Chapter 14
fourteen
RUBY
My body freezes and my heart literally stops at the sound of a deep, masculine voice behind me, “Well, well, well. What’s going on here?” We are so fucked, and not in the good way when you’re naked. Right now, all I can think about is I’m about to be arrested for being naked in public. Meaning, I’ll be in jail on my wedding day, rocking an orange jumpsuit and not my gorgeous gown. Speaking of clothes, I’d really like mine right about now.
Turning my head, I look toward the dock and I see two feet clad in black boots. Ever so slowly, I trace my gaze up and when I see who it is, a small gasp escapes me. Before us is Drew Westwood—Deputy Drew Westwood. He has a smug smirk on his face. “Thought you were here looking into hooligans swimming naked in the lake, I didn’t realize you were the hooligan swimming naked in the lake.”
“Is there any chance you can forget you saw this?” Maddox asks, swimming over to the dock. He rests his arms on the edge and stares up at his deputy.
“We can … but it will cost you.”
“What will your silence cost?” Maddox asks as he pulls himself up and out of the water. Not showing an ounce of shame at flashing his dick to his deputy. If I wasn’t mortified, I’d take the moment to appreciate his toned back and muscular ass—you could literally bounce a quarter off those glutes—but I need to focus on the mess we’re in right now.
“Fuck, dude, put your junk away. Is that?—”
“Deal,” Maddox says, outstretching his hand to Drew.
“If it means you put that anaconda away, you have a deal.”
“Excellent,” Maddox replies with a nod before bending down and pulling his pants back on. Sliding his feet into his boots, sans socks, he then picks up his shirt, pulls one arm in, and looks down to Sab and me. “Ladies, I suggest you keep the skinny-dipping for after-hours so as to not traumatize the locals.” He looks to Drew and hits him in the arm. “Hey, stop perving at my sister or I’ll be forced to tell Georgie you were looking at another woman.”
“I wasn’t perving,” he defends himself.
“Why not?” Sab calls out. “My tits are fabulous for having had two kids sucking on them.” She pushes the girls together to perk them up, and I laugh when I see both Mad and Drew quickly avert their gaze and look the other way.
“Bye, ladies,” Maddox says with a wave over his shoulder before shoving Drew to get moving. Drew follows Mad, not saying goodbye, but I think the poor man is traumatized right now.
“Oh my God,” I cry out when they’re gone. “I was sure we were going to be arrested.”
“Please,” Sab says. “My brother is the sheriff.”
“So?”
“He’s like, untouchable.”
“This isn’t television. He’s subject to all the laws we are.” How she is so calm after what just happened, I will never know. My heart is still racing. “Maybe we should head back inside. ”
“Yeah, I think we should. My vagina is going to freeze off, and I reckon my nipples could cut glass right now. They have never been this stiff before. Not even when Eamon and I tried ice play.”
“I don’t want to know about that.” I scoff, splashing water at her.
“You really should try it. It’s so fun and the orgasm afterward? In-fucking-tense.”
“What makes you think I’m a kinky bitch?”
“Hello, you peddle porn for a living.”
“I do not peddle porn! I sell romance novels.”
“Potato. Vodka. Now, let’s head inside. My buzz is wearing off and my?—”
“Let’s go,” I interrupt before she can tell me about her vagina and nipples again.
Bringing out our inner Jennifer Garner in Alias , we sneak back up to the cottage and we make it back without seeing anyone. We each head to our room and when I close the door, I make a beeline for the shower. Turning the water on, I wait for it to heat up and when I step under the spray, the hot water burns my skin. It stings in a similar way to when I jumped into the lake but as my skin heats up, the pain dissipates.
Climbing out, I dry myself off and pull on a pair of yoga pants and a ‘SMUT UNIVERSITY’ sweatshirt I recently got into the store. With my fluffy socks in hand, I grab my phone and when I unlock it, I’m disappointed when I don’t have a message from Joel. I haven’t seen or heard from him since our lunch on Friday. I thought he’d at least text to say good morning or night, but there’s nothing. I know I could text him, too, so I decide to do just that.
RUBY
Hey, Joel. Hope you’re having a good weekend. I’ve had a great time with Sab. It’s just what I needed with the chaos of final wedding prep about to start. Love you Xo
Walking out to the living room, I find Sab in the kitchen. She’s opened a bottle of red and she’s started prepping her famous risotto for dinner—l ooks like I’m off the hook for dinner but I will make cheesecake for dessert once she’s done. “If I was into chicks, I would totally marry you.”
“And what’s not to love?”
“Thank you,” I tell her as I pull out a chair at the island and watch her.
“For what?”
“This weekend. Apart from almost getting arrested, it’s been a blast and just what I needed.”
“Well, I’m happy to do it. You’re my sister from another mister, and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”
“Back at ya, lady.”
Her mouth opens and closes, like she wants to say something else, but the timer on the oven snares her attention and the moment passes.
After finishing the bottle of wine while I whip up the cheesecake, Sab opens another while it’s setting and then we spend the rest of the evening in front of the television, watching Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL . The credits roll and when I look over at my bestie, I see her staring at me. “What?” I ask. “Do I have chocolate on my face?” She shakes her head. “Then what?”
“I want to say something but I’m not sure how you’re going to take it. ”
“You can tell me anything,” I tell her.
“I know but, well…”
“Spit it out, Whitworth.”
“You haven’t called me Whitworth since I married Eamon.”
“You’re stalling and, to be honest, you’re scaring me.”
“Okay, well, ummm, it’s about Joel and you.”
“Go on,” I urge her but with how scared she is to tell me, I’m kinda scared too.
“Joel is a great guy and all that jazz, but are you sure he’s the one?”
“Yes?” I reply but it comes out as more of a question than an affirmative answer. “Why do you say that?”
“He hasn’t called you once this weekend. Eamon and I have spoken morning and night.”
“But you have the girls,” I remind her.
“We do, but I have also spoken to him and just him, but it’s not just that. He hasn’t done anything for the wedding. It’s all been left up to you. The two of you don’t even live together—” I go to interrupt her but she halts me with her hand. “And don’t give me the ‘we will after we get married’ bullshit. Couples live together before they get married, this isn’t the eighteen hundreds anymore. You and he don’t have anything in common and need I remind you, on Friday, he bought you fungi soup. If that isn’t a red flag, I don’t know what it.” She pauses. “I just want you to be sure he’s what you want. You read all these stories about men who would die for their women and then you end up with Joel—the complete opposite.”
“Joel’s sweet and reliable and I can count on him.”
“I never said you couldn’t but tell me this, when he kisses you, does everything around you fade away? Does it feel like it’s just the two of you? Because if that doesn’t happen, he’s not your penguin.”
Sitting here, I process her words. I don’t know what to say because all the points she made are valid, but I love him. And love conquers all, right?
The next morning, I wave bye to Sab and she heads back to her family. I ask her to drop me off at home so I can pop a load of laundry in before I head into work. It’s always busy this time of year with last-minute Christmas shoppers and with planning a wedding as well, I will be rushed off my feet.
Unlocking the front door, I step inside and head into my bedroom. Dropping my bag on the bed, I begin to unpack before I grab the laundry hamper, and I pop a load in.
Walking back into the living room, my gaze lands on the Christmas ornament Sab gave me. It really is beautiful, and I think about what the shopkeeper told her when she bought it. The ornament is enchanted, and the person who receives it will be able to look into their future to find their true love. “ Okay, ornament, let’s try again and see if you really are enchanted.” Walking over to the tree, I cup the star in my palm. “Show me my true love.”
DING DONG
My eyes widen at the sound of my doorbell. Walking over to the door, I swing it open and I’m surprised at who I see standing there.