Page 50 of Mr. July

Twenty

I took the long way back, taking an old beach path from the road. I walked along the surf. Picked up a few shells, watched them skip across the water after I threw them out of my hand.

I couldn’t believe it was her. In the flesh. I had wondered what she’d be like. I had to fist my hands in my pocket to keep them from tracing down the curve of her cheek. Just as they had to the picture Bunny kept of her on her fridge.

She was more than I ever imagined. A breath of fresh air. Her face didn’t have one speck of foundation or powder. Her body was bare of any fancy creams, yet her skin still glowed.

I groaned, not remembering the last time I wanted a woman so much. Craved to taste her skin, discover all her secrets, and get lost in passion, then waking up just to get lost again.

It was almost midnight when I got back to the beach house. A few people were in the hot tub, Bunny was at the kitchen table playing poker with Hunter and Charlie.

“Deal me in,” I sat down across from Bunny. Her hands shook as she shuffled the deck. “What are we playing for?”

“Surely, not money.” Bunny joked.

“How about secrets?”

Her face colored. But so, did Charlie’s. Hunter shifted his weight, then his eyes. This was going to be fun. “My house. My rules. We are playing secret strip poker. Instead of clothes coming off, a truth will be peeled back.”

Bunny folded her hand. “You know, don’t you?”

“I’ll admit. I never expected my PA to be on the plaintiff’s witness list. I did some digging. Her picture on your fridge was a big clue.”

“What are you going to do?”

I shrugged. “She’s sweet. Strong, but still sweet. Maybe I’ll forgive her for a kiss.”

“A kiss is never just a kiss.” Bunny met my level stare.

“I probably won’t stop at just one…”

“What on Earth is going on?”

I grinned, “Daisy isn’t Daisy. She’s Ryan Hill, my first and last tenant. Who also just might be the girl of my dreams. Why do you think I threw this 4thof July bash insisting you invite your granddaughter?”

“You… rogue. You absolute devil!” Bunny stammered.

“Oh my,” Charlie’s face flamed recalling just what Ryan and her friends had left behind.

“Tell us her side of the story.” Hunter yawned, stretching his arms. “I won’t take sides until I hear it. But if she’s anything close to Bun, I’m on hers.”

I shook my head. Bunny had somehow become like a grandmother to both me and Hunter ever since we crashed her bridge night last month. It didn’t feel strange at all to have her spend the weekend with us. She already slipped in, somehow becoming family. Hunter had even stopped by her house on his own a few times to fix a leaky sink, bring her sweet tea when she felt a tickle in her throat last week and he even offered to drive her here.

As she shuffled the deck Bunny started telling us Ryan’s side. Starting with Wade and Sienna, Kell’s frenemy Hannah and how she stiffed Ryan her share of the rental fee, promising to clean up before they left…. To the last-minute interview here, forcing Ryan to leave early. Then how she needed housing after my complaint. Lost it, only to find a one bedroom above an animal shelter. “Daisy’s the dog.”

“Yeah, I figured, I just might keep her, too.”

“That’s some story, “Hunter smirked.

“You haven’t even read our emails yet.” I got up, retrieved my laptop, and set it on the counter. Charlie sat at a barstool as Bunny and Hunter stood on either side of her. They read line by line, engrossed in our exchanges as if it was the stuff of a gossip column.

“A beach wedding. Here. Can’t you just see it?” Char turned to Bunny.

“I’ll make the cake,” she replied.

“We haven’t even gone on a date yet. She hates me.”

“Hate’s a strong word,” Hunter mused. “Passion. She definitely has passion for you. Maybe you should just plead the case, give her the deposit back and go from there.”

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