"Between Max and Diesel?" Clay replied thoughtfully, then laughed. "Who in the hell would name a female dog Max?"
"It's probably short for Maxine." Julie glanced around with a satisfied smile. The wedding had been small. Only a few close friends had been invited. The reception was a little larger, which was fine. "And I meant Bo and Jessica. My sister is being tight-lipped about their relationship, but she seems pretty taken with your brother."
"Yeah, well we Marshall men are pretty irresistible," he teased with a wink.
"Oh, is that so." She pinched his arm then laughed when he picked her up. "Is this reception stuff over yet? I'm ready to make you my wife in all ways."
"I think we still need to cut the cake and—" He stopped her with a kiss. "But I think that can wait for a little while."
"Wait here." Clay set her down before walking away quickly. He looked back as he continued to leave. "Don't move."
Julie watched him go, wondering what in the world he was doing. A few people came up to congratulate her, and as she talked she heard pounding. Looking over, she saw Clay on his horse heading her way. Everyone around her moved, but she held her ground with a large grin.
Clay stopped beside her and held out his hand. With tears shining in her eyes, she happily grasped it. He pulled her up, wedding dress and all, placing her across his lap. She heard the gasps and whispers, but ignored everyone except the man who had stolen her heart so many years ago.
"You want to go for a ride, Mrs. Marshall?" he asked with a wink.
"Always," she replied, with a laugh that made everyone who heard it smile.
About Teresa Gabelman
Teresa Gabelman is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Protectors series. When not writing about sexy alpha vampires and the women who drive them crazy she can be found on a lake with a fishing pole/Kindle, at a MMA event or spending a fun evening with family.
Being a full-time writer has allowed Teresa to connect more with readers, which is what she loves most about writing. If you find the time, she would love to hear from you!
Website: www.teresagabelman.com
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Also by Teresa Gabelman
Protectors
#1 Damon
#2 Jared
#3 Duncan
#4 Sid
#5 Adam
#6 Slade
#7 A Warrior Wedding
#8 Jax
Lee County Wolves
#1 Forbidden Hunger
Kiss, Interrupted by S.R. Grey
Chapter One
A Splashy Beginning
Thwack!
And with that annoying sound, the back of my T-shirt was suddenly soaked through. It was not an altogether unwelcome development, due to the heat level of a day that felt like the devil himself had delivered from hell.
Heat notwithstanding, I was still less than thrilled to have been targeted by Camp Glen Hollow's water balloon assailant, Seth Darling, a kid who was turning out to be anything but darling.
It was tough enough for me already, feeling like an outsider as I did.
And to add insult to injury, I was a soggy mess of an outsider.
The rest of the camp counselors, all of whom had known each other quite well since, like, grade school or something, got along splendidly.
Then there was me. Brooks Happ, new girl in town, first-time counselor, and a chick trying hard to come out of the carefully crafted shell she'd grown comfortable residing in.
Dammit, I was determined not to piss away the last of the summer days before I had to leave for college. Living life like a hermit, the way I had throughout the last eighteen years, was over.
Still, hoping to live a certain way and pulling it off were two different stories.
As water seeped through the thin cotton of my camp-issued tee, trickling down to my shorts-clad ass, I cursed my well-meaning father.
Thanks, Dad, for encouraging me to step outside my comfort zone. I didn't even like the outdoors, for heaven's sake. And I was known to turn into a blathering fool in social situations. Awkward City, thou art my home. And my destiny, I suspected, over the next two weeks.
I stood there in the middle of the trail, reevaluating my recent decisions. A part of me wanted to give up and go home, but Dad would be so disappointed. Damn. I hated the thought of disappointing the only parent who still cared for me. Mom was a non-factor these days. She'd taken off over a year ago—with the pool boy, no less—and had no more time for me.
I blame her for Dad's decision to leave Phoenix and move to this bum-fuck town in North Carolina. Life had become too embarrassing for him, in a city where so many people knew him. I watched with sorrow as my newscaster dad became the brunt of whispered jokes and lewd comments, most with the subtext of pool boys and cougars.
Thanks, Mom, for turning our lives into a bad cliché.
Well, I wasn't about to embrace another one—shy girl can't make it at camp and runs home to daddy. Nope, no way, not me. This was my chance to become a different person, one more open and outgoing. The complete opposite of whom I'd been for, like, ever.