“You are munificence personified,” he said, and I could feel him reaching to pinch my butt when the entrance door opened with a gust of wind that sent a ripple through the rack of tourist pamphlets.
“Whew!No wonder there were so many shipwrecks on this coast.That wind is something—Emily!”
“Oh, good, you did get here,” I said, tugging Fang with me when I did a one-eighty and headed down the stairs to greet the newcomers.“I wondered if you would change your mind.This is Fang Baxter, love of my life and vet extraordinaire.”
Amy congratulated Fang, introduced her husband—who had nice eyes and an infectious smile—and then tried to apologize.“We got in yesterday, as a matter of fact.I’m still a bit torn about being here and intruding on your special day—”
“Eh,” I said, leaning into Fang.“I told you before it doesn’t really matter.And actually ...”I glanced at Fang.
He raised his eyebrows at me, clearly letting me make the decision.
Never being one to waste time, I said quickly, “Actually, I was wondering if you had hired someone for the job?The one I interviewed for, that is.”
“No, we haven’t,” Corbin said slowly, sliding Amy a questioning look.She slid it right back to him; then they both considered us.“We haven’t been impressed by any of the other applicants.Did you have someone to recommend, or perhaps you’ve changed your mind?”
“More the latter, but ...perhaps we could talk about it after tomorrow?If you’re still going to be here, that is.”
Amy’s expression lightened.“We will, and I’m delighted to know circumstances have changed.I know you will fit in perfectly with the rest of the team, and—”
“My love, let us give the happy couple a little space before we have to sit down and negotiate,” Corbin said with a chuckle, his arms around Amy.
“I’m so sorry,” Amy said instantly, looking embarrassed.“I got a bit carried away with excitement.It’s been a grueling few weeks, and this is our second day of actual vacation, so I’m finding it a bit hard to slip back into relaxation mode.”
Something occurred to me then.I eyed Amy.
“Er ...” she said in response to the eyeing.
“My hen party—bachelorette party—is going to start in about twenty minutes.I’d love it if you joined us.It’s just my mother, aunt, bestie, and her wife.My teen cousin has opted to go with the men on some sort of zombie thing that will make up the stag do, but the rest of us are going to the spa next door for facials and hot stone massages and herbal hair treatments, and even a mud detox thing that I’m sure is going to be unpleasant, because who wants to sit in mud full of other people’s toxins?But you don’t have to mud up if you don’t want to.”
“Mud up?”Amy asked, then smiled.“That is so sweet of you, Emily, but I would feel very much like I was intruding—”
“Well, don’t,” I told her.“I’m sorry to sound blunt, but as I’ve said, our wedding is a very casual, having-a-good-time situation.I’d be happy to have you join the rest of us in the spa, but I would never want to put you on the spot, so if you’d prefer to not join us, that’s fine, too.”
“But Corbin—” she started to protest.
“Can join me and come to the stag do, if he likes,” Fang offered.
I beamed at him.He was the most perfect man in the world, even if he did hog the covers, liked raisins, and fell asleep during episodes ofNaked and Afraid.
“Now, that really would be intruding,” Corbin said.“At least Amy and Emily have met, and have some sort of a relationship.”
“Like Emily said, eh.”Fang held out his hand and shook Corbin’s.“Now we’re acquainted, so you are welcome to come with us if you like, although I warn you it’s not going to be a standard lads’ night out.Emily’s father, uncle, and niece are joining us, as well as one of my mates.That’s it.”
“There won’t be any strippers, because my niece decided she’d rather do the stag activity than mine,” I told them.“Most importantly, there won’t be any fighting.I explicitly told Devon—that’s Fang’s best man—that there was to be no fighting like there was on all of his previous stag dos.So, you’d be perfectly safe there.”
The next ten minutes was spent in discussion, but in the end, Amy and Corbin went off to their room to get ready for the parties, while Fang and I did the same.
“I will see you later, my darling,” I told him, kissing him all over his handsome face.“Supple, coated with oils and unguents, and possibly toxin-laden mud in locations, but filled with love for you.”
“I look forward to locating all the bits of mud clinging to you, my silky-skinned vixen,” he said in his best serial-villain impression.“I will have no mercy in cleansing you of it.”
“Oooh,” I said with a little shimmy against him, backing off when Holly tapped on the door and said everyone was waiting.“I’ll hold you to that.Let me know if Brother does something embarrassing.I’m collecting anecdotes to include in my second autobiography.”
He laughed, and glanced at his watch.“Devon is holding back the start, but if your dad missed his train, we might have to leave without him.”
“That’s OK,” I told him, opening the door.“I warned him he might have to make his way out to you if his tour du jour was late ending.Yes, I’m ready to go, Holly.Happy stag night, soon-to-be husband.”
“Have fun with your hen party,” he responded, shooing me out the door.“Just don’t do anything that your father can hold over your head for years to come.”
