A Beautiful Mistake

by Ashlee Price

  At least, Sidney, Art and Dustin are fishing. I'm trying.

  I let out a sigh. So far, no good.

  And when I pull my rod out, I understand why. The bait is gone.

  Did it drift off, or did a fish get a free lunch without me knowing?

  "What happened?" Dustin asks me.

  I shrug. "I seriously don't know. Actually, I don't really know anything about fishing, so maybe I should stop now."

  "What? No. Try again."

  He puts down his rod and walks over to me. Then he gets my rod. He grabs a worm from the can and puts it on my hook before checking to make sure my bobber is attached properly.

  "There." He hands me back my rod.

  I glance over my shoulder to where Candace and Renee are sitting prettily. Zoe is running around while Otis seems to be busy drawing something. Greg looks like he's napping.

  "Why aren't they trying?" I ask Dustin.

  "Well, Candace and Renee don't like worms or getting splashed on or anything that might ruin their nails," he answers.

  I grin.

  "Greg's bad at fishing and the kids don't have the patience."

  "You forgot the nanny," I tell him.

  "Right. She's watching Zoe, as always."

  He moves closer to me and places his arms around me.

  I tense. "What are you doing?"

  "Helping you." He puts his hand on mine. "Hold the rod like this."

  He adjusts my fingers.

  "Reel in your bait." He guides my other hand as I turn the reel. "And let's open the bail."

  He steps back.

  "Now, swing it up and back, past your shoulder, and release the line as you sweep the rod forward."

  I draw a deep breath, then do as he's just instructed. The line flies through the air. The bait and bobber hit the water.

  Behind me, Candace applauds. "Great job, Marian!"

  Dustin turns to her with a finger pressed to his lips. "Don't scare the fish."

  She falls silent.

  Dustin pats my shoulder. "You just wait. It's a waiting game now. Just try to relax, but be ready for - "

  He stops talking when the rod jerks. My mouth gapes as I feel the pull on the line.

  "Dustin, I think I've got something."

  Again, he places his hand over mine. I sense his excitement.

  "Now reel it in slowly, carefully."

  I hold my breath and turn the reel. Suddenly, I feel a stronger pull. My body jerks forward.

  "Steady."

  Dustin's hand grips my hip as he moves behind me. I feel his breath against my ear.

  "Fish fight harder as they get more desperate," he says.

  "Doesn't everyone?"

  "Just wait for him to slow down, tire a little. Wait until you no longer hear the buzz."

  I keep my senses alert.

  "Now, reel him in."

  I do that. Again, I feel the fish fight back. My rod bends.

  "It feels like a big one," I say.

  "Just stay calm," Dustin tells me. "You've got this. Just keep the rod at a ninety-degree angle when he pulls."

  "He?"

  He continues to guide my hand. "And then keep it in a forty-five-degree when you reel."

  "I think it's a feisty she," I say as I reel again.

  "Well, women are more likely to struggle when they get caught," Dustin says.

  I glance at him. "Are you trying to pick a fight with me right now?"

  "Fight with the fish," he answers.

  "That's what I'm trying to do."

  I grimace as I try to keep a steady grip on the rod while it bends. I reel the fish in some more.

  "Almost there."

  Suddenly, I feel an even stronger pull than before. I nearly fall forward, but Dustin's arm wraps around me.

  "I got you," he assures me. "Now, you get that fish."

  "I'll try."

  The struggle continues. The fish puts up a hell of a fight. My hands start to hurt as I keep control of the rod. Finally, I feel the pressure easing. I quickly reel the fish in the rest of the way.

  When I see it, I gasp.

  The fish looks over a foot long!

  "A rainbow trout," Dustin announces triumphantly as he takes the fish in his hands. "Would you look at that?"

  Even Candace and Sidney come to look.

  "Good job, Marian!" Candace praises me.

  "Looks like stitching people up isn't your only skill," Sidney remarks.

  "Well, I can't take all the credit," I say. "It was a team effort."

  My eyes meet Dustin's. He hands Sidney the fish, and then, to my surprise, he pulls me into a hug.

  "I'm so proud of you."

  I pat his shoulder. "Like I said, a team effort."

  He pulls back and smiles. "Then we make a great team."

  The next thing I know, his lips are on my forehead. It's just for a second, but it makes my heart stop. Even after he moves away, I'm still holding my breath. I watch him cheer and warmth floods my chest.

  He caught me by surprise there.

  He caught me.

  Only when Candace nudges my arm do I feel like I'm back to reality. She turns to me with a smile.

  "Looks like we're going to have trout and meat for our barbecue."

  ~

  "This fish is good," I say hours later after trying a piece of the trout.

  The men cooked it first. They tried it first, too, but now it's come to the women's table and Renee, Candace and I are all tasting our share.

  "And I'm not just saying that because I caught it," I add.

  "It is good," Candace agrees.

  Renee shrugs. "It's okay. Sorry, I'm more of a meat person."

  Just then, Zoe walks towards us. Even though it's already dark and we don't have much light, I see the tears in her eyes.

  "What's wrong, sweetie?" Renee asks her.

  She points to her right shoe. "My foot hurts."

  "Well, that's because you keep running around," Renee says. "Even though I told you not to. Aren't you supposed to be eating, not running?"

  "But it hurts," Zoe complains again.

  Renee looks at me. "It's nothing. She likes to complain like this all the time. If it's not her hand, it's her foot or her eye or her head. She's just seeking attention."

  "It hurts," Zoe repeats.

  Renee turns to her. "Zoe, it's nothing. I'm sure it will go away."

  "Then make it!" Zoe demands.

  Renee rolls her eyes. "Zoe..."

  "Let me look at it," I say as I wipe my hands with a wet towel. "I'm a doctor, after all."

  Renee turns back to me. "Sure?"

  I nod and stretch my arms to Zoe. "Come here, sweetheart."

  She walks towards me. I have her sit on my lap and take off her right shoe and her sock. I take a closer look at her foot.

  "It looks fine to me," I conclude.

  "See?" Renee says.

  "But just to be sure, let me do this."

  I start massaging her feet. At first, she's just quiet, but then she bursts out laughing.

  "That tickles."

  "Does it?"

  I tickle her on purpose and she squirms. She almost falls off my lap, but I hold her. I stop tickling her and give her a tight hug.

  "See, all better now, right?" I ask her.

  Zoe nods.

  I start to put her sock back on, but the nanny takes over, putting her shoe back on as well. When she's done, I give Zoe a quick kiss on the cheek before letting her jump off my lap.

  She smiles at me. "Thank you, Doctor."

  I smile back. "You're welcome, Zoe."

  Off she runs.

  "Wow." Renee turns to me with wide eyes. "You're good with kids. Sure you don't want to be in pediatrics instead?"

  "I think I'm already set on surgery," I answer.

  She lets out a sigh. "You save lives. You can fish. You're good with kids. You're not bad with dogs. No wonder Dustin fell for you."

  I fall silent because I know it's true.
>
  "It's true," Candace agrees with Renee. "You should have seen how he was looking at you after you caught this fish."

  I glance at the fish - well, what's left of it - and shake my head.

  "What you saw in his eyes back then? That was probably just..." I shrug, "...happiness."

  "And pride," Renee adds. "And you? You were looking at him with so much love."

  My eyes widen. Love? Me?

  My eyes stray to where Dustin is standing over the grill with his brothers. When they're standing right next to each other, it's easy to see that they're brothers. All of them have dark hair and the same cheekbones. It's also clear, though, that Dustin has the best body - not just fit but toned - even if Sidney is the tallest. Dustin's features are also the most pronounced, the most masculine.

  The most handsome.

  But that's not why I'm looking at him. I'm watching him because the sound of his deep laughter ringing through the air makes my heart stop, because I want to wrap my arms around that wide back of his.

  Is this... love?

  I shake my head. "Impossible."

  Renee looks at me. "What? You don't think Dustin's proud of you?"

  I don't answer.

  "Or are you saying you don't love him? That's absurd, though. Didn't you marry him because you love him?"

  I look away. If only she knew.

  "Mommy!" Otis suddenly calls her. "I want another carrot!"

  "Okay, sweetheart." Renee gets up. "Excuse me, ladies."

  She heads over to her son. Candace takes the seat she just vacated, moving next to me.

  "But you didn't marry him because you loved him," Candace says. "You married him because some government employee made a mistake. That's what you're thinking, right?"

  My eyes grow wide. "You... know?"

  She grins. "By now, you should know I know everything that happens in this family."

  I chuckle. "I guess that's true."

  "So what?"

  My eyebrows arch. "Excuse me?"

  "So what if it was a mistake to begin with? So what if you didn't really want to marry him in the beginning? That doesn't mean either of you can't fall in love."

  I shake my head. "Dustin Montgomery? In love?"

  "So he has some commitment issues. It's true. But the fact that he's scared to commit doesn't mean he's incapable of falling in love. Quite the contrary. Maybe he doesn't want to commit because he knows he might fall in love but then get hurt."

  I throw Candace a puzzled look. "Dustin's scared of getting hurt?"

  "Strange, isn't it? He's not scared of dying. He's scared of being thrown away, so he does it first. He's scared of not measuring up, so he doesn't bother to try."

  Wow. I knew Candace knew Dustin well. But this well?

  "But that's in the past, of course. Now, he's done for. He's let his guard down and let you in. Maybe he doesn't know it yet, but he has. Just a little push in the right direction and he might fall. And you?" She lifts a finger. "You're already on the brink."

  "Me?"

  "You love Dustin," she says. "I've seen it and you know it. But you've been trying to deny it because for some reason, you think that in the end, he still won't be able to commit. You think he'll run away, so you're running away now."

  "I'm not running away."

  "That's why you're staying in the Blue Room and he's staying in a different room," she goes on. "Dustin's scared to commit. You're scared to get attached, because you're a person who has a hard time letting go when that happens."

  I look away. This time, I can't say anything, because she's right. She really does know everything.

  "I understand how you feel, Marian." Candace reaches for my hand. "You're afraid to want something you can't have. But you know what's even more of a waste? To let something you have slip from your fingers."

  She squeezes my hand. I look into her eyes.

  Then Renee comes back. Candace lets my hand go and stands up, but Renee puts up a hand.

  "You can stay there," she says as she sits down in the chair Candace was sitting on. "What did I miss? What were we talking about?"

  "Love." The word escapes my lips as my eyes go over to Dustin.

  Am I really in love with him?

  Suddenly, he turns his head and our eyes meet. His lips curve into a smile and my breath catches as butterflies flutter inside my chest.

  Shit. So it wasn't the fever, after all.

  "Aww." Renee puts her chin between her hands. "I wish Greg still looked at me like that." She turns to Candace. "Does Sid still look at you like that?"

  "Sometimes," Candace answers before looking at me. "Marriage is hard. There's no guarantee it will work out or last. But you make the best of it. You have to keep working at it. Sometimes you find you're just waiting for each other to take that tiny extra step and everything falls back into place again."

  Renee sighs. "You're saying that if I keep loving Greg even though so much has changed, he'll love me like he used to?"

  "I can't say for sure," she answers. "But love is a powerful thing, so powerful you can't keep it restrained for long."

  "True," Renee agrees.

  "And if you can't, why should you?"

  Again, I glance over at Dustin. He's not looking at me anymore. He's back to his task at the grill. Still, my chest feels like it's about to explode.

  Maybe Candace is right. Maybe I've been holding myself back from loving Dustin because I'm scared, just like I was trying not to get attached to the dogs. But just like with the dogs, I'm too involved now. It's too late now.

  Oh, to hell with it.

  ~

  "What the hell?" Dustin exclaims when I open the stained glass door to the shower.

  He must have thought I was someone from his family.

  Now that he's seen me, though - naked - his eyes grow wide and his lips curve into a grin.

  "What? Has meeting my family made you realize what an amazing person I am and now you want me all to yourself?"

  I close the door behind me. "Just shut up and kiss me."

  "With pleasure."

  His hands cup my face as his open mouth captures my own. His tongue immediately finds mine and they begin their dance.

  I shiver. His wet palms feel cold against my heated cheeks. Water drips from the strands of his hair to fall on my face. My nipples brush against his damp chest and harden.

  Dustin's kiss, though, warms me from the inside out, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet pressed against the rough marble tiles of the shower stall.

  I put my hands on his chest and my palms trap the coarse hairs there. Then I wrap my arms around his neck as I kiss him back fiercely. My whole body burns, flames spreading beneath my skin.

  Damn, this feels so good. I shouldn't have waited this long to kiss him again.

  He pushes me against the wall. I feel the smoother tiles against my back. They're cold, but I can't complain. His mouth is keeping mine busy so skillfully that I can't let a word out, only a moan. And the cold begins to fade again as he runs his hands over the sides of my body.

  They find my breasts. His palms caress the soft mounds of flesh and then his thumbs find my engorged nipples.

  My body jerks. I pull my mouth away from his to let out a gasp.

  He plants his mouth on my neck. I throw my head against the wall to give him room to work. His lips press against my skin, right above my carotid, over and over. They part and he sucks the skin gently, the ticklish sensation making me release a sound between a moan and a laugh. His tongue slips past to trace patterns all the way to my shoulder.

  All the while, Dustin's hands are working their magic on my breasts. His fingers rub my nipples, twist them, tug on them gently. His thumbs alternate between flicking them and pressing against them.

  The heat in my breasts spreads to my chest, down to my stomach, and even further down between my legs. My knees grow weak.

  I shift my legs to keep myself from falling. As I do, I feel his erection against my
hip.

  I reach for it. My fingers wrap around his cock and it hardens even more. My thumb goes over the leaking tip and Dustin gasps.

  His mouth finds mine again. We swallow each other's gasps as I stroke him and he continues to play with my breasts. My body trembles against his.

  Suddenly he turns me around and pulls me against his body. My back collides with his chest. He kisses my neck again as one of his hands cups my breast. His other hand dips between my legs and searches for my nub.

  When he finds it, I throw my head back against his shoulder. My toes curl and only the tips remain on the floor as my heels arch. My back arches, too. My arms hang limply at my sides.

  He keeps me in place as he teases that nub. I feel it swell. I feel myself getting hotter and wetter with every second as I writhe in his arms.

  Behind me, I feel his cock swell even more.

  I grab Dustin's wrist. "Enough with playing around. The water's running."

  He kisses my ear. "I think we can afford to waste some water."

  I turn around and grab his cock. My eyes meet his.

  "Don't keep me waiting now."

  Dustin chuckles. "Who was it again who's been keeping me waiting, wanting?"

  My gaze narrows. "Ah, so you're trying to get back at me."

  "No." He touches my cheek. His thumb slides all the way to the corner of my mouth, where I try to capture it. "I can't afford that either."

  Again, he pushes me against the wall, and then, with his eyes pinning mine down, he lifts one of my legs, wraps it around his waist and enters me.

  My eyes fly open as I throw my head back. My mouth gapes but my cry gets trapped in my throat.

  Dustin captures my mouth. He slips his arm beneath my leg so that the back of my knee rests on the crook of his elbow. Then he starts pounding into me.

  My eyes fall shut. My nails rake the tiles. The sound of skin slapping against skin rivals the sound of the water still gushing out of the showerhead.

  When he releases my mouth, my cries add to the sounds in the shower, bouncing off the walls. He buries his mouth in my neck as he continues his rough thrusts.

  I don't mind them at first. I don't mind the hard wall behind me, or the fact that I feel exposed with one leg up, or how my heel is raised as I try to keep myself from falling. But then my feet and my leg start to ache.

  "Dustin." I tug at his hair. "Can we try something else? My leg - "

  Before I can finish, he puts my leg down.