Page 69 of Revenge Honeymoon

Emily let out a massive sigh. Her plan had better work. How else would she mend fences between Max and Ruby and be able to continue her cruise-only fling of a lifetime? She knew the minute they docked in Florida, he’d find someone better. That’s how it always was. Sure, she was funny and goofy and maybe even a little bit cute (Max had even called her cute, so that part had to be true, right?), but men didn’t see her as the long-term type. She was a curiosity—an oddly proportioned curiosity. Something different from the garden variety twenty-somethings who seemed to pop up everywhere like dandelions in a freshly mowed lawn.

But she’d take it. She couldn’t resist trying.

“There might be,” she intimated before heading up the slope.

The memory of him rescuing her from the river ran through her mind. His solidness beneath her when she’d landed on him—all muscles and radiating heat.

Lord, have mercy.

If he thought that Emily—the floundering, river water spitting, too tight life jacket wearing Emily—was interesting enough for a date, maybe he might find her more than just interesting, which she could use in her favor.

Her knees wobbled. She didn’t want to deceive him, she really did want to go on that date, but if she could accomplish something else, too, she would.

“Donna! Diana!” Max waved at the Weird Twins as he passed her on the upslope. “I have some news.”

The twins shifted direction and turned toward Max.

Emily finished her climb and joined her friend at the top.

Ruby rushed over and gave her a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks for waiting for me.”

“I’m sorry I made you do this.”

Emily smiled, not only thrilled at the idea of having Max all to herself for a couple of hours tomorrow, but excited she’d actually enjoyed the rafting adventure. “Don’t apologize. You were right: it was fun.”

“Then does that mean you’ll do the ATV adventure without me when we get to Cozumel?”

“Without you?” Emily squinted in the bright sun.

“The text? From Tyler, remember?”

Emily had been so caught up in her fear of the trip, the spill into the river, and the subsequent Max encounter, she’d almost forgotten. “Oh, right, Tyler. You mean, you’re actually going to meet up with him?”

Ruby squeezed excess water out of her braid. “I’ve been thinking about it.”

“So you’d forgive him after what he did to you?”

Ruby’s face turned a slight shade of pink. “I don’t know.”

“Everyone, please board the bus. It’s time for lunch.” The guide stood on the bottom step of the bus and waved the crowd forward.

The two friends joined the queue.

“Let’s talk more about it tonight,” Emily said. Her mind raced with the possibilities. Should she support her friend in this decision? Warn her away? Go with her to make sure Tyler didn’t lie and spin to win her back?

“Okay.” Ruby took a seat near the very back of the bus. “But you don’t need to worry, Em. I’m a grown woman. I can handle it.”

Emily wasn’t so sure.

* * *

After an exhausting day—who knew river rafting and being asked out on a date by the most attractive man in the world could be so tiring?—Emily and Ruby decided to order room service.

At the thought of Max eating alone at their dinner table, Emily felt a twinge of sadness. But Ruby still thought he was a creep, and until she fixed that image with her possibly super dumb plan, it would be hard convincing her to share a meal with the man.

Ruby lay on the bed and flipped through channels on the TV. The selection of entertainment was limited, so she settled on the channel that explained the details of the shore excursions on Cozumel. “Look! This is what you’re going to be doing.” She sat up and folded herself into a cross-legged position.

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