Shady Bay (22 page)

That
weekend, June
showed up to help me get ready. We were going to Shady and having a girls’ night. Summer was meeting us there. She curled my lashes until they brushed my lid and then applied a thick coat of mascara. The foundation she’d used had helped my coloring. I wasn’t as ghostly anymore.

The rings under my eyes had disappeared. The concealer had done its job. June took her time applying dark cherry lip stain to each of my lips and then when she was finished, she offered me new earrings.

I squealed. They were patina-finish filigrees and I loved them. She threw my dark navy maxi at me and ordered me out of the room. I rushed to get dressed and shrugged on a cropped jean jacket and shoved my feet in my Toms. They were navy and had white little anchors on them. Fifteen minutes later, June stood in front of me, her short hair spiked in just the right places. I touched my bare head.

“Stop it. You are beautiful.”

She grabbed my purse and hers and we headed out the door. At Shady, there was a small crowd of locals. Brody slammed into June the second we hit the sand. “I’ve been waiting for you, Juney.”

I grinned and cooed, “Juney?”

She swatted me. “Shut up. It’s cute.”

The two of them took off toward the bar and I followed behind. Jaxon was nowhere to be seen. I decided to check his office. I stepped back inside and started down the hallway. A brunette with the curviest body I’ve ever seen stepped out of Jaxon’s office. She saw me and her eyes twinkled. She adjusted her dress and grinned before stepping around me. You have got to be kidding me. As I was gaping at the door, it opened revealing Jaxon, who was buckling his belt. I was stuck. My hand wanted to smack him. My knee wanted to connect with his junk. My feet wanted to run. My brain was so confused. “Sorry to interrupt you, Jaxon.”

I turned and all but ran out into the sand. Bypassing June and Brody, who were dancing, I kept moving. Jerking the shoes off my feet, I walked into the surf and into the direction of the pier. No footprints or breadcrumbs to tell anyone which way I’d gone.

How stupid was I? Thinking Jaxon would be faithful while this sham of a marriage was in place. He was just a friend. A nice guy who offered me help. I was the pathetic one. Tears flooded my vision, blurring the twinkling lights from the hotels of the Grand Strand. I actually thought he loved me. I gave him all of me, and he took it. But it had all been a lie.

I walked and walked until the pier was within reach. It was the same one I’d slept beneath when I first got to town. Equally cold now, the wind whipped my dress and clothes harshly. Watching the waves slam against the pier’s water-worn posts was cathartic. I stayed there for hours before heading back to my place and crashing. Literally.

What the hell
just happened? Mercy looked like she’d seen a ghost. She muttered something about being sorry for interrupting and then ran away. I ran outside after her. Brody said she’d just passed by, while June gave me a look that promised a pair of bruised testicles if I’d hurt her. I didn’t do anything to her. That was the thing. I had no idea why she was so upset. Jennifer, the new night manager, had helped me out. One of the waiters accidently bumped into me spilling his tray of drinks down my front. I always kept a spare set of clothes in the storage room, so she’d gone and got the clothes and then brought them to my office for me. When she left, I changed and then that’s when the whole Mercy thing had happened. I followed her tracks all the way to the surf, but that’s where they disappeared. Damn stubborn woman.

I silenced my
phone at one in the morning after June called for the tenth time. Grumbling as I did it, I texted her first, letting her know that I was home and fine. It was nine in the morning now, and I’d already made three pair of crocheted sandals. I was going to work on some scarves, hats and gloves since we were heading back into winter. I guess the sandals were snatched up by locals for next year.

A banging on my front door jerked me out of my thoughts. I peeped through the hole. It was June. Not Jaxon. Thank God. I opened the door.

“You’d better have a damn good reason for scaring the hell out of me last night.”

“I do.”

“Well, spill.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot steadily.

“I caught Jaxon in his office with some tramp.”

Eyes like saucers, June said, “Shut up! That assbag!”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to kill him.”

“No, you’re not.”

She grinned. “Are you going to kill him? Go all Lorena Bobbitt on him?”

Rolling my eyes, I said, “No. I’m not gonna cut it off. I’ve been so stupid.”

I sank into the couch. “I trusted him. He said he would just be with me while we were married. Guess not, huh?”

“Did you actually see them in the act?”

“No, but she came out of his office adjusting her painted-on dress and then a minute later he appeared and was buckling his belt.”

She winced. “I’m so sorry, Mercy. I’ll totally fuck up his car if you want me to. Sisters before misters.”

I laughed. “No. He’s not worth it.”

She just nodded and pulled me in for a hug. Pushing me back quickly. “You know what you need? A girls
’ night.”

“Wasn’t that what last night was supposed to be? Not sure I can handle another disaster like that.”

“Then we’ll go somewhere else. There’s more to Myrtle than Shady Bay.”

Sitting in a
small wooden booth at Braxton’s, we basked in the unfriendly light of the neon pink sign that glowed overhead. Summer had finished her third beer. June was nursing her second. I was on my first, but really shouldn’t have been drinking in the first place. But hey, what was girls’ night without at least one beer?

Our waiter was named Quin and he looked every bit the local surfer boy with messy golden hair, warm brown eyes and a crooked smile. He was about my age and was really sweet. Poor guy. This was ‘men are all bastards night.’

June grinned at him when he came back for our dinner orders. She ordered the burger and fries. I ordered the chicken strip basket, and Summer opted for a chicken Caesar salad. “Quin?” asked June.

“Yeah.”

“Is your last name Google?”

He ticked his head back and smiled. “No, why?”

Batting her lashes, she replied, “Because you’re all I’m searching for.”

He chuckled loudly and took off to put our order in.

A thirty-something guy with a short beard passed by our table. Summer stopped him with her arm. “Are you tired?”

“Am I tired?”
he asked.

“You’ve been running through my mind all day, baby.”

He rolled his eyes, laughed and walked away.

Awhile later, Quin returned. June nudged me and Summer looked at me expectantly. Fine. “Quin, did it hurt?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Did what hurt?”

“When you fell from heaven.”

The table erupted in laughter. Summer slammed her beer bottle down, trying not to spew the gulp she’d just taken out her mouth or nose.

“Oh, I’ve got one. Quin, on a scale of one to America, how free are you tonight?” Girls
’ night was the best.

Our meals were divine. Well, mine was and June and Summer seemed to like theirs. Quin was sweet. He let us carry on like teenagers. “Quin, can I have some ketchup?” He hesitated. “It’s not a pick up line. I really do need some ketchup. Sorry.” I giggled.

When we were finished, we paid our bills and cackled some more. An hour later, we were all home safely and had an awesome night. My mind, the jerk that it was, kept drifting to Jaxon.

June drove me
to the Coastal Cancer Center. Lord, I’d be happy when I wouldn’t ever have to step foot in this place again. Don’t get me wrong, the people who worked here were kind and helpful. The doctors were the best in the business. But no one wants to have cancer. This building was a reminder of the disease and I wanted to put both behind me.

Scan after scan, vial after vial, test after test. I texted June for a ride at four forty-three in the afternoon. She texted back that she was on her way. She wasn’t working today but had to run a few errands. I just hoped for the best.

Jaxon met us on the porch when I got home. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey.”

I tried to move around him. No dice. He blocked me. “I think we need to talk, wife.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Well, I have plenty.”

I rolled my eyes. June gave me a do you want me to kill him look and I shook my head. I hugged her and watched as she got into her car and drove away. Blowing out a huge shaky breath, I looked up at him. Jade eyes pierced mine. His hair was longer and my fingers itched to rake through it.

“Look, can I come in? Five minutes. Give me five minutes. Please.”

“Fine. Five minutes.”

He followed me inside and I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. I offered him one but he declined. “I don’t know what happened the other night. I get that you’re mad, but I have no idea what I’ve done. I know you might not want to be married to me, that you might not love me, but we are friends. I just want to know what I did.” He pleaded, “Please tell me what I did.”

“The brunette coming out of your office.”

He cocked his head back. “Jennifer? She’s the night manager.”

“Yeah, well, she seems to be managing something.”

“Are you jealous of her? She has nothing on you, baby.”

“Don’t call me baby. You don’t get to call me baby after screwing around with that tramp! Does she know you’re married? I mean, I know we aren’t married-married. But we are married and you promised, Jaxon. You promised to be faithful to me while we were doing this. Was it so hard to keep it in your pants for a few months? Was I not enough for you?”

“I’ve never slept with Jennifer. I wouldn’t. Number one, she is my employee and number two, I’m not attracted to her. At all.”

“When she stepped out of your office, she was adjusting her dress. When you opened the door, you were buckling your belt. I know what I saw.”

Shaking his head, he softly said, “No, baby. You don’t. A waiter spilled an entire drink tray on me. She went and got my spare clothes from storage, sat them on my desk and left. That must have been when you saw her. I changed after she was gone and then opened the door and you were there. Then you ran. That’s all that happened.”

A sob tore through me. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

“Do you swear?”

“Yes. I swear. I wouldn’t hurt you, Mercy. I love you.”

His green eyes searched mine. Jaxon loved me. He loved me. Oh my goodness.

“You love me?”

“Yes. I love you and I don’t want you to leave me, regardless of what your tests say. I want you to stay with me. I know I didn’t give you the huge wedding you probably dreamed up when you were little, but I want you to stay mine.”

“You do.”

“I do. I love you, baby. I’m not ever gonna let you go. We were made for each other. You’re a part of me. I’m a part of you. We’re in this fight together.”

I nodded and collapsed into him.

Thirty seconds later, I was wrapped tight around him. He carried me into my bedroom, nipping at my neck. Lowering me onto the bed, his eyes darkened. I pulled off my shirt and stood there in my hot pink bra and matching panties. “Ruffles? You have ruffles on your panties?”

I grinned.

“You’re trying to kill me.” He took the ruffled panties off using his teeth and proved to me again that make-up sex can be one of the best kinds.

June drove to
a secluded part of the beach. It was a brisk day, cold even, but sunny and beautiful and the perfect day for Simon to take my picture. I was doing this. I’d gotten the call this morning. The cancer was gone. I was considered in remission. I was a survivor.

Simon was quiet. I wore one of my crocheted bikinis at first. June made sure my feather earrings were perfect as I lay on my stomach in the surf. The cold water was freezing me each time it lapped up my body. “A few more shots, then we’ll have you change.”

I nodded. I’d posed in every position possible on the sand, stood up to my waist in the water, letting the water wash over me. I felt cleansed, baptized by the blessing of health.

June wrapped a towel around me and led me into the small tent. The wind rattled the canvas structure as I changed into a bright pink evening gown with layers and layers of chiffon. “The wind is gonna make this dress look amazing. You are fierce, Mercy.” She applied a matching shade of lipstick and touched up my smoky eye
s.

Soon, the wind was whipping all around me, layers of fine fabric surrounding me. Simon, usually reserved, was frantically snapping pictures, adjusting knobs or buttons on his ginormous camera, and then snapping more.

After the shoot, I promised to call Simon when my hair came back in and I’d gotten better, more healthy looking—when I looked more like a  badass survivor and less the victim.

Brody and I
moved the heaters from Shady out onto the beach around the enormous fire pit we’d dug out that morning. It was made of sand and surrounded by a large, round bench of sand around it. Hey, a party needed seats, right? Firewood was stacked tall, kindling to the side and beneath it. A few tables for mixed drinks, beer in the coolers, everything looked perfect. When the sun set, the people started flowing in. Brody plugged his iPod into his dock and blasted some Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean. All that was missing was Mercy.

June pulled her onto the sand and her eyes lit up as she took it all in, then they landed on me. I walked over to her, the cool sand in my toes. Lifting her into a hug, I spun her around. “What is this?”

“It’s your party, baby.”

“What for?”

“For kicking cancer’s ass.”

She squeezed me tight and whispered in my ear. “Thank you, Jax. I love you so much.”

“Love you more.”

She giggled. “No way.”

June shrugged off her sweater revealing the first tee shirt tribute of the evening.