“Hiking!” Gunner says, letting himself into our room. “Because I’m damn determined to see that bathing suit. I’ve been waiting so patiently.”
“Impatiently.” Holden chuckles, but his eyes flick back to Sophie. “Eagerly.”
“Good word.” Gunner agrees. “And I’m going to hike completely sober in case I have to save you guys from some dangerous animal. Like a … boar or a puma.”
Sophie laughs. “Then I’ll get changed. Are you guys ready?”
“Yes, sweets.” Gunner snares her waist. He kisses her hungrily. “Now get your cute ass into whatever sexy thing you’ve been hiding and let’s get on the trail.”
Sophia changes quickly, but her day dress doesn’t give us any hint as to what’s underneath. We get on the trail and climb over fallen trees, dance around the trails, and find out exactly how easy it is to distract Sophia.
Every bird, every glint of light through the trees, the flowers, the rustling … It leads to her tripping plenty of times. Nick ends up walking with her on his back. She giggles and bounces along but grabs our butts whenever she can. It’s adorable.
We stop to rest before we have to climb a wall of vines, and Sophia sits on Gunner’s lap. He says something that makes her laugh, and it’s like it’s in slow motion. Her smile, the way the sun lights her hair bright red, the all-out joy on her face.
“I love you.” It slips out, but once it’s there, Sophia illuminates. She beams and looks at all of us with affection. I pat Nick’s knee. “Honestly, I can’t imagine my life being any better than it is right now. My best friends, our girl, Hawaii. It’s perfect.”
“Aww, Roman. You’re going to make me cry.” Gunner pretends to wipe a tear. “I knew you loved me. I just couldn’t say it first.”
We laugh as Sophia jumps into Holden’s lap when Gunner comes over to kiss my cheek. Holden and Sophie look at the wall and start making a plan. I lean over to Gunner. “How are you?”
“Pissed with Bella, but she’s the bride. You do what the bride says. Not my first wedding as an ex.”
“You’re a good luck charm.”
He leans back as Sophie takes a few handfuls of the vine and starts climbing. Holden goes behind her. Nick spots them from below, and I sigh. Gunner nudges me. “I think we’re all getting tense with this. We’re all in our heads. I mean, I’ve been in my head since my fight with Miles.”
“What was that about?”
Gunner freezes, and I see his lips turn down. He didn’t mean to say that. He exhales. “So, Miles can say things in the heat of the moment. You know that.”
“Yeah.”
“He said that what we were doing could only end like it did with Matthew and Bella. And that it was obvious to everyone that Sophie is going to end up with you. And now, with Bella’s deal and her obvious focus on pushing you and Sophie together and me away … it’s hard.”
“It can’t just be Sophia and me,” I assure him.
“You say that, but so did Matthew. He always told us that Bella’s extra affection for him was a dam that was opening up slowly and would spill over to all of us. It didn’t.”
“Sophia isn’t Bella, and more importantly, she makes time for each of us. She loves all of us.” I insist. “You’re more than comic relief, Gunner. You do the things with her that make her feel young and alive. She loves your deeper side, and I know you love her because you actually show it.”
“What?” His cheeks go red.
“I saw the flower petals you didn’t clean up in the bathroom.” I chuckle.
He rubs the back of his neck. “It’s terrifying. I keep thinking back to my fiancé. Once she was handed a prenup, all the loving stopped. She didn’t want to be around me, fought with me, said such terrible things.”
“We know that’s not Sophia.”
“And it’s any easier for you? Christine left you while we were overseas. In a fucking letter. We all have shit, and lately … I’ve been wondering if it’s fair to ask Sophie to fix us.”
“She doesn’t fix us.” I stand up when Sophia reaches the top. I cheer for her, and she reaches down to help Holden finish coming over the top. I pull Gunner up. “She makes us want to be better. There’s a very important difference.”
“I haven’t told her about my ex. Have you?”
“No. It hasn’t come up.”
“Well, at least I’m not the only one in that respect.”