Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97079 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 324(@300wpm)
“It’s literally Bea’s dream. I’ll have to thank Connor. He must have pulled some serious strings.”
“He’s an all-right guy, isn’t he?”
Flip doesn’t have much to say about him, and when he does, it’s usually with disdain. But he can’t be all bad if he managed to fix the hotel situation for us.
“Yeah, he really is. He can be a hard nut to crack, though.” Tristan tips his head toward Rix and Essie. “You and Ess seem to be getting along okay these days.”
“She’s super organized, and smart, and a good friend to Rix.” I shut up and stop digging my own hole.
“She is.” He nods his agreement and claps me on the shoulder. “We couldn’t have pulled any of this off without the two of you.”
“Essie handled most of it. I basically just followed her lead,” I reply.
We look across the deck to where Essie and Rix pose for selfies, laughing and smiling.
For a moment I wonder what it would be like to be in my brother’s shoes.
His relationship with Rix hasn’t always been easy. But he believes in what they have. He’ll do anything for her. Am I capable of loving someone the way he loves Rix? Is someone capable of loving me? Or am I too broken to fix?
CHAPTER 18
ESSIE
“This place is so freaking perfect! Our room is gorgeous, Ess. It’s straight out of a fairy tale!”
“You deserve the fairy tale.” I clink my Badass Babe Brigade travel mug against hers. Hemi had them made for all of us.
“I’m so glad all my friends are here with me!” Rix is channeling her inner exclamation mark. “I can’t believe we have a private pool!” She bumps off the edge and grabs for the tail on my beaver floatie so we don’t drift to opposite ends.
“The water is perfect, and it’s so nice to be weightless,” Shilpa says.
“This.” Lexi clinks her lemonade against Shilpa’s, water lapping at their baby bellies.
“I have never been to a resort this nice,” Dred muses. “Thank you for inviting me.”
Rix smiles fondly. “I’m just glad you could get the time off work.”
“This is exactly what we all needed before the season starts,” Hemi says.
“Right? We’ll be refreshed when we get back to reality,” Hammer agrees. Her gaze follows Hollis, who’s heading over to the rest of the guys.
Nate looks fantastic in a pair of black board shorts, broad back flexing every time he brings his drink to his delightfully full lips. Despite his mirrored sunglasses, I still detect a slight furrow in his brow. I wonder what he’s worrying about now.
“You girls want to take some jet skis out?” Flip calls.
“I will pass on that.” Shilpa pats her belly.
“Same,” Lexi agrees.
“I only venture into freshwater bodies and pools,” Lavender notes without apology.
Dred holds up her book. “I’m ninety percent of the way through and sort of desperate to finish.”
The rest of us pull ourselves out of the pool, tuck our feet into slides, and follow the guys to the rental station. There are three couples and five singles, but only seven personal watercrafts available.
“I’ll hang back with the girls,” I offer.
Flip raises his hand, but Nate smacks it down. “You can ride with me.”
Rix, Hemi, and Hammer are too busy letting their significant others adjust their life jackets to notice the way Flip snickers and Nate glares at him. And Roman is too focused on his best friend adjusting his daughter’s bathing suit bottom to catch it.
I shrug. “Uh, sure, that works.”
I put on my life jacket and follow Nate to our watercraft.
He flips the key around his finger. “Do you want to drive?”
“Uh, you can take the wheel for now.” The water is choppy, and it’s been a few years since I’ve been on one of these.
He grabs the handlebar to steady the machine and holds out a hand. Heat travels through my fingers and tightens my nipples as I slip my palm into his. It was tough not to invite him over a couple of nights ago, but waiting until we were in Aruba seemed like the smarter plan.
I straddle the seat and shimmy back, making room for him. He’s still wearing his sunglasses, so I can’t see his eyes, but his lip twitches and that space between his brow creases as he moves to sit in front of me. I slide forward until my legs bracket his. He pushes away from the dock and turns the engine over.
“Hold on!” he calls over the rev of the motor.
I grip the sides of his life jacket as he hits the gas, and we bump across the clear blue water. At first, it’s super fun. How could it not be? The sun is shining, the wind is in my hair, I’m surrounded by the ocean, and I’m wrapped around the hot guy who will eventually end up in my bed later tonight, when everyone else has gone to sleep.