Page 24 of Slapshot Summer
She opened the slider that led to the lanai, and he went outside, taking in the dazzling blue panorama as he propped his hands on the railing.“This is beautiful.You really went all out.”
“Well, itwasa special occasion.”
“Yeah?Like so many years of friendship with your girlfriend or something like that?”
Her smile faltered, and shadows clouded her green eyes.“Something like that.”She motioned for them to go back inside, and he followed.
The change in her demeanor was stunning.Setting his curiosity aside, he reached out and touched her shoulder.“Hey, did I say something wrong?”Again?
She shook her head.“It’s not you.It’s just that …” She looked away, but not before he saw that her eyes were glossy with unshed tears.
The tears sent ripples of shock through him.What had he said to make her cry?He lightly squeezed her upper arms.“Hey, hey.What’s all this?”
She began wringing her hands.“I, um … This was supposed to be my honeymoon, but my fiancé dumped me the night of the wedding rehearsal.”
Oh fuck!Josh let go of her, admonishing himself.What the hell was the matter with him?This girl was vulnerable.The thoughts he’d been having about her hadn’t seemed inappropriate a few minutes ago, but now that he knew she’d just been dumped?No, not cool.At.All.He wasn’t going to bethatguy—the one who used a woman’s fragile emotions to his advantage so he could satisfy his overzealous libido.Instead, he let his outrage mushroom.
“Hewhat?”
Her eyes met his, the tears breaking loose and rimming, spilling.“H-he said he wasn’t in love with me, that he’d been having doubts for a long time.He couldn’t go through with it.And here I’d been twisting myself into a pretzel foryearsto fit what I thought he wanted, and it wasn’t good enough.”
Josh recoiled inside, and he blurted out the first thing that streamed through his consciousness.“And he waited until your fuckingrehearsal dinnerto tell you this?Who does that?”She dropped her gaze, and her shoulders shook.
“People suck,” they said at the same time.
She made angry swipes at her jaw, where a tear was about to go into a free fall.“Whatreallymakes me mad is that it happened seven months ago, and Istillcry even though I’m so over it.Ugh!”
Josh hadn’t realized how taut his muscles had been until they softened with relief.Seven months?Maybe his growing desire for Lexi hadn’t been out of line after all.“He’s not worth the tears, Lexi.”
“I know that, and truthfully, they’re not for him or about him.I think it’s the humiliation that still stings.”She tapped a fist against her chest.
Gently, he pulled her hand away and wrapped his arms around her.“Guy’s a total dickhead.”
She tucked her head against his shoulder and laugh-cried.“That’s one of the many names I called him.”
“And he deserved every damn one.I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”He laid his cheek on top of her head and held her.
Her arms went around his waist, resting lightly there.“Honestly, I’m not.Hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I realized how much I lost myself trying to become someone Ithoughthe wanted.I’m just frustrated because it happened on New Year’s Eve, and even though it’s July, I let it catch me by surprise, and then I go and ugly-cry on a perfect stranger.How embarrassing.”
He stroked her back.“You’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about.Not with me.I don’t have to know the guy to know he’s a complete waste of space.”Josh meant every word.
She raised her head but didn’t pull away.Her cheeks still glistened from crying.“Why do you say that?”
He pushed stray strands from the side of her face.“Because women like you only come along once in a lifetime.You’re kind and smart and beautiful—not to mention, you’re one hell of a dancer.”He smiled down at her.
Her own smile returned, though dimmer than before.“I signed us up for dance lessons because we agreed it would be a good idea for the reception, but he walked out after one class.I kept going because, well, I had already paid for the course.”
She’d paid for it?And the honeymoon too?This guy was a total tweeze.He made Neil look decent.Maybe that was a stretch.
“He walked out on your dance lessons?Heisa dumbass.And an asshole.”Josh Wylder, folks, eloquent speaker of the truth.“Sorry.I don’t mean to keep swearing.”
Now her smile broadened.“Please.Swear away.I’ve done enough of it these past seven months, and hearing it from you makes me feel … validated.Like I’m not alone on Crazy Island.”
Had she really just said “Crazy Island”?That washissecret place.
He cradled her head and pressed it back to his shoulder.“I’m guessing your best friend had some choice words too.”
Lexi laughed.“Yes, she certainly did.”
