Skirt Chaser

by Stacey Kennedy

  Determined to take a bad situation and make it better, he pushed away any preconceived notions about how he thought this day might go and trotted down the stairs toward Seth.

  When Grey reached him, Seth grabbed a beer can from the cooler in the back of the golf cart. “A morning refreshment?” Seth smiled, offering the beer.

  “Sure.” Grey accepted the frosty beer, sliding into the open passenger seat. Behind him, he noticed the rows of golf carts full of Seth’s family and friends, including Seth’s best man. “Your best man, what was his name again?” Grey asked.

  “Jeremy,” Seth said, reaching for a beer.

  Grey cracked open his can, needing to ask the obvious question. “Would you not rather golf with Jeremy? I can team up with someone else.”

  “Nah, it’s cool, don’t worry about it. Jeremy’s with my dad.” Seth placed the can in his cup holder then hopped into the driver’s seat.

  With no way out of this, Grey downed a quarter of his beer, while Seth put the golf cart into drive, leading the way as the rest of his family and friends followed behind in a roar of laughter.

  In this golf cart, the tension was thick and heady.

  Grey leaned back in his seat and took another big gulp, preparing for the next few hours. Seth could only want Grey with him for one reason, to talk about Evie. That reason was not something Grey wanted to talk about. Not after the tension from this morning.

  “Do you golf a lot?” Seth asked, making his way toward the beginning of the pathway which led to the first hole.

  “Not often, I’m afraid.” Grey placed his beer in the cup holder to put on his glove.

  “Not much of a sports guy then?”

  Was Seth sizing him up? Grey grinned. “Business comes first, always.”

  Seth quickly glanced away, clearly realizing that, financially, Grey’s balls were bigger. He followed the bend in the path. When they passed a group of golfers, he spoke up again. “So, how serious are you and Evie?”

  Grey sighed internally, reaching for his beer again and taking another sip. He knew Seth’s type through and through. He wanted what he couldn’t have. Grey swallowed the beer in his mouth and then arched an eyebrow. “Are you sure you want to have this conversation?”

  Seth shrugged, eyes on the pathway. “Unless it’s too awkward for you.”

  Grey grinned again at the challenge in Seth’s voice. If this were any other guy, he’d have him put in his place in two-point-two seconds. Seeing that he had to play nice for Evie’s sake, he kept his voice pleasant. “It’s not awkward in the least. I know you two dated for a while, and I’m sure you’re only looking out for her.” Bullshit! “To answer your question, I’d say that we’re serious.”

  “Serious enough to marry her?” Seth turned the golf cart to the right, following the bend in the pathway.

  “It’s not something I considered before, to be honest,” he admitted, sticking to as much of the truth as he could. “But with her, I would say that I would never rule out marriage.” He thought that needed to be added.

  “Cool,” was Seth’s reply.

  It wasn’t a happy cool, it was sad and disappointed. It made Grey more curious about what in the hell this guy had been thinking when he let Evie go. “Evie told me about you two. High school sweethearts, she said.”

  “Yeah.” Seth gave Grey a quick look and a dark smile. “We had some good times.”

  And I took her virginity.

  Seth hadn’t needed to say it; Grey saw it all over his face. A burn erupted in his chest, but he took another sip of his beer, keeping his mouth shut and washing away his irritation. For Evie, he reminded himself. “Young love is a very sweet thing, but can’t really be compared to what loving a woman can be like.”

  Seth’s eyes narrowed on the pathway, obviously, a nerve had been hit. Grey took a little joy in that, hastily adding, “I can only imagine that’s how it feels with Holly. So different than what you had in your teens, am I right?”

  “Right,” Seth muttered. “Holly’s pretty great.”

  There was something in Seth’s face that raised Grey’s alarms. Too tense. Too intense. Something was off about Seth’s posture. He watched Seth closely, as he added, “She’s full of spirit, for sure.”

  Seth scowled, grabbed his beer, and took a long sip.

  Paying closer attention now, Grey noted the way Seth’s hand shook, and there was tightness around the corners of Seth’s eyes. Grey had seen this look on men before. Seth had ghosts following him.

  Careful not to make Seth erupt, which in turn would cause trouble for Evie, Grey asked, “Any nerves about the wedding tomorrow?”

  “Fuck it,” Seth suddenly snapped. He stopped the golf cart on the side of the pathway and waved everyone forward.

  His father, a short, stocky man with white hair, and Jeremy, a perfect Ken doll, stopped beside the cart. “Everything all right, son?” his father asked, concern in his eyes.

  “Just gotta take a piss,” Seth said. “Go on, we’ll be there in a few.”

  “Be quick,” his father said, oblivious to the tension Grey could feel radiating off Seth. His father waved forward. “Onwards, Jeremy.”

  Seth gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white.

  Grey clenched his jaw muscles then took another sip of his beer, knowing what was coming. It was why he’d come with Evie; he was there to make Seth jealous. Truth be told, he hadn’t expected this turn of events, but he also hadn’t known the story about Evie’s past with Seth until they were on the plane. When Seth turned to him, looking utterly broken, Grey knew he’d done a far better job than just making him jealous. Grey had made Evie desirable to the one man who’d discarded her.

  When all the golf carts faded into the distance, Seth turned to Grey, his cheeks flushing red-hot. “Are you in love with her?”

  Arching a brow at both his tone and the question, Grey stated, “That is your business because…?”

  “Because I want to know,” Seth said through clenched teeth.

  While Grey had assumptions about what was going on here, he needed to be clear, not only for Evie but also for himself. “Do you want to know because you’re looking out for Evie or because you’re wondering this for yourself?”

  Seth glanced away, staring off at something in the distance, but in his eyes, there was a darkness that Grey had seen before. Evie was haunting Seth; she simply didn’t know it. “I haven’t seen her in so long,” Seth said, voice strained.

  Grey heaved an even longer sigh, finishing off his beer then crunching the can in his hand. Had he been Evie’s real boyfriend, Seth would’ve been knocked on his ass faster than he could blink. But here, seeing Seth now, Grey realized a truth. Seth had picked the wrong woman, and he knew it. “You’re getting married tomorrow morning,” he reminded Seth.

  “Fuck, I know.” Seth ran a hand across the back of his neck. “But then I saw her…” He paused, shaking his head. “So I’m asking you”—he turned to Grey, desperation in his eyes—“how serious are you?”

  Grey glanced out at the golf carts off in the distance, wishing he could be on one of those and not in this cart. How would Evie want him to handle this? Would she want to know that Seth obviously still had feelings for her?

  He decided on his plan quickly. Not only wasn’t it his place to decide. He didn’t give a fuck what Seth wanted, and he wouldn’t let it rain darkness over his weekend with Evie. Seeing there was no way out of this, he faced Seth. “Depends on why you’re asking. You’ve hurt her. I won’t let you do that again.” That, he meant.

  Seth hung his head. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I—”

  “Fell in love with her best friend.”

  He snapped his head up but immediately shook the glare off his face. “I suppose I deserve that. Still, you haven’t answered me.”

  Stay the fuck away from her, echoed in Grey’s mind. Though the truth was, he wasn’t really dating Evie, and she could do whatever she wanted. “I am not Evie’s keeper, nor am I yours.
It doesn’t matter how serious we are or not. Whatever you’re thinking, or planning to do, is your business, not mine. And to be perfectly honest, Seth, this is a conversation that I feel you need to have with Evie, not me.” Done with this shit and this asshole next to him, he gestured toward the pathway. “Your family and friends are waiting for you. You’ve planned a golf game for today. I suggest we play it.”

  It took a few seconds, but Seth finally glanced away and returned his foot to the pedal, sending the golf cart forward. “I hope since you know this is my situation to deal with,” he said, “then you will leave it to me to talk about.”

  “My loyalty is to Evie,” Grey said. “If anything could hurt her, I will tell her.”

  Seth paused. Then, “And what if I intend to love her?”

  “Then she’ll have to make a choice.”

  * * *

  In the large, rectangular room, with tropical jungle plants in every available space possible except for the pathway leading to the three different in-ground natural spring pools—all at different temperatures—Evie moaned, sliding into the hottest of the three pools. She moved straight for the waterfall, which wasn’t only pretty to look at, but apparently, she’d been told by the lady who welcomed her into the spa, it was also hydrotherapy. When she reached the waterfall, she groaned happily. The water pounded against her shoulders, massaging the muscles with its force.

  “What a waste of my time.”

  Recognizing that voice, Evie reopened her eyes, finding Violet stepping into the pool wearing a classic fifties-style, black bathing suit. For a woman in her early seventies, Violet sure looked good. Fit and vivacious, Evie hoped to be like her when she was that age. She exuded life, and always had, even since Evie’s teens. Though she was also easily annoyed. As a woman from the South who lived a privileged life, she expected a certain kind of treatment. Apparently, she hadn’t received it thus far.

  Evie chuckled. “What’s got you tied up in knots, Violet?”

  Half swimming, half walking, Violet made her way over and said, “A lady wasted five minutes of my life telling me how beneficial these baths are.”

  “Perfect for cleansing the body, releasing endorphins, and for stimulating blood circulation,” Evie said.

  Violet smiled. “Ah, you heard the same speech.”

  “I did.”

  “There is absolutely no reason to go into all that,” Violet said, waving out to the space. “When you have this to enjoy, who cares what the damn water does. This place is good for the soul. Besides, who knows how long I have left. I need all the minutes I can get for important things.”

  “Which are?” Evie asked.

  “Not listening to the damn speech.” Violet gave a little smile and dipped lower under the water. “So, I see Little Miss Center of the Universe is still getting her massage.”

  “Violet,” Evie snapped, looking in every corner, making sure Holly’s cousins weren’t within hearing distance. “You shouldn’t say those things about Holly. But, yes, she went in for sixty minutes, instead of the thirty we did.”

  “Ah, good, thirty more minutes without that boyfriend-stealing twit.” Violet sighed, and Evie couldn’t help but chuckle, as Violet added, “That means we have more time to ourselves. It’s been so long since you’ve come home. This is nice, isn’t it, sweetheart?”

  Guilt landed like a rock in Evie’s gut. Sure, she called Violet often and caught up, but a phone call wasn’t like seeing the person. And she’d managed to do all her maid of honor duties remotely. “I’m sorry I haven’t come to see you, it’s just—”

  “Hard.” Violet smiled and patted Evie’s arm. “I know that, and I understand, but we don’t have to talk about that. The past is the past, there’s no sense bringing up painful things. You’ve got this new, exciting life. Let me hear about that. You seem smitten with this Greyson Crawford.”

  Evie narrowed her eyes on Violet’s innocent expression. “You Googled him, didn’t you?”

  “Of course, I did,” Violet said without shame, waggling her eyebrows. “I wanted to see who captured your heart.”

  “Violet, that’s terrible,” Evie rebuked, even though she had done the same thing. Though that was different, it was for work, not to spy on him. “You shouldn’t Google anyone. Who knows what you’ll find on the internet.”

  “If Grey has nothing to hide, then it shouldn’t matter what I look up,” she said, chin lifted in her defense. “In case you were wondering, I found nothing uncouth. He appears to come from a wealthy family.”

  “He does, and no, that’s not why I’m with him.”

  Violet smiled. “I know that, dear, but it’s still a positive.” She swatted at the air, water dripping from her fingers. “No more of that, tell me more about you two. I’ve never seen you look so”—her pale eyes searched Evie’s, so wise and warm—“yes, smitten.”

  Evie swirled her hands in the water, her heart rate kicking up a notch. “What exactly does smitten look like?”

  “Rosy-cheeked with a special little twinkle in your eyes.” Violet paused, then winked. “Though, I can only imagine having such a handsome man in your bed could do that.”

  “Violet,” Evie said seriously. “I am not going to share intimate details with you.”

  “What a shame. You are no fun at all,” Violet said, with a full pout. She slid herself onto the bench in the water and leaned her head back against the side of the stone around the hot tub. “I take it you haven’t been with him long, considering I’ve never heard about him.”

  “Yeah, it’s…new,” was all Evie was prepared to tell Violet. She swirled her arms beneath the water, her skin flushing hotly.

  Violet stretched her arms across the stone. “What does your mother think of him? Your father?”

  “What do you think of him?” Evie asked.

  Violet smiled. “He’s special, that one.”

  “Well, I think anyone who meets Grey thinks that,” was all she could say, not wanting to lie to Violet.

  Violet’s eyes narrowed a little, and then she laughed softly. “Your parents haven’t met him, have they?”

  Violet always could sniff out an untruth, which was exactly why Evie wouldn’t lie to her. Sure, she didn’t doubt Violet would understand why she’d brought Grey here. But embarrassment had sunk its claws into Evie, only reminding her how messed up this situation really was. “Well, no, they haven’t met yet.”

  “Why?”

  Evie shrugged, the water rippling around her. “We’re not that serious.”

  “Not that serious,” Violet said, eyes wide. “Oh, please, dear, that man is madly in love with you, so explain to me how you can’t be serious. I see the way he watches you. The way he pays attention to all you do. When you move, he reacts. When you smile, his eyes brighten. That’s love, my darling. It’s not something anyone can hide.”

  “You always were such a romantic,” Evie said, stepping a little farther under the water, her body heat rising.

  “Perhaps, but love…” Violet moved to the waterfall, placing her left shoulder underneath, “…real love…that doesn’t come around all the time. Lust? Yes, that’s something you can find time and time again. But true passion and real love, that’s a one-time deal.”

  Evie imagined Violet believed that. She wasn’t sure what she believed. Love was hard, that she knew. “And you think this true passion and real love is something I have with Grey?”

  “I know with total certainty that’s what you have with him,” Violet said firmly. “I see it there on both of your faces. You’ve found your person, Evie. Don’t let him go.”

  To escape it all for a second, Evie dunked under the water. Here, it was quiet, silent, the jets hammering the water. Everything was peaceful here, perfectly still. Together, their relationship, it was all a lie. Hell, this from the beginning was all a game between them. This weekend was an opportunity to win, she knew that.

  Whatever Violet thought she saw, she didn’t. Grey played to win, not to love.
>
  Evie broke the water and inhaled the breath her lungs screamed for. “Us…Violet, it’s complicated.”

  “Love always is.” Violet turned around, placing the other shoulder under the waterfall. “You both have pasts and scars from your experiences, and right now, you’re working out the kinks to set up what you’ll be for the rest of your life. If it’s complicated, it means you’re doing it right. You’re getting rid of all the bad stuff that could cloud your happiness. It’s a complication that, in the end, will be worth it.”

  “Is that what you had with Graham?”

  Violet’s eyes filled with an equal amount of warmth and sadness. “When Graham found me, I’d been broken. I didn’t trust anyone. I was defensive. But he was patient and loving. He always said he knew I was meant for him, and he was simply there…never letting me down…never walking away, until eventually, I believed him.”

  God, their forty-year marriage had been what stories are written about, and his death five years ago had been utterly tragic. “And that’s what made Graham the one for you?”

  Tears filled Violet’s eyes, her voice grew thick. “My dear, that’s what made him capture my heart. My life was what it was because he was in it.”

  Evie’s heart bled for Violet, a woman that Evie cared for deeply. Some people would always disappoint because they were blind, either by their own pain or their insecurities. Violet was clear about herself, how she wanted to treat people, and she never wavered. “You must miss him terribly.”

  Violet sighed. “I survive only because he would want me to. That’s my legacy to the man that gave me happiness and peace I wouldn’t have known without him, and that, my dear, is what you deserve too. Do not take anything less real or true.”

  Evie smiled and then took Violet into a soft hug. “I’ve really missed you.”

  When Violet leaned away, she smiled. “Maybe this trip is a reminder that you need to come and see me more.”

  “I think you’re right,” Evie agreed.

  It’d been so long since she was home with friends, people who truly knew her. Sure, her family came up at Christmas to spend a few days with her in Seattle, but she hadn’t gone home because she didn’t want to see Seth and Holly together. She realized Violet was right—her pain led her life, her wounds weren’t scars, they were still bleeding. Her mom knew why. Even her dad understood. But this—a talk with someone who saw the world clearly and who knew you inside and out—Evie had forgotten how good this felt.