20. CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY

E verything in her body was a little tender when she woke up the next morning. Particularly between her legs. But it was a pleasant ache. A reminder of her and Bennett's wild night. The night where he made her come six times.

Six.

She was barely awake during the last one when he sucked her clit like a lollipop as she lay starfish style on the bed, unable to move, keep her eyes open, or form a coherent thought.

So this was how sex was supposed to be.

She'd been slumming it with inexperienced, selfish losers until now. No man had ever taken her pleasure so seriously before. Bennett had accepted this mission with sincerity and was determined for her to catch up on decades of missed orgasms.

And she was here for it.

After a breakfast of muesli and coffee in the trailer, she met Brooke in the driveway to head to yoga.

"You look exhausted," Brooke said, a cheeky smile on her heart-shaped face. "Late night?"

Justine glanced away and bit the corner of her bottom lip. "New bed. Just getting used to it."

"Just breaking it in, I'm guessing. Those bags under your eyes are like badges of honor."

"Justine!" came a sweet, small voice from Bennett's front door.

She was just climbing into Brooke's vehicle, but paused to face Emme. "I haven't forgotten about our date, sweetheart. I'm going to go to yoga with Brooke. Then when I get back, we'll go do something fun together. Okay? You plan it and I'll make it happen."

Emme beamed and nodded. "Okay!"

Justine climbed into Brooke's vehicle and fastened her seatbelt.

"A date with Emme?"

"Yeah," Justine sighed. "I screwed up. I promised to do the cakewalk with her at the funfair, but after I choked when Barnacle was choking, I ran and basically stood her up. So I'm making up for it."

Brooke nodded. "People make mistakes. What's important is owning up to them and making it right. Emme's a great kid. I'm sure she understands."

"She's a phenomenal kid. They both are."

"These guys are definitely doing it right with their children. I don't find any of them annoying."

"Who? The guys or the kids?"

Brooke made a noise in her throat as she paused at the gate for it to swing open. "Both, actually."

Justine huffed a small laugh. "I need to reserve judgment and get to know the brothers a little better before I declare an opinion."

"Fair enough."

The drive to the yoga studio was filled with lighthearted banter about the funfair on Friday, as well as the wedding for Satan and his bride. Justine felt comfortable enough with Brooke to let her in on the real deal story regarding her ex and his baby mama. She didn't go into great detail when it came to Mr. O'Malley. She just said that Ashli revealed herself while Justine was in surgery and a patient suffered. Brooke could tell that Justine didn't want to expand on the story. So she let it drop.

"Definitely a rock and a hard place for Bennett, huh?" Brooke asked, pulling into the parking lot of Go with the Flow.

"My feelings toward them can't be factored into this huge, moneymaking opportunity. It sucks, but I'll just make myself scarce while they're here."

"We'll go to the spa for the day. Pamper ourselves like princesses while the Frog and his toad tie the knot around their necks."

Justine barked out a very unflattering laugh—one that would have made her mother cringe and glare at her. "More like double nooses."

Brooke chuckled and opened the driver's side door.

Justine met her around the front of the truck. "I am dying to know more about Bonn Remmen's land and what the guys' interest in it is. Who was Bonn Remmen, and why is his land so coveted, and how come they can't just buy it?"

Brooke's blonde brows climbed her forehead and her green eyes widened. "Oh! That is a story."

Brooke had a membership at the studio, and Justine bought a brunch pass and a yoga mat. The class before their class wasn't quite finished. So they stepped back outside, found a bench among the wildflowers, and sat in the warm, morning sun.

"So," Brooke started. "Bonn Remmen was an island Elder. One of the great founders of this weird, quirky little place. He was a squatter and draft dodger. Most went to Canada, but some fled to places like San Camanez where they basically set up their own semi-sovereign government. It's impossibly hard to buy land here because it gets passed down from generation to generation. If you do buy land, it's usually from an Elder, or OG's heir, that doesn't want the land. That's how the McEvoys got their land. An heir from back east didn't want the headache of dealing with the property, so they put it up for sale."

"And Bonn Remmen's land is up for sale?"

She shook her head just as a balmy, salt-scented breeze picked up the loose strands of hair around her face and jostled them across her cheeks. She batted them away, tucking them behind her ears. "No. Bonn made certain in his will that the land not be sold. He had no living heirs, so he's put it in trust of the Elders' Council to find someone who will honor the land and maintain its integrity and spirit. Or something like that. So whoever has interest in the land has to submit a proposal to the Elders for review, then they pick."

"Is this even legal?" Justine asked. "Doesn't it just become property of the state?"

"That's what I figured, but there are some loopholes, I guess. Anyway, the guys really want it. They want to expand their property, build more cabins, grow hops for the brewery, and create a space for weddings."

"Yeah, Bennett mentioned that."

"But they have some serious competition. A lot of people want that land."

"I can imagine."

"The guys who run the distillery want it because they've outgrown the space they have now. The women who run the winery want it for … I don't actually know. Same with the ladies who run the cidery. And those are just the ones we know are submitting a proposal. I'm sure there are many more."

"What's stopping someone with a bunch of money from coming in and just buying the bid?" Jordana pulled up in her sporty little hatchback and waved at them from behind the steering wheel.

"Well, if that was an option, I'd win the bid. I have loads of money. But Clint refuses to take any of it. He's so prideful."

"Or he just wants to keep business and personal separate. You guys haven't really been together that long. He might worry you might think he's using you."

Brooke nodded. "You're probably right."

Jordana approached them, all cheery smiles beneath sun-kissed freckles and chic tortoise-shell sunglasses with dark lenses. "What are we talking about? You both have such serious faces."

"Bonn Remmen's land and everyone vying for it," Brooke said. She glanced toward the studio where people from the previous class were beginning to file out, their mats tucked under their arms and Zen expressions on their faces.

"Oh, there's so much talk of that everywhere I go. Always someone chatting about it in the grocery store lines." She wrinkled her cute button nose. "And for some reason, people think I have a bead on what's going on just because Sunflower is my great-grandmother."

"Wait, who is Sunflower?" Justine asked.

"Sunflower Patrick is my great-grandmother on my mother's side. My kid and I live on her property in a small house on the back of the field," Jordana replied.

"But what is so special about her besides the fact that she has a pretty flower name? Is your great-grandmother wise beyond her years?" Justine asked with a cheeky smile.

"She's also an island Elder," Jordana said, matching Justine's grin.

Then it all clicked into place. "Ahh. She's one of the deciders."

"She is. But she's very tight-lipped about everything. She doesn't discuss council matters with me. Unlike Jolene Dandy, the woman knows how to keep from running her mouth."

"Who's Jolene Dandy?" Justine asked.

"The Island Mouth," Brooke and Jordana both said at the same time.

"Biggest gossip, and usually wrong," Jordana added.

Brooke motioned that they should all stand up and head inside, so they followed her, waving at Lotus behind the desk.

"I met Keturah Katz on Friday and kind of ended up telling her some of my very close-to-the-chest secrets. I'm not even sure how it happened. She's not going to tell everyone though, is she? She told me she wouldn't." A frisson of unease dripped like cold sweat down Justine's back as she unfurled her new yoga mat next to Jordana's mat.

"Keturah is a vault," Jordana said with an affirming headshake. "That woman knows everyone's secrets. Including some of mine. She will never spill the beans."

"It was spooky how she managed to get me to open up after only about ten minutes. She startled me by knocking on my car window, then asked—or more like demanded—a ride home. Then by the time we pulled up to her house, she knew more than I've told people who have known me my whole life."

They all sat down on their mats, facing Lotus's mat at the front of the yurt, and began to do some of their own independent stretching. Pigeon pose called to Justine. So she tucked one leg and extended the other, leaning forward until her forehead touched the earth.

"I'm convinced Keturah was a spy either in her younger years or in a former life," Jordana said, pulling off an impressive camel posture. "The way she so effortlessly pulls information from people. The FBI could use someone like her."

Brooke and Justine both snorted.

Lotus walked in, asking everyone to bring their conversations to a close.

"Have a great class," Brooke whispered to both of them before everyone settled down for their first savasana of the day.

"You too," Justine replied in a hushed voice before she closed her eyes and let the breathing and calm take over.

Unlike last time, there were no tears when they did hip openers, but the emotions that flooded her were strong. They were also mostly all happy. And she embraced those feelings of joy, despite the mutterings of condemnation in the back of her mind. She was on the path to forgiveness. Forgiving herself more than anything, so she would not let the voice in her head ruin her day.

By the time she and Brooke returned home, the sun was high in the sky and the day was promising to be quite warm. She changed into a simple, form-fitting, olive-colored, jersey maxi dress with racerback straps. It fell to her ankles and was light, airy, and comfortable.

Emme met her at the front door, along with her dad.

The heated, passionate look in Bennett's gaze made her squirm and caused her cheeks to burst into flames. She averted her gaze slightly, just for a moment, before focusing on Emme. "Ready to go? Do we have a plan?"

Emme's brown eyes glowed with excitement. "Yep."

Bennett picked up what looked to be a booster seat from the concrete patio beside him and held it out for Justine. "Em knows what to do with this."

Justine took it from him, their fingers touching slightly in the process. The electric zap from his skin on hers went straight between her legs and she gasped loud enough that Emme asked her if she was okay.

Bennett's cocky smile wasn't helping either.

"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just a little zap. You know when you get a shock sometimes?"

Emme nodded.

"Like that. Harmless."

Emme lit up again. "Come on then. Let's go!" She took the booster seat from Justine's hand and skipped to where Justine's SUV was parked near her trailer. It was unlocked, so Emme got to installing the booster seat. Then she climbed in and buckled herself.

"I guess I have a date," Justine said, meeting Bennett's gaze again.

"Have fun. And …" He took a step closer. Not so close he could touch her, but close enough that she could smell him. And he smelled delicious, like always. She resisted the urge to close her eyes and just breathe him in. "Thank you for doing this with Emme. I haven't seen her this excited in a long time."

"I'm just as excited. It's all good."

He reached for her hand, only taking two fingers and keeping it out of view of Emme in the vehicle. "Are we on for tonight?"

Butterflies took winged flight in her belly and she smiled, glancing down at his feet. "Yes."

"Good. Because I want to try to beat my record from last night. So make sure you hydrate today. I plan on making you so fucking wet." His brows bobbed like two caterpillars doing pushups. Then he winked, let go of her fingers and headed into the house. "Just something to think about."

Her jaw was slack and her pussy already throbbed. "Not. Fair," she breathed, which only earned her an even cockier smile from him as he stood in the doorjamb, half-turned away from her.

"Plenty fair. If you're going to reap the benefits. Now, go have your date and I'll see you later."

She swallowed, but did what she was told. Like a good girl.

Like his good girl.

"So, where to first?" Justine asked Emme, who was buckled into her booster seat in the back of Justine's SUV.

"Booch and Bagels first," Emme said.

Justine snorted. She'd just been there with Jordana and Brooke after yoga, but that didn't mean she couldn't go back. "Okay. Then where?"

"I figured we could wander the shops for a bit." She tapped her purse on her lap. "I have money."

"Me too." They snagged each other's gaze in the rearview mirror and both grinned.

"There's a seal down on the dock that is tame so you can buy herring from the fishmonger and feed them to Sully. We could do that. And the goats on the roof at the petting farm behind the community center had babies last month. Uncle Clint and Brooke took all of us a couple of weeks ago, but it's still fun to see."

"I would love to see baby goats."

"Let's go there first then."

"Just point me where to go." They reached the gate and Justine leaned out her window to punch in the code, then they waited for it to open.

Once the gate swung open, their date could officially get under way.

It was a bit of a gong show at the petting farm, unfortunately.

The first weekend of summer vacation brought every single family from the island and greater Seattle area to see the baby goats—or at least that was how it seemed. If she wasn't tripping over a kid with four legs, she was tripping over a kid with two.

It was still a lot of fun, and when she finally found a spot to sit down and two baby goats started to climb on her back and lap and nibble at her shoelaces, it was impossible not to laugh and feel a tremendous amount of joy.

"Too many people," Emme said as she reached for Justine's hand when they strolled through the parking lot of the community center back to where they parked. "Uncle Clint would be freaking out so much if he was here."

"Why's that?"

"Because he hates crowds. Like, hates them. He was okay at the funfair because it was a big space in the field, but Dad said even that started to get to him and he had to leave early." Her lips dropped into a frown. "I guess you did too. Do you hate crowds too?"

"I'm not particularly fond of them, but I left for a different reason?"

"Why'd you leave?"

Justine smiled down at the too-mature-for-her-age child. "I just … I wasn't feeling well."

Emme seemed to accept that answer and nodded. They climbed back into Justine's car. "Next up, the dock! Or do you want to go to Booch and Bagels first?"

"Whatever you prefer. You're driving this date, even though I'm driving Miss Daisy."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. You just tell me where to go."

"Let's go to Booch and Bagels first."

"I know where that is!"

"Back again?" Siobhan asked with a friendly, close-mouthed grin from behind the counter at the little kombucha and bagel kiosk located in the center pavilion along with the grocery store and other venders.

"We're on a date and she asked for Booch and Bagels. Who am I to say ‘no' to that face?"

Emme beamed like the shiny little star that she was. "Watermelon Mint, and Apple Cinnamon with honey, please."

Siobhan grinned. "Coming right up, Ms. McEvoy."

That made Emme giggle. "What are you getting, Justine?"

"Well, I was just here, actually so …"

But when the little girl's face dropped into a pout of disappointment, Justine was quick to order. "I'll grab the Pineapple Passionfruit and the Pizza Pretzel bagel, please, Siobhan."

Siobhan glanced over her shoulder at Justine, her smile knowing. "You got it."

Once they had their booch and bagels, they sat on the bench adjacent to the kiosk and people watched while they ate and sipped.

"How's your booch?" Emme asked, washing down a bite of her bagel with some of her kombucha.

"Delicious. I haven't tried this flavor yet. How is yours?"

"I only get this flavor. It's my favorite. It's also the only one I've tried." She took another bite of her bagel.

"Well, then how do you know if there aren't others you might like better?" A few people Justine recognized from yoga waved at her as they passed, heading into the grocery store. She wasn't sure she'd like this tight little community and how easy it was to see people you knew wherever you went, but she actually really liked it. It felt safe.

Emme shrugged and finished chewing. "If I like it, why bother being disappointed with a risk?"

"You've got to take risks once in a while."

"My mom died in a car on the way to the airport for a girls' weekend. That wasn't even risky, but people who take risks die all the time. They leave their kids, their husbands, and their families behind. Did you hear about the boy in Seattle who was skateboarding at his school after the bell rang? He tried to jump a rail, fell, hit his head, and died."

Justine's bottom lip dropped open, and she stared at Emme, who said what she said with the most blasé tone and like it was matter-of-fact.

"Emerson, look at me."

Emme was chewing her bagel, but glanced up at Justine.

Justine removed the bottle of kombucha from the little girl's hand and put it between them on the bench. Then she took Emerson's hand in hers. "Where did you read or hear this?"

"Some kids at school were talking about it. I guess the kid that died is like the cousin of the cousin of one of the boys in sixth grade at my school. So we had a big discussion as a class about bike and skateboard safety, and the importance of wearing helmets. But all the old people I see riding their bikes on the island don't wear helmets."

This was a lot to unpack. They went from risking trying a new flavor of kombucha to a kid dying from hitting his head. And yes, Justine had heard that story. Tad was actually the neurosurgeon who operated on the poor kid, but his brain bleed was too severe and he was pronounced brain-dead. It was a truly tragic story, and one that rocked the entire hospital.

"There are different kinds of risks. Different levels. We risk our lives everyday getting in vehicles, walking on the road. Even eating, because we could choke. But those are pretty unlikely risks. And they're worth the reward. Trying a new kombucha? You're just risking disappointment. It's a pretty small deal. A pretty small and safe risk. And who knows, you might like another flavor better."

"But they cost money. I don't want to waste my money on something I don't like. Dad says that's dumb."

Justine exhaled. "To an extent, he's right. But life is about taking some risks. Some risks can be really rewarding."

"Like what?"

"Well … telling someone you love them for the first time can be risky. What if they don't say it back?"

"That would not be fun."

"No. But if they say it back then …?"

"That's good."

"Exactly. The same goes for falling in love. Maybe you'll get your heart broken and break up, or maybe you'll stay together forever. But you have to be willing to take the risk."

She nodded like she understood.

"Some risks need to be thought about longer before they're done. Like maybe that kid wasn't ready for the trick he was trying on his skateboard and he shouldn't have taken the risk. He should have worked his way up to trying that. I also don't think he was wearing a helmet. He took a big risk."

"And he died."

"He did. Yes. And it's incredibly sad. But that doesn't mean you should stop taking some of your own risks. Safer risks."

Now, Emme didn't look so sure.

"All right. Stand up."

Emme looked at her with confusion.

"Stand up. Come on."

Emme stood up and followed Justine back to Booch and Bagels.

There was one other person ahead of them, so they had to wait, but only for thirty seconds.

Siobhan's gray eyes widened with surprise. "Back again?"

"We will take one of every flavor of your kombucha, please," Justine said, digging her credit card out of her wallet.

"That's twenty-three flavors," Siobhan said with hesitation. "You do know how much that is going to cost, right?"

"I do. And I'm fine with it. This is more than just about kombucha, or money. Twenty-three different bottles of kombucha, please."

"Twenty-two," Emme piped up. "I've already tried the Watermelon Mint. So we don't need that one."

Justine swept her hand over the back of Emme's head with affection, smiling down at her before looking back up at Siobhan. "Twenty- two of your kombuchas, please."

They took their booch booty—which ended up going into a big box that Justine had to carry—down to Humpback Beach. After Justine spent all that money on the drinks, Emme wasn't interested in the shops. They drove past the dock where the tame seal lived, but similar to the petting farm, it, too, was packed with people, so they just kept driving, ending up on the most beautiful beach.

And even though the beach was busy, it was big enough that it didn't feel congested.

They grabbed sunscreen and a blanket out of the back of Justine's SUV, along with the box of kombucha bottles, and carried them down to the sand together.

"Which one should we try first?" Justine asked, so grateful that they'd both packed hats with them. She tipped up the brim of her big floppy sun hat so she could read the label of the bottle in Emme's hand.

"This one," Emme said. "Mango and spirulina. That's algae, right?"

"That's right. How'd you know that?"

"Uncle Dom puts it in our smoothies. If we have too much of it, it turns our poop blue though."

Justine snorted a laugh. "I'm not sure I've ever seen blue poop before. And I'm a doctor."

Emme cracked the bottle and poured them each a half glass into the recyclable plastic cups Siobhan sent them off with.

"To risks. Even small ones," Justine said, clinking her cup against Emme's.

She brought the cup to her mouth and took a sip, but her gaze was focused on the curious little girl who remained so cautious it was almost painful as she slowly brought the cup to her mouth. But when her eyes lit up like fireworks and she nodded fervently, Justine relaxed.

"Algae is good," Emme said, finishing her cup.

Chuckling, Justine closed her eyes and picked another bottle from the box at random. She read the label. "Hmmm. Jasmine and lychee."

"What's lychee?"

"A really sweet, delicious Asian fruit. I grew up eating a lot of them. And jasmine is a fragrant flower that is also used to flavor Asian rice and tea, and other things. Remember how your dad made jasmine rice with the stir fry?

Emme nodded.

"I think I'm going to like this one." She cracked the lid and poured them each a couple of ounces. They clinked cups again and sipped.

"That one is good too," Emme said.

"See? Not such a bad thing taking some risks."

Emme nodded again, but then her brow furrowed. "I don't know if I can drink twenty-two of these."

"We'll take them home with us and you can try them when you'd like. I'm just glad you're trying them."

Emme leaned against Justine's arm and Justine wrapped an arm around her, so now the little girl leaned into her side, closer to her heart.

"Was it weird when Aya tried to convince you to marry our dad?"

"I'm not going to lie and say it was fine. It was a little awkward."

"It would be cool though. If you and our dad got married. Or if you moved in and stayed, like Brooke stayed with Uncle Clint and Talia. Talia loves having a mom again." She glanced up at Justine. "Do you like our dad?"

Well, that was a loaded question.

"Your dad is a very nice man. He's been immensely kind and generous allowing me to stay in your home until the trailer was ready. Not just anyone would do something like that."

"Yeah, but like … do you have a crush on him?"

"How do you know about crushes?"

"S?ren in my class was talking about all the girls he has crushes on. Girls he likes more than just friends. Like if we were grown-ups, he'd ask us to marry him."

How many girls did this S?ren want in his harem, exactly? "Yeah? What else did S?ren say?"

She dismissed Justine's keen interest with a nonchalant shrug. "He just listed off like five girls. Me, Olivia, Rose-Sunrise, Fawn, and Brynn. He said that if we were all grownups, he'd ask us to marry him and whoever said "yes" first, he'd marry them."

"I guess that's one way to do it," Justine muttered.

"So, do you have a crush on my dad like S?ren does on me?"

Justine was still trying to make sense of the name "Rose-Sunrise." This island was sure full of some hippy weirdos. "I'm just really grateful for your father's friendship and the kindness he's shown me."

Emme exhaled dramatically. "I guess it has only been like a week. I've known S?ren since kindergarten. Maybe in a few years, you can have a crush on my dad." She met Justine's eyes. "But if you can make it happen sooner, I'd like that." Then she snuggled deeper into Justine's embrace and the two of them stared out at the ocean where the gulls dipped and dove on the breeze, as they dug their toes into the warm sand.

Justine realized then and there that she could absolutely do this for the rest of her life.

It'd only been a week in the glorious, magical place, but already she knew this was where she wanted to call home. Whether it be with Bennett and the girls, it was too soon to say. But regardless, she needed to make San Camanez permanent. Her heart was healing at a brisk pace, her mind was clearing, and even though she didn't know what she wanted to do for a career, she knew where she wanted to continue healing. Where she wanted to set down some roots.

And that was here.

The only problem was: land was impossible to find and buy, and she wasn't sure her heart could take seeing Bennett all the time if things did go south between them.

Emme yawned. "I'm going to ask my dad if he has a crush on you."

Justine squeezed the little girl tighter, then kissed the top of her head. "Okay. You let me know what he says."