Page 40 of Impossible Rapids
“Not with Shawn coming for me.”
His eyes widened.
She rushed on. “It wouldn’t have been scary for you. Elite Navy SEAL.”
“Well, not everybody can be Aquaman.” He grinned, and she loved seeing his smile in the dim light. Then he sobered.
“What’s wrong?”
“A … girl I used to know always called me Aquaman.”
“Really?” Her interest was piqued. Did she dare ask what had happened to this girl? What if it was Elizabeth Oliver? All the craziness surrounding Elizabeth’s underhanded mother and tormented brother made Julie want Hays to stay far away from her. She’d heard from Elizabeth’s estranged brother, Quaid Raven, that Elizabeth was every bit as evil as his mother and following in her footsteps.
“Don’t worry about it. Poseidon, eh?” He pumped his eyebrows. “Shawn’s your hero now?”
“I wish.” She swallowed, slightly uncomfortable, but asked bravely, “Hays, do you think someday, when he’s healed from Mercedes and everything is finished with the inheritance, I might have a chance with him?” She was embarrassed she’d dare ask, but this was Hays. He’d never judge her or bring up social norms. “You know him better than anyone.”
“Julie. Can’t you see it?” Hays’s voice was incredulous. “He’s in love with you.”
“No, he’s not.” Good tremors filled her even as she protested aloud and in her head.
“You don’t see it because you think he’s still in love with Mercedes.”
She lowered her voice. “Mercedes hasn’t been gone long. Of course he’s still in love with his wife.”
“I know it seems soon, but …” Hays folded his strong arms across his chest and regarded her, as if trying to decide if he should plunge ahead. “It might not be so unbelievable if he only loved his ‘wife’ like a friend.”
She peered at him. What was he saying? What did he know? Could that be possible? “I spent more time around them than anyone,” she protested. “They loved each other.” But as she thought about it … She’d always imagined Shawn gave Julie special and intimate looks and looked at Mercedes with deep concern, friendship, and a desire to keep her safe, but not in a romantic way. Until she heard they were married and shifted her mindset. “I saw those pics of them kissing on their honeymoon. You think they faked that?”
He shrugged.
“So you have no proof? Shawn hasn’t told you or Jagger that he wasn’t head over heels in love with Mercedes like everybody in the world believes he was?”
“I have no proof,” Hays admitted and then blew out a breath. “But you didn’t see what happened above the water today.”
“What do you mean?”
“Cash was jumping in to help you ride out the rapid. Shawn should’ve stayed in the boat as the guide. But he grabbed Cash’s arm and yanked him back toward the captain’s seat, yelled at him, ‘She’s my oo-nass-tae,’ then he jumped in.” Hays’s eyebrows lifted. “I’m not sure what that word means, but …” He paused as if considering how to phrase his words before continuing, “I’ve seen Shawn be defensive and protective of Mercedes plenty of times, but I’ve never seen him lay claim to any woman like that before. And I’ve been his friend for fourteen years.”
‘Lay claim’? Unnasti. Julie knew what it meant in Viking Norse. Did Shawn mean it like that … regarding her? She felt like she was betraying Mercedes to be longing for her friend’s man like this.
Stop, Mercedes’s voice commanded in her head. Enough with the guilt.
Easy for you to say, she snipped back. You’re not consumed with it.
“Thanks, Hays,” she managed to say, conflicted still and wishing Shawn would come find her away from the cameras, admit he cared for her, and kiss her. When they got back to the real world, there would be the pressures of keeping up with everything for the Belles’ business, foundations, properties, and the reality show. Though she supposed none of it was the Belles’ anymore. Shawn now owned everything. She’d grown up humbly and didn’t want money or fame. Though the billionaire Shawn was appealing, she liked her friend Shawn and the Poseidon version of him better.
Hays hugged her, a friendly, brotherly hug that she really needed right now. She clung to him and found herself admitting, “I just wish we could be together now.”
“I think it’ll happen sooner than you can imagine,” Hays reassured her.
“Oh, I hope so.” She found herself sniffling.
Hays gave her a tender kiss on the forehead and then released her. She thanked him and slid into her tent, praying his words would come true. Shawn didn’t love Mercedes romantically. Shawn was in fact in love with Julie.
She kneeled to pray, hoping to hear something from Mercedes, but all she felt was peace. That should’ve been enough.
What she wanted was for Shawn to come find her, whisper unnasti, and kiss her for a very long time.