Page 76 of Ripped & Shipped
“I’ve got you, babe!” Joe says, preemptively.
There’s more shrieking and flailing. Joe definitely has a hold of Meg, and he’s trying to secure his feet on the top of the embankment, but the ground’s too soft and slippery.
“Oh, no!” Meg shouts.
“Oh, no. No! Not good!” Joe agrees.
Meg disappears and I hear the splash. Joe dives in right after her, shouting, “I’m coming in, babe!” I step toward the edge, but stay far enough back to ensure I don’t join them.
Meg’s got her arms around Joe’s neck. Her dress is clinging to her like she’s clinging to Joe—for dear life. Joe’s trying to grasp at the muddy slope they slid down, while balancing Meg in his other arm. She’s clinging to him like a baby spider monkey. He makes headway getting up the embankment, and slides back down … makes headway, and slides back down.
I lift my camera and snap a few shots.
“Did you just take our picture?” Meg shouts up at me.
“I wanted to capture the moment for you. You’ll thank me later.”
We finally figure out how to get them up. I grab a larger broken tree branch and extend it to them. Meg grasps the branch and makes her way up first, with a little shove from behind from Joe. Then Meg and I hold the branch so Joe can climb up. They’re soaking wet and muddy. The three of us collapse onto our backs in the grass a safe distance from the river.
As soon as Meg’s eyes meet mine, we devolve into a fit of laughter. Joe just chuckles and shakes his head.
Meg turns to Joe and says, “You jumped in to save me.”
Joe props himself up on an elbow and looks down at Meg.
“I’ll always jump in after you, babe.”
I carefully lift my camera and capture their moment.
CHAPTER26
Chris
My palms aren’t sweaty.That would be ridiculous. I wipe them down my jeans anyway before I knock on Ella Mae’s front door. She told me Meg was out with Joe after a photo shoot they all did earlier. So, we’ll be alone. In her home. Just the two of us. Which is fine. We’re just taking pictures. And I need to get a grip. Somehow this woman is the one person on earth who unnerves me and takes down all my defenses.
Ella Mae opens the door. She’s wearing yoga attire again. This time it’s leopard print with this criss-cross weaving of fabric down the sides of the pants and another top that shows her midriff. I look her squarely in the eyes. Eyes, Chris. Eyes.
She’s oblivious to the fact that her outfit caught my attention, or that I’m coming apart at the seams on her front porch.
“Heya, Soldier. Come on in. I’ve got everything ready in the front room. Do you need water?”
Ella Mae turns to walk ahead of me.
“I’m good.”
My voice comes out a little more sternly than I wanted. Ella Mae looks over her shoulder giving me a questioning look. I smile to let her know I’m fine. It probably looks like the smile of a deranged lunatic, but hopefully when he’s doing fine.
Nothing could have prepared me for the next words out of Ella Mae’s mouth.
“I thought we’d do yoga.”
“You thought we’d do what?”
“Yoga. It’s something my peeps are used to on my channel. And it gives us something to do in the pics. Then we can cuddle on the couch and take photos afterward.”
She’s saying this all so calmly. I’m wondering if I just should have called some guys I know in special ops to handle this BeefItUp guy.
“I’ll go easy on you, St. James. Don’t worry.”
