by Jenny Rabe
He groaned. All he could think about was missing her in a swimming suit. Dean glanced at his watch. It would be a long night no matter what he did.
“Do you need anything from the room?” she asked.
He felt the keys in one pocket and his wallet in another. Not really. There was no excuse to walk her back to the room other than the fact that he wanted to.
“No, I have everything I need.”
She reached up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his. “Drive safe and call me when you’re home.”
His eyes lingered on her mouth. “Yeah, okay. I will.” More than anything, he wanted to sweep her into his arms and kiss her deeply, but great relationships take time. He hadn’t waited this long to rush now.
He took both of her hands in his, trying to lengthen their time together. “I’ll meet you at the boat tomorrow night. Hopefully, I’ll make it before it leaves.”
She smiled ruefully. “You’d better. I don’t want to dance by myself.”
He winked and backed away. If he didn’t get going, he’d never leave. “Don’t worry. I wouldn’t miss dancing with you for the world.”
23
Emilie
Emilie frowned as she leaned against the elevator wall while it took her back to her assigned floor. Dean and everyone else exited on the main level, but now she was going back to her room alone with nothing to do.
She unlocked the door and entered the air-conditioned room. Her eyes lingered on Dean’s things, set tidily against the wall, just like everything in his life. His blue suitcase even matched his eyes. How could she already miss him? Stupid boat breaking.
She sighed and went over to her window to check out the many pools the resort had. The water beckoned her. Maybe a quick swim would help her wind down. She changed, grabbed her phone and key, and then headed down to the pool area.
The lights flickered within the pool, setting a calm atmosphere. She walked to the beach entrance, enjoying the way the sand squished between her toes. She inhaled deeply and smiled. Some people hated the chlorine smell, but it was on her top ten list of favorite smells.
When the water reached her thighs, she dove in, starting laps toward the deeper part of the pool. With her head submerged, a picture of Dean kissing her filled her head. She opened her eyes, saw she was alone underwater, and sputtered her way to the top. By the third time, her eyes burned from the chlorine. No more going under the water for her. The swim was supposed to relax her, not key her up again.
She did a few more laps above water before anyone joined her then moved over as someone splashed by. The person stopped and spun around in the water.
“Finn?”
“Swimming late, I see,” Finn said. He flicked his hair to the side like he used to, sending a wave of nostalgia through her. Some things never changed.
She pasted on a calm smile, faced away from him, and proceeded to the shallow end. He followed her to the wall, and she crossed her arms in front of her self-consciously. “It’s a great resort here. You two picked an amazing place.”
“Ava wanted the best.”
Emilie murmured her agreement. She always had.
“So where is Dean?” Finn glanced around the pool area.
Her smile disappeared. “He went home to work. He’ll be back in time for dinner tomorrow night.”
Finn wiped at his eyes. “That’s too bad. The guy works too hard.”
Backing up against the wall, she took a minute to calm her breathing. She hadn’t swum in a while. “Yeah, he does. So are you excited about this weekend?”
He hesitated. “Sure.”
The uncertainty in his voice made Emilie forget her self-consciousness. “That doesn’t sound good. Anything wrong?” Did she want to know? She held up a hand to stop him. “Actually, it’s all right. You don’t have to tell me.”
He gave a heavy sigh. “It’s better if I tell someone. Yes and no. You probably know all this, but Dean and I talked while golfing together.”
She nodded, worry slipping into her head. Had Dean planted doubt in Finn’s mind about Ava? “I heard you talked, yes.”
“First of all, I’m unsettled about the way I treated you in high school. It was the wrong way to approach the breakup. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am for the bad timing and the hurt I caused you.”
Emilie froze. Her heart crashed hard in her chest. Bad timing? Hurt? That was a good way of summing it up. “I didn’t realize you had a thing for Ava. It must’ve been hard to date me while still having feelings for her.”
His forehead creased. Maybe he considered her words. “When we started dating, I’d given up on dating Ava completely. Ava never gave me the time of day. You were always nice, and I used dating you as a motive to move on. I never knew Ava felt the same way about me. She turned me down a lot.”
Emilie raised one eyebrow. This was new information. “You asked her out before we dated?”
He nodded and wiped at his eyes again. “Many times. I’m surprised she never told you.”
Emilie propped her arms up behind her and leaned back against the cement pool side. More lies tied to Ava. “There’s plenty we never talked about. She didn’t find about my mom’s sickness until recently.”
“I was one of the few who knew?” His voice softened. When she nodded, his face twisted with anguish. “I’m a real jerk.”
“It’s not your fault. This one was all me. I should’ve let more people in, but I was scared.”
“That’s understandable.” He settled back against the wall, staring ahead. Great. She had made him feel worse. An apology was nice to hear, no matter how late it was, but she hated that it had sunk him deeper into confusion.
“Don’t worry, I’ve put all of that in the past. I appreciate your apology, but don’t be too hard on yourself. Just focus on Ava.”
His face flickered with worry. “I’m not sure about anything anymore.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “What’s going on? Anything you want to talk about?” The sudden realization of her sheer stupidity slammed into her. She immediately retracted her hand. It wasn’t her place. He needed to talk to Ava, not her.
He splashed in the water, making little circles with his hand. “I’m actually glad you’re here. Maybe you can help me figure things out.”
Her blood turned cold. “Why me?”
Finn laughed loudly, making her look around to see who’d caught their interaction. She slipped out of the pool and sat on the edge with her legs dangling in the water. More distance between them was better. She didn’t need anybody to misunderstand.
“I thought I knew Ava, but lately, she’s been surprising me at every corner. When we first started dating, I thought she really liked me. We had fun together, and it felt great to have someone who relied on me. She uses me for my money, but I always thought it never came before her feelings for me. Now, I’m not sure.”
Lately? It floored her he was figuring this out after they were engaged. The week of their wedding. There weren’t many positive facts she could share without ruining the image he had of Ava. It was time to practice what Gail preached and have people figure it out on their own. “Not sure I can give you much advice about Ava. It’s been too long, and we only reunited a few weeks ago. Whatever you do, I hope it’s what’s best for you.”
Emilie bit her tongue then swung her legs out of the water and stood. Before she said any more, she was going to get out of there. Finn and Ava’s relationship was deteriorating before her eyes. “I better get going.”
Finn followed her to the towel rack, not missing a beat. Before she could snatch a towel and run, he reached for her arm. “Please tell me Ava is not marrying me for my money.” She turned with wide eyes and met his pleading look. All this time, he’d known. She couldn’t believe it. “Am I making the wrong decision?”
Emilie’s heart pounded so hard she could barely think. Here was her ex-boyfriend, genuine and as nice as ever, somewhat misguided and ignorant, but someone who deserv
ed to be loved. She shook her head, trying to fight away the worry growing in the pit of her stomach. Ava also deserved someone devoted to her.
“Y-yes. I mean, no,” she quickly corrected. “Two people can make it work if they both try. Ava may love money, but I’m sure she loves you more.” Almost sure. Emilie debated telling him she didn’t know, but that would be a lie. She had a hunch. But an outsider’s hunch shouldn’t be the cause of a broken relationship.
Finn blew out a heavy sigh. “Thanks, Emilie, for saying that.”
“No problem.” She grabbed a towel and backed away, stumbling over a potted plant and barely catching her balance in time. “You’ll figure it out.”
Finn righted the plant for her and pointed to the pool. “I’m going to get back to my swim.”
She waved once before he turned around and jumped in the water. Before she made any more mistakes, it was time to leave.
24
Dean
It rained the next day with no signs of stopping. Dean checked in the tiny office at the docks, but his guys had gone home. He thought about hightailing it back to Emilie, but instead donned an orange poncho and went down to the docks to check the boat.
He turned the key and it roared to life. Turds. Seconds later, the engine sputtered and cut off. He tried the key again, but the engine stalled. Time for a routine safety check. Gas in the tank, but the oil was low. Either Ranger had lied and hadn’t checked, or he’d need to give the guys a good talk about oil levels.
He spent the morning changing the oil tank, cleaning the engine and doing routine maintenance, all while being rained on. It eventually quit about noon, but by then, he was done with his work and ready for a shower. Good thing his dad had taught him not only how to fish but how to keep his boats in running order.
He went home and showered, doctored the blisters on his hands then did a few chores around the house. When it was time to head back, he gave Emilie a call.
“It rained out by the docks, so I’ll be coming back a little earlier.”
“Oh, Dean.” Her voice was muffled as she spoke into the phone. “I did something bad.”
He stilled, wanting to catch every word. “Wh-what happened?”
She sniffled before answering. “I saw Finn at the pool last night, and we talked.”
Fear sling-shotted itself through his body. Dozens of bad scenarios filtered through his head while she sobbed into the phone. He took a calming breath then spoke.
“Emilie, it’s all right. Tell me what happened.”
He sat in the nearest seat while she told him about swimming and meeting Finn in the pool. “Everything was fine right until I was ready to leave.”
His heart thumped loudly in his ears, blocking out her voice. He shook his head, willing the sound to still so he could hear. Adrenaline raced through his body while he thought of the worst. “Did he hurt you? Are you okay?”
She gave a weak laugh. “No, nothing like that. I’m okay.”
Dean let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness. So what’s wrong then?”
“I wouldn’t say I planted doubt in Finn’s mind, since he already knows Ava is using him for money, but I don’t think I helped anything.”
“Wait, he knows?”
“He suspects. I didn’t feel like I should be the one to confirm anything.”
Dean nodded. Things could backfire, hurting Emilie, too. “I agree. Is there anything I can do?”
“Hurry and get here so I won’t make any more stupid mistakes.” Her voice was sweet and oh so tempting. If he could fly there, he would. He checked the time.
“I was just about to head back.” He grabbed his keys and left the house, locking the door behind him.
“Wait,” she said suddenly, stopping him in his tracks on the way to the truck. “Maybe there is something you can do. I feel like this wedding is going to end in disaster. Can you stop by Gail’s house one more time and beg her to come? Tell her about the new circumstances. See if she’ll reconsider.”
He unfroze, took a few more steps and jumped into the driver’s seat. “Okay, but I don’t want you to get your hopes up.”
Dean knocked on Gail’s door then checked the driveway again to reaffirm her car was still there. After a minute, he tried again. It wasn’t too far of a walk, but Gail didn’t seem like a person who’d walk to her office in high heels.
After a minute and some more knocking, the door swung open, showing Gail’s stern face. She brightened when she saw him. “Dean Wright! What are you doing here at this hour? I came home for my lunch break and thought you were someone selling something or preaching.”
He chuckled and pointed to himself. “Nope. Just me.”
Gail’s face twitched with a hint of a smile. “You must want something.”
“You might want to sit down for this conversation.” He gestured inside.
Gail gave him a warning look. “What did you do?”
Dean followed her into the kitchen while she returned to her sandwich. She offered to make him one, but he didn’t want to delay his drive any longer. “I realize you’re going back to work, but it would only take one call to tell your boss you won’t be coming in. Mr. Bradford would be shocked to know you aren’t going to your daughter’s wedding.”
“I already told Emilie. Ava wants me there for selfish reasons.” Gail glared at him, her way of closing the conversation.
“Actually, things have changed a bit. She might need your support more than you think. Someone’s got to talk her into doing the right thing.”
Gail lifted one eyebrow but continued to munch away at her sandwich.
“No one expects you to bail out Ava financially or bend to her every whim. But she might need your emotional support.”
“She hasn’t called me once since leaving, except to ask for money? She came home one day before I could change the locks and stole all the money in the house. No idea what she used it for, but that girl’s been wayward a long time. She didn’t even tell me she was getting married. Does that sound like someone who would want support from me?”
She stared beyond him. He peered over his shoulder and saw the old picture of her and Ava on her first day of kindergarten. How had she held in her feelings for so long? “Where did I go wrong in raising her? I taught her right, and yet she turned her back on everything that was good.”
“You still care about her, even after the many times she’s hurt you. One day you’ll remember this moment and regret not being there.”
Gail snorted. “I doubt that. She’s too much like her father. Only cares about herself.”
“Yeah, but what about you? Aren’t you just a bit regretful you won’t see her walk down the aisle?”
Gail frowned, and he knew he’d chosen the right words.
“All I’m saying is you have a chance to repair something here.”
Gail put down the sandwich in her hand and started putting away the things around her. “I appreciate you coming over and trying, Dean. I know Emilie wishes she’d never signed up for this mess, so I’m glad you’re with her. If you want a relationship, it’s better if you tell her the truth about you and Ava. It was long ago, but you should be the one to tell her, not Ava.”
Dean stilled when a sudden thought struck him. While he wasn’t there, it was the perfect opportunity for Ava to have a one-on-one chat with Emilie. Ava had almost spilled the beans the other day. What was stopping her now? He jerked to his feet and headed for the door. “Are you positive you don’t want to come with me? I’ll drive, even pay for your hotel.”
Gail shook her head. “I would never let you pay for me. Now you better get back to Emilie. Go on.”
Dean frowned, knowing she’d put a cork in their conversation. “Let me just say one thing, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
Gail sighed but gestured for him to continue.
“This might be a rare opportunity for you two to make amends, and if not, at least you can say you tried everything.”
He wa
ved goodbye and headed to the truck. While he was buckling his seatbelt, he saw movement at the front entryway. Gail watched him, a concerned look on her face. If she even halfway considered coming to the wedding, the trip would’ve been worth it.
The ride back to the resort was a nightmare. Traffic was backed up for miles with an accident leading into Dennisport. Dean’s mind wandered as his truck meandered down the highway at a worm’s pace. Even though he’d spent the day in Danvers, not much had been done. The boat was in working order again, but they’d be backed up on their deliveries. He hated the thought of coming back the next day.
The minutes ticked away, and it was evening before he made it back to the resort. He checked his watch. An hour before the boat ride. Enough time to change and spend time with Emilie. On the way past the lounge, he stopped short when he saw Finn and Emilie standing next to an air hockey table. She laughed at something he said. He pushed the jealous twinge away.
“Hey, you two,” Dean said, stepping up behind Emilie and placing his hands on her shoulders.
She turned. “That took forever. Where have you been?”
The urge to pick her up and kiss her pouty little mouth was strong, but instead he gave her a small side hug, keeping her by his side afterward. “There was an accident in Dennisport, and it was wall-to-wall traffic for a while.”
“These two have been chummy together,” someone said, slipping up behind Dean.
He turned around when he recognized Ava’s voice. She was slinking toward them, a wide smile on her face. Trouble was written all over her expression. He needed to get Emilie away. He tightened his grip around her and headed for the elevators.
“Where are you going?” Ava suppressed a laugh. “Secret-sharing time?”
Dean shot Ava a glare. “We’ll see you all later. We’re going to the room to freshen up.”
Ava grabbed Emilie’s arm before they could escape. “Speaking of secrets, it seems Dean hasn’t told you.”