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"Did you get a bikini wax?" Patty throws in.
"Mom!" Ruby laughs with disbelief. Her daughters make grossed-out sounds.
"Listen, that's just practical," Patty sniffs. She's already drinking a glass of wine on the west coast, sitting in the garden behind her house in Santa Barbara. "A man doesn't want to take a trip to the Garden of Eden and find a jungle."
Ruby drops her head into her hands and realizes that she's lost them completely. "Okay, you three," she says, looking back at them. "I should end this call and finish getting ready. The boat with all the authors and guests arrives tomorrow morning, and I have a few more things to do."
They end the call and Ruby stands up from the edge of her bed, stretching her arms overhead. The truth is that she's not overly worried about the guests; they'll be thrilled with both islands, amused and entertained by the variety of authors who are scheduled to talk on both Christmas and Shipwreck Keys, and enamored of the gorgeous beaches, sunrises, and sunsets. What she's more worried about is whether she and Dexter are truly ready to spend more time together. She's wondering whether him staying in her house--something he's done before as they've worked on the book together--will lead to something more, or will end in a chaste, businesslike goodbye.
She spends the rest of the day changing all the linens in the guest room, cleaning the house, and picking out what she'll wear for the two days that the event is going on. It's not that things are so fancy on Shipwreck Key that she needs to be this organized or presentable, but years of being in the public eye and of having to consider whether or not what she's wearing is appropriate for every situation--no matter how small--has been burned into her.
In the end, she settles on a floral Lilly Pulitzer dress in vibrant pink, turquoise, and green for the next morning, and a khaki-colored silk shirt dress with a brown leather belt and matching sandals for evening. The next day she'll wear navy blue palazzo pants with white polka dots and a white tank top for day, and a yellow sundress with the outlines of white gardenias sprinkled all over the smooth fabric. She lays it all out on the bed in Athena's room, along with shoes and jewelry, and then goes down to the kitchen to double-check that she has everything she needs in the refrigerator.
Around midnight Ruby finally climbs back into bed--she's attempted to run herself ragged with errands and chores all day--and within ten minutes she's fast asleep.
* * *
Vance Guy is the first one off the boat the next morning, and he's smiling widely and waving at Ruby on the dock. She waves back with one hand, the other tucked into the pocket of her bright dress. Her heart skips a beat as Dexter steps out of the boat, which is currently the biggest one docked at Shipwreck Key.
"Mrs. Hudson," Vance says with a formal dip of his head. This makes Ruby laugh, as they've been talking on the phone nearly every day for the past two months.
"Mr. Guy," she says, curtsying slightly in return. He knows that she thinks it's amusing whenever someone defers to her as royalty, and so he's definitely pulling her leg a little.
"How are things going?" Ruby lowers her voice and drops the formal tone.
"Great! So far, so good." Vance blows out a relieved breath and makes a face at her that shows he's just as relieved as she is that things are coming off without a hitch.
Ruby is about to say more, but Dexter is fast approaching with a leather duffel bag over his shoulder. His eyes are hidden behind aviator sunglasses, and it's all Ruby can do not to throw her arms around his neck and hug him with joy. Instead she slips her other hand into the pocket of her dress and smiles.
"Hey," she says.
"Hi." Dexter stops right in front of her, holding onto the strap of his bag and looking down at her expectantly. There's a tangible electric current pulsing between them that she's been thinking about since her birthday party on the boat when they almost kissed, and Ruby is worried for a moment that the connection between them is glowing like a neon sign over their heads.
With perfect timing, the guests and authors begin to stream up the dock, each holding a travel mug emblazoned with the logo that she and Vance had come up with for what they're calling "Books and Beaches Weekend."
"Welcome!" Ruby calls out to them, waving and greeting the awed faces of people who are coming face to face with the former First Lady after anticipating this trip for weeks or months. "We're so happy to have you all on Shipwreck Key," she says, looking around at the assembled group of book lovers. "I'm Ruby Hudson, and we have two days here of fun, sun, and book talk!"
The small crowd cheers, and then Ruby and Vance lead the way up the dock and over to Seadog Lane with Dexter keeping up a conversation with an elderly man in a sun visor and flowered shorts right behind them.
Day One of Books and Beaches goes smoothly, and there are lots of laughs and wonderful stories shared by the authors. They spend the afternoon at Marooned With a Book, then head over to the beach to watch the sun's descent as the catering staff at The Black Pearl serves them a picnic dinner on the sand. They stay and talk until the stars are out and their bonfire dwindles, and the next day they meet up at the bookstore again for a morning session, followed by a boat ride around the island. Bev comes along to give them all the history of Shipwreck Key, including the legend of Flora, their resident ghost, and Ella joins them to tell a few tales of Flora's antics over the years.
The whole thing is a raging success in Ruby's mind, and by the end of the second day, she's feeling much more relaxed and able to think about what's still been left unsaid between her and Dexter.
"You went to sleep early last night," he says that evening as he comes down the stairs inside her house, towel-drying his hair after a shower. "I wanted to talk for a bit."
"Is that all you wanted to do?" Ruby is at the kitchen island, uncorking a bottle of wine. She shoots him a knowing look.
Dexter laughs. "Maybe not. But you turned in before I could make even the slightest overture."
Ruby sets the corkscrew on the counter and reaches for the first glass, pouring Dexter a glass of pinot noir and handing it to him. He tosses his towel over one shoulder and takes the wine.
"I'll be honest: I hadn't slept much in the days leading up to this event, and I was deeply exhausted. There was no way I wanted to have that conversation--or do anything--feeling that tired. I want to be able to stay focused. And awake," she adds with a laugh.
"Should we sit outside?"
They head out to the porch and sit in Ruby's Adirondack chairs to listen to the waves in the dark. There's an amiable silence between them as they sip their wine.
"This was a lovely weekend." Dexter is the first to talk. "The people on this little book tour were great, and I enjoyed palling around with the other authors. It's something I don't do much."
