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Chapter Twenty-Six

MURPH

Eden is pissed .

And honestly, I’m glad that he can stand up for himself the way he deserves to. I want him to have his chance to rake George over the coals.

“You laughed about me falling in the water, George,” Eden insists when George just stares at him. “Why was that your first instinct?”

I can see the salesman look sliding onto George’s face. “It was a reflex, Eden. Just for a second. Before I realized it was serious. I mean, things like this happen to you all the time. You know how accident-prone you are.”

Eden flinches. And my heart breaks—and simultaneously shatters into a thousand icy daggers of fury.

I glower at George, stepping closer to him until he gulps loudly and shuffles backward. “You know, I wondered why Eden thinks so little of himself. I knew it had to be you.”

“Who asked you , boat guy? Eden is like this,” George insists loudly, making my hackles stand up. “He’s reckless. He throws himself into things. He always needs to be rescued.” Then he glances sideways at Eden, a calculating little sideways flick of his eyes. “And I realize how much I love it,” he follows up. “Even if it makes him high-maintenance?—”

I’ve had enough of his voice. “With all due respect, as my highest-maintenance client this decade… shut the fuck up.”

I don’t remember the last time I talked to a client like this. Or anyone, for that matter. Everyone around is just staring at me in shock—except Meghan, who barks a laugh from behind her clipboard.

George sneers at me. “Maybe you haven’t known Eden long enough.”

Hell, no. We’re not doing this.

“I know him well enough,” I tell him coldly. “And apparently you don’t. Eden does throw himself in. It’s one of my favourite things about him. He’s also smart, and tough as hell, and a fast learner, and eager. Those things don’t cancel each other out. Now, you tell me why Eden throws himself into life headlong.”

George stops and stares. “I—because—he’s reckless,” he finally stutters, shaking his head.

I’m almost afraid to look at Eden, in case the sight of him makes me lose all my words. I can feel him watching me, though. All I can do is pray this comes out right. “Because his heart is still good and kind and trusting. Even though you ,” I jab a finger toward George, “treated him like shit .”

George opens and shuts his mouth a few times in outrage.

George’s face is pale, opening and shutting his mouth like a stranded fish as people nearby gasp and murmur.

There are audible gasps from nearby, but I have one more thing to say.

“I’ve only ever been great to him?—”

HONK!

The sound of an air horn drowns out whatever he’s about to say next.

It also makes me twitch with surprise, and Eden squeaks and jumps, grabbing my arm with both hands and almost crushing me. But George throws his hands in the air, stumbles backward, and falls flat on his ass right underneath the rose-covered arch.

It’s his turn to be on the receiving end of reflexive laughter—from Eden and me, my brothers, the boaters nearby… even his own rented violinists.

“My suit!” George shrieks. He furiously scrambles to his feet, turning in circles as he tries to get the dust off his ass. I swear I rinsed the barge deck this morning like usual. But I think he managed to find the one spot I didn’t catch. “My very expensive suit! You there! Do something!” George barks at Meghan.

She helplessly shrugs, staring wide-eyed over her clipboard. And I can’t blame her. This unfolding disaster isn’t just a train wreck in slow motion—it’s a five-alarm fire stuck inside a tornado.

“Who did that?” George whirls around as the rest of us turn to look, too.

It’s Marianne. She’s sitting in her kayak about twenty feet away, paddle balanced perfectly over her lap as she bobs up and down in the wake from passing bathtubs and chase boats. She’s still holding the air horn aloft, finger on the trigger, wearing a look that says I’d do it again.

“Excuse me!” George huffs in that way that makes it clear he wants to be listened to. “ What do you think you’re doing?”

Marianne grins at him, completely unfazed. “Cheering on my favourite boater, darling. What a show!”

I don’t think she’s talking about the bathtubs—but I’m pretty sure that went over George’s head. He casts an impatient glance over his shoulder toward the racecourse and then scoffs, gesturing like he expects everyone watching to be on his side.

But it’s growing painfully obvious that nobody is.

George’s cheeks are going bright red. He huffs and puffs, clenches his fists, and stares back at Eden.

Eden’s eyes are still blazing with righteous anger. “So… you think I’m reckless, incompetent, and a bad businessman.”

“I—who said anything about business?” George stutters.

There are gasps and scattered groans. Even I can’t help smacking my palm against my forehead. If there’s a sincere bone in George’s body… that was his chance to show it.

“You’re the one coming to offer me the worst deal of my life. So why are you even here?” Even snaps. “You told me you could have whatever trophy husband you want. So why the fuck did you do this ?” He flings his hand out to gesture at the whole charade—the wedding arch and the bench and the violinists and all of it.

George slowly frowns, as if the answer should be obvious.

“Because I—I love you.”

There are more gasps—louder, this time—and then silence apart from the buzz of distant engines and waves lapping against the side of the barge.

I can barely even see straight.

Holy shit. How fucking dare he?

Eden starts to laugh. He lets go of my arm—which he was still holding onto with one hand, like he hadn’t even noticed—and almost doubles over with laughter, and the moment of tension breaks.

Thank god he isn’t upset by George’s utterly oblivious assholery. But I still want to find out right fucking now what colour that stupid suit will be after I fish him out of the ocean.

“It’s true,” George whines like he’s about to throw a tantrum. “Listen! I thought love was… this big, grand thing that sweeps you off your feet. You know, it saves you. If only from the mundaneness of life. I didn’t realize until too late… love is quiet and steady, and it’s there whenever you turn to it?—”

“Oh. So I wasn’t just an ornament to you? I was a piece of furniture, too?” Eden lifts his chin.

Someone nearby whoops and hollers in approval, even as other people shush them—and I’m pretty sure it’s Kieran.

“No, Eden. It’s not like that,” George says in this stupid, patronizing voice. “Trust me?—”

HOOONK!

There isn’t even a passing boater in sight… but there’s the air horn again. Eden and I burst into laughter, and the more George’s face starts looking like a squashed plum, the more people are joining in.

“For fuck’s sake!” George whirls around. “Can’t you see I’m busy, old lady?”

Ooooh, do I ever want to throw him in.

Marianne beams and holds the airhorn aloft. “Go, boaters, go!”

George growls and spins back toward Eden. “Anyway, I was—I was trying to say—I miss you,” he spits out. “Fuck. Jesus. I don’t know why you always want me to say this shit. But I want you back, all right? I’ve always loved?—”

HOOOOOONK—

Marianne holds down the button this time, drowning out the sound of laughter. Even so, one look at Eden tells me that he’s laughing for real. Not the pretty, composed giggle—the tidal wave of laughter that makes him look so much more like himself.

George, meanwhile, is plugging his ears and whirling around with a look of outrage. And as soon as he looks at her, Marianne raises her other hand right next to the air horn to make sure he sees it—or rather, one finger in particular.

She lets go of the button at last to the sound of laughter all around us. My brothers are cheering her on, whooping and hollering as a boat nearby revs its engine, and a couple of other boats honk their horns.

George, at least, is finally dumbfounded. He stares this way and that, his brow furrowing more and more, like he can’t figure out why nobody is on his side. “What—why—I’m—” he tries talking, but he can’t even bring himself to use the megaphone and try to drown them out.

At long last, he looks as humiliated as he should feel right now.

“Whatever,” George snarls, stomping to the other end of the barge. His retreating back just gives us a great view of the less-pristine side of his suit.

Eden giggles. “Whoa. Does that green come from seaweed?”

“No.” I wink at him. “It’s the stuff you really gotta watch out for: otter shit.”

Eden clutches the side of the barge and doubles over, tears in the corner of his eyes. When he finally catches his breath, he grabs me by both hands, licking his lips as he looks me right in the eye.

“I’m still mad… but we’ll fight about it later,” Eden says, his voice is thick and fizzing with something I don’t quite understand yet. “Ask me again, my love. Right now.”

“Ask you—” I break off, blinking several times. I can’t think what I’ve asked him in the last few minutes. Should I have? Is that what he’s saying?

“I want to get my first fight with my boyfriend out of the way.” Eden grins up at me with so much warmth and excitement in his face. “Even if you don’t know how to say it yet… just show me.”

Holy shit.

I deserve to get yelled at a little after what’s happened today. But the fact that Eden wants to trust me with his future? Even after everything? It almost takes my breath away as I stare at Eden in the fierce June sunshine, eyes glittering and cheeks flushed, droplets of seawater still falling from his hair every few seconds.

How is he this fucking perfect?

Nothing could make me happier than towing Eden right under the white rose-covered arch, turning to him, wrapping both my arms around his waist to hold him close.

“I—uh, I wanna be with you.” I clear my throat. “All the time. Like I’ve never felt before. To rescue you, yeah, but… more than that. However stormy it gets, I want to ride it out with you. The captain at the helm, or at least the lighthouse guiding you home. Sure and steady.”

Was that too cheesy? Too nautical? Fuck, I don’t know.

My chest feels tight, and I’m almost shaking with nerves.

But Eden’s eyes shimmer as he beams up at me. “Sure and steady. I’ve always wanted that,” he murmurs.

“Yeah?” My grin slowly grows bigger and bigger as I look down at him until I’m smiling so hard it almost hurts.

Eden needs an anchor just as much as I need a sail.

“So… will you be my boyfriend?”

“Yes!” Eden grins up at me as he flings his arm around my neck. I lean down, and just before I can kiss him, he giggles. “Or, I should say…” he whispers just to me, “yes, skipper .”

Fuuuuck.

Just like that, I can barely even think straight. And judging by the glint in his eye... the soft moan he gives when I crush my lips against his and slide my hand down his back… he knows exactly what he’s doing.

The applause finally tails off, but I can barely stop kissing him once I’ve started. I just want to keep pressing our lips together in joyful little bursts, grinning down at him every time. But we do need to breathe sooner or later, so I finally dizzily pull away from my new boyfriend, still glowing with pride.

“I think I’ve been approved,” Eden giggles, and I turn to find my brothers—our brothers, now—toasting us.

“I think so,” I laugh sheepishly, shaking my head at all the we-knew-it grins.

“I guess I don’t have to bother asking my question,” George finally says glumly from behind us. We both spin around together to find him sitting on the barge deck, slumped over with his chin on his knees.

“If the question is will you bring me back to the harbour? …” I trail off pointedly, glancing at Eden. He gives me a little nod of permission, but I shake my head.

I’m not making that mistake again. Nope.

I have a better idea. “If you ask me real nice,” I tell him, “you won’t have to swim. Besides, I couldn’t do that to Meghan and the violinists.” She nods gratefully at me, while the violinists stop looking quite so panicked, and I nod back. “I know a guy on one of the chase boats that should be getting in soon. I can make a call on the radio and ask him to drop you off.”

“That would be great, please,” Meghan starts, but I wink at her and jerk my head toward George. She gets my message and hides her laugh behind her clipboard.

Then I look at George, and I fold my arms and wait.

George stares back at me, looking huffy at first. I’m prepared to wait as long as I need to, but then he sighs and grits his teeth, turning his face away. “Please,” he says, like it’s physically painful for him.

Eden sucks in a breath of surprise. “Wow,” he mutters. “There’s a first.”

“All right. I’ll make the call,” I tell him. “And until then… you just stay out of the way.”

Unmoored, my barge has drifted right up next to Dawn’s Embrace, so I toss a rope over to Alph.

Within moments, all of the brothers are piling on board to congratulate us, offer their sympathy to Meghan on the day she’s had, and offer the violinists drinks. The party is just getting started. And, at long last, George’s shadow isn’t even hanging over it. He’s simply… irrelevant.

He slowly slides down the wall to lie on his back on the deck, staring up at the sky.

But I’ve got one more thing to do. “You—” I start, grabbing a lifejacket from aboard Dawn’s Embrace and then turning to Eden.

My new boyfriend blushes furiously and raises his arms. “Yes, please… Captain Murph, sir,” he winks at me.

Oh, Eden. One step ahead of me, as ever. I grin fondly down at him and shake my head as I pull the lifejacket onto him. Life with Eden might be full of surprises, but it’ll never, ever be boring.