“Anyway, we should probably get down there. Her text says she’ll be in the hotel bar in ten minutes.”
“Ok,” Jess said, resigned to the inevitable. As Shane moved toward the door, she put her hand on his arm to stop him. “Thanks,” she said softly.
He cupped her face in his hands and stared deeply into her chocolate-brown eyes. “I’m here for you, Jess. Whatever you want, whatever you need. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him. “Now, let’s do this!”
Chapter 3
When Jess and Shane entered the hotel bar, she spotted her sister right away. Beth was sitting on a stool at the end of the bar, sipping a fruity drink with her back to them. The first thing Jess noticed was how different her sister’s hair looked. She’d taken after their mother’s side of the family with her light-brown hair and fair complexion, but she had lightened her hair even more so now it was a brownish-blonde. It was also pin straight and silky, looking like she’d just come from the salon. Beth was also taller and leaner than Jess, making her appear lithe and willowy.
Suddenly, as if she felt someone staring at her, Beth twirled around on the stool and gave Jess a watery smile as she and Shane approached. Shane was holding Jess’s hand, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze as he walked beside her to the end of the bar. When Beth stood, Jess noticed that she was wearing four-inch heels, which made Jess feel short and dowdy in her black flip-flops. Beth wore a strappy sundress with a deep V-neck, but she barely had any cleavage to show since she was so wisp-thin. At least I have boobs, Jess thought with pride.
As the sisters stared each other down, Shane was the one who began the introductions. “Hi. I’m Shane DeMarco, the groom-to-be,” he said, and he offered his hand for Beth to shake.
Jess snapped out of her trance and said, “Oh, sorry. Beth, this is Shane.”
“Yes. He already said that,” Beth said as she shook Shane’s hand. And then she turned toward Jess and said, “It’s good to see you.”
“You too,” Jess replied, although they didn’t embrace.
Beth cleared her throat. “Would you two like to join me for a drink?”
“Certainly,” Shane said, and pulling out the stool next to Beth, he motioned for Jess to hop up.
It was a high stool, and Jess felt particularly short and clumsy as she attempted to climb into the seat. Shane, recognizing her discomfort, gave her a boost up, patting her behind in the process. Jess shot him a warning look, but Beth didn’t appear to notice, as she was already back to sipping her cocktail.
Could it be that Beth is nervous too? The way that she was attacking her drink seemed like a good indication, and for some reason, that made Jess feel more at ease.
“Have you heard from Dad yet?” Jess asked. Even though she was the bride, it was more likely that their father would contact Beth first. Somehow, after her mom’s death, her dad and sister had remained close, and Jess had become the odd one out. When people say that a death in the family either brings the remaining family members closer together or tears them apart, they were right. Jess had always been closer to her mom than Beth was, so it kind of made sense, although it pained Jess every time she thought about it.
Beth nodded. “He called me a little while ago. He was just getting on the ferry from St. Thomas to come here.”
“Oh. Good,” Jess said even though it would have been nice if her dad had notified her too.
The bartender came over just then and took Shane’s and Jess’s drink orders—a beer for him and a glass of white wine for her. Jess had a feeling that she was going to need more than one glass before this visit was over.
After the bartender left, Shane leaned across Jess and said, “So, Beth, is this your first trip to the Virgin Islands?”
God bless her husband-to-be for trying to make conversation! Jess squeezed his knee under the counter to thank him.
“Yes. It’s beautiful here, although I prefer the city life,” Beth replied.
“Really? All the crowds and the noise?”
Beth bristled. “That doesn’t bother me. I prefer it to small-town living any day!”
Jess sneered at her. “We grew up in a small town,” she reminded her sister.
“I know, and I couldn’t wait to leave. Life was so dull there compared to New York.”
Jess was about to retort when Shane slung his arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. It was as if he were trying to stop her from saying something she might regret. “Jess and I prefer the quieter life, right, honey?”
“Yes,” she said adamantly.
“Dad told me you moved out to the country.”
Jess’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s Grand Blanc, Beth. It’s got a McDonalds and everything.”
Beth rolled her eyes. “Right. Fine dining.”
Thankfully, the bartender reappeared with their drinks just then; otherwise, Jess might have reached across and slapped the smug smile off her sister’s face. Instead, she took a long drink of wine and savored the taste as it slid down her throat.
Shane took over once again and asked Beth about her job, which seemed to be exactly the right thing to do. It was obvious that Beth loved her job, and she was more than happy to talk about it for the next twenty minutes straight. At some point, Jess zoned out, and when the bartender came over to check on them, she immediately ordered another glass of wine.
A few minutes after that, reinforcements arrived in the form of Hannah and Ty. Hannah’s mind reading powers must have been at work again, because Jess had just been getting ready to text her to ask her to join them. Jess started to get down off the stool to greet Hannah, but she stumbled and half-fell off the chair. If Shane hadn’t been there to steady her, she probably would have fallen smack on her face and sported an ugly bruise on her wedding day.
Hannah breezed in with one arm looped though Ty’s and a wide, warm smile on her face. If anyone could put Beth at ease, Hannah could. She had plenty of practice dealing with all kinds of people as the manager of human resources at DeMarco & Sons. “Hello. You must be Jess’s sister. It’s so nice to meet you,” Hannah said as she greeted Beth.
Sure enough, Beth returned her smile and gave her a friendly handshake. “It’s nice to meet you too,” she said.
“And this is my husband-to-be and the father of my child, Ty McBride,” Hannah said, patting her belly.
Ty shot her a funny look as he shook Beth’s hand. “Good to meet you,” he said.
“Why don’t we move to a table so it’ll be easier to talk,” Shane suggested.
Once again, Jess was grateful for Shane—and for the wine, which just kept on coming as they sat around a table and talked. With Hannah there, it was easy to move from one topic to the next, and after a while, Jess began to feel more relaxed. Apparently, Beth did too, and she actually laughed a few times, a sound so rare to Jess’s ears that it startled her at first. She couldn’t remember the last time she and her sister had shared a good belly laugh.
After she had just taken a sip of her third glass of wine, Shane leaned in and whispered, “Sweetheart. Do you think that’s a good idea? Remember what happened the last time?”
Jess scowled at him even though he was right. Their first semi-date had occurred after she’d had a little too much to drink, and he never let her forget it. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to be sloshed when her father arrived. Plus, she hadn’t eaten anything since they’d had lunch on the plane. She wanted to be irritated at him for the reminder, but she couldn’t be, because he was just looking out for her as always.
“So, do I get to meet the best man before the wedding?” Beth asked, sounding a bit tipsy herself.
“Assuming he makes it here on time,” Shane said.
“He better,” Hannah added.
Just then, Beth’s eyes widened as she looked over their heads at something across the room.
Jess’s first thought was that maybe their dad had arrived, and she twisted around to follow Be
th’s gaze only to find Matthew sauntering toward them.
“Who’s that?” Beth asked, sounding like she was doing a Marilyn Monroe imitation, all seductive and breathy.
By now, they’d all turned toward the object of her stare, and Shane immediately stood up to greet his brother. “Hey, Matt. We were just talking about you!” They shook hands and patted each other’s backs roughly, as men often do but with a little more oomph because they were brothers. The two of them had an interesting relationship—partly competitive, partly supportive, partly argumentative, but with a whole lot of love underneath it all.
Hannah and Ty had stood too, and they took turns greeting Matt. Jess thought about standing, but her legs didn’t want to move. Maybe it was because she’d been sitting for so long that they’d gone numb, or maybe it was because of the wine. In any case, she remained seated and smiled up at Matt as way of greeting.
“And who do we have here?” Matt said as he walked around to where Beth was standing.
“Beth McClean. The maid of honor,” she said perkily and stuck out her hand.
“And what an honor it is,” Matt said smoothly. Instead of shaking her hand, he lifted it up to his mouth and kissed the back of it.
Holy cow! That did NOT just happen, Jess thought, a rush of emotions flooding through her, including shock, irritation, and perhaps a touch of jealousy. Her sister had always had a way with men. She’d learned early on how to reel them in, while Jess had floundered, learning by trial and error with a whole lot of error. Jess would describe herself as a late bloomer, while Beth had flowered and flourished at a young age. Matt would probably be eating out of her hand by the time the wedding was over, and by the looks of it maybe even sooner.
Shane and Hannah were staring too, and Ty just sat back and smirked like he was in a movie theater, enjoying the show.
“If I didn’t see you at the table, I would have never guessed that you and Jess were sisters,” Matt said, smiling down at Beth. Even with her high heels, Matt towered over her at six feet two inches. Shane liked to point out that Matt might be taller, but Shane was the one with all the muscles. And it was mostly true. Shane’s body was bulky from working construction, and Matt’s was leaner, more like a runner’s. Based on the way Beth was eyeing him, Matt’s physique met with her approval.
“And I might not have guessed you were Shane’s brother. You’re so tall,” she said with a gleam in her eye.
Jess had to stifle a laugh that was threatening to burst out of her. The scene was so cheesy it was comical, but it appeared to be very real to the principal actors.
“Is this seat taken?” Matt asked, pointing to the empty chair beside Beth.
“Only by you,” Beth replied smoothly.
Ok. Now I feel like I’m going to throw up, Jess thought, glancing between the two of them. Or wait. Maybe I really am going to throw up.
Jess tapped Hannah on the shoulder and whispered, “Come to the bathroom with me. NOW!”
She didn’t have to ask twice. Hannah stood up in a shot, and Jess stood up a little more slowly.
“You ok?” Shane asked, a look of concern etched across his handsome face.
“I’m fine. Just going to the ladies’ room,” she said.
Hannah shot her brother a look. “I’ve got her,” she said as the two of them walked off.
Luckily, the restroom was nearby, and it was empty when they went in. “Gonna throw up,” Jess said through gritted teeth as she hurried into a stall.
“Oh God. Sweetie, are you ok?” Hannah called from the other side of the door after Jess had emptied the contents of her stomach.
“I think so,” Jess said, waiting to see if there was anything left to expel.
“How many glasses of wine did you have before I came down?” Hannah asked.
“I’m not a lightweight,” Jess hissed even though she absolutely was.
“It was probably just because you were nervous,” Hannah said as Jess emerged from the stall. “But I think things are going well, don’t you?”
Jess’s eyebrows shot up as she studied her reflection in the mirror. Yes, I look like a person who just threw up! Hannah handed her a wet paper towel so she could wipe her mouth.
“I guess things are going ok if you don’t count the way my sister is practically throwing herself at your brother.”
Hannah laughed. “Funny, that kind of thing always used to happen to Shane.” Based on Jess’s reaction, she quickly amended her statement with “Not funny at all. Sorry. Are you feeling better now?”
“Yeah,” Jess said, although her stomach still felt queasy. “No more wine for me though.”
“Good idea. Come on. We should get back out there before they wonder what’s taking so long.”
“You’re the pregnant one. At least they’ll think it’s you instead of me,” Jess said as she followed Hannah out the door. But then she had a disturbing thought… No, it can’t be.
Chapter 4
By the time her dad showed up, Jess was feeling more like herself again. Shane had ordered some appetizers while she’d been in the bathroom, and he’d replaced her wine glass with a tall glass of water with lemon.
Jim greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, and after introductions were made, he sat down at the only remaining seat between Shane and Matt. As Jess looked around the table, she could almost believe that she was part of a normal, happy family, but she knew it was all an illusion. After the wedding, her family would probably revert to the way it had been ever since her mom had died. She didn’t hold out any true hope that their relationships could be healed over one weekend.
After another hour or so, the party began to break up. It started with Matt’s announcement that he wanted to take a swim in the outdoor infinity pool. Beth’s eyes lit up, and she asked, “Mind if I join you?”
Jess had to keep her chin from hitting the table. Seriously? Could she be any more obvious?
“Not at all,” Matt said gallantly. Seconds later, the two of them walked away together while Jess and Hannah stared after them.
Shane was the only one who appeared to be unfazed. He turned his attention to Jess’s father and said, “Do you golf, Jim?”
“Haven’t been in quite a few years, but I used to love it.”
“The guys—me, my dad, Matt, Ty, and his dad—are playing a round tomorrow morning. You’re welcome to join us.”
Jess held her breath, secretly hoping that her dad would say yes. She’d love it if he tried to get to know Shane better. Thus far, they hadn’t found anything to bond over other than her, and that was a stretch.
“Sure. I’ll give it a go,” Jim said.
Jess wanted to reach across the table and hug him, but she smiled sweetly at him instead. Jim nodded and gave her a brief smile in return. Progress!
“Great. We’ll meet in the lobby at seven o’clock tomorrow morning. We can grab a quick bite from the buffet and be on the links by eight.”
Once the arrangements were made, there didn’t seem to be anything more to say, and the group disbanded. Hannah and Ty excused themselves to take a walk around the grounds, and Jess and Shane rode upstairs in the elevator with Jim, parting ways when he got off a few floors before theirs.
When she and Shane were back in their hotel room, she flopped back on the bed and sighed. “I’m glad that’s over with!” she declared.
Chuckling, Shane crawled up on the bed next to her and gathered her close. “It wasn’t that bad!”
“Well, let’s see. I almost got into a brawl with my sister when she bad-mouthed Clarkston. Then she drooled all over your brother in front of everyone—oh, and then I threw up. Yeah, I’d say it was a huge success!”
“You threw up?”
Jess turned on her side to face him. “You didn’t know?”
Shane shook his head. “I thought you and Hannah left so you could complain about your sister.”
She giggled. “No. I wasn’t feeling well. It was probably a combination of the wine, not having eaten,
and a bad case of nerves. I feel a lot better now.”
Shane brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “Good. I don’t want my bride to be sick on our honeymoon.”
“We’re not married yet.”
“I know, but we will be two days from now.”
“I can’t believe it, can you?”
Shane’s hand drifted down the side of her body until it rested on her hip. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me,” he whispered.
Jess shifted closer until she felt his hard body pressing against hers. “Ditto, Mr. DeMarco.”
“Pretty soon, I’ll be able to call you Mrs. DeMarco.”
“I love the sound of that.”
“Mmmm,” Shane said as he slid his hand under her skirt. “What should we do now? Go swimming?”
“Heck no! I don’t want to get into the pool while Beth and Matt are in there.”
Shane laughed, and he glided his warm palm up her thigh. “How about snorkeling? You loved that the last time we were here.”
Jess narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he really wanted to go swimming or snorkeling or if he were just playing with her. In the meantime, his fingers brushed over her damp panties, and she squirmed.
“I think snorkeling can wait,” she said.
“What about hiking? We could revisit the trail we went on last time.”
Jess nestled closer and began placing kisses along his rigid jaw. He had shaved early that morning, but now his stubble was poking through, and she wanted to feel it against her skin—everywhere. “Not now.”
“Let me get this straight. No swimming, snorkeling, or hiking. What’s left?”
Jess kissed her way under his chin into the hollow of his throat, where she felt his Adam apple bob as he swallowed hard. Shane’s finger had found its way inside her panties now, and he was tracing enticing circles around her most sensitive spot. She popped her head up and said, “You know what I want, but you’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
Shane nodded and gave her that smirk that she’d come to love.
She looked him straight in the eye and said, “Make love to me, Shane.”
An Island Christmas Wedding: A Novella Page 2