Page 2 of Sugar and the Skeptic
“Are you brothers?” I move a little closer to him and he gets off his stool, seeming edgy like he’d rather be anywhere than here right now.
“Brothers, cousins. We all grew up together here.”
“That must be nice. I don’t have any family, so it’s always wonderful for me to see such a big one getting along.”
He gives me a twitch of a smile and starts rolling the sleeves of his dress shirt back down and securing them at his wrists. “I should, uh, go. I’m sure there are photos I’m supposed to be in or something.”
“Oh, OK. Well, it was nice to meet you, er…”
“Rafe,” he says, walking backward.
I smile. “Rafe. I’m—”
“Sugar. Yeah, I heard,” he says, spinning on his heel and walking away from me as fast as he can.
When I turn back to the bar, I lift my top slightly to make sure I don’t stink. I seem to be doing a great job chasing everyone away so far.
“There you are,” Serenity says, placing her hands on my shoulders as she comes up behind me. I turn to face her. “Sorry to abandon you. Just doing the whole congratulatory thing. You want me to introduce you around?”
“Ahhh, you know what?” I press my glass into her hand and take a step back. “I might actually head off. This is a family thing and I’m kind of the odd one out here. Would you please tell the bride and groom that I wish them well, and you and I can catch up some time soon, yeah?”
She quickly places the glass on the bar and catches me by the wrist. “Wait. Where are you staying?”
“I figured I’d just head to the camping grounds and set up there.”
“Don’t do that. We’ve got a spare cabin on the mountain right now. Ainsley, the bride, was renting it. But she’s moved in with Ajax now so it’s sitting vacant. Why don’t you head up there and I’ll bring you the keys as soon as I get a chance to get away?”
“I couldn’t ask you to leave a family gathering for that, Serenity. I can just stay in my van for the night and you can bring the keys tomorrow.”
“Are you sure? I mean, wouldn’t you be more comfortable in the cabin?”
“I love my van, Ren. To me, it’s home, so there’s no place more comfortable. I’ll be completely fine.”
“OK then. Well, I’ll see you in the morning. First thing.”
“Sounds perfect.” I draw her into a hug. “And thank you. I appreciate you so much.”
“You too. Drive safe, OK?” she says after giving me the address I’m heading to.
“Is there any other way?”
Rolling her eyes because of her knowledge of my reckless youth, she laughs as I blow her a kiss and head out the back door beside the kitchen, smiling as the sounds of laughter and joy fall away behind me. Then I stop and take a deep inhale of the fresh, cool mountain air. And if I didn’t know any better, I’d swear I heard it whisper…Home…
RAFE
“It’s not a soulwink. I’m just hard up and she’s fucking gorgeous,” I mutter to myself as I pace back and forth in the parking lot, scrubbing a hand through my hair.This is insane.
I’m a grown-ass man, and I’m pacing out the front of my cousins’ bar because I’m letting my family get in my head over this ‘soulwink’ thing Kellen’s wife came up with. Jade has barely been in town for a year, but the moment she stepped into it and she and Kellen fell head over heels for each other, she’s been convinced there’s magic in the air. The way she tells it, the moment a Valentine man locks eyes with the woman he’s meant to spend his life with, their souls recognize each other and give a little ‘wink’ in acknowledgement. And since all of my cousins and brothers have dropped like flies the moment a pretty girl wandered into town from that moment on, they’ve all gotten on board with her ramblings.
As the lone, unattached Valentine male left standing, I’ve stood by and witnessed them all go rushing headfirst into marriage, buoyed by the idea that fairytale magic and soulmates really do exist. I think they’re crazy.
If there’s one thing I know for sure in this world, it’s that magic is just a trick performed on stage in front of an audience. The real thing doesn’t exist. And I stand firm in my belief that in about two years’ time, the Valentine family is going to be plagued by a bunch of grumpy old divorcees lamenting the decisions they made today. Statistically, over fifty percent of marriages fail, and while I can’t find any hard data on the subject, I’m pretty sure that rushed marriages fail a heck of a lot more often. If we’re lucky, one or two Valentine marriages might manage to thrive, but I’m betting that once this honeymoon period is over, and the excitement of sex on tap gives way to real-world problems and responsibility, my relatives and their wives are all going to be singing a very different tune. Maybe they’ll rename it to a soulstinkinstead?
“Couldn’t find anyone taking photos?” a voice asks to my right.
I turn to find Sugar—weird name—emerging from the back of the bar where the kitchen access is. My heart starts rapid thumping all over again.Fuck, she’s pretty.She has long, caramel and honey colored hair all the way down to her waist. Her long fingers are adorned with silver rings and gemstones that pair perfectly with the corded rainbow charm around her neck. When she moves, her floor-length skirt swishes from side to side, making it look like she’s floating. And the simple white tank sets off the bronze glow of her skin and hugs her ample curves. She looks like summer and dessert all wrapped up in a curvy package.
Looking at her seems to knock the words right out of me. It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted a woman in my bed this much, so to save myself from saying something completely inappropriate, I choose silence instead.
