Beard Necessities (Winston Brothers, #7)(83)

“Are you okay?” She swam to me, cupping my face and searching my eyes.

“I’m fine. Are you okay?” I smoothed her hair away from her face.

She nodded, in a daze. “I don’t understand. What just happened?”

Several gondolas loitered nearby, but I spotted our gondolier some thirty or more feet away, steering his boat through the canals with impressive speed. “He wanted us out of his boat, so he tossed us out.” I said the words even though I still didn’t quite believe them.

She gave her head a quick shake. “Why would he do that?”

“Oh hey, y’all.”

We both spun toward the sound of Cletus, finding him and Jenn safely lounging in their gondola, reclining on velvet cushions. Jenn held a glass of champagne and had the decency to appear sympathetic.

“You should swim over there,” she called, pointing to some place behind us. “I see a ladder leading out of the water.”

But Scarlet shouted over her, her voice full of fury. “Cletus! You did this! You hired that man to shove us out of the gondola. I will get you for this if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Your accusations are unfounded, and frankly insulting. And I would please ask you to moderate your tone. We are family, after all. Or will be soon enough.”

“Cletus.” Jethro’s voice sounded from a boat to our right. “When you said that thing about the horse, I didn’t know you meant to literally drown them.”

“Oh, they won’t drown, they’re both real good swimmers.” Ashley—from her gondola—was responsible for this pragmatic observation, adding, “Now you know what I had to deal with growing up, Claire. I’m so sorry, I had no idea what these hooligans had planned.”

Shelly leaned over Beau to chime in, “Make sure you’re on time for the tour reservation tomorrow.”

“You might want to clean up first.” Beau sent a sparkly smile down to us, his gondola the farthest away. “I don’t think that sewer water is appropriate for the places you’re going.”

“So this is why you wanted us to dress in these clothes.” Now it all made sense.

“Beauford Faulkner Winston! This was your idea?” Scarlet pointed at the redhead. “You are on my last nerve.”

“That’s not true, Claire. You still got a lot of nerves.” He smiled at his sister affectionately but was clearly enjoying himself.

“Since this was your idea, Beau, I think you got a lot of nerve,” Cletus chimed in.

“You’ve definitely gone overboard with this one, Beau,” Jenn added.

Despite the circumstances, despite everything, I chuckled at her play on words.

Scarlet’s head whipped toward me, her big eyes searching my face like I was a stranger. “You’re laughing?”

I stopped laughing.

“Come on, y’all. Please. Go swim to that ladder,” Jennifer urged. “I promise, your day will improve.”

With one more scathing glance for Beau, Scarlet swam toward the ladder. I looked around at my siblings, each in turn, and then swiftly caught up with her.

“Are you okay?” I asked, already plotting my revenge against the twins.

She nodded tightly. But then she laughed, closing her eyes. “I can’t believe Beau. I can’t believe him.”

“He and Duane have always been big on practical jokes. Where Cletus might lock us in a basement for an hour, Beau and Duane always seem to take things to the next level. I’ll set them straight.”

“No.” Her eyes narrowed and glinted dangerously as she pulled herself up the first step of the ladder. “Let me deal with them.”

As soon as we climbed the ladder to land, we were greeted by a group of kind folks with big towels who seemed to be expecting us. A woman stepped forward and introduced herself as Mrs. Olsen, our hostess for the next hour or so. She ushered us into a nearby and exceptionally fine old house. Scarlet was directed one way and they attempted to direct me another way.

“No. We’re staying together.” For the second time in fifteen minutes, I stepped in front of her, grabbing her hand. I’d had enough of the practical jokes.

Mrs. Olsen broke away from the assembly again and approached us with a big smile. “Ah, perhaps this note will help?”

She handed me an envelope, which I opened. Within was a card with an address scrawled on one side, a key, and a note in Cletus’s tidy scrawl.



Dear William and Scarlet,

We got tired of y’all finding reasons to sneak off, throwing yourselves out of boats and such, so you’re on your own tonight and tomorrow.

Please enjoy the very romantic dinner Jennifer arranged, bought and paid for. The food and wine have already been selected, no ordering required, and she was there early this morning to make your dessert.

The clothes you’ll be wearing and all of Scarlet’s fussy hair and makeup are provided by Jethro and Sienna’s Italian team of stylists and clothiers. Let them clean you up.

Mrs. Olsen is a good friend of Jess and Duane’s, you can thank them later for the use of her house.

Ashley and Drew (and Bethany) were responsible for your accommodations this evening, if you’re looking for someone to blame for that, please see the Warden. When you check in, they’ll show you how to get to the restaurant (spoiler alert: it’s right next door).