In the background, Ethan steps from his shed, tanned skin shiny with sweat, buttons on his shirt undone, exposing his delectable chest. A saw dangles from one hand like it’s merely a play toy, and he raises his free hand at the crowd. “Sorry, ladies!” he says, his flirty smile across his face.
Charleigh notices Abigail’s jaw tensing, untensing, even though she’s pretend smiling at him.
All eyes fly open now, drinking in the delicious sight that is Ethan Swift.
Even Charleigh—who isbeyondirritated by this strange family—feels a stirring of passion in her gut while she gapes at him. Imagines what he can do with those strong arms, the different positions…
Her dirty train of thought is interrupted by Jackson, who clears his throat, gives her a stare that says,Busted.
“Whatever,” she whispers in his ear, “this family is effed up, but that man is fine.”
“You’re telling me,” Jackson whispers back.
“See, there’s somethin’ in it for you, after all. Eye candy.”
“Speaking of which, I’m gonna go talk to the good man, check out his wares. I can’t sit here for one second longer and hear about labia.”
“Jackson Ford!” she calls out, clutches for his forearm, but he’s gone. Standing and striding away.
“Later,” he says to her, winking.
Well, shit.
“Now I want everyone to rise! Join hands!”
No fucking way.
Charleigh stands, but doesn’t join in on the kumbaya.
“I want us all to feel the feminine divine moving between us, sparking, lighting up. God said that we were made from a rib from Adam, and while that is true,we, after the holy father, are the givers of life. Life comes from our wombs. Our sacred wombs!” Abigail thumps her chest like a baboon.
Fuck this.Charleigh stomps off in search of Luke.
As she creeps around the crowd, Abigail daggers her with her icicle-blue eyes.
Standing in the back of the woodworking shop is a rangy teen. Luke, Charleigh surmises. Arms spiderwebbed with tattoos, jet-black hair tickling his shoulders. He’s wearing an INXS T-shirt, and everything about him spellstrouble.
Charleigh sees why Nellie declared him to be her soulmate.
Underneath the bad boy veneer, he’s shockingly handsome, with chestnut eyes that smolder and a worldly air about him that makes him seem like he’s in his early thirties.
She scoots past Ethan, who, thankfully, is chatting up Jackson.
“Hey there!” she trills at Luke.
He mops his bangs out of his face, flashes her a gleaming smile.
“Charleigh Andersen. And you are?”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am. I’m Luke. Napolitano. Stayin’ with the Swifts this summer. I’m from Dallas.”
“Oh, how nice. Luke?” She goes in for the kill. “I think I’ve heard my daughter mention you.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“I’m Nellie’s mom.”
And that’s when she catches it. The slightest ripple across his face, the tell that he might actually like Nellie. His tan skin blooms scarlet, and he swallows hard before he speaks again. “Oh, yeah! Nellie’s really somethin’. Hung out with her a few times.”
