Chapter 10
— Scout —
I tossed two painkillers into my mouth, washed them down with a swig of bottled water, then another when it felt like the dry pills had stuck halfway down my throat.
As I recapped the water, I shook my head while thinking about Remmy. Last night had been wild . Remmy had been wild. And now that I’d found the mystery woman from the restaurant, I wouldn’t let her slip through my fingers a second time.
Despite only knowing her for a few hours, I’d noticed many layers to her. There appeared to be a distinct disconnect between her and the majority of her extended family for no outwardly obvious reason. It didn’t dampen Remmy’s mood though. She literally gave zero fucks about what others through of her. Including me, which was hella refreshing.
I re-showered, then tugged on dark-blue chinos and a pale-blue button-up, then rolled the sleeves to my elbows to make it less dressy. After styling my hair, spritzing cologne, then slipping on the same tan boots I wore yesterday, I put my arm into sling again and left my cabin. A few people smiled at me as I strolled through the rustic lodge toward the dining room where we were all gathering for brunch.
Mercedes’ laugh hit me before I entered the room, and while she joked with a girlfriend, I snuck up behind her and wrapped her in a one-armed hug.
“Good morning, Mrs. Manning,” I murmured into her hair.
Her fingers wrapped around my forearm as she leaned against my shoulder. “Good morning, Scout.”
I chuckled as I laid a kiss on her temple. “Beck didn’t wear you out too much last night, did he?”
She giggled. “Just a little more than usual.”
“And I didn’t expect anything less. Where is he, Merce?”
Her body weight left mine, and she indicated across the room. “He couldn’t wait for a muffin so he’s harassing the staff.”
Sure enough, Beck hovered next to the food table, talking to the waiters while loading his plate with brunch.
I gave Merce a final squeeze and smiled at her friends, then strolled over to Beck with my free hand tucked into my front pocket. “Worked up an appetite, eh?”
His entire face lit, and he swung his arm wide. “Eyyyyyy, Gats. Good morning!”
“How’s married life treatin’ ya, brother?”
Beck’s smile grew impossibly wider. “Day one and it’s really fucking good, bro.” He popped a piece of blueberry muffin in his mouth, then his eyes widened when a thought struck. “Hey, where did you get to last night?”
I smirked. “I was around.”
“Bullshit,” he barked. “Remmy disappeared around the same time. Doesn’t take a scientist to work out that you two either went star gazing, or dick and pussy gazing.”
“Now there’s a new pastime.”
Beckett leaned in and dropped his voice. “Dude, the amount of pussy gazing I did last night, I all but discovered a new galaxy.”
I threw back my head and roared with laughter that drew attention.
Beck cleared this throat. “Speaking of pussy gazing…”
Remmy’s perfume hit me as she breezed past and wrapped Beckett in a congratulatory hug. Beck smirked over her shoulder, having caught me checking out Remmy’s pert ass and long legs.
“I’m gonna go say hi to Merce,” Remmy stated, then barely spared me a glance as she slipped by.
“Hey.” I snagged her inner elbow, bringing her to a gentle stop. “Why are you suddenly ignoring me?”
I inwardly cringed at how desperate I sounded.
Both her dark eyebrows lifted. “What? You said play it cool.”
“Yeah, play it cool like casual—not ice maiden,” I deadpanned.
Green eyes locked on mine in a silent challenge that neither of us were willing to back down from. As much as I wanted to, I refused to let my eyes dip to the deep valley of her cleavage roped off by a black string laced back and forth over her chest.
Eventually, the corner of her matte pale-peach lips twitched. “Trust me, Ace, if I went ice maiden on your ass, you’d be cowering instead of clawing my arm in desperation.”
I recoiled as if she was a hot poker. “There’s no desperation.”
Remmy leaned in, inhaled, then smirked. “You reek of it.”
My chin snapped back in offense. She literally had me choking on my tongue. “I don’t fucking reek of it.”
She sniffed again, obviously holding back laughter. “Yeah, you do. Later, Ace.”
“The fuck? Remmy, get back here,” I whisper-yelled, only to receive a brief flutter of her fingers as she walked away.
A snicker then a jolt to my shoulder severed the glare I held on Remmy.
“I’m with Remmy. You reek of desperation, Gats.”
“Oh, fuck off, Beckett.”
He laughed around his mouthful, then pointed at the food. “Fill your plate, bro, then come sit with me. I’m not done hassling you yet.”
Chuckling and shaking my head, I did as he invited, muttering internally to myself and holding a silent argument with Remmy. The fuck I was desperate. I was Scout Gatlin, leading pitcher for the Portland Bears for Christ’s sake. Scout Gatlin didn’t get desperate or clingy. The fact that Remmy had merely suggested it ground my gears.
With my plate full, I dropped into the chair next to Beck with a hard exhale. Maybe food was what I needed. I hadn’t eaten since dinner last night, and while the meds had stopped my elbow aching for the moment, my belly had started to clench.
I shoved a forkful of scrambled eggs into my mouth, then cut a breakfast muffin in half, all while keeping a casual eye on Remmy breezing across the room in that sleeveless black jumpsuit and high heels.
Beckett’s scoff came from beside me. “She must have been good. You’ve barely taken your eyes off her.”
I shoved a chunk of breakfast muffin into my mouth and chewed savagely. “It’s not just about that, Beck. I’ve met her before and let her slip through my fingers, so now we’ve bumped into each other again…” I trailed off, feeling like a fool for rambling on.
“She’s the one that got away from the great Scout Gatlin,” he teased, lifting his inked arm for dramatic effect.
“Well, when you put it like that, I sound like an asshole,” I drawled, then popped another quarter of muffin into my mouth.
He clapped my shoulder hard before his wife slid into the chair on his left. While all the attention was angled her way, a subtle brush on my opposite upper arm had my head turning to find Remmy making herself comfortable on my right.
“I would ask if this seat is taken, but it’s clearly not,” she joked.
I locked down a smile. “I could have been saving it for someone.”
Eyes brimming with amusement locked onto mine. “Oh yeah? Who?”
One name came to mind. “Ella.”
Remmy scoffed and stirred fresh fruit into her yogurt. “Liar.”
She had me there. After swallowing more scrambled egg, I lifted the carafe of water. “Fuck water?”
Remmy burst out laughing behind her hand. “Oh my god, what is fuck water ?”
I felt my face heat with embarrassment, and it didn’t help that Beck and Mercedes had overheard my blunder.
“Shhh,” I hissed to Remmy. “I was thinking about last night while offering you water. It came out as fuck water, okay?”
She leaned back in her seat and laughed silently, holding her stomach.
Growing impatient, I filled her glass, then mine. “You’re getting water whether you want it or not.”
“But what if I wanted fuck water?” she teased.
That was my in for something more than a wedding fling. And I smirked and unashamedly shot my shot. “For that, you’ll need to give me your number, honey.”