Today, I was greeting new guests---a married couple who had brought their kids with them. The twin boys looked about ten, but I'd never been good at guessing ages. Damian could guess anyone's age with surprising accuracy, which he claimed was "God's gift to the Ludar."
Maybe he did have mystical powers. Who knew? I kind of doubted it, but I had to admit his intuition was often spot on. He'd been wrong about me and Mara, but hey, nobody got everything right all the time.
Just as I was giving the new guests my standard spiel, reciting the resort rules and pointing out all the amenities, the door to Damian's wagon swung open and he hopped down the steps.
"Who is that?" the wife asked, her expression turning very, very appreciative.
Yeah, I'd seen that look a lot since Damian started up his palm reading schtick. Women salivated over him. Mara claimed it was the outfit, and his body. But mostly the outfit.
Damian wore black jeans and a black, long-sleeve shirt with the top three buttons undone, revealing a swath of his tanned chest. The chicks dug that. He also wore big black boots with chunky bronze clasps, a braided hemp necklace, and a big silver ring. He'd kept his hair long like before but purposely made it messy, giving him that "I'm a wild gypsy" look.
"That's Damian," I said to the new people. "He's our concierge, but he also does palm readings, tarot readings, and fortune telling."
"Can he speak to the dead?" the wife asked.
"Oh please," her husband said. "It's all a big show. A bunch of hooey to get more money out of the tourists."
"I can't swear he has supernatural powers," I told them. "But Damian is a genuine gypsy, though they prefer to be called Rom. Damian is descended from a line known as the Ludar."
"He's gorgeous," the wife said. "I'd love to have him read my palm."
"Uh, let's move on to the guest house." I shepherded them in that direction, hoping to defuse the jealousy bomb ticking away inside the woman's husband. I'd gotten used to handling the side effects of having Damian here. Swinging the main doors open, I waved for the family to enter. "Here we are."
The next day, my family showed up. Mara hadn't met my parents and my sister yet, but I knew they'd love her.
My sister, Bailey, marched straight up to Mara and said, "Liver's totally gaga over you, so you better not be mean to him."
"I would never do that," Mara said. "Ollie is my favorite person in the whole world. He's my best friend too."
"Cool." Bailey offered Mara her hand. "I'm Bailey Mariel Jackson, but you can call me B."
"Since when?" I asked. "Last I heard, you wanted to be called Bay, like you're a city or a port or something."
Bailey rolled her eyes and sighed. "When I was twelve, I wanted to be called that. Now I'm B. Get over it, Liver."
"Don't you want to be called BM, for Bailey Mariel? You know, BM like a bowel movement."
"Gross! Grown-ups are so totally retarded." Bailey took Mara's hand. "Come on, let's go someplace private and talk. I need to warn you about all the gross things Ollie does. Like when he eats baked beans and---"
I slapped a hand over Bailey's mouth. "Don't scare Mara away with your disgusting teenage humor."
"Okay, fine." Bailey caught sight of Damian and shrieked. "D-Man! It's you!"
My sister raced over to my best friend and high-fived him. They started talking and laughing, and I really hoped they weren't exchanging stories about baked beans and me.
"Ignore my sister," I told Mara. "She's insane. Teenage boys are supposed to be gross, but Bailey decided she's being a trailblazer by becoming a teenage girl who has a disgusting sense of humor."
"Well, you did start it by calling her BM."
"Yeah, I did." I pulled Mara snug against my side. "My family fell in love with you at first sight. I think I did too."
"I fell for you right away too, but it took me a while to admit it to myself." She latched her arms around my waist. "I'm not afraid anymore. The future isn't a scary, dark place these days. It's bright and full of potential."
"Yeah, it is." I scooped her up in my arms. "Let's go for a nature walk."
"Mm, I know what that means." She wriggled, smiling with excitement. "Naked fun time in the woods."
"And I know the perfect spot."
"I'm all yours, Ollie."
Oh yeah, my life was absolutely perfect.
Chapter Thirty-One
Mara
Two months later
I slid across the wooden bench to make room for Ollie, Bailey, and their parents. My mom and dad sat on the other side of me, leaving me sandwiched between the Severins and the Jacksons, with Ollie right next to me. There was nowhere else I'd rather be.
Ollie slipped his hand into mine, threading our fingers.
The ceremony would start in a few minutes. Eve Holt and Val Silva would tie the knot today, in this beautiful little church eighteen miles from Au Naturel Naturist Resort, with friends and family filling the pews. Lots of people loved Eve and Val. I'd come to love them too, the way I loved my family and Ollie's and all the guests, even Damian too.
Eve and Val seemed like opposites, but they shared important things in common and brought out the best in each other. She was a no-nonsense businesswoman, but Val encouraged her to take time to enjoy life and let go of her inhibitions. He had been a playboy athlete and still had an exhibitionist streak, but Eve brought out the softer side of him, the Val who loved his family and wanted one of his own someday.
Ollie and I had similar effects on each other. I'd been a tangled mess of
