Page 12 of Marriage is a Shore Thing
“I envy the people who don’t know you.”
My tone comes out with icy perfection, but Van just laughs, fixing his rumpled sleeve.
“Is that the best you can do?” A challenging eyebrow quirk accompanies his question.
I roll my eyes, moving toward the free weights to reorganize them. No matter how many times I tell my boxers to put them back in their labeled places, someone always mixes them up. Noah, my half-brother who attends class when he’s not working shifts at the fire station, probably does it on purpose just to irritate me.
“I’m not bored enough to talk to you right now. Why don’t you scoot on home?”
It’s only after I’ve said the well-worn dismissal that I remember that Van’s home is also mine for the time being. My stomach does another flip, but this one leaves nausea in its place.
“You know, you’re cute when you’re trying to scare me away. It’s adorable, really. But in all seriousness, I thought we could run through a few practicalities.”
I glance over my shoulder to scowl at him, but then my heart rate ratchets for an entirely different reason. Joanna is speed-walking across Sand Bend Road—a woman on a mission. Van catches the change in my expression and glances behind him.
“Who’s that?”
“No— No time—”
Joanna bends under the half-closed garage and practically runs me over, surrounding me in a death-grip hug. As always, she smells delectably of cinnamon and vanilla.
“I came as soon as I heard the news. Congratulations!” She leans back slightly, squeezing my shoulders. “I should be furious I wasn’t invited to your wedding, but Carol said it was a spur-of-the-moment elopement after a year of dating long distance. You didn’t want to share your news with anyone until your new hubby finished out his work commitments and could move here.”
I glance at Van for clarification, but his brow furrows.
Darned Wilks Beach rumor mill.
This isn’t the first time misinformation has been spread around town. But that’s fine. I’ll clear everything up right now, and in three months’ time, it’ll be like this never happened. Van will go back to his life. I’ll go back to mine. The end.
Joanna moves her hands from my shoulders to frame my face, her eyes misting. “I had no idea. I mean, how could I? You always keep so much to yourself.”
“I’m sorry,” I croak. Someone has my windpipe in a chokehold.
“No, no. This is good.So good.Can’t you see how good this is? And it’s just like when you decided to stay in Wilks Beach or open your gym. Everything was completely finalized before you said a word.” A soft laugh bubbles free. “You’re always six steps ahead of the rest of us.”
A noncommittal sound eeks from my throat before Joanna continues.
“I’m just so happy.” Her lips drop in contradiction to her words. “I worry about you all the time. You and Noah. With everything that dirtbag—” Joanna cuts herself off. “With everything that happened to us, I figured we were all broken. You. Noah. Me. Shattered beyond repair.”
Joanna hiccups, blinking back tears, and two sensations sprint in opposite directions. My sternum breaks open, watching the woman who’s been my surrogate mother for the past five years trying not to cry, and my skin itches to be anywhere other than here, discussing the subject I hate most—feelings.
“But you’re so much stronger than the rest of us.” Her wobbly lips tip up. “Just don’t tell Noah I said that,” she adds with a watery chuckle.
“I’m absolutely telling Noah,” I answer automatically before taking a deep breath to tell Joanna the truth.
She might not like the idea that Van’s and my marriage is the result of a mistake, but she’ll understand Van’s reasoning to stay. Joanna has always been tenderhearted. She’ll likely try to adopt him too. At the very least, she’ll offer to be his Wilks Beach guide during his temporary stay. Then I’ll reassure her that I’m fine—and that Noah is too. Honestly, we’re both better off than we’ve been in a long, long time.
“I’d been having a rough few months—a rough year, really—and you being happily married is…” Joanna runs her hands over her flushed face. “To find out that you found someone, found love…it’s just what I needed. I had no idea how much I needed this until I heard the news.”
A squeaky sound comes out of my open mouth as my gaze shifts to Van, Joanna following my eyeline.
“Oh, gracious. I’m being so rude. Hi!” She crosses to him, enveloping Van in a fierce hug. “I’m Joanna.”
“Nice to meet you,” Van says warmly, his questioning gaze on me.
“Go along with it,” I mouth, frantically gesturing between the two of us.
His eyes widen with alarm.
