Page 62 of Dreaming at Seaside
Chapter Fifteen
BELLA PULLED INTO Seaside still nursing her disappointment. She was happy to see everyone hanging around the fire pit in the quad. She could use a few laughs.
“Bella! Tony made Talking Monkeys.” Jenna hurried over to Bella with Pepper on her heels. She looked like a teenager in her purple hooded sweatshirt, jeans rolled up at the ankles, and purple flip-flops. “Where’s your man?” She looped her arm into Bella’s and pulled her across the grass.
Pepper clawed at Bella’s legs, and she knelt to pet him. He rolled onto his back and Bella scratched his belly.
“Evan needed a little daddy time.”
“Well, good.” Jenna touched Bella’s back with her knee. “I needed a little Bella time.”
“That’s why I love you.” Bella kissed Pepper’s fluffy head and rose to her feet.
“C’mon, Pep.” Kurt’s stern voice had Pepper bounding back to him.
“Remember when he used to sneer at Pepper?” Jenna whispered.
“Love changes everything.”Everything is an understatement.
“How’d it go today?” Jenna’s eyebrows jumped. “Did you break him of his goody-two-shoes ways?”
Bella laughed. “Actually, I think it was the other way around.”
Jenna’s eyes widened. “Yeah? Mr. Straitlaced Sexy Uniform has a bad-boy side?”
Amy jumped up, sending her chair to the ground. “Bells!” She was wearing a pair of flannel pajama pants and a long sleeved T-shirt and ran with her arms open wide, nearly toppling Bella over when she fell against her.
Amy stumbled back a few steps, and Tony caught her in one strong arm. She swayed on her feet and ran her finger along Tony’s chin. “Well, helloooo there, sexy.”
“Okay. I think I’d better take our little girl home.” Tony wrapped an arm around Amy’s shoulder, and she melted against his side.
“Holy crap, Jen. You let her get two sheets to the wind?” Bella glared at Jenna.
“Hey, it’s Tony and his Talking Monkeys.” Jenna poked Tony’s side. “We were just hanging around eating dinner, and he came out with a couple pitchers and, well, you know Amy and drinks that taste like candy.”
“I’m taking care of her, aren’t I?” Tony scooped Amy into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, closed her eyes, and sighed.
“She’s going to hate us if we let you carry her home.” Bella put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Jenna? What’s the vote? Let him bring her home and we tuck her in?”
Amy patted Tony’s chest. “Sexy man can tuck me in.”
Tony shrugged, and the right side of his mouth quirked up.
Bella poked his chest as she spoke. “Tony Black, if you take advantage of this situation, I swear I will cut your balls off in your sleep.”
Tony looked down at her finger and shook his head. “I didn’t take advantage when shewantedme to. Do you really think I’d take advantage of her now?” He disappeared into the darkness between Vera and Leanna’s cottages with Amy safely in his arms.
“Do you think that means he’s never going to be interested in Amy in that way?” Jenna asked.
Bella sighed. “I’m not sure, but she’s going to be furious with herself, and with us. And I really wanted to go chunky-dunking tonight.” Chunky-dunking is what Bella and her friends called skinny-dipping.
“We can still chunky-dunk. We’ll get Leanna, and the three of us will enjoy a little moonlight nakedness.” Jenna dragged her over to the fire, where Leanna and Kurt were cuddling on a bench, kissing between whispers.
Just watching them kiss made her long to be cuddled up in Caden’s arms, kissing his lips, smelling his masculine scent. How could she miss him so much already?
“Good evening, smoocheroos,” she said to Leanna and Kurt.
Leanna rested her head on Kurt’s shoulder, turning the knot of longing in Bella’s stomach a little tighter.
