozer, but in this circumstance, that’s not a bad thing, and Zeke will keep him in line.
If anyone can find a way to calm Brian down, it’ll be Zeke.
He’s the most intuitive person I know. He was one of the best special ed teachers on the Cape. ”
“If he was such a good teacher, why did he stop?”
“Because some asshole made derogatory comments about the kids and took it too far. Zeke put him in his place, and lost his job because of it.”
Her eyes widened. “He beat the guy up?”
“Zeke gave him what he deserved. He has the patience of a saint, which should tell you how far that guy pushed him. But Zeke still helps kids. In addition to working with us, he tutors middle schoolers and volunteers at the community center. Like I said, you won’t find better guys to watch over Brian. ”
“They won’t hurt him, will they?”
“No. Even if he comes at them, they know how to handle it without hurting him. Through the club, we’re pretty well versed in handling the complexities of addiction, and they’ll keep us up to date throughout the day while we look for a rehab center for Brian.”
“Okay. I’m still worried about convincing him to go.”
“I know he has to want it for himself, but he was in bad shape last night. I don’t think you’re wrong to worry that he’ll end up hurting himself or someone else.
You’ll need to use all the tools in your toolbox.
If he won’t do it for himself, maybe he’ll do it for you, which isn’t the best tactic, but if it gets him in the door, it might be enough to save him. ”
“That’s what I was thinking, too. He doesn’t know about the letter from the attorney, so please don’t tell him.”
“That’s not my story to tell. Do you want me to keep it from my family?”
“As much as I’d like to say yes because it’s embarrassing and makes me look like a taker, I’d never ask you to do that. Plus, I just saw your back. You have a huge tattoo that says Family with intricate roots snaking through the letters. That tells me how important they are to you.”
“They absolutely are, and I appreciate you not asking me to lie to them. That said, it shouldn’t be embarrassing that you’ll go to any length to help a friend, and a taker would’ve taken the money the first time I offered.
I’ll deal with my family when the time is right.
But first, let’s get things in order. Do you have a copy of your birth certificate? ”
“I have the original. It’s at my house. Brian made me take it when we ran away. Why?”
Brian really had watched out for her. “You need it to get married.”
“Okay,” she said a little shakily. “I hate to be pushy, but like I said, we should do it fast so I can pay you back as quickly as possible.”
“I’ve already checked into it. Once we apply for the marriage license, it takes a few days for it to come through.
I figured we’d apply today and schedule a date for the wedding with the justice of the peace.
If you tell me where your birth certificate is, I’ll have Blaine meet us at the end of the road with it on our way out. ”
“And you’re sure I shouldn’t see Brian first?”
“You can if you really want to, but I think it’ll be harder to convince him to go anywhere if you’re talking in hypotheticals rather than having a plan in place.
I know you’re strong, but if he starts making promises and begging you to trust him, it’s going to be harder for you if you don’t have a next step readily available.
If we’re lucky enough to find a place to take him quickly, that’s a fire in your belly, too. ”
Her brow knitted. “You’re right. I just feel guilty leaving him to deal with strangers.”
“That’s because you love him, but you’re doing the right thing.”
“I don’t have any doubt about that. He needs help.”
“That’s today’s goal.” He tried to lighten the mood. “Well, that and starting the process for that ball and chain linking you to the hottest guy in Bayside.” That earned a smile. “You should write a prenup to protect yourself. I don’t want you worrying about me going after any of your stuff.”
She looked at him like he was nuts. “You have a beach house, a truck, a motorcycle, and who knows what else, and you’re worried about protecting me?”
“You’re going to be my wife. My top priority is protecting you.” He opened the patio door and said, “Let’s go, Angel. Time to fuel up and figure our shit out.”
ZANDER WASN’T KIDDING about fueling up. He made a feast of eggs, pancakes, and sausage, and when Shauna said she wasn’t a big breakfast eater, he lectured her about the importance of eating protein in the morning.
“I work out every day and I’m doing just fine, thank you.” She snuggled Kitty as Zander set two plates, piled high with food, on the island.
“You work out every day?” He pulled out a chair for her.
She put Kitty on the floor by her food dish and sat beside Zander. “Yes.”
“Cool. What gym are we going to?”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t know how trusts or inheritances work, but I’d imagine they’re not okay with a fake relationship. Do you know if there are home visits, or do they talk to friends and family? Or your boss?”
“I don’t know. I wasn’t planning on getting married, so I never called the attorney.”
“You should probably do that today. If I’m going to be your husband, it has to look real. I assume you’ll need to move in here, and we’ll need to be seen together. Working out together makes that easy.”
Wow, he’d really put some thought into this. “Okay. I guess we can work out together when I’m not at the firehouse or taking a pole class, assuming you’re not at work. I guess that means evenings or maybe weekends.”
“We’ll figure it out.” He ate a bite of sausage. “How do you like pole class?”
“I love it. I wanted something different and fun. It’s a great workout. I had no idea how hard it would be when I first started.” She lifted the edge of her shorts, showing him a bruise on her thigh. “Hard-earned bruises.”
“Better than the other kind,” he said. “I can’t wait to watch you work that pole.”
“I don’t work the pole. I’m not a stripper. And you’re not coming to my pole class.”
“What’s wrong with wanting to see my wife do what she loves?”
“Zander,” she warned.
“We can talk about it later. I know you’ve got a lot on your mind right now.” He nodded to her fork. “Eat up so we can get started.”
“You’re going to be my husband, not my boss, so please don’t tell me what to do.”
“Sorry for trying to look after you.” He dunked a piece of pancake into a pool of syrup, and the sight of it was so tempting, her mouth watered. “I’ve never had to answer to anyone, and the last thing I want to be is someone else’s boss.”
“Good.” She doused her pancakes with syrup and cut off a piece. As she lifted her fork to her mouth, Zander’s lips quirked in amusement. “I’m not eating this because you told me to.”
“I didn’t say anything.” He ate another bite.
“You said plenty. Just not out loud.”
“Listen to you, sounding like my wifey already.”