took in the girls teaming up, determined that they could beat Jude and Kade. I focused on the game and Harper, whose little bikini had my mind racing.
“Is that who I think it is?” Jett asked, snapping my attention back to reality.
I pried my eyes from Harper as she adjusted the top of her swimsuit. “Who?”
“That fucking scumbag, Ian. Is that him?”
Hearing Ian’s name had me immediately scanning the beach. The moment my eyes locked on him, I gripped the arm of the chair in anger. “Sure is,” I said, taking in the woman he was walking hand in hand with. “And that’s his wife.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Harper
I laughed when the ball came in contact with Kade’s head. “Oh yeah,” I yelled and spun around, giving my girls high fives. “We are so bringing you guys down. Your egos may not be able to handle the beat down you are about to receive.”
Jude flipped me off and Kade chuckled. “Bring it on, Harper,” he yelled, bouncing from side to side like he was warming up his muscles.
“Listen, you ain’t got it, and no amount of warm-up is gonna help you find it.” I heard Avery snicker. “Face it, boys, you two suck.”
I loved teasing the two of them. They were such opposites. Kade was a cutup, but he’d never truly healed from the devastation of losing his high school sweetheart. Jude was a little more intimidating—well, to most people. I knew deep down that he had a past. He carried himself as if he were on the edge of destruction, on the lookout for the chance to take charge and make others fear his presence with just one look. He could be scary at times, but when he got that way it only made me smile. I recognized the mask, because I too wore one.
“Put on your big-girl panties,” Jude said as he stepped forward. “Shit’s about to get real.”
Callie arched an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
He winked in her direction and I was shocked. Jude never got this relaxed. “Don’t worry, Cal, when you lose, I’ll take care of your broken heart. I promise when we’re all done you’ll be smiling again.”
We all stood frozen, staring at the man that looked like Jude but who was in no way acting like the man we all knew.
Callie stared at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. “You think you can handle me, Jude?”
“The question you should be asking,” he replied, squaring his shoulders, “is can you handle me?” The sun was beating down on us, but the heat pouring off Jude as he raked his eyes over Callie raised the temperature at least twenty degrees. His eyes were eating her up, and she was doing the same to him.
“Oh my God, I think I just came watching that exchange,” Avery announced, and Kade turned on her. “What? That was hot. I didn’t know Jude had it in him.”
I walked forward and pulled the volleyball from Kade’s hands. “You people need to get laid already.”
When I spun around to walk away, I saw him. Ian was standing about ten feet away with a look of panic on his face as he pulled his wife a little closer to him. I could see he was trying to move her along, but she was talking to another woman.
I narrowed my eyes and glared back at him. I had tunnel vison, and in that moment all I could envision was punching that asshole right in the mouth.
His wife looked up and smiled, cocking her head to the side. “Hey, don’t I know you?” Ian immediately tensed as she took a few steps toward me. “You look really familiar.”
“Yeah, you do too,” I said, pretending to vaguely recognize her as well.
Ian stepped up to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Molly, let’s let them get back to their game.”
A strong set of arms wrapped around my waist, and Easton stepped up behind me, pulling my body flush against his.
“How you doing, Ian?” he said in a stern, forceful tone.
Molly looked back and forth between them. My own heart was racing. I had no idea what Easton was doing, but I knew he
“Is that who I think it is?” Jett asked, snapping my attention back to reality.
I pried my eyes from Harper as she adjusted the top of her swimsuit. “Who?”
“That fucking scumbag, Ian. Is that him?”
Hearing Ian’s name had me immediately scanning the beach. The moment my eyes locked on him, I gripped the arm of the chair in anger. “Sure is,” I said, taking in the woman he was walking hand in hand with. “And that’s his wife.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Harper
I laughed when the ball came in contact with Kade’s head. “Oh yeah,” I yelled and spun around, giving my girls high fives. “We are so bringing you guys down. Your egos may not be able to handle the beat down you are about to receive.”
Jude flipped me off and Kade chuckled. “Bring it on, Harper,” he yelled, bouncing from side to side like he was warming up his muscles.
“Listen, you ain’t got it, and no amount of warm-up is gonna help you find it.” I heard Avery snicker. “Face it, boys, you two suck.”
I loved teasing the two of them. They were such opposites. Kade was a cutup, but he’d never truly healed from the devastation of losing his high school sweetheart. Jude was a little more intimidating—well, to most people. I knew deep down that he had a past. He carried himself as if he were on the edge of destruction, on the lookout for the chance to take charge and make others fear his presence with just one look. He could be scary at times, but when he got that way it only made me smile. I recognized the mask, because I too wore one.
“Put on your big-girl panties,” Jude said as he stepped forward. “Shit’s about to get real.”
Callie arched an eyebrow. “Oh really?”
He winked in her direction and I was shocked. Jude never got this relaxed. “Don’t worry, Cal, when you lose, I’ll take care of your broken heart. I promise when we’re all done you’ll be smiling again.”
We all stood frozen, staring at the man that looked like Jude but who was in no way acting like the man we all knew.
Callie stared at him in shock, her mouth hanging open. “You think you can handle me, Jude?”
“The question you should be asking,” he replied, squaring his shoulders, “is can you handle me?” The sun was beating down on us, but the heat pouring off Jude as he raked his eyes over Callie raised the temperature at least twenty degrees. His eyes were eating her up, and she was doing the same to him.
“Oh my God, I think I just came watching that exchange,” Avery announced, and Kade turned on her. “What? That was hot. I didn’t know Jude had it in him.”
I walked forward and pulled the volleyball from Kade’s hands. “You people need to get laid already.”
When I spun around to walk away, I saw him. Ian was standing about ten feet away with a look of panic on his face as he pulled his wife a little closer to him. I could see he was trying to move her along, but she was talking to another woman.
I narrowed my eyes and glared back at him. I had tunnel vison, and in that moment all I could envision was punching that asshole right in the mouth.
His wife looked up and smiled, cocking her head to the side. “Hey, don’t I know you?” Ian immediately tensed as she took a few steps toward me. “You look really familiar.”
“Yeah, you do too,” I said, pretending to vaguely recognize her as well.
Ian stepped up to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Molly, let’s let them get back to their game.”
A strong set of arms wrapped around my waist, and Easton stepped up behind me, pulling my body flush against his.
“How you doing, Ian?” he said in a stern, forceful tone.
Molly looked back and forth between them. My own heart was racing. I had no idea what Easton was doing, but I knew he
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