Page 57 of Bumping into You

Why does that make me sad all of a sudden? I know he’s only here for the wedding, and then of course he’d be going back home.I catch Niall watching me, so I plaster a smile on my face.

“Who’s hungry?” I ask with feigned enthusiasm.

Trent claps his hands together. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. I’m famished.”

We make our way to a little restaurant and order some of the local cuisine: nutty Dutch cheeses, pan bati (which I find out is really just a pancake made from wheat and corn flour),empanadas, and arepas. The flavors overwhelm me. Everything is delicious, and we stuff ourselves like it’s Thanksgiving.

After lunch, we go to a beach that’s walking distance from the pier. It’s a relaxing afternoon, and with full bellies, we take our places on lounge chairs. Maggie drags her parents into the ocean and uses our snorkeling gear to see if she can find any fish or shells.

Smiling, I watch them. I’d love to bring my kids on a cruise someday, to visit new places with them and watch them as they explore the world outside of Chessie Valley.

“You’re quiet,” says Margot. “What’s on your mind?”

“Hmm, oh nothing, really, just thinking how nice the cruise has been. Are you liking it?”

“It’s been great, and perfect timing too. Early to mid-July is when I have a bit of a break at work.”

“That’s right, I forget how busy you can get. Are you excited for this year?”

“Yeah, I’ve been done with the internship portion for a while and am a full-time athletics trainer. It’s been everything I could have hoped for. I love football, and working with an NFL team is a dream come true. Especially one close to home.”

“I’m so happy for you, Margot! I’ll have to come to one of the games.”

“You better!” she says.

At the sounds of Maggie giggling, I glance to my left. It seems she, Holly, and Greg somehow convinced Niall to let them bury him in the sand. He’s covered from the waist down in what appears to be a mermaid tale over his legs.

I laugh, and Niall’s head whips in my direction. He gives me one of his sexy half smiles.

“You don’t think I make a grand mermaid, Rose?”

“I think you make a fantastic mermaid, very manly,” I say, trying to stifle another laugh.

He tilts his head back and laughs, “You’re not wrong.”

The group works together, and before long, Niall has beautiful scales and shells lining his tail.

“Alright, kiddo,” I tell Maggie, “we’ve got to let Niall up or else he might miss getting back on the boat.” My phone pings, and I pick it up to a notification from Becca about the birthday party. Something is wrong with the entertainment.

“Everything okay?” Niall raises his eyebrows in question, as if really asking,Are you going to work or are you going to spend time with us?

Glancing at him, I tilt my head to the side, thinking before answering, “You know, I think it will be.” I send Becca a quick response telling her that I trust her to handle the situation and then silence the phone and place it back in my pocket. It’s nothing that Becca can’t handle.

A slow smile builds on Niall’s face. It makes me feel warm inside. I’m snapped back to the moment at hand when Maggie says, “But he’s a mermaid. He can swim to the boat.”

“Afraid not,” I say. “This sand tail will wash away in the water.”

“Sadly, I’m only a beach mermaid,” adds Niall, looking more distraught than Maggie.

Giggling at his expression, she turns to me for help. “Auntie Gwen, can you help me get him out?”

“Sure thing, kiddo.”

I kneel down next to Maggie, and we start brushing away the sand from Niall’s legs.

“Thanks for rescuing me,” says Niall.

“No problem. Can’t have a groomsman miss the wedding because he is stuck in the sand,” I say, lightly bumping Maggie’s shoulder.

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