I search the crowd for my wayward sister, and my eyebrows jump in surprise when I find her in a quiet conversation with Thomas. How did she manage that? I guess our dash across the ballroom with Jacinta must have taken longer than I thought.
“Come on.” I grab Hope’s hand and drag her, pushing people out of the way. I’m not losing Max again.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
Harlow
“There you are,” I call as we approach the two. “Gosh, I’ve been trying to catch up with you all night.”
Thomas and Max’s conversation abruptly breaks off, leaving behind awkward silence as I really look at my sister.
She’s pale and thin, and her dress is hanging off her body. Her hair is limp, and eyes are missing the sparkle that they usually have. She shudders as I wrap my arms around her.
“I’ve missed you, my sister,” I whisper as her thin arms hold on like I’m a life preserver and she’s floating in the open ocean. I pull back and look her in the eye. “What’s going on? What’s wrong?” I’m practically begging her to tell me, but she shakes her head in refusal. Her emotions are written across her face, and I’m not liking what I see. It’s surprising, to say the least. On the East Coast, amongst her friends, a show of emotions is a sign of weakness and a sure way to find yourself targeted for their amusement. You keep that shit locked down, so the fact that Max is willing to look ‘weak’ in this setting says a lot.
“Not here. Can we meet on Monday for lunch? I’ll tell you everything then,” she pleads.
“Are you not flying back to the set with the others?”
“No, I’ve finished all the stunts and the scene I was required for. Dad is going up to get the horses, and Josh is giving him a hand until he can hire someone to replace Luke and Peter,” she tells me. Gone is the thrilled girl who had a speaking part in the movie. She’s been replaced with this shell of a woman.
“Do your mom and dad know what’s wrong?” I didn’t think it would be possible, but her mood sinks even lower.
“No, I’ve been avoiding them, but I know that’s coming to an end too. I’ll invite them to lunch as well so I can tell you all at once.”
My stomach lurches at the thought of what she could possibly have to tell me, but her eyes beg me not to press any more tonight, so I give her that. “Jaxon, Jacinta, and I are leaving after the ball for a three-day cruise out to sea and back. It’s to get a feel for the new business. But you know what, I’ll let them go without me. It’s not like I can offer them any help. I’m just going for the free booze and to get away from all the stress.”
I see the guilt in her eyes at the mention of my problems, but it’s fleeting. “No, go, have fun. I’ll still be here when you get back. I’ll spend a few days with Mom and Dad, and we’ll do lunch on Wednesday.” She waves her hand around like it’s no problem.
“Are you sure?” Torn between my best friend and my new family, there’s a part of me that knows I shouldn’t believe her. Even though it’s selfish of me, the other part of me wants to just accept what she’s saying so I don’t have to miss out on this opportunity. It’s not about the luxury of the experience; it’s about the time with two people who have become increasingly dear to me.
“Absolutely,” she quickly agrees, looking and sounding somewhat relieved.
“Okay.” I put a bright smile on my face. I don’t know what will really make a difference at the moment, but if we’re ignoring the elephant in the room, I guess we have to move forward. “Have you met Hope yet? She just became a Summers too.”
Max puts on a smile that absolutely doesn’t fool me, then she greets Hope, welcoming her to the family. I look at Thomas, but the set of his lips as he shakes his head ever so slightly gives me my answer. She spoke to him in confidence, and even if I pushed, he’s not going to break her trust. I can’t say that I like it in this particular circumstance, but I have to respect his sense of honor.
Through a gap in the crowd, I see the guys from Ninja Starfish. I give them a wave, and the four of them raise their glasses to me. They look much happier than the last time I saw them. I guess getting rid of dead weight does make you feel lighter.
While Hope and Max chat, I take inventory of the crowd. Kai is talking to the Blaze brothers and his friends from Hawaii. Not far from them are Holden and Oli, the latter shifting his dress pants with a grimace. He’s obviously bitching to Holden about his new tattoo, but I have no sympathy. If the silly man is going to make bets with me, he should make sure he’s going to win. The chocolate milkshake cowboy tattoo looks mighty pretty opposite his penguin one.
When I find Declan, he’s in conversation with the very men that Max stormed away from. I’m not sure what it was about, but my loyalty is to her, so I think I’ll just stay away from all of that for now.
I try to tune back into the conversation that Hope and Max are having, but a hand on my back and a familiar scent have me melting into Jaxon’s embrace.
“May I have this dance?” he asks me as I whirl with surprise. “This is a ball, Harlow. Thereisdancing even though Nana has been determined to introduce you to every man and his dog tonight.”
“I’d love to.” He takes my hand and leads me onto the dance floor, twirling me under his arm before drawing me into his embrace. A breathless laugh leaves my mouth as my chest presses against his.
“Are you having a nice time?” he asks as he gracefully moves me around the dance floor. This is very different to the first time we danced together but no less seductive.
“I really am, though I’m worried about Max. I’m having lunch with her on Wednesday when we get back from the cruise. You said we should be back mid-morning?”
“Yes, it’s just one of those cruises that goes out to sea and floats around for a while. It’s not really meant to explore, more for some quick fun. It allows the passengers to drink, gamble, and shop duty-free before returning to port. I’d really like it if you and Jacinta tested the facilities like the beauty salons, the spa, and the shopping, and we’ll try to dine in as many of the options as possible. This line isn't as big as some of them, so I'm wondering if there's a niche market we could find. If we find a group that needs an outlet, we could really personalize our venture to meet those needs.”
“Well, you know what would work?” I waggle my eyebrows at him. “Why don’t you make one an adults-only sex boat, much like the hotel in Hawaii. Sexify the rooms, add a bondage club, and instead of musical acts, have strippers, burlesque acts, and sex shows. You could also offer classes. Oral sex classes, shibari, pole dancing, that sort of thing.” The words tumble out of my mouth, and Jaxon stops dead in the middle of all the dancers.
“Holy shit, yes, that’s brilliant! We can have a couple of normal ships to aim at the families, but a few of the ships could be themed.” We start to dance again as I watch his brilliant mind at work. “We could do a craft and hobby ship where we can have demonstrations and classes on things ranging from woodworking to glass blowing to lace making and shit. What about a music-themed ship? We could hire bands to perform and teach dance classes and musical instruments. Have specialized areas for jam sessions and singing classes. Harlow, you are brilliant.” He twirls me out and deposits me in Thomas’ arms.
