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“Turn around.”
In a trance, I turn my back to him and he shifts my veil to the side. His finger fumbles around the top button, but he gets it undone and gently pulls my sleeves down my arms. When both sleeves are off, the top of my dress drops and the cool air against my burning skin is sweet relief.
He passes the wet towel over my shoulder and I cover my chest with it.
“That’s better,” I choke out.
“Are you okay?” he asks. “Maybe we should go to the hospital, get you looked at.”
“No, I’ll be okay,” I tell him.
“It was pretty hot. How does your skin look?”
I lift the towel and wince. My wedding dress is hanging around my waist, my chest completely bare, in a kitchen with a man I don’t know…and there are red, angry burns between my breasts and down my stomach.
“I’ll be okay,” I repeat.
“I’ll call my brother. He’s a doctor.” He’s already dialing. “Shit. He’s not answering—I’ll call Emma…”
“Is that your girlfriend?” I whisper.
Tears fill my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. My skin really,reallyhurts, but I’ve cried enough today.
“No.” He snorts. “Hey, Em. Yeah, it’s Callum. No, I had to leave the party. Got a friend with a burn here, really hot liquid. Should I bring her in?”
He’s quiet for a moment. “I’d think with how hot it was, itcould be second-degree, but I haven’t exactly seen the burns. Uh, her chest…and stomach, maybe? Is that right, Ruby?”
I nod.
“Yeah, her chest and stomach. I tried. I suggested she come in, but she doesn’t want to…yet anyway. Mm-hmm, I’ve got that. Yes. Okay. All right. We will. Thanks, Em.”
He hangs up and I hear the faucet running behind me. He hands me another towel and takes the one I’m holding.
“She said you should rinse the burns with cold water or keep applying cold cloths in five to fifteen-minute intervals to keep the swelling down. And then antibiotic cream and wrap it in gauze. I have all of that here, but I’d feel better if you went in.”
My gaze is focused on the floor where my lacy white boots are sitting. “I was gonna get married today,” I say.
“Uh, I thought that might be the case.”
“I would’ve been on my honeymoon by now. I wonder if Junior went to Bali. He probably did. I hope he gets an STD while on the honeymoon I paid for. I bet he’s bragging to everyone there about how he was just marrying me for my family’s property.” My voice cracks. “What is he going to do with all the emus? He never liked them. That should’ve been my sign right there. Dolly despised Junior.” I take a shaky breath. “I should’ve stayed to deal with our emu farm, but I had to get out of there. My parents can deal with it…they’ve been checked out for too long, it’s time they deal with what they started.” I shake my head. “This really hurts.” A whimper comes out and I drop the towel, letting the cool air hit my skin.
He hands me the original towel, now freshly cold again.
“Thank you. You’re a nice guy. And Callum Landmark is such a nice name. What was I thinking, almost marrying a guy named Junior Fitzgibbons?”
“Ruby?” Callum says softly. “I know it’s been a day, but are you sure I can’t talk you into the hospital?”
“I’m fine.” I sniff as tears roll down my cheeks. “Thank you. You’ve been really kind.”
“Fuck,” he curses under his breath and it strikes me funny.
Bill and June Jones don’t appreciate cursing or even saying the proper names for body parts…or the words moist, cellar, or jiggle, but that’s neither here nor there.
“How about I lead you to the bathroom? You can rinse the burns in the tub or shower as long as you’d like, and I’ll give you some ibuprofen, antibiotic cream, and gauze to put on it.”
I turn toward him.
“Whoa.” He holds up his hand, looking toward the ceiling.
