Page 59 of Joint Business
“Those words have always been a little scary.” Now I knew how our mother felt whenever Corbin said them. I had a feeling he wasn’t talking about designing another computer system.
He readjusted himself in his chair, his feet poking out into the sunshine on the beach where we lay. “I’m thinking about asking Hazel to marry me.”
He probably expected shock. My brother didn’t run into anything lightly. He considered all the options before deciding, but we changed in the last year and if I said it was too soon, it would be a lie. I’d had similar thoughts about when it would be a socially acceptable to ask Imogen, and I was planning to do so in Jamaica when her mother came. “You should,” I said and waited for his response. It would be good.
“You really think so? What about the ‘why settle with one pussy when you can have them all’ mantra you held for years?”
Rather than look at him, I continued to watch Imogen in the water as she splashed around riding the waves and using her body as a surfboard. “Times change and I guess we got older.”
Cyrus didn’t answer, but I saw him nod from the corner of my eye.
I watched the woman I loved with my entire heart and the other woman who would soon be my sister-in-law as they both jogged out of the water and came up to where we were sitting on the beach. Imogen dropped her wet body right on top of mine, ocean water cold against my heated skin as it seeped in through the bathing suit I put on but hadn’t yet gotten wet.
“When are you going to get in the water?” she asked, placing a quick chaste kiss against my lips and then taking her hips down into my lap. If she kept moving like that, we’d end up back in our room soon.
I moved her a little to the left to give myself room and then brought her closer to nuzzle into her neck and lick a drop of salt water from her skin. “Maybe later tonight,” I whispered into her ear.
“We still heard that, you know?” Corbin yelled beside me. Hazel whacked him affectionately on the arm.
Imogen kissed me again. “You want to go for a walk and see if the little shop is open yet?” she asked, reminding me of the area of shops we drove past the other day on the way to our resort. I promised her many island vacations, and she wanted to buy one of the popular wraparound skirts. I learned quickly not to argue when she finally let me buy her something. She could have the world.
I slipped off my chair and brought her with me, using the towel I was lying on to wrap around her shoulders. “You two heard the lady. We’re going shopping. Do you want to come?”
Corbin shook his head. “I’m gonna go for a swim to get some exercise.” He looked out toward his girlfriend and not the water.
Imogen crinkled her nose. “You should be careful because of the bacteria,” she said, looking between the two of them.
Hazel’s eyes widened. And she took a step back from our chairs.
“That is our cue to go,” I said, grabbing onto Imogen’s hand and walking back away from the beach out to the sidewalk that led to the shops. I laughed as we heard Corbin promising Hazel that it would be okay.
“I feel bad,” Imogen said as she walked beside me. “But really, that’s not a spot that saltwater is supposed to go.”
I laughed so hard it sounded like a snort and a chortle together and then lifted Imogen up in my arms, held her tightly, and then kissed her hard against the lips. “I love you,” I said, pulling a piece of her hair back and tucking it behind her ear.
She shook her head at me as if I was the crazy one. “I was trying to be helpful. They need to think of these things.”
“I know. That’s why you’re adorable.” Even after everything we’d gone through, Imogen hadn’t lost a single one of her niceties. She was still the most kindhearted, wonderful person I’d ever met. My girl didn’t let the events of the past year harden in her or turn her away from the world. She just continued right on being amazing. “I know.”
“Anyway,” she said, tugging on my arm to get us walking again. “I love you too.”