“I am. Where are you?” I ask.
“How is Jamie?” she asks instead of answering me.
“He’s…about as good as can be expected,” I say. Truthfully, he’s doing a lot better than the first night I came home. As my mind reels, everything inside me urges me to ask her about her relationship with Ethan, but I can’t formulate the words as my heart crashes against my too tight chest.
“Are you with him?” she asks.
Had she seen my Instagram post?
“I…well, we’re at Rider’s cottage on the ocean.”
A long pause and then, “I loved him, you know.” I’m about to ask who she loved, Ethan or Jamie,
when a crash comes from downstairs. I jump from the bed, phone still in hand. But the line is now dead.
“Sara?” I stare at the phone as laughter reaches my ears. I take a couple deep breaths and drop my phone onto the bedding, my heart and mind still racing. Why would Sara reach out to me now? Is she upset that I’m here with Jamie? I mean, she’s the one who left him, and who exactly did she mean when she said she loved him? With those thoughts bouncing around inside my rattled brain, I head back downstairs and find Katee cleaning up a broken wine glass.
“Nina’s a lightweight,” she says. “She’s cut off.”
Nina shakes her head. “It was an accident.” But then her eyes narrow. “Are you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Oh, I’m fine,” I say quickly. “I just didn’t know what happened.”
That explanation seems to satisfy her as she hands Katee the dustpan. Once the mess is cleaned up, we all go outside and make our way down the beach. As I walk toward Jamie, his gaze falls over me, taking me in from the top of my head to the bottom of my toes. The women I’m with are slim and beautiful, and I can’t help but feel a little thrill when Jamie only seems to have his eyes on me. My heart does a little flip and I quickly remind myself to keep this about sex. I walk up to him, and his gaze narrows as it moves over my face.
“You okay?” he asks, and I stare at him for a second. I have no idea whether to tell him Sara called or not. Will he be happy that I heard from her, or will it bring back too many memories and ruin this vacation for him. “Fallon?”
“Fine,” I say. “I just had a glass of wine with the girls and with this heat, I think it went to my head.”
“This will sober you up,” he says and picks me up. “And cool you down.”
“Put me down,” I yell, and Chase and the kids start laughing.
“Nope.”
I pound on his chest, but can’t seem to stop laughing. “Jamie, I mean it.”
Cole grabs Nina and she starts yelping. “Don’t even think about it, Cole,” Nina yells, but she’s laughing too. Soon enough all the guys have their wives in their arms and the kids are jumping up and down and yelling and laughing. It warms my soul, and for the first time in a long time, has me believing I can once again find my normal.
I just want it with Jamie.
Oh boy!
Jamie carries me out into the cold water. When the waves reach his stomach, he goes to his knees, taking me down with him. “It’s freezing,” I scream and try to climb onto his shoulders. “You’re going to pay for this.”
“You looked like you needed to cool off.” His grin is playful. “You should be thanking me, don’t you think,” he says, with an arch of his brow. Oh yeah, he’s totally on to me, and from the look on his face, I’m guessing he isn’t opposed to the idea of sleeping together again. I’m not sure what changed his mind—maybe it was the incredible tension between us this last week—I only know I’m glad he’s on board. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me right now?” he grumbles low into my ear.
“Meaning?”
“This bathing suit. Fuck, Fallon. I needed to get in the water to cover my hard-on before everyone sees it.”
“So that’s what this was all about?” I say and slide my hand down, beneath the water where no one can see, to cup his erection.
“Mommy,” Chase says, and I push off Jamie. He ducks under and swims out as I wade back in and plunk myself down on the sand next to my son. The women all swim back in as the guys follow Jamie out.
Breathing hard, Nina drops down next to me and her son Brandon runs circles around us. She gives me a nudge with her shoulder. “So, you and Jamie,” she says with a huge smile.
“We’re just friends,” I inform her.