Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
CARLIE
When we get to the waterfall and pool at the end of the hike, it’s absolutely stunning. It’s not crowded, but there are more than a few families and couples up here. Jett passes off Ruby to me, and he and Law take the boys to swim toward where the waterfall splashes into the pool. I shed my shorts and tank top to take Ruby into one of the shallower ends and glance toward Law, I guess hoping he notices me. His gaze flickers toward me, then away. It’s the same swimsuit I was wearing earlier, a pair of high-waisted bottoms that does some nice things to shape my butt and a basic thin-strap top with turquoise and white stripes. Somehow it’s different when I’m not lounging on the beach.
I set Ruby on my hip and wade out, finding a good spot where she can sit down and splash. Ava sits on a log that’s lying nearby, setting her tennis shoes behind her and putting her feet in the water. I smile at the way she stares at her ring.
“Do you guys have a date yet?” I’m careful to keep my voice down. Jett and Law have caused a few people to turn and stare. When Jett first got into the water with the boys, I heard someone near whisper, “Is that seriously Jett McCombs?” When I glance up at them again, a man has actually approached, holding up his phone. Jett shakes his head, probably explaining apologetically that he doesn’t take pictures with the boys, who are perched on Jett’s and Law’s shoulders, respectively.
“We talked about eloping this weekend, having Jett fly out his parents too, but this is the beach wedding that Gabriella didn’t get. We didn’t want to take away from that, even though she probably would have loved it, to be honest.” Ava laughs. “Whatever we do will be small and spur of the moment. The family has all been warned. I don’t want tabloid photographers stalking my wedding.”
I scowl. I don’t blame her. Jett has always been wary of social media and sharing too much of his personal life, and Ava has had her share of people trolling her and making life miserable. It’s no wonder they want to keep this special moment of theirs private for as long as possible.
“That kind of sucks, not to get to plan a big wedding—especially when the groom is loaded.” I shoot her a smile so she knows I’m teasing.
“Oh, it will still be a big deal.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “I planned weddings for a while, and I know who to trust.”
Ruby reaches for Ava, who scoops her up and then slides into the pool with her.
I lean back on my hands, my attention straying back to Jett and Law. “Is it hard, having everything under scrutiny?” I ask.
“It’s different,” Ava says, sympathy automatically crossing her expression.
I focus on the water, waving my hands back and forth. Jett and Devin are really close, so Jett is like a part of my family, meaning he and Ava know about Xavier and everything that happened. It’d be hard not to know about all of that. Xavier’s arrest was huge news, and there were more than a few pictures of me.
“And Jett has always been a big deal, as long as I’ve dated him,” Ava says. I’m glad she moved quickly past my five minutes of fame. “Even back in high school, everyone loved him. I’m used to it, mostly.”
“Plus, he’s so great, no one says bad things about him.” I grin.
Ava scoffs. “Never,” she agrees dryly, and we both laugh. There were so many memes last year when Jett threw two interceptions mere plays apart from each other. It did get brushed over quickly, considering the story that emerged later that day was a picture of Ava on the sideline with him and then the news that he’d reunited with his high school sweetheart.
I wish it was Jenna here so I could tell her how scared I am of finding out something about Law. I like him. Earlier, he took my wild imagination seriously. I don’t know if he realized that he got a tiny bit protective after we saw that couple, and the concern in his voice didn’t make me itch the way Ava’s pity kind of does.
We all play for a long time at the pool before finally deciding to head back down the trail. The boys are exhausted now from swimming for so long with Jett and Law, so I take the backpack with Ruby, and the boys ride on Jett’s and Law’s shoulders.
Considering how much I’m around kids, it doesn’t surprise me that seeing Hudson with his arms wrapped around Law’s face both delights me and makes him incredibly attractive. Especially the way he pretends to run into trees anytime Hudson covers Law’s eyes.
I see us, in my mind’s eye, the way we must look. Like we’re a family. Before I can be too twitterpated with that idea, it strikes me that this should be me. With Xavier.
“Hey, you need me to take Ruby?” Law asks, startling me from those thoughts.
“What? No. I’m fine.” I pat her back. She’s sleeping, which isn’t surprising. It’s been go, go, go since we got here.
“You looked like maybe she was wearing you out.” That concern is back, and it makes my chest flutter.
“You just want to show off. One on the shoulders, one on your back.” I eye him playfully.
“There’s someone on my shoulders?” Law says in mock surprise. He spins around like he’s trying to find said someone, making Hudson giggle.
“I’m right here!” he keeps shouting, and then Law pretends to run into another tree.
I can’t help my own laughter. Is falling for a guy because he’s adorable with kids cliché? Because it’s happening to me right now.
By the time we get the kids back to the resort, they’re exhausted. Hudson and Ian fell asleep for a few minutes between the trail and Paia, but stopping to get ice cream woke them up for the rest of the trip. They’re still ready to crash when Jett and I bring them into the room. By the time I get out of the shower, Jenna’s snuggling with the boys in their room and tells me they’re all going to have an early night.
I’m about to agree that I could use that too, when my phone dings with a text from Jett.
Jett
A bunch of us are hitting up a nearby food truck for dinner. Coming?
I laugh a little. I know who a bunch of us is going to include. Jett’s playing matchmaker, which means he approves. That’s comforting. But it doesn’t stop me from feeling like I need to know more.
That I need to know everything.
“What is it?” Jenna asks softly. Both boys have fallen asleep, but she hasn’t moved from where she’s holding them on the bed.
I flip my phone around to show her the text.
“You going?” she asks, barely holding back a smile.
“I like him,” I say, dropping softly into a chair near the bed.
Jenna’s brows furrow. “But?”
“How do I know he’s a good guy?”
Her face tenses in anger. “He’s pretty famous, Car. People would know if he’s a drug kingpin.”
I swallow. Nobody knew that Xavier was. Nobody knew that his financial firm was a huge front and all the money he was making was dirty. Not even me, the woman he was going to marry. The woman who thought she knew everything about him, right down to the weird way he’d brush his teeth, floss, and then brush them again.
“He’s not Xavier,” I say, pushing myself up, but I’m not even sure I really believe that. Maybe he’s not a drug dealer, but Law must have secrets. There’s the whole situation with his family that he danced around this morning when he was talking about his and Ivy’s friendship. And he’s not telling me everything about his feelings on coming to Houston to play for the Pumas.
I remind myself that those are all normal things that people don’t share right away in relationships—family problems, work issues. It doesn’t mean he’s hiding some big skeleton.
Jenna tilts her head over Hudson and eyes me. “The kids are all asleep, so we could walk down to the restaurant. Devin’s just watching TV.” She starts shifting carefully, but I put a hand up to stop her.
“I’m going to go with Jett and Law and whoever else is included in that ‘bunch of us’ reference.” I chew on my lip. “It’s okay for me to see where this goes, even if I’m cautious about it.”
Jenna smiles a little bit, her expression proud like only a big sister’s can be. “What are the chances you fall for two drug dealers?” she asks in a light tone, and I cover my mouth to quiet the sudden huff of laughter that escapes me.
I go with her trying to lighten the tone of the conversation. “Maybe I have a type.”
Jenna tries to hold herself still as she chuckles at that, shaking her head. “Jett likes him, and he’s crazy protective.”
“Jett barely knows him.” I have to point that out. Nobody here really knows Law well, except maybe Ivy.
Jenna shrugs. “Have fun.”
I nod and slip out of the room.