The women were on stools, and the men were standing because we only had four stools.
“That was inspired,” Chloe purred Blake’s way. “Allow me to speak for womankind when I say, brava.”
I wasn’t sure, but it looked like my sister might be blushing.
When the conversation turned from her, I caught her gaze and mouthed You okay?
She tipped her head to the side and shrugged.
Since it worked on me when Rix did it, I winked at her.
She rolled her eyes.
There she was.
There was my sister Blake.
I turned from her and saw Dad watching us.
He looked happy.
Rix leaned into my back from behind. I could feel his chest pressed into me as he nabbed a perfectly toasted petite square of bread on which a sliver of beef tenderloin had been formed into a rose, embedded in some herbed cream cheese, and hugged by a sprig of spring greens.
He popped it into his mouth and listened to Judge saying something.
And it wasn’t (just) the canapé that made him, too, look happy.
I sipped champagne.
And I sat with a group of people who I sensed I’d always be comfortable with, and I didn’t say a lot as the evening progressed.
But still.
I had an excellent time.
Elsa Cohen
“The Elsa Exchange”
Celebrity News and Interviews
YouTube Channel
* * *
“My wonderful watchers…I can’t…it’s just…the level of deliciousness…I’ll simply show you.”
Video onscreen of Blake Sharp standing at an altar in a stunning bridal gown beside her groom, saying, “…Chels, who banged his brains out when we were in Aruba.”
Video carries on through Blake’s speech. And through her maid of honor, Alexandra Sharp, belting the groom with her bouquet and threatening him. And also through John “Rix” Hendrix carrying Alexandra and Blake free right before a brawl begins.
And it carries on through quite a bit of that altar-wide brawl that included the slender groom, his groomsmen, a number of rather beefy members of the congregation, with a couple of bridesmaids falling into it because they weren’t smart enough to get out of the way.
Cut back to Elsa.
“Suffice it to say, my wonderful watchers, Blake Sharp, who is quite the dark horse, is back on the market. I sense that, considering it seems she got smart, and quick, that raven-haired, violet-eyed beauty will take some time to lick her wounds before she soldiers back into the dating game.”
Camera closes in on Elsa.
“But I, for one, offer her my hearty congratulations on this special day. And I wish her all the luck in the world. Now, until our next exchange, keep it positive. Elsa is signing off.”
The branded Elsa wink and blowing of kiss.
Sign off.
Alex
Sunday afternoon, I sat next to Rix on my deck.
He had a beer.
I had some wine.
He also had something on his mind.
“This place, we don’t have any room for kids, ’cept we could finish the storage space in the bottom level.”
I turned to him.
“Or build on,” he told the trees.
“We’re living at your house,” I told him.
He looked to me. “You’re happy here.”
“I’m happy in your house.”
“Al, you love your forest.”
“My deck is cool, but your deck is awesome.”
“I’ll agree. Your deck isn’t as cool as my deck. But I can make your deck as cool as my deck.”
“We can also just use your deck.”
“Alexandra.” Oh boy…my full name. “You’re not giving up your trees.”
We went into a staring contest.
I broke it saying, “There’s too many stairs here.”
He twisted in his seat to better face me, starting, “Babe—”
“Honey, it’ll mess with your head. And I can’t have that. If you’re set on giving me my trees, we’ll find another cabin that works for now and future or we’ll find some land and build something. Hey?”
His lips quirked and he agreed, “Hey.”
“Now, do you need another beer?”
“If I need another beer, I’ll get another beer. Do you need more wine?”
“If I need more wine, I’ll get more wine.”
His heavy black brows snapped together.
“We’ve played,” he said low. “But you haven’t been spanked and I’m feeling that coming on.”
My legs suddenly were restless.
This was not lost on him.
Thus, he turned back to the trees, threw back a tug of beer, and muttered, “Totally my mountain fuck bunny.”
“Oh my God,” I said to the trees. “You’re the worst.”
The next came supremely cocky.
“I know, but you love it.”
Oh yes.
I did.
I really, really did.
Epilogue
The House
Alex
Crack!
I no longer tensed when Judge threw up the softball and hit it with his bat toward left field.
Because what happened next was what had been happening for the last fifteen minutes.
Rix jogged, got under it, and caught it.
It was just the two of them out there.
Now.
I’d been out there before, when Judge was pitching, and Rix was hitting. Obviously, I had a lot of ground to cover. Mostly, I just chased after balls rolling toward the fence that had flown over my head. I hadn’t caught any, but I’d scooped up a couple of grounders.
Now, I was in the bleachers with Chloe.
Because Rix was fielding.
Crack!
“I can’t even begin to understand my visceral response to this,” Chloe began, sitting beside me, lounging back into the bleacher seat behind us with sunglasses on her nose, a chunky mohair sweater covering her upper body, skinny jeans, and booties on her lower.
It was a crisp late autumn day in Prescott, and she looked like a What to Wear picture.
Her focus was on Judge.
And her mouth was still moving.
“But it’s safe to say that Judge is going to get thoroughly ravished when we get home.”
I chuckled, watching Rix wing the ball under arm so it’d roll back to Judge after he’d fielded it. Then he got back into position. Feet apart. Knee slightly bent. Arms half loose, half tense, ready to help propel him where he needed to go to tag the ball.
And, yes.
He was going to get thoroughly ravished tonight too.
Though, I’d never tell him I was “ravishing” him. He’d be laughing too hard for me to concentrate on the ravishing.
“The guys are pretty excited Rix is going to come back to the team next season,” I noted.
“I’m sure they are. I know nothing of this, but I think it’s good practically every pitch Judge threw ended up in the grass.”
This was true, though it had started out frustrating, with Rix needing to come out of the batter’s box to go to the back stop to nab the ball and throw it back to Judge after he’d missed it. It hurt so much to watch, I almost jogged in so I could play catcher.