CHAPTER FOURTEEN: RONNIE
ALL MY DREAMS ARE OF group weddings and sultry men who sometimes turn into sea lions. I wake up confused and longing for something... or someone. Maybe more than one someone. This has to be hormonal.
It’s a new day.
The Matestone has somehow made its way back around my neck again. Every night, I take it off and every morning I wake up with it on. Maybe it’s cursed. That would make more sense than any of this.
I study the stone; it’s a darker blue today. I creep out of the room to find some coffee and contemplate the meaning of the situation in which I find myself.
It’s all so fucking weird, but I can’t decide why I am not freaking out more. I wish I could call Terra. She would know what to do with this whole shitshow. The guys have explicitly forbidden me from contacting anyone, but I don’t know what I would say even if I could call her. “Hey Terra, so, that necklace you gave me? It brought me four men. Thanks! Call me soon?”
The kitchen is empty but the coffee pot is still warm. This is proof that there is a higher being in charge. I will hear no arguments.
There’s a small note next to the coffee pot.
“Come have coffee with me outside. -B”
Ok. That’s adorable.
I’m curious. I’ll admit it. I pour myself a generous cup and wander outside. At first, it seems like the entire yard is empty. It’s suspiciously quiet and the colony of sea lions is weirdly silent. I love the smell of the ocean combined with the aroma of my coffee. If I have to be stranded in a weird situation, at least it’s pretty here.
“Down here!” I follow the voice and peer down over the railing to see Bryan standing in the surf in a pair of neoprene bottoms that leave nothing to the imagination. Good morning to me.
He gestures to a rickety set of stairs and I smile wryly and walk down to the beach. I kick my shoes off as soon as I hit the sand and take a moment to scrunch my feet in it with pleasure.
“I thought I would show you something this morning.” Bryan is smiling at me and that's when I notice the two boogie boards in the sand next to him.
I am in no way dressed for boogie boarding or anything else. I didn’t even brush my hair, it’s still in a bun on top of my head and I am clad in my sleep bra, a giant old t-shirt that says “Not Today, Satan” on it and a tiny pair of boxer shorts.
But from the look that Bryan is giving me, I might as well be wearing the fanciest lingerie known to mankind.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he calls out and waves me to come closer. “I want you to meet one of our neighbors!”
I look around but I don’t see anyone else out here. It’s weirdly empty, actually. A furry little gray face pops up next to Bryan and I can’t help but smile. It’s a very young, very adorable seal.
“Who’s this?” I ask Bryan, sipping my coffee and laughing at the tiny little thing’s antics. He keeps floating in on the little waves and then launching himself back into the surf.
“This is Pip. He’s a juvenile harbor seal. His parents were injured by fishing nets and he needs someone to teach him to ride the waves. I told him you’d help him this morning and he’s very excited to meet you.”
I blink at him and stare at the little harbor seal.
“Is he also a shifter?” I ask carefully, hoping I am not offending. The little seal flips in the air and then lands in the water with a large splash. I flinch away from the splash and a curly haired boy stands up in the waves, laughing. Well, that answers that.
“Not exactly dressed for swimming,” I mutter as I motion to my outfit and a wicked smile spreads across Bryan’s face.
“I grabbed you some things. You can change in the shed out there.”
Raising an eyebrow at him, I stare him down. No man has ever successfully bought me clothing and I secretly dread the torture that it is trying on something that doesn’t fit well just because it’s a gift.
Peeking into the bag, I see he has chosen two options for me, both in a bright red. One is a Baywatch-style swimsuit with a high enough cut at the thigh that it might as well be a free show. Um, no. The other is a vintage looking bikini. I study them critically and then look back at where Bryan and Pip are playing in the waves. They look adorable together.
What the hell. Ok.
No man has ever turned into a sea lion in front of me before and that turned out...weird.
I grab the vintage bikini and drain the rest of my coffee in a desperate gulp. Slipping into the changing shed on the beach, I quickly pull on the bra top. I suck in a deep breath when I realize that it fits perfectly. That has never happened before. Biting my lower lip, I pull the bottoms on, easing them over my thighs and then I realize they also fit. Apparently, Bryan can pick out clothing for my body type after knowing me for a week better than I can pick out for myself after 38 years.
I twirl and try to look at myself and I can’t help but grin. This is the first perfectly fitting bikini that I’ve had in years, possibly ever. I feel pretty and confident and ready to go... teach a harbor seal to play in the ocean. What even is my
