By the time we’d showered and eaten, Finley had talked herself out of the apricot tree excursion, and I decided not to push the point. She seemed distracted and tense at the prospect of seeing Max, so it was probably a mistake to adventure out of her comfort zone.
Tilly, the housekeeper, called to us on the intercom while we rinsed breakfast dishes. “Miss King, there’s a package for you.”
Finley’s eyes rounded. “Your suit is here. Perfect. The morning fog has cleared, and we can get some color before tonight.”
I stood looking in the mirror pulling at the meager amounts of pink fabric and when that didn’t work, I began pushing at my skin to see if I could tuck more of it underneath the skimpy suit. The brief meeting with the lawyer had had me so flustered, I hadn’t really taken a good, critical look at the suit. It was definitely the most revealing suit I’d ever worn or imagined wearing.
Finley knocked and walked in. “I can’t wait to see it.” Her heavily glossed bottom lip dropped. “Uh oh, you’d better wrap up in a towel.”
“Maybe I should put the old one back on. Does it look that bad?”
“No, that’s the problem. We’ll have to take a stealthy path through the house to make sure we don’t run into a brother. They’re already fighting with their inner demons when it comes to you. And while I’m finding their turmoil completely amusing, I don’t want to be cruel. You look drop dead gorgeous in that suit.”
“I’m feeling more naked than drop dead.” I grabbed my towel and wrapped it around like a toga.
Finely tapped her various points of interest down the staircase, and we traversed the hallways unseen. Some Pig’s hooves clicked along behind us.
“I think Cole’s still working out, and Jude probably went back out to the pool house.” She waved Some Pig to the rug in front of the television. “You stay here. I don’t want another disappearing incident like yesterday.” Finley picked up the remote and turned on the television. As she walked away, Some Pig snorted loudly. She stopped, swung around, and picked up the remote. “Sorry, I thought you liked Animal Planet.” More snorts of protest and Finley lifted her hand. “Yeah, yeah, snort to the hand. I know, I know, they’re a bunch of furry tools. You’ve said that before.” Finley pointed the remote at the screen. “Here’s the cooking channel instead. Just don’t complain to me if someone makes a pulled pork sandwich.” Some Pig dropped down to his stomach. “Let’s get out of here before he changes his mind about the channel.”
I slid the glass door open and motioned her through. “You two are like a friggin’ Vaudeville act.”
The pool area was deserted which made my towel removal much less daunting. We stretched out on the lounges and buttered up with a fruity smelling suntan oil.
I smoothed the lotion over my shoulders. “I don’t usually burn, but since I don’t have any color yet and since I have just about every inch of my skin exposed, I better not stay out too long.”
Finley was so busy adjusting the straps on her bikini top, she hadn’t heard me. She moved them up and down and then up and down again. She grunted in frustration. “I knew I shouldn’t have worn this suit. The straps are going to annoy me.” She shook herself like a dog throwing off water. “There, I’m just going ignore the straps and relax.” She looked anything but relaxed. Her phone buzzed which took her mind temporarily off the straps. She looked at it, smiled, and texted something back. “That was Max. He was checking to see if I was going to show at the party tonight.”
“Definitely a good sign.”
Finley leaned back and closed her eyes. “Now I’m going to need that paper bag.”
“How long has it been since you’ve seen him?”
“About three months and six days.”
I couldn’t hold back a smile. “About three months and six days?”
“Well, I’m not exactly sure about the hours.”
I leaned back and closed my eyes as well. The June midday sun in California was already intense, but it felt good on my bare skin. In the distance, a door opened and shut. I’d only heard the door to the pool house a few times, but I already recognized its distinctive sound. Finley and I both lifted our heads and shaded our eyes as we looked toward it.
Jude plopped down in his usual chair.
“Let me guess,” Finley called across the pool area, “the model is getting ready.”
“Nope,” Jude replied without further elaboration.
“Then you needed a smoke.” Finley turned toward me. “Dad doesn’t let anyone smoke in the house or pool house.”
“Nope,” Jude answered. “Just came out here to watch.”
Finley leaned her head back and dropped her hand. “I suppose I should have started with that.”
I leaned back too. “You’ve got to give him points for honesty.”
We lay there greased and primed for the UV rays, but Finley’s straps were still causing her angst. And knowing Jude was across the way watching us sun wasn’t helping my nerves either.
Apparently, the vantage point of the pool house was subpar, and Jude strolled across the path and pulled up a chair near the lounges. I was now acutely aware of the ridiculous lack of coverage provided by my new suit.
Finley grunted in frustration. “It’s no good. I have to change my suit. Whoever designed this suit should be burned at the stake while being drawn and quartered.” She pushed off of the lounge and stomped back toward the house. “I’ll be right back after I change and push this suit through the shredder.”
Jude watched her march off and then looked at me with a told you so type of look.
“So she doesn’t like the straps on her suit.” I waved it off. “That happens all the time.”
“Right. So you talked her into walking past the hedge yesterday,” he said.
“Sure did. And she was really excited about that little accomplishment.”
“I’ll bet.”
“You really are a pessimist, aren’t you?”
He held his arms out to the side. “What? All I said was, I’ll bet. I think it’s great.”
“But?”
“But, what,” he said. “I didn’t say but, you said it.”
“You were going to say it. I could see your top lip begin to curl in to form the letter B.”
Half of his mouth kicked up in a smile. “You’re kind of nuts, do you know that?”
I leaned back with a harrumph. “You think everyone is nuts. Maybe you’re the one who needs to have his head checked.”
“No argument here.” He propped his bare feet, complete with ankle monitor, on the edge of my lounge. “So I’ve heard you and Doolittle are going to Cole’s get together.”
“Your sister wants to see Max, and I’m not opposed to a party.”
“Some of Cole’s friends are real asshats. And the girls are pretty damn venomous.”
I looked over at him. “Judge much?”
“It’s not a judgment. It’s a fact. I’ll bet you don’t last one hour with his friends before you go scurrying back to your room.”
“I’m not that delicate. I can handle some venom.” I lifted my head and grinned over at him. “But if you care to make a wager—”
“I never turn down a good bet.” He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. His sudden nearness flustered me, and I had to consciously control my breathing.
His hungry gaze drifted from my lips down to my thighs as if he could feel my bare skin with his eyes. That paper bag was sounding better and better.
“So what are we wagering?” he asked, looking far more intrigued than he should have, which only flustered me more.
“If I stay longer than an hour, even one minute longer, then you have to give me a ride on your motorcycle.” I’d always been crazy about motorcycles, and this seemed like an opportunity to live out a dream and ride one.