"It doesn't?" Rudy lifted his chin and yelled, "Mom!"
* * *
"You want us to do what?"Eden shivered despite the old towel wrapped around her shoulders and stared at the garden tub. In most circumstances, it would be considered plenty big, but not tonight. Not with what Alice was suggesting.
Rudy huddled next to her in his parents’ master bathroom, looking as horrified as she felt. He shivered too, thanks to Alice insisting they spray each other off with the hose to wash off the tomato juice before coming into the house.
"I'd make you use your own tub, but with Rudy's long legs, the two of you would never fit." Alice huffed when they both just stared at her. "You're going to keep your swimsuits on, and I'll leave the bathroom door open, so this won't be deemedtooinappropriate." Despite her words, her voice held a warning tone. She gave each of them a narrow-eyed glare.
Had she seen them kissing in the kiddy pool?
The situation that had felt rather intimate despite being public now felt perfectly acceptable compared to the idea of sharing the tub with Rudy.
"But Mom—"
"But nothing. The grocery store is closed, and I've rounded up all of the peroxide I can from your sisters and the neighbors." She held a large bowl containing a mixture of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and dish soap; the magic recipe that Mr. Jackson promised would do the trick. "This is all there is."
Eden sure hoped it worked because the stench clinging to her body made her nauseous. She was surprised Alice even allowed them into the house smelling like they did.
She eyed the bowl. "We're supposed to wash our bodies with that?"
Alice put the bowl in the tub and grabbed two washcloths from under the sink. "I suggest you just dip the cloths in the stuff and rub it on, instead of trying to pour it. There's not that much, so use it sparingly." She walked out of the bathroom, flipping on the fan on her way out.
And just like that, Eden was once again alone with Rudy in yet another awkward situation.
Couldn't Alice have divided the peroxide-soda solution and let her wash in a different bathroom? Why was the woman so intent on pushing her and Rudy together at every turn?
She looked at Rudy, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. He just stared at the tub; his brow furrowed, and his lips pressed into a tight line.
Eden was ready for this night to be over already. Heaving a sigh, she stepped into the tub and sat on the edge. She dipped her washcloth in the bucket. Dumping tomato juice over herself was one thing, but rubbing a washcloth over her body while Rudy watched made her more self-conscious than she'd ever been in her life.
Nope. I won't let myself watch him wash his body. And I'll pray he doesn't watch me.
Watching the tomato juice drip off his biceps and well-sculpted pecs had been torture enough. This would be even worse. Especially after sharing a couple of amazing kisses.
God hadn't sent down a bolt of lightning, but the way their last kiss ended so abruptly told Eden they shouldn't be kissing at all.
Alice versus God. Who will win?
The persuasive woman was a powerful force of nature, but God doled out hefty punishments.
The peroxide mixture wasn't any warmer than the tomato juice had been, and goosebumps raised on her skin as she rubbed the cloth over first one arm then the other.
Rudy finally joined her, staying perched on the edge of the tub, like she was. He dipped his cloth and rubbed it over his arm. He let out a long and loud shudder that shook his whole body.
Eden couldn't help herself; she burst out laughing. Never in a million years would she have thought she'd get sprayed by—not one, but two—skunks, bathe in tomato juice, and then share a peroxide scrub with an overly dramatic, handsome sheriff's deputy.
Wouldn't her Instagram followers love to see him now? She'd made the mistake of posting a picture of them working on the website a few days ago, and they had gone wild, begging for more photos of him ever since.
The more she thought about the ridiculous events of this night and the fact that she and Rudy—both nearly naked—sat so close to one another, yet doing everything they could to keep from touching and looking at each other only made her laugh harder.
Rudy joined her, and when he laughed so hard, he started to hiss, she hit the point where she could no longer breathe. Tears streamed down her face which only made him hiss louder.
Finally, they both gasped, struggling for air. It still took several minutes for their laughter to die away completely.
After wiping down her legs, she dipped her cloth yet again and shifted to wipe at her back the best she could.
Rudy cleared his throat. "I'll wash yours if you wash mine."
