Page 68 of Nights at Seaside
“I swear I’m going to tie your towel around your body so you stop doing that,” Amy said. “You need to either tweak your OCD so you can keep your towel on until you get to the steps, or climb in at the far side. You’re like a rebellious, naked, pregnant teenager, and I’m always worried you’re going to fall.”
“I’ll never change!” Jenna giggled as she stepped into the water. “Brr. Hurry up and get in. It’s freezing.”
“I still don’t understand why you run across the deck naked,” Sky said as she draped her towel over a chair and walked into the chilly water.
“Because!” Jenna rolled her eyes like it was the stupidest question on earth and sank down so her shoulders were beneath the surface. “I did that the very first time we ever went chunky-dunking. I can’t change it now.”
“That would drive me crazy,” Sky said to Jenna. Bella and Amy walked hand in hand down the steps and sank under the water. “Your bellies really do make you even more beautiful.”
“Hey, what about me?” Jenna splashed Sky.
“You, too, of course. But your belly is still little. Look at them. Pregnant nudity really is attractive.” Sky swam to the side of the pool, grabbed four foam noodles, and gave one to each of the girls.
“All I know is that being pregnant is awesome,” Bella said. “I can eat as much as I want and not worry that it’ll show.” She hung her arms over the noodle, and they all came together in a tight circle, kicking their feet to stay afloat.
“I can’t believe we’re going to have babies. We’ll have to ask our hubbies to be on baby duty so we can chunky-dunk,” Amy said as she reached for Jenna’s hand. “Do you think it’ll take the fun out of it?”
“No,” Bella answered. “As long as they don’t tell Theresa, we’ll still have fun.”
“I’m around to babysit,” Sky offered.
“Babysit? You’ll be chunky-dunking with us,” Amy reminded her.
“Not after I move,” she said sadly. She’d miss being so close to her friends when she moved, having breakfast with them and spur-of-the-moment barbecues.
“We’ll text you to come down and give you enough warning that you can join us.” Jenna shook Sky’s noodle.
“Yeah, like the sound of a car won’t wake Theresa? You can park on the road and walk into the complex.” Bella kicked away from the group. “I’m hungry.”
“We just got down here,” Jenna said.
“Well, the baby has to eat when the baby has to eat.” Bella swam to the stairs and climbed out of the pool, shivering. She grabbed the cookie dough and hurried back into the water, holding it above her head.
“That baby is going to weigh ten pounds,” Amy teased.
“So what?” Bella tore open the cookie dough, and each of the girls held her hand out. “See? You guys wanted it just as badly as I did.” She bit off a hunk and handed the package to Amy. “Sky, is this the weekend you’re going out on Pete’s boat with Sawyer?”
Sky smiled. “Yup. My brother came through for us. He’s letting us take the boat out overnight, and Sawyer said he can take two days off of training, which surprised me.”
“I told you love makes people do all sorts of things.” Amy floated onto her back with her big belly protruding out of the water.
“Love,” Sky said dreamily. She shifted onto her back and floated, gazing up at the starry sky.
“Love?” Amy swam over to Sky. “Love?”
“Sky’s in love!” Jenna threw her noodle in the air.
Bella caught Jenna’s noodle and shushed her.
Sky held on to the noodle and dropped her feet back under the water. “I didn’tsayI was in love. Although Sawyer iseverythingI could want in a man. Seriously, he’s a great listener, and he really gets me. And he loves his family, and he’s hands down the best lover I’ve ever had, and—”
“Oh my goodness. Youarein love. Our little Sky is in love!” Bella said so loudly that all the other girls shushed her.
“Stop it.” Sky laughed. “I’ve never been in love. I’m trying it on for size.”
“Okay, so you’re not in love yet,” Jenna said with an emphasis onyet. “Would you be if he wasn’t a fighter?”
She shrugged. “It’s not his fighting. This is his last fight, and he’s fighting for his dad, so I have to be okay with it, right? I’ve just never been in love before, and it’s such a big feeling. Sometimes I feel like my heart is going to jump out of my chest, or I want to huddle away with him for hours. Isn’t that weird?”
