“I like them. Who doesn’t? They are so sweet and playful.”
“Good. I’ll book it in the morning.”
“Book what?”
“We’ll go swimming with them.” And then he was gone.
She went to bed feeling bone-weary, but not as sad as she ought to. She wasn’t married. No honeymoon or mad sex with her hot ex-fiancé. But she had her best friends here, her father, and tomorrow she was going to swim with dolphins and a kind, strong, handsome man that she had once loved with her whole heart.
It wasn’t a bad ending to a very unhappy day.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ashley and Jordon woke her up at 7:30. Wearily, Nadine climbed out of bed, put on her robe and went to the door. “Guess what we did!” Her friends ploughed their way inside and took over the sofa. “We so got Melody. You’ll die laughing.”
“Coffee first. How about you guys? Want some?”
“Nope, we’ve been up for an hour. Come sit down. You’re gonna want to hear this.”
“It’ll just take a sec.” She went to the kitchen counter, found a Keurig and made her first cup with a dash of cream. She took a sip, then joined them in the sitting area. “I’m all ears.” She plumped her rear into the comfy chair, put her feet up on an ottoman and cradled her coffee. “So, what happened?”
“Well, we went right back to our place after we left you, packed up all her stuff and left it sprawled open on the porch, like we said we would. Figured that maybe if it was open something nasty might crawl inside.” Ashley gave a gleeful grin. “Then we were hungry so we went to the reception and found your brother. We ate our meal with him, and told him what we’d done. He suggested we should put something in the open bag, something sweet to entice ants or lizards, whatever. And when we got there Cam spotted one of those gigantic iguanas in a nearby tree, and he had just enough drinks in him to jump up and grab its tail and pull it down.”
“Oh my God! That’s disgusting. Didn’t it bite him? He must have been drunk to do something like that.” Nadine shivered. “Eeuuu—they are so revolting.” She downed her cup of coffee. “Okay. Go on.”
Jordon took over. “He told us to grab the bag, so we took some of the stuff out and brought it over to him and he shoved the iguana inside and zipped it up—leaving it open enough so it could breathe. Then he carried it back and put it on the front step. We piled the rest of her things on top and went inside. An hour later she came home, and she must have opened the bag, because a minute later we heard this scream.”
“Yikes! She opened it!” Nadine couldn’t stop the thrill it gave her. “Way to go, girls!”
Ashley finished the story. “She was screaming so loud I thought she’d wake everybody in the cottages but it was only midnight so perhaps people were still at the reception. Anyway she started pounding on the door, shouting for us to let her in. I don’t know if the iguana was attacking her, nor did we care. Could have bitten her face off far as I’m concerned.”
“What did Cameron do during that?”
“He recorded it all on his camera. It’s on Facebook. Look!”
They played the video from Ashley’s phone and it was even better that she’d imagined. Melody was hopping around, screaming while the iguana hissed and shot out his big red ugly tongue. Her ex-friend stood with her back to the door, the reptile gaining on her.
“I love it! What happened after that?”
“Finally Cameron put his phone away and scared the iguana off. He told Melody that she wasn’t welcome around here any more, and then she started bawling. When that didn’t get her any sympathy she stormed off. Said she was going to get Anna and tell her what we did.”
“Oh, that was a big threat.” Nadine knew that Anna didn’t quite care for Melody.
“Well, she was pounding on Anna’s cabin door, and guess who opened it? Your dad.”
“They’re romantically involved,” Nadine told her friends.
“Seriously? Cool. Well, Cameron didn’t know, but now he does. Anyway, your dad handed her fifty bucks and told her to get a cab to the airport or find another hotel for the night. Then he slammed the door in her face. It was priceless.”
“Holy shit. Sorry I missed all that.” Nadine grinned, thinking she was lucky after all. Having such loyal family and friends sure beat having a lousy, cheating husband.
“So, hon. What are you going to do now? You heading back for Baltimore? Or taking your gal pals to Costa Rica with you?” Ashley glanced at Jordon. “We were talking and figured the three of us could have some serious fun together. We both can take an extra few days off work. No point in letting the airfare and hotel cost go to waste.”
“Sorry, but no. Jeremy came by last night to bring me a bite to eat and asked me the same thing. I told him Michael could have it, I want to stay here.” She reached out a hand to grab her friend’s. “Let’s hang out in the Keys for a few days instead. What do you say?”
“Sounds good to me,” Jordon answered.
“And me,” said Ashley.
“Okay.” Nadine got off her chair, needing another cup of coffee and a piece of toast. “Look, Jeremy wants to take me swimming with the dolphins. He’s trying to make me feel better, but I already do. In a way I’m relieved.” She had sensed that their relationship was doomed, so had her dad. But she hadn’t wanted to admit it. She thought together they could resolve their differences and make it work. But a cheater would always be a cheater, and it was fortunate that she found out first.
“Wow, that was fast. Glad you feel that way.” Ashley smiled. “I never liked him anyway. He was so full of himself, and you deserve someone who cares more about you than his own reflection.”
“I don’t know what I deserve, but I have some time to figure it out. I’m just happy to have you guys with me. My best friends forever.”
They did a group hug. “Have fun with the dolphins,” Jordon said wistfully. “You know, we could take pictures.”
“I have a better idea. Now that you’re staying we’ll ask Jeremy to book it for four. Hey, maybe Cam would enjoy it too. It’ll be a great day. Better than getting married and going to Costa Rica for a stupid honeymoon with a guy you can’t trust. Right?”
“Way better.” Ashley chucked her chin. “Didn’t you date Jeremy way back when? What happened with you guys?”
“You did?” Jordon frowned. “How did I miss that?”
“You girls were away at college and Jeremy was in Baltimore, working with the Coast Guard. He was an information system technician, and worked one weekend a month with the Army Reserve. We met at a bar one night, and were hot and heavy for awhile, but things got complicated when he decided to enlist as an army officer.”
Jordon shook her head, clearly confused. “How come we didn’t meet him when we’d come home from college?”
“You were hanging around a stoner way back then. You know the guy who played in that rock band? Stringy blonde hair? Peach fuzz on his face. He was doing acid or some such thing. I didn’t like him much and Jeremy’s about as straight as they come.”
“I remember that loser. What was I thinking?”
Nadine laughed and made a face. “You were a college kid. You weren’t thinking.”
“What about me?” Ashley asked. “How come I didn’t meet him? You talked about him but we never got together.”
“I don’t know. Young love. I stayed with him most nights when I wasn’t flying. We kept pretty much to ourselves.”
“So, what about now?”
“What about now? We haven’t seen each other in years. He went off to war, and never came back to me. It was a little awkward when we met up here. But we talked it through, and I know we’ll always have feelings for each other.”
“Well, if you’re sure he won’t mind us hanging around, I’ll go ask Cameron.” Jordon was already at the door. “Ash, why don’t you see if Jeremy can include us? He’s probably already booked it, so we might need to call ourselves.”
“Either way, I want us all
to be together,” Nadine declared. “We’re going to have fun today if it kills me.”
Two hours later the five of them were at the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon. The size of the facility came as a surprise. Nadine learned there were 90,000 square feet of lagoons in which the dolphins and sea lions could play in their natural seawater habitant. Throughout the day there were educational presentations to learn about the mammals, and a dolphin theater. But the highlight of the day would be their time in the water with the dolphins, experiencing the interactive program including the dorsal pull.
It was a first class operation and although they were heavily booked, they kindly fitted the group in for an all-day admission. The ladies were beyond excited, never having expected this when they’d arrived for a wedding.
Carole from the office had made all the arrangements, and told the group that Anna had picked up the bill—compliments of Paradise Cove.
* * *
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, or Paradise Cove, Anna had the cottages and Kevin all to herself. As a wise man once said, only fools rush in, but Anna had Kevin for a very limited time and intended to make the most of it.
They were in bed together, blinds pulled, with a Do Not Disturb sign on the door. Juanita had known what Anna was up to, and while they were at breakfast she’d slipped into his cabin to fill an ice bucket with leftover bottles of champagne from the wedding, and a platter of fresh oysters and shrimp from last night’s buffet—plus some salads and sweets that hadn’t been spoiled. She’d also put beautiful baskets of flowers in every room and fresh sheets on the bed.
After they’d made love, Anna curled up beside him, as content as a woman could be. “I love Juanita, don’t you?”
“Very much,” he agreed, sliding an oyster with horseradish down his throat, then offering her one. “Eat my dear. You know it’s an aphrodisiac.” When she swallowed, he licked her mouth and gave her a long, thorough kiss.
“I could stay like this forever,” he murmured, his tongue and teeth nipping their way down her shoulders, until they found the sweetness of her breast. He took one perfect nipple into his mouth and sucked on it until it tightened and budded. His hand slid down her stomach and found a wet spot between her legs.
“It’s already working. We’ve only had half a dozen and yet so many more to go,” she said between gasps of pleasure.
“I like a woman with a hearty appetite. How many orgasms do you want today?” He wore a smug grin.
“As many as you can muster,” she said with a giggle, and slid away long enough to taste her champagne. “What kind of a word is muster, anyway?” Then she giggled again, feeling like a young girl, one who was beautiful and falling in love.
“Muster is a great word. It derives from the military, meaning gather your troops, but in this case I feel that its meaning is more clear. You want me to gather my strength, to rally if you will, and engage in physical contact. Is that your intention, my sweet girl?” He nipped at her inner thighs, and pushed them wide, then licked her point of entry.
She squirmed under the attack. “I think your understanding is perfectly clear,” she whispered between moans of sexual delight.
He was relentless. She tried to push his head away, wanting him buried deep inside of her but he was just damn stubborn and kept his tongue and fingers on her sweet spot until she shuddered and cried out his name. And then he still didn’t stop until he wrung her dry. In a weakened state, he pulled her into his arms, held her head on his chest, and let her rest.
Once she’d recovered, she slipped out of bed, washed up, and refilled their flutes with more icy cold champagne. She plumped up the pillows behind them, and offered him a plate of succulent giant-sized shrimp with a zesty cocktail sauce. They ate them together between sips of champagne and a few more hungry kisses, and she couldn’t remember being happier.
“I would like every day to be like this. It’s just too bad that our good fortune came at such a high price.” She put her hands on his face, and looked deep into his eyes. “How is Nadine today? She must be dying inside and yet you wouldn’t know it looking at her. Such a brave girl.”
“Honestly—I think she was having second thoughts. Michael did her a favor, in a sick twisted kind of way. But better she learn now what kind of man he is, than years down the road. And if I’m not mistaken, she has a thing still for his brother. Jeremy. And that he still loves her too. You know they dated before?”
“Yes, but it is odd that she should have fallen in love with his younger brother.”
He told her about Jeremy going off to war, coming home troubled and how he’d broken it off with her. “It took her a long while to get over that, and then one day years later she ran into Michael on a flight. She had a layover. He invited her to dinner, and that was that. I can’t help but wonder if he did it to spite his brother. Wouldn’t surprise me at all.”
“But he must have fallen in love with her. Don’t you think?”
“I’m sure he did. But not enough apparently—one woman will never be enough. Some men are just built that way. But I believe Jeremy is different. He’s a man who fought for his country, is a fire fighter, a man with morals and a commitment to serve. A giver not a taker, like Michael seems to be.”
“She’s better off without him, that’s for sure. And I hope she finds happiness again. If Jeremy is the one, she’ll be blessed.”
“And what about you, Anna? You loved your two husbands. Could you love another?”
Tears filled her eyes. Her insides turned to mush. She knew how she wanted to answer, but common sense told her to hold back. “I believe so. I still have a lot of love inside of me. I want to love again and I’m sure I will.”
He kissed her lightly on the lips. “I hope you do.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Exhausted from the day’s activities at the Dolphin Research Center, the group piled into one car for the short drive to Robbie’s for a quick meal bayside. The property was large, with a marina under a bridge with plenty of fishing boats, a pier, and the restaurant, The Hungry Tarpon, which came highly recommended. Besides the restaurant and the fishing pier, the area also had outdoor shopping for tourists to buy their souvenirs and t-shirts.
Being a laid-back outdoorsy kind of place, their lack of better attire went unnoticed. A local band was playing and the place was crowded, but after a half hour wait—which included a walk along the pier and hand feeding the enormous tarpons that had made this place home—they were given a table.
Over hand-crafted beers and platters of delicious fish tacos and shrimp quesadillas, they looked at their pictures and discussed the highlights of their day. When the last bite was eaten Cameron asked Jordon to dance, and Ashley found herself whisked away by a guy at an opposite table.
Jeremy turned his chair around to face Nadine and took her by the hand, then kissed it. “How are you doing—really? You’ve been a great sport all day, but I hate seeing that sad look in your eyes.”
“I’m doing all right. Better than expected.” She dredged up a smile. “It’s just that every once in a while I remember, and it hurts like hell.”
“Of course it does.” His knees bumped her thigh as he leaned forward, still holding her hand. “I didn’t see Michael this morning. He and his buddies must have packed up and left. Damn good thing too.” His look was fierce. “What an asshole thing to do.”
“You’re right about that. Thank God he cheated on me now, and didn’t wait until we were already married. Bet it’s not the first time either.”
He cleared his throat. “What I don’t understand is why if he had you he’d want any other woman?”
She smiled. “You’re so sweet.” She put a hand on his bare knee, feeling the warmth from his sunburn.
“I’m not sweet. Haven’t been for a hellova long time.” He glanced away and then his eyes snapped back. “Why did you allow me to kiss you, in the water?”
“I shouldn’t have.” She felt uncomfortable with this line of conversation. G
lancing around, she said. “Want to dance?”
“Not right now.” They were silent for a few minutes, sipping on their beers, watching the others enjoy themselves. “You kissed me back.”
“It was wrong.” She folded a napkin on the table. “But I liked it too.” She felt her cheeks grow warm. “Does that make me as bad as him?”
“Of course it doesn’t. Hell, he didn’t even know Melody until this weekend. You didn’t cheat on him. He’s the one who screwed things up.”
“When did you know?” She held her breath, searching his face, still torn over why he hadn’t told her in private. She’d bet everything that it wasn’t to embarrass her, and yet, that had been the end result. Maybe he felt he owed his brother a chance to make it right?
“I didn’t. Not for sure. But I heard that he was partying the night before. Without you. Ashley told me. And then he missed the boat trip? And last night at the bar, how close he and Melody were to each other. That was the final straw.”
Nadine swallowed a big lump in her throat. She sipped her beer, looking over at the pier, people gawking at the seagulls and feeding the fish. They were only a few hundred yards from her, but she felt like they might be in a different universe.
“I knew then too. You know? I felt it in my bones. Melody tossed me a look and I just knew. It was like a slingshot—when her eyes connected with mine—wham!”
“Oh, Nadine, I am so sorry. Did I make it worse?”
“No. You made it better.” She was silent for a few minutes. “Even his parents knew. They tried to soften it and made excuses for their son, but his dad went to speak with him, and after that he was all over me.” She rolled her eyes. “Sheesh. I was such a fool to forgive him when my gut knew better.”
“He’s very clever, and charming. He’s never been in a relationship where he stayed faithful…you wanted to believe him. Why wouldn’t you?”
“I already was having second thoughts. Even before I saw you. He didn’t want me to quit my job and go on tour with him. If he loved me half as much as I thought I loved him, I’d have jumped all over it. He didn’t want kids right away…at least not with me.”
Right Man/ Wrong Groom: Paradise Cove Series - Destination Wedding Book 1 Page 13