“He’s right, though” I said, pulling West’s attention back to me. “Let’s walk the beach with everyone now. Then we’ll spend the rest of the night with no pants.”
“Fine,” West pouted, playfully jutting out his bottom lip. He grabbed my wrist, pulled my hand to his, and laced our fingers together.
Loxley linked arms with me and tugged me forward. Jesse joined us, and the three of us kicked off our shoes, running ahead of the guys toward the dark water.
I turned back once, catching sight of the Brooks brothers laughing together. West was smiling. Not the cold, controlled smirk I’d seen him use. Not the forced, polite smile he sometimes gave. A real one, and it made my chest ache.
He caught me staring and winked, giving me a subtle nod before I turned back to Loxley and Jesse.
“This is so good for Easton,” Jesse sighed. “Something’s been off with him lately. Probably work. But this trip has helped.”
“I’m ready to go home,” Loxley said. “After this, Miles and I are crashing for a few days. Then we’re headed to Nashville to get a new condo. One we actually pick ourselves and not given to me by the label. We want to spend most of our time in Harmony Haven, but we will need some place to be when I’m recording.”
It was my turn. They’d opened up. And even though I didn’t have much clarity about what came next, I could at least be honest about that.
“West and I, um, we happened fast,” I said. “It’s still an adjustment.” I laughed, trying to keep the mood light. “You probably think we’re crazy.”
“I don’t,” Loxley said. “It’s the kind of story I wanna write a song about. When you know, you know, right?”
“Well,” I said, raising a brow, “he’s in Atlanta. I’m in Harmony Haven. Technically I live in Pecan Grove, ya know, other side of the tracks so to speak. Also, I’m still working at the bar for now. We won’t see much of each other during the week until we figure it out.”
The ladies nodded, humming their agreements and understandings. Somehow it seemed heavy, and I wanted to get back to laughing, so I added, “But one thing’s for sure. That pool table in his library in Atlanta? It’s gotta go. And the house at the lake? Tammy’s ugly ass throw pillows are on borrowed time.”
Jesse burst out laughing. “Who the hell is Tammy?”
“The girl at the fabric shop in Harmony Haven. Apparently, West let her decorate the lake house.”
“I haven’t even been in West’s house and I already hate the pillows on your behalf. Promise me you’ll send a picture before you toss them.”
“I absolutely will,” I said.
But before I could say anything else, my feet left the ground. West had scooped me up from behind, spinning me in his arms while I laughed and kicked, trying to get away.
“Did I hear you talking shit about my pillows?” West growled in my ear.
He tickled my ribs just enough to make me squeal. Then I twisted in his arms and wrapped my legs around his waist,locking my wrists around his neck. He kept walking like I weighed nothing at all.
“You look like you’re having fun,” I whispered, threading my fingers through his hair.
“I think I am,” he said, voice soft. “Thank you.”
“For what? I just tagged along.”
“For not letting me hide. For making me be here. With them. Without a crisis.”
I grinned. “That wasn’t for you. I’ve always wanted to walk down a dark beach in the middle of the night.”
He chuckled, looked around at the moonlit ocean and the glittering lights of the hotels behind us.
“This is pretty cool.”
“Did you just say cool?” I gasped, laughing. “West Brooks just used the word cool?”
“What other word is there?” he teased.
I didn’t answer. I was too focused on how his hands flexed beneath me, keeping me steady against his chest, and how every small movement made heat flare between my thighs.
Before I could tease him again, Easton shouted, “Is that a dolphin?!”
