Read Online Riptides (Lengths) by Steph Campbell, Liz Reinhardt - Free Book Online Page A

sure. It was silly to bring it up.”
    “It’s just…my grandmother left the opals to me,” Maren says, her voice like a church mouse’s. “My mother got the emeralds. My sister got the garnets.”
    “Garnets!” our mother exclaims, holding her hands out like Maren finally gave the right answer. I grimace at how she’s oblivious to her new official role as ‘crazy, overbearing mother-in-law.’ “Those are nothing but gorgeous! Maybe there’s time to get those?”
    Whit clears her throat. “The opals are the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I swear, they’re like otherworldly. Like they should be elven jewelry. Or something.” She looks at my parents, gaping at her like she’s speaking another language——technically, she’s speaking Geek pretty fluently, but whatever.
    Cohen grins like he wants to high five her or something equally lame and appreciative. “I’m sure they’re gorgeous. And nothing could possibly bring us bad luck on our wedding day. Could it?” He casts accusatory glances at Mom and Dad.
    Mom takes a giant spoonful of soup and murmurs what could be construed as “no, nothing.”
    Dad lets out a long, dissatisfied harrumph.
    Maren offers a hopeful, “The soup is amazing!” which we can all tell is a desperate attempt to change the damn subject.
    No one brings up the furniture store or the importance of a woman’s education or old wives’ tale for the rest of the terse, strangled meal. The instant Maren sips at her last spoonful, Cohen is on his feet.
    “Well, we better get out of here. Maren and I have so much to do if we’re going to be ready for the big move after the wedding. C’mon, doll. I need to get you home. Now.”
    It’s almost uncomfortable watching the primal need radiate off Cohen when he looks at Maren in her tiny little dress that’s flowery and sweet, but short, tight, and so damn sexy all at the same time. There’s this way he puts his hands on her hips and leans close, like he’s a wolf catching the scent of his prey. Maren blushes and bites back a smile——the kind of smile Jess had on her face when she got to my place last night ready for some action. I’m surprised to see it flickering off my brother and Maren, so damn hot, it practically crackles the paint off the walls.
    Maybe what they say about those button-down types is all true. Maybe my boring, responsible brother really does rock his wife’s-to-be world.
    Maybe.
    Whit is next to stand, and I take my cue from her. “This was amazing. Thank you. Deo will be so jealous I got to have lunch here. I think he told me Marigold was bringing some of her zucchini rolls to the shop.”
    There’s a general shudder that my mother only allows because she knows we all love Marigold so much. But all the love in the world can’t change the fact that she’s the most heinous cook who ever entered a kitchen, and she refuses to back down and stop making things for all of us to eat.
    Her husband Rocko gets all the benefits of a sexy as hell, whip smart, sweet, funny woman in his bed and life. But I do not envy that man his meals. Not at all.
    Maybe I could get Jess to give her lessons someday.
    “Let me make him a container!” Mom hops up and goes to the kitchen. When she comes back, I take the container, kiss her cheek, wave to my family, and walk Whit out to her car.
    “Holy tenseness in there!” She slumps against her door, pulls a little gold tube out of her purse, and puts on a fresh coat of bright red lipstick. “I don’t know if my nerves can handle this wedding crap. I love your mother so much, but she’s making this whole process deranged. I guess I lucked out having Marigold as my mother-in-law. No offense.”
    I lean next to her. “None taken. Just be glad you missed my father’s Old World ‘women belong barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen’ speech. Which was after he tried to guilt Cohen into staying part time with the furniture store and before Gen and Adam got into a huge