Made Marian, Volume One by Lucy Lennox
Blue
When I woke up, I wasn’t really surprised to find myself alone. It had been too good to be true. But I was still disappointed. No, that was too weak of a word. Heavy hearted. Yes, that was better. I was fucking heavy hearted. I’d gone to sleep wrapped around a magnificent naked man whose mere voice made my insides play a thousand tiny bells. But I woke up alone. Wrapped around nothing that made my insides play nothing. God, I couldn’t stand myself.
I would have to pull a Taylor Swift and shake it off. Was I really turning into such a pathetic lovesick preteen that I was now quoting Taylor Swift? Fuck.
When I stepped into the hot shower I was feeling more pitiful than I had been before even meeting Tristan. And I thought I’d been pathetic then… haha.
I poured some shampoo into my hand and remembered a song I’d heard in an old movie once. It said something about washing that man right outta your hair. Yeah, that. That’s what I’ll do. When I get out of the shower, I’ll be over it. Over him.
As I turned around to rinse off my head, I glanced through the glass shower door and noticed something.
Hold up. Is that a note?
After quickly finishing my shower routine, I scrambled to dry myself enough to reach for the note without getting the paper wet. I’d seen movies. I knew getting the paper wet before reading the message spelled certain doom. The ink would smear until it was unreadable, the mystery would then become ten times harder to solve, and someone would end up shot in a Russian snowbank. No, thanks.
The note was written in a strong masculine hand.
Blue,
You have no idea how hard it is for me to leave you here, all naked, sleepy and hot as fuck. But I have to work and didn’t want to wake you. Below is my cell number. I’m around so text me if you want to get together or need anything. I’d love to see you again. And if you ever want me to be your plus-one, whether it’s for Jeremy reasons or family reasons, just say the word. I’d be proud to claim you as mine.
- T
Oh hell no.Now I was in some major trouble. So much for shaking it off. That note had just changed my shake-it-off plans into stroke-it-off plans. I grabbed the mini bottle of hotel lotion from the bathroom counter and invited it to join me for an intimate interlude on the bed. It didn’t protest.
When I was done fantasizing about Tristan’s thick cock in my tight ass, I was sporting a limp dick that smelled delightfully like honeysuckle. I tucked it into a clean pair of underwear and worn blue jeans before pulling on a soft black T-shirt. After programming Tristan’s number into my phone, I slipped into some flip-flops before leaving my room in search of breakfast.
There was a complimentary continental breakfast set up in the back of the main lobby of the lodge. I hadn’t seen much in the dark the night before, but the building was beautiful.
A large log-type structure from the outside gave visitors a false sense that it would be dark and primitive inside. Instead, the lobby was vaulted and airy with large windows spanning the back wall showcasing a view of a green manicured lawn stretching to a small lake and the rows and rows of grapevines beyond.
I stopped to take in the magnificent view from those windows. The property was sensational. The morning sun was sparkling off the lake water, and dew on the lawn winked here and there in the light. The blue of the sky was clear and rich with just a few high scattered clouds.
There were open French doors leading out onto a stone patio, and I felt drawn through them to the fresh morning air outside. It was unlike me to walk in the opposite direction of the smell of coffee, but that’s what I did. I sank down on the wide stone steps leading down to the grass of the yard beyond.
No wonder Simone had chosen this place for her wedding.
Off to each side of the lawn were clusters of trees with carpets of pine needles underneath. Everything except the trimmed grass of the sloping lawn was left in a natural but tidy state. Beyond the lake the vines were stretched out on their trellises, laid out in rows upon endless rows, reminding me of the battle scene from Lord of the Rings.
There was life and energy in those vines. Everything the vineyard needed to be successful came down to what this land produced on those vines. What a different kind of life than the office life I led in the city. I couldn’t remember the last time I had spent any amount of quality time outside just enjoying sunshine and fresh air unless it was sunbathing by a pool or on a beach during a vacation.
It was strange to realize that. I’d been outdoorsy in high school but after starting to work full-time I’d let it dwindle. Once I was with Jeremy, my outdoor time almost vanished completely. He didn’t like being outside, so we did things in the city. I’d forgotten what I’d been missing.
After a while I could no longer ignore my rumbling stomach. I returned inside to the breakfast tables and gathered a cup of coffee along with a muffin, apple, and banana. I juggled my items as I returned to my step on the patio.
After eating the banana and half of the pumpkin muffin I heard someone calling my name in an excited squeal.
“Bluuuuuueeeee!” Simone cried. “You’re heeeeere!”
I stood and turned before she launched herself at me. Her arms went around my neck and I knew her legs would have gone around my waist had she not been wearing a sundress. My arms held her tight and I smelled the vanilla scent of the body lotion she’d used for years. I loved this woman. She was six years younger than I was and the youngest biological sibling of the six of us. Below her we had three adopted brothers. Considering she was the only girl in a family of nine kids, this wedding week was going to be over the top.
My mother had always wanted a daughter. Not that she didn’t love her boys, but she doted on Simone. We didn’t mind though, because we all doted on Simone. She was all of five foot nothing and had brown curly hair and brown eyes like all my brothers. In addition to being adorable, Simone was also kind and tender hearted. We were all named after Jesus’s apostles but I’d always thought it would have suited Simone better to be named after Saint Francis. My sister was a gentle caregiver and she had grown up to become a veterinarian just like she had always said she would.
“Hey, baby girl,” I said into her mass of curls. “I missed you so much.”
“God, Blue, where the hell have you been lately?” she asked, even though she probably knew the answer to that.
“I was whooping it up at the world’s lamest pity party, but don’t worry. I shut the place down and am finding my way again,” I assured her.
“Good, because Jeremy’s going to be here, you know that.” She pulled back to study me with concern.
“Been there, done that, sister. Saw him and his new bride last night in fact. Hell of a thing.”
Her eyes widened at the information. “What the fuck? Jeremy married a woman? Jeremy is married?”
“Yes, I think he’s married, but no, it’s not to a woman. Just the prettiest little twinkie you ever did see. Either that or he kidnapped some poor kid and is parading him around as his husband. Take your pick. You’ll see him eventually.” I tried being flip about it but I knew if anyone would know how I really felt, it would be Simone.
“Shit, Blue. Did you know?” she asked.
“Nope. Not until he walked into the hotel bar and saw that kid with a ring,” I admitted with a wry grin.
“Did Jeremy have a ring on?” she asked.
“No, but he’s an asshole like that. I’m sure he wouldn’t wear one anyway.”
“Fuck,” she muttered. “I’m so sorry.”
She gave me the sad pity eyes that made my skin itch. If Simone was giving me that look, that meant every person coming to the damned wedding would give me that look. Ugh, I hated that.
Her face perked up with a thought. “Ooo! My coworker Zane is coming and he’s gay and single. Cute too. I’m totally going to hook you guys up.”
“Oh, hell no, baby girl. You can forget it. I don’t need a pity setup. I’m fine.”
“You say that with your mouth, but your forehead lines tell a different story,” she said.
“Enough about sad me. Tell me all about our new brother. I heard he has a biblical name so we’re good to go,” I joked. It was funny because our parents were atheists.
My parents had both been raised by strict Catholic families and when they began to have children, the pressure to choose wholesome names came at them from both sides. They compromised by selecting the apostle names but then immediately shortening them to sound more modern. We ended up with Pete, Jamie, me, Thad, Jude, and Simone. And while I wasn’t religious by any stretch of the imagination, a part of me thanked god every day for sparing me from the nickname Bart.
“John is around here somewhere. He went looking for his brother, Alex. Their parents are arriving soon. Is your room okay?” she asked.
“Yep, no problem. This is a gorgeous place. Who did you say owns it? Someone in John’s family?”
“Alex. He bought it a few years ago from a great uncle, I think. John didn’t remember the place, but Alex remembers visiting here as a little boy. It wasn’t much back then. But Alex has worked hard to make something of it.
“Smaller specialty vineyards are being recognized as unique and valuable again like craft beers are in the beer industry. He’s been featured in plenty of wine magazines. I don’t know much about the industry, but I’ve talked to him about it several times at their parents’ house. Nice guy. You’ll meet him. Isn’t it pretty though?”
“Beautiful. And so peaceful. Made me realize it’s been too long since I’ve had a break from the city.” I looped my arm through Simone’s. “Where are Mom and Dad and the guys?”
She laughed. “Inside. You walked right past all of us twice. We waved and called for you but you were oblivious. I figured you needed a chance for the coffee to kick in.”
“So true. It’s hard enough to handle the Marian family fully caffeinated, much less with an empty tank. Lead on, Bridezilla,” I teased.
