Page 63 of Dreaming at Seaside
“You’re back early,” Leanna said.
Bella shrugged. She wasn’t in the mood to talk about her date being cut short.
Jamie sat in a beach chair on the other side of the fire, wearing a pair of faded Levi’s and a sweatshirt. He used his bare feet to push a chair toward Bella. The fire reflected in his dark eyes as he handed her his plastic wineglass full of Talking Monkey.
“How’s it going, blondie?” Jamie asked.
She didn’t know why she thought she’d keep the night’s happenings to herself. She wasn’t very good at it, and if she didn’t answer, then her friends would think something awful was going on. She guzzled Jamie’s drink.
“Mm, that is good. Let’s see…Poor Ev had a teenage moment tonight, so I’m here instead of kissing my hunky boyfriend. Amy’s being tucked into bed by her dreamboat, but she’s too shnockered to realize it, and I can’t go chunky-dunking tonight because Amy will bereallyupset if she misses out on both Tonyandour midnight sneak into the pool.”
“Speaking of which, anyone seen Theresa?” Bella asked. She shifted her eyes away from Leanna and Kurt as they nuzzled against each other’s cheeks.
“Yeah. She’s in bed.” Jamie nodded toward her house. “She reminded us to put out the fire, yadda, yadda, and turned in.”
She took another sip of Jamie’s drink and handed it back to him. “One day we’ll have to drag her butt out here to join us. I think she has a side that we haven’t seen yet.”
“We’ll liquor her up,” Jenna suggested.
“We’d have to sneak it into her. She never drinks, and I would worry about slipping anything to anyone, so we’ll have to find another way to loosen her up. We’ll think of something. Did you guys have fun tonight?”
“Always,” Jamie said. “Kurt read us the first chapter of his new manuscript,Deadly Thoughts.”
“Ugh. I can’t believe I missed that.”
Kurt pulled his lips from Leanna’s long enough to respond. “Don’t sweat it. I’ll let you and Caden read it anytime you want.”
She loved how her friends included Caden as one of their group.
“Thanks, Kurt. Did Leanna tell you about how well the new pitch worked? I have four new signups, and I’m meeting with the school board this week. I think I might just be able to pull this off after all. Now, if only my house would sell.” She’d checked her message from the Realtor, and she was hopeful about the three showings she had scheduled this week.
“Fantastic.” Kurt reached down and petted Pepper. “I guess if you and Caden decide you’re really serious, then you’ll definitely want to be here. If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is.”
“I think we’re pretty serious.” She grabbed Jamie’s drink and finished it, hoping it would quell the ache of missing Caden. Jenna dragged her chair next to Bella’s, and Bella took her drink and finished it, too.
“Where’s the pitcher?” Bella asked.
“Why? Do you want Tony to carry you to bed, too?” Jenna asked.
“I like him, Bella. I’m glad for you. He seems like a good guy,” Kurt said.
“Thanks. I think so, too, Kurt.”
Jenna spun around and looked in the direction of Amy’s cottage. “Why isn’t Tony back yet?”
“As a matter of fact…” Bella grabbed Jenna’s hand and dragged her to her feet. “You’re coming with me. You should have been watching out for her.”
Jenna hurried along beside her. “What are you doing? If she is with him, you can’t barge in there.”
“He’s not going to be with her inthatway. It’s Tony, for heaven’s sake. But what if she’s puking? She would be mortified if he saw her like that.” Bella slid open Amy’s glass door. The cottage was silent. Bella and Jenna tiptoed into the bedroom clutching each other’s hand.
“Oh my,” Jenna whispered.
“Shh.” Tony held a finger to his lips. He was sitting on Amy’s bed with his back propped against the headboard and Amy snuggled beneath his arm. Her hair was in a ponytail, and she looked a little green.
“What happened?” Jenna lifted her knees up high as she tiptoed overdramatically around the bed.
“She got a little sick, so I pulled her hair up. Every time she lay down, she felt sick again.” Tony shrugged.
