Page 28 of Stone Deep
Rita waved.
“Slade and Britton.”
“Look, Rita, see that whole arm of tattoos he’s got, it’s called a sleeve. That’s what I’m thinking about getting.”
Rita hopped up on her toes to get a better look, then giggled. “Are you going to get those arms to go with it because then I’m all for it.”
Britton covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
“Just maybe I will,” Bradley said curtly. “I could work out and get big like that. Just takes a little effort and time. If I wasn’t so busy making money to keep you in your life of luxury, I’d be able to go to the gym.”
“Well, I think we’re going to head down to the beach,” I said. “Nice talking to you both.”
Britton hopped off the lounge and followed me inside. “Thought you only wanted to go down if there were tacos or burgers,” she said quietly to my back.
“Yeah, I think Bradley and Rita just made me rethink that requirement.”
We grabbed our sunglasses and Britton pulled on her sweatshirt. We headed along the cement path that led to the top of a steep set of weatherworn stairs leading to the sand. Fleshy plants, succulents that grew well near the beach, popped up through the cracks in the wood steps. A respectableocean breeze whipped up toward us as we walked down to the sand.
Britton was walking next to me, and I took hold of her hand. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d taken hold of someone’s hand, but it felt right. And it wasn’t just due to my insane need to be touching her. I felt a sort of possessiveness about her that I’d never felt before. I thought about Hunter and the way I kidded him about keeping a hawk-like eye on Amy whenever they were out in public. Colt was just as obsessed with Jade. For the last year, I’d been the only Stone brother without a steady girlfriend, and even though I loved both Amy and Jade like sisters, I’d teased my brothers non-stop about getting their balls in an iron clamp. And here I was, holding a girl’s hand as I headed down to the beach. It was hardly a full commitment, but it was definitely new to me.
We kicked off our shoes and tromped through the fine white sand toward the water. The gulls that had gathered on the beach were only temporarily disturbed from their afternoon rest. A few poked up their orange beaks to see if we had food, but most sensed that we were empty handed and stayed huddled down in their gray and white feathers.
Britton inclined her head toward them. “I’ll bet they know where the nearest food stand is.”
I laughed. “Bet you’re right about that.” We sat down near the water, and I put my arm around her. “Tink, in case it wasn’t completely fucking obvious, I’m having a damn good time hanging out with you.”
“I’m having a blast too. I feel like I’ve been stuck under gloomy skies forever, and, all of sudden, there’s all thissun.” She turned her face up to the sky and closed her eyes for a second. Then she cuddled closer to me. “And all this really hot sex. And this really hot man.”
I tightened my arm around her. She always felt small and fragile in my grasp, and all I could think was that I would do anything to protect her.
We stared out at the water. Short, choppy sets of waves rolled into shore and then sucked back fast and hard with what seemed to be a strong undertow.
“Since you grew up near the ocean, do you surf?”
“My brothers and I like to bodysurf. It’s cheaper. Growing up, we didn’t really have money for surfboards, but we managed to have fun anyhow, despite our shitty existence. Don’t know what I would have done without my brothers. We depended on each other a lot. Still do, in a way.” The second I said it, I realized my mistake. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bring up siblings.”
“No need to apologize.” She held onto my hand. “My parents are decent people, but growing up, they were always working or busy with their side business, buying and selling antiques. Perris and I counted on each other for entertainment. And we definitely managed to have fun.” She reached up and traced some of the ink lines on my arm. “I wish it could have been different for you and your brothers.”
“In a way, it made all of us stronger. Our instinct to survive was finely tuned growing up.”
“Well, you turned out pretty damn perfect as far as I’m concerned. Of course, I’m probably slightly biased because I have a major crush on you. But you might have already sensed that.”
“Amajorcrush, eh?” I nodded with approval.
Voices behind us made us both look back.
“Damn, they followed us,” I muttered.
Bradley waved as he hiked our direction. He and his wife were carrying towels and highball glasses. Most of the liquid was spilling during their awkward trek across the sand. There was a vast stretch of empty beach around us, but they dropped their things right next to us.
Bradley put his hands on his hips making his belly stick out farther. “How come you two didn’t put on your suits?”
“Told you no one in their right mind would swim in that cold, rough water,” Rita commented. It seemed her main purpose for living was to tamp down her husband’s enthusiasm for life.
His oversized watch glittered in the sunlight as he waved his thick, stubby hand at her. “No sense in coming to the beach if you aren’t going to step in the water. We make our home in Arizona, and there isn’t much beach there. In fact, there isn’t any beach.” He had a hearty laugh at his comment.
I looked at the water. “It looks like there’s a pretty strong riptide today.”
