Jane cast a glance to Tripp and to Wendy’s mortification, he was looking at them. It was clear to anyone watching who they were having a conversation about. Wendy turned so Tripp couldn’t see her face as well, then she muttered, “He’s a jerk. I get that technically he’s your family, but he’s been nothing but?—”
“Good morning, Miss Scott,” came the low, almost seductive tenor of the one man she wanted nothing to do with.
She spun to face him, eyes narrowed. “How’s the truck?”
His smooth expression cracked but only momentarily. Then he flashed her a grin. “Not a scratch on her. Safe and sound.” He leaned entirely too close to her so Jane couldn’t hear his next words. “Not that I can say the same about you.”
Wendy stiffened. Was that a threat? Of course it was. He was already planning his retaliation.
Was it bad that after the initial wariness passed, a thread of excitement snaked its way into her body? Probably. She wasn’t going to look too closely at her reaction. This was now their thing. Wendy did something to mess with him and he retaliated.
She swallowed the golf-ball sized lump in her throat then attempted to clear it with a cough. Jane was watching them far more intently now. Plastering her brightest smile on her face, Wendy turned to face Tripp and placed a comforting hand to his arm. A spark of energy nearly had her tearing her hand away, but she pressed forward. “You don’t have to whisper, Tripp. We’re all friends here.”
He frowned, obviously confused and her smile widened.
“I’m sure there are plenty of full-grown adults who need nightlights to chase away bad dreams.” It was a weak attempt to make him uncomfortable and she knew it. With her luck, he wouldn’t care what Jane thought. It wasn’t like he had any reason to flirt with her.
The moment Tripp snaked his arm around her waist to pull her into his chest, she knew she’d made a mistake. But it was the words he said next that had her body quaking and the unease in her chest morphing into anticipation. His face was only inchesfrom her own. “Maybe I’ll leave the nightlight behind, and you’ll keep the nightmares at bay.”
Stunned, she stared into his stormy blue eyes. Her mouth felt like it was full of sand. Her tongue weighed a hundred pounds. And all her usual level-headed thoughts were now in a tizzy. Up was down and hot was cold. She couldn’t breathe.
For a split second, she could finally understand what Olivia had been going through. To gain the attention of this man in this way did something to the brain chemistry. The way he held her. The smell of his cologne. And those eyes! She could happily drown in them. What she was experiencing in this moment was far away from the typical flirtatious behavior she’d witnessed upon meeting him for the first time.
Only the distinct clearing of a throat was enough to pull her from her spiral. Wendy became all too aware of the situation Tripp had pulled her into. This right here looked intimate. More than intimate, from the outside perspective they appeared to be a couple.
Wendy brought up both hands and pushed against his chest hard. Yes, she knew if he’d wanted to keep her pressed up against him, he’d have no problem accomplishing that. Thankfully, Tripp released her and stepped back a few paces.
She could finally breathe when he gave her distance—gulping in the oxygen—like she’d been stuck under water and starved for it. The dizziness in her head remained even as Tripp sauntered away with a skip in his step and a lighthearted whistle.
Gaping after him, she didn’t realize Jane was still standing there until she let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah,” she drawled, “totallylooks like you hate him.” She winked then headed toward her husband.
If Wendy was capable of throwing a full-blown toddler tantrum, she might have done just that. Tripp had whipped out the big guns, apparently. She didn’t want anyone believing they were anything more than enemies. Serenity was fully aware just how much Wendy disliked Tripp, but not the nitty gritty details. She’d simply asked Wendy to play nice until the wedding was over.
A garbled growl burst free and Wendy marched off toward her horse. It was going to be a long night.
The locationfor their little campout was beautiful. They’d gone into the edge of the woods that sat on the perimeter of the property so they’d have coverage from the sun during the hottest part of the day. The guys had set to work immediately setting up tents, canopies, and putting together the fire pit. The girls had grouped together to prep dinner.
It was nice, this camaraderie, this family.
She really had missed it.
The afternoon wore on without incident, though Wendy could feel Tripp’s eyes on her for most of it. The more time that passed, the more anxious she became. The anticipation for whatever was to come continued to build until she wasn’t sure she could handle it any longer.
They had their dinner and the bonfire was lit. A couple of the guys pulled out their guitars and everyone sat around theflames. Sparks shot into the sky like miniature fireworks. Wendy allowed her focus to drift to the other couples, enjoying the little nuances between them.
Most people couldn’t tell the differences between certain relationships. Some started out as friendship. Those were more playful and lighthearted. They could tease each other good naturedly one second then share a passionate kiss the next. Others were more deeply rooted in desire. They weren’t any less strong, quite the contrary. Wendy had always felt the heady, almost palpable draw those couples had for each other.
And she wanted that, too.
She craved it.
In all the romance books she read, that passionate, inability to live without the other called to her. Yet, she hadn’t managed to find it for herself. It was her fault, really. She had a hard time letting people in.
A sigh escaped her just as the log where she sat shifted. Tripp settled beside her and her whole body went as cold and hard as stone. This was it. He was going to do something to humiliate her or put her in her place.
Without a word, Tripp handed her a s’more.
She blinked at the offering, then slowly lifted her gaze to find his. He was staring at the fire in front of them. In his other hand, he held a skewer with a marshmallow on the end. When she didn’t immediately take the treat, he made a grunting sound.
