InHap*pily Ever After (Incidental Happenstance) (75 page)

            Tia’s eyes
narrowed. “What do you mean?”

            “I’ve always
admired you, Tia, but the strength you’ve had over the past couple years has
made me appreciate you more than I can even explain. I never really knew how
hard you had it after Nick died.” She hurried to explain. “I mean, I understand
the grief, the mourning, the sense of loss…but what I didn’t get until just
recently is how hard it is to try and reassume your identity once you’re on
your own. I guess I’m still trying to figure out how to reinvent myself.”

            “You’re always
going to be amazing to me,” Tia whispered. “You know that, right?”

            “I do,” Lexi
nodded, “and like you, I’ll figure out eventually who I want to be now that I’m
on my own.” She wrung her hands in her lap, choosing her words carefully.
“Maybe it’s just so many changes all at once,” she said. “I just have to figure
out how to juggle them, is all.” She rested her forehead against Tia’s and
smiled. “And you know what? This little pity party is over! I just came out
here to clear my head a little and try and get some perspective; not to set off
an alarm that I’m in pain or something. I’m really not, I promise, and I also
promise that I am having a really fantastic time, and that I couldn’t be
happier! Now, let’s head back, shall we? There’s a party going on over there, and
I want to be part of it!”

            “You know what
you need is a little Bo,” Tia teased. “He always puts you in the right mood.”
She felt Lexi stiffen.

            “I think Bo’s
found himself a new flirting partner,” Lexi replied, trying to keep her voice
casual. Tia, of course, saw right through her.

            “Oh my God!”

            Lexi
scrambled. “Oh my God, what?” she said, standing and turning away so Tia
couldn’t see her face.

            “You’re
jealous!”

            Lexi stiffened
her spine and turned back to face Tia. “What?” she said, shaking her head.
“That’s ridiculous.” She tripped over her words, and didn’t sound at all
convincing, not even to herself.

            Tia put her
hands on her hips. “Not from where I’m standing. It’s pretty clear from here.”

            “I have no
claim on Bo. He can flirt—or be with—anyone he likes, and it looks like he’s
made his choice already.”

            Now Tia’s eyes
widened as a realization sunk in and she turned her hands palm up. “Holy crap.
You’re hot for Bo.”

            “What are you
talking about? We’ve never…he’s never…you have no idea…” She walked over to the
tree and plucked another hibiscus, rolling it nervously between her fingers.

            “Sit back down
here right now, Alexis Marie,” Tia ordered. Lexi sat, defeated, and tried to
meet her friend’s gaze. “Are you?”

            “Are I what?”
Lexi mocked.

            Tia stared at
her for a minute, waiting for her to speak.

            “You’re asking
me if I’m ‘hot for Bo?’” she asked, making air quotes around the words. Still,
Tia didn’t speak. “I mean, he certainly is hot,” she added with a smile, “but
that’s not the kind of relationship we have. Shit, we flirt, we joke
around…admittedly we say a lot of vulgar things…but that doesn’t mean…”

            “What does it
mean?”

            Lexi’s
shoulders slumped. “I honestly have no idea.”

            And there it
was.
Leave it to Tia to see right through her and hit the nail on the head
,
she thought. The jealousy was there, no doubt about it. At first she tried to
tell herself that it was just because she felt like her and Bo’s flirting was
their own; that they had something unique that neither of them shared with
anyone else. Watching him dance and laugh and ride jet skis with Margo,
however, made her think things that she’d never pondered before; mainly, could
what they shared go deeper than either of them had even considered? Had he ever
considered that they could be more? Could they be? She felt more comfortable
around Bo than anyone else in the world; except for lately, after what happened
in LA. She missed what they had together but it was more than that. She missed
him
.
More than once over the past two days she longed to go into his arms and she
had to admit that it was more than comfort she was seeking. Oh God. She
was
hot for Bo.

            Tia put her
arm around Lexi’s shoulders and pulled her in for a hug. “I can’t think of a
better time or place to figure it out.”

            “Believe me,
I’m working on it.”

            Paddy,
Siobhan, and Lexi’s parents joined Dylan’s and Tia’s, and the eight of them
volunteered to wander the grounds and cut some flowers from the many gardens on
the property.  Kelley hosted a little flower arranging class, using her
artistic eye to create gorgeous displays that would serve as centerpieces for
the reception, as well as the girls’ bouquets. 

            “Let’s go for
a little sail, mate,” Dylan said to Bo after lunch. “I need some time with my
best man,” he added for Margo’s sake as she was opening her mouth to invite
herself along.

            “Of course,”
she said, running her hand down Bo’s arm. “See you later?”

            “Um…yeah,” he
said, grateful that Dylan was saving him. Margo was a great person, but she was
really turning it on thick and he wasn’t quite sure how to brush her off.

            “You actually
know how to control this thing?” Bo asked, slipping into a life vest and
climbing onto the catamaran.

            “I guess we’ll
find out pretty quickly,” Dylan teased, smiling as Bo’s face twisted into mock
fear. “Just don’t forget to duck when I say ‘boom,’ and we’ll probably make it
back alive.”

            “Oh, well,
that makes me feel a whole lot better.”

            Once they’d
cruised out a distance, Dylan let the sails slack and handed Bo a beer.

            “This is one
hellova party, Strummer Boy.”

            “It’s even
better than I dreamed.”

            They sipped
for a while in companionable silence as they watched the various parties on the
beach and bobbed in the gentle water.

            “OK, so I have
to ask. I know it’s not any of my business, but what’s going on with you and
Lexi? And you and Margo?”

            “Nothing, on
both counts,” he sighed.

            “Neither of
them look like nothing.”

            “Margo’s a
great girl, but not for me.”

            “And Lexi?
There’s something off between the two of you. Did she turn you down?”

            “Haven’t even
asked.” Bo sighed, and took a healthy swallow from his bottle. “I’m not going
to go into any detail, but something happened back in California the night we
appeared on Tony’s show. Something I should have fixed a long time ago, but I
just didn’t know how to do it. I’m not sure I even can anymore.”

            “Well, it
ain’t gonna fix itself, mate.”

            “I know. This
is gonna sound pretty stupid, and I wouldn’t say it to anyone but you, but ever
since I figured out that there were these crazy feelings there, I get all
tongue-tied when I’m around her.”

            Dylan patted
him on the back and smiled. “I totally understand.”

            “I’m going to
figure it out. I have to figure it out.”

            “I’m sure you
will.”

            “Damn, I hope
so, brother. I’m running out of time.”

Tia
and Dylan weren’t the only ones ready to scrap the bachelor and bachelorette
parties—the whole group agreed that they were having entirely too much fun
together, and decided to forgo the separation of the sexes in favor of another
bonfire on the beach. A makeshift stage was set up, and the many musicians in
attendance played together, sharing musical styles and genres. When InHap
hopped to play a little set, the group sent up a cheer.

“I’m
going ask the love of my life help us out with this one,” Dylan said, reaching
out his hand to Tia. Most of their guests hadn’t heard them sing together live,
and she was proud and honored to join them on
I’ll Pull You Up
. “This
one’s for all of you who could join us for this special time, and especially
for those who can only be with us in spirit.” He looked to the stars, touched a
kiss to his index and middle fingers, and held them up to the sky. Tia did the
same, sending her thoughts to Nick as Dylan sent his to Shelby. Their guest sang
along with them, and Tia felt more power in the song than she ever thought
possible. They clapped together when the song ended, and Tia jumped from the
stage as the boys jumped into a more upbeat tempo. “This one’s for you, Tia,”
Dylan growled with an obnoxious grin as the guitar jumped in to match Bo’s
beats.

                       
Hot
summer sun sweat drips from naked skin

                        Got
some nice cool shade to pull you in

                        Make
my mouth water bring your appetite

                        In
my enchanted garden you’ll find every delight

                        Want
to squeeze ripe melons so firm and sweet

                        You’ve
never seen so many tempting treats

                       
Come
and take a stroll through my garden

                        A
myriad of flavors sure to tantalize

                        You’ve
never seen a place like this Eden

                        Here
we can get downright uncivilized

                        Come
and climb upon my magic beanpole

                        Don’t
even need a green thumb to make it grow

                        Once
you’ve spent some time in my garden

                        I’m
hoping that you’ll never want to go

                       
Close
your pretty eyes and open wide

                        I’ll
slip a tempting flavor right inside

                        Like
a delicate flower you open for me

                        Lapping
up the nectar like a honeybee

                        My
garden’s got it all to fill your every need

                        Won’t
you come right in and help me plant the seed

                        Leave
your inhibitions run wild and free

                        Come
and spend time in Eden with me

            The repeated
the chorus, Dylan’s smile growing as he took in the grins of their guests. It
was just a silly, obnoxious song, and the audience of friends and family were
having fun with it, razzing Tia and laughing out loud.

            “Now that’s
one hell of a wedding song!” Sean exclaimed when they finished and took an
over-exaggerated bow.

            “I got more
where that came from,” Dylan laughed. “Why don’t you come up and join us,
Sean—I know you know this one.”

            Sean jumped up
eagerly and grabbed a guitar, nearly beside himself to play alongside his
favorite band and have the chance to impress Gina with his guitar skills. Other
musicians jumped up to join them and Dylan stepped down to dance with the love
of his life. The crowd danced under the moonlight of another perfect Caribbean
evening.

            Tony tipped
his glass toward Jessa. The mood was festive, the music was incredible, and
everything so far had gone off without a hitch. He was feeling damn good about
the whole thing, and part of it was because of the interesting woman who sat
beside him. He stood and put his hand out, bowing. Jessa took it, and they
joined the group to dance beneath the moon.

When
they finally wound down, Dylan moved from the little stage to a chair and
picked up his guitar.

“This
is the last day in my life I’ll have a fiancé, and I couldn’t be happier about
that. I have a little something for my soon-to-be-wife,” he said, and everyone
got immediately quiet as he began to strum. Tia sat beside him, mesmerized as
always by her fiancé’s talent as well as his thoughtfulness.

            Under the moon
and the stars, he sang his wedding song for her. 

           
In my mind,
I’m back in gay Par-is,

            serenade
upon the tower, new love for you and me…

            I look at
you, and moon glow fills my eyes,