Page 29 of Love and Other Trials
“You betcha!” Ariel gave another one of those Spurs Up gestures, which Bubba returned, and then they were heading out the door.
Dax only gave a wave. “You’re really good with people.”
“You say that now.” She slid into her seat, tugged down her skirt unfortunately, and patted Sherlock before starting the golf cart. “Wait until you see me crash and burn with my family. Which we’re about to head on back to. You ready?”
“Is there a choice?”
She gave a scary laugh that would have made even good ol’ Cruella the wig lady’s hair stand up on end. “Gird yourself, Stephan. We’re about to return to talk to the bride about watering cans.”
This was best man’s duty?
Yeah, he was so eloping.
SEVEN
Wasshe a terrible person for wanting to be alone with Dax tonight?
Probably. But as they arrived at the resort and he came around to her side of the golf cart after Sherlock jumped out behind him, hand extended to help her out, she realized she had a serious chance to have fun with a great guy this week.
She was not going to let this opportunity pass her by.
Then she spotted her mother’s husband coming toward them with his golf clubs. He was wearing blue and white checkered pants with a blue polo and a matching golf visor over his perfectly dyed blond hair. Trey inclined his chin. “Hey, Ariel! Your mother said you were getting a wig today because your haircut is so unfortunate. You still doing that weather girl thing? That’s the perfect golf cart for a spot on the news.”
She gritted her teeth as Dax froze beside her.
“Hi, Trey! Yes, you can see me on the six o’clock news every night.”
Dax swung his head her way as Sherlock gave a low howl. “What the?—”
“Just smile,” she said through clenched teeth, grateful when he continued past them toward his Mercedes. “My mother’s current love interest. I don’t know how he got it in his head that I’m the weather girl, but after correcting him twice, I gave up.”
“That’s— I’ll refrain from saying what I’m really thinking. I didn’t meet that guy the other night when I met your mom. So, that’s Trey. All Rob said about him was that he was a big golf enthusiast.”
“He’s keeping my two brothers-in-law busy on the golf course this week, so I’m grateful. Morris and Bartlett are about as annoying as Trey.”
“Wonderful, birds of a feather flock together, huh? Sorry, that was awful of me.”
She laid her head against his strong, warm arm. “Don’t worry about it. They don’t help their case. I have an idea! How about we skip out and have dinner at one of my favorite spots before we have a game of wig-pong?”
He tipped up her chin, his finger giving the underside a sweet little caress. “We still playing for kisses?”
The very thought had her heart doing backflips and giving the cheer,Yes, let’s go.“If you promise to check the area for gators so we won’t be interrupted again,” she bandied back. “I can’t handle another aborted effort.”
His green eyes turned hot. “Me either. Ariel?—”
“Aunt Ariel!”
“Aunt Ariel.”
She turned as Marshall and Ripp sprinted toward them, bad intentions in their squinty little eyes. “Run. Now.”
“I never abandon my post,” he shot back, stepping forward and holding his arms out. “Slow down, boys. Your aunt and Sherlock just got back here after a long day. Give them a second to settle in.”
“Mom says I can take the golf cart out,” Marshall informed her, his punky nose sticking up in the air. “Give me the keys.”
God, would these kids never learn manners?Pleaseandthank youweren’t stressed by the Three Tornadoes. When Ariel had tried to correct their rudeness, she’d been told to butt out and stop trying to parent other people’s kids. That had been enough to keep her from pointing anything out when it came to her nephews. “You have a license, Marshall?”
Ripp grabbed on to the cart’s overhead bars, treating them like they were monkey bars. “Ah, come on, Aunt Ariel, it’s only a golf cart.”
