“That’s what Erica is afraid of. So you stay put and we’ll be back soon,” Archer said.
“Fine. Two days and none of you are going to see me for six weeks. Then I can be all smug and married.”
“Freya still doesn’t know it’s six weeks, right?” Keith asked.
“Nope. Still telling everyone it’s two weeks. I can’t wait to see her face. You got everything sorted your side?” Luke asked Keith.
“Yep. All good to go.”
“I can’t wait. Well, go get them. I wish you luck as they are the happiest drunks I have ever met. The squirmiest too. I hope you have your running shoes on,” Luke said, looking down at Keith’s feet.
He wore deck shoes. As he was addicted to anything to do with the water, it was no wonder.
Jason laughed, put his half full beer on the table and followed Archer out of the back patio area with Nate.
“You coming along?” Jason said to Keith. “They can get pretty rowdy when they’ve been on the martinis, and the recent addition is an unknown. We might need reinforcements.”
“Sure. Looking forward to seeing how you handle my drunk sister. She’s been full on sober for a month, and it’s been a long time since she’s let her hair down.”
“Let’s go. We’ll take two buggies,” Archer said.
Chapter Forty-Four
Freya
“One more round,” Heidi declared, lifting her hand in the air with her empty martini glass.
Gwen, Freya, Daisy, and Heidi huddled around a small table in the corner of The Anchor pub. Before anyone answered, Erica strolled back to the group with a grin.
“What’s got you happy?” Daisy asked, not caring about her hiccoughs, and swaying on her squat stool.
Erica looked at Freya and winked, then at the rest of them, laughing.
“Our escorts are on their way,” she said and flopped down on her red velvet covered squat stool.
“Thank fuck for that. I can’t feel my face,” Gwen muttered, pressing her fingers into her cheeks. “Or maybe I can’t feel my fingertips.”
Freya burst out laughing, then gave her a side hug, flinging her arm around Gwen’s shoulder.
“Get used to it, Gwenny. They’ll be more nights out like this. You’re a part of the group now.”
With little effort, Daisy draped her arm around Gwen’s shoulders from the other side, on top of Freya’s, as they were packed together like sardines. The bank holiday weekend, the final one until Christmas, attracted a crowd of tourists and locals.
“Copper Island needs another bar. Maybe a gin bar,” Heidi said looking around.
“Or a martini bar,” Gwen suggested.
“Whisky bar,” someone said from behind them, sitting at the bar on a tall stool.
“Yeah, or maybe an entire row of bars with each kind of spirit,” Freya said.
Erica stood, ensuring she didn’t topple the small round table with their empty glasses and half eaten packets of dry roasted nuts.
“Come on, let’s start the staggering now, or they’ll come in here, lift us up like firemen out of a burning fire and embarrass us all,” Erica said.
“Then you’ll be on the front of all the rags. Hollywood actress drunk again,” Daisy said through her laughter.
“I still haven’t forgiven you for underselling Erica,” Gwen muttered.