Page 12 of Spring Break with a Bass Player
“Whatvibe?You were just arguing over pepperoni.”
“The vibe that says you’re doomsday planning because Sammy is getting hitched and we get to call Nick daddy.”
“Told you,” Corbin mutters, earning a glare from me because I wasnot.
“I’m not. I just want to make sure we’re all where we want to be,” I say defensively, walking right into Declan’s verbal trap.
“Maybe, but Amber said the smoking-hot woman with a resting bitch face is where youreallywanna be.”
He laughs as I groan. “Yeah, well, everyone’s timing just sucks these days.”
Sam hitches his thumb toward the general direction of Saige’s house. “She’s the realtor?” He lets out a low whistle when I nod. “Good luck, man. She found us a place, and while she’s nice, she’s definitely got that fuck-off vibe going on.”
“That’s why he likes her,” Corbin adds helpfully, and he’s lucky I love my sister more than throwing him under the bus right now.
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” I mutter as Corbin wraps his arm around my shoulder.
“You get to be happy just like the rest of these fuckers,” Declan says, pointing to Sam and Nick.
“It’s not so bad, you know,” Nick says wryly.
“Dude, Iknow.I just want to be Uncle Declan and then go out and bang a hot girl at the bar. You haveyouridea of awesome and I have mine. Besides,”—Declan grins—“I already have your baby present ordered. I got these custom band onesies all made up and?—”
“Who the fuck even are you?” Landon manages as he gapes at him. Honestly, we’re all just staring becauseseriously, what?
“To be clear, you got him a baby present already,” Sam asks.
“Yes.”
“And you’re excited about it,” Sam continues as he narrows his eyes.
“What? I love babies,” Declan says with his palms facing out, “as long as they’re not mine.”
Everyone laughs, and our conversation turns to other subjects. Nick rejects every single one of our baby names. Declan tells Sam his wedding registry sucks and that he got them a better gift. Corbin stirs the pot every chance he gets, and I grab a slice of pizza and settle in for the mayhem.
Because this is us.
And we’re still fucking awesome.
7
SAIGE
“Icannot believe you talked me into this,” I tell Vienna as she stares at me wide-eyed from her stool at the bar of Love Beach Brews. She’s beautiful with long dark hair and a shit-eating grin that has my cousin eating out of the palm of her hand.
She has a fire that draws you in, and I admire the hell out of her for everything she’s done for Wells and his daughter, Haven. His ex—the wench—did a hell of a lot of damage, but Vienna put them back together piece by piece and I love her for that.
“It’s ladies’ night,” she coos as Isaac, the bar owner, sets a glass of wine down in front of me.
“Let me know if you need something stronger,” he says with a knowing smirk, his gaze flashing to the unfairly hot bass player in the corner before returning to me.
My neighbor.
And current bane of my existence.
“It isnotladies’ night,” I lament. “Why couldn’t you have invited literallyanyone else?”
“Why would I want to do that when you’ve done nothing but work and bitch about this hunk?” She hitches her thumb towardBridger, and because the universe hates me, he picks that exact moment to look up.
