Ruby Revenge

SAGE

We walked back to the campsite and found Lacey and Jamie making out on the picnic table. They’d obviously made up from last night, and they untangled from each other when Lacey caught sight of us. Someone cleared their throat, and we all looked to see a man standing at the edge of the road near our truck.

“Hey there. I’m Bud. I keep up the campsites, so if you need anything, just ask,” he said with a smile. I tried not to stare at the gaps where his teeth should be. It looked like he hadn’t showered in a week, and his blue overalls were almost completely brown from dirt. Maybe Lacey had a point about there being no showers here.

“Thanks, Bud.” Alex moved forward and shook Bud’s hand. “I’m Alex. We saw on the website there were kayaks we could borrow. Is that accurate?”

“Sure. They’re over near the entrance.” Bud pointed down the road. “Feel free. Just make sure you bring them back when you’re done.”

“Thank you,” I told him, glancing at my phone. There was still enough time to get on the water today before it got too dark.

“You’re all trolls, aye?” Bud asked.

Jamie gave him a bewildered look. “Excuse me?”

I giggled and explained, “Trolls are what they call people who live below Mackinac Bridge.”

“Oh…okay.” Jamie still looked like the guy had just insulted us.

“Don’t worry, man. We call people from the UP ‘yoopers.’ Just fun nicknames.” Alex chuckled and patted him on the shoulder.

Bud waved as he strolled down the road, making conversation with other campers. Alex opened the cooler and frowned before glancing at me.

“We didn’t get enough ice,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll go grab some more.”

“I wanted to kayak before it gets dark.” I bit my lip and shot my sister a hopeful glance. “Lacey, want to come?”

She groaned. “Can we just lay on the beach and enjoy the sun?”

“We won’t go far,” I pressed, wanting some alone time with her to tell her about Alex’s proposal. “Then we can lay out.”

“Fine.”

“I’ll get the kayaks for you,” Jamie volunteered as he headed to where Bud had pointed to earlier.

Alex gave me a quick hug. “I’ll see you in a bit. You need anything else from the store?”

“No, I’m good.”

Lacey tossed him the keys, and he climbed into the truck. Lacey and I went into the tent and changed into our swimsuits before heading to the beach. Jamie was there with two kayaks at the water’s edge.

“You two be careful,” he said, looking at Lacey.

“You don’t want to join us?” Lacey asked him.

“No. I’m going to try and get some sleep.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I didn’t get much last night.”

The second he spoke, regret filled his eyes from bringing up what happened at the bar again.

“We’ll see you when we get back,” Lacey said brightly, ignoring his concern.

I dragged my kayak into the water, and shivers rolled through me as the ice-cold water hit my legs. Lacey came up behind me, letting out a squeal when she stepped into the water.

“It’s freezing,” she complained, climbing into her kayak. “I swear if I fall in—”

“You’ll be fine,” I cut in. “There’s no waves or wind today. It’s perfect.”

We paddled out farther, and I pointed to the cliff in the distance. Lacey rolled her eyes but nodded as she followed me.

“Alex proposed,” I blurted out, unable to wait any longer.

Lacey stopped paddling and stared at me in shock as the small waves rocked the kayaks. My heart sank when I saw no joy on her face. I wanted her to be happy for me.

“What did you say?” she asked.

I frowned. “I said yes. We’ve been together for over three years, Lacey. I love him.”

“You’re not even twenty-two yet.”

“So?”

“So, I don’t want you making a mistake and regretting it.”

I rolled my eyes. “I won’t regret it.”

“I don’t think you want to marry him for the right reasons.”

I started paddling again. “The reason is that I love him. What other reasons do you get married for?”

“Sage,” Lacey said gently. “I want you to be happy. But I think you’re doing it because you don’t want to be alone.”

“I’m not alone.”

“I know…” She trailed off, and we paddled toward the cliff in silence before she finally said what she wanted. “Mom left us when you were only a baby. Now Dad. I mean, he’s still here, but not really. And we can’t live together for the rest of our lives. I really like Jamie. I’m thinking of moving in with him.”

My jaw dropped in surprise. “What?”

“He’s different from anyone else I’ve met,” she admitted. “I think I’m falling in love with him.”

“That’s great, Lacey.” I couldn’t stop the empty feeling crawling through my chest. It had always been the two of us. Living apart would change everything.

“I think you want to marry Alex so he can’t leave you.” Her voice was full of apprehension, but she continued anyway. “Like our parents did. Even if it wasn’t their fault. You’re scared of being alone.”

“Alex wouldn’t leave me even if we didn’t get married,” I shot back, getting defensive. “I’m doing it because I want to.”