Page 78 of Finding New Dreams

ArtsyHotGuy3234: It’s yours. Especially if you’re still in that hot tub when I get there.

RoseWithLove: How close are you guys?

ArtsyHotGuy3234: Not close enough. I just told Wyatt to step on it.

19

ROSE

A soft giggle escaped my lips as I tucked my phone away in my purse beside the in-floor hot tub.

“You’d better not abandon me this weekend for Lover Boy,” Gina muttered in my ear.

She sat next to me in the bubbling water in a beautiful gold bikini, her olive-toned curves on full display. The others—Hunter and Chloe, Carter and Sarah—had coupled off and likely hadn’t noticed my distraction.

I bit my lip. I couldn’t help it. I wanted nothing more than to be another couple in this hot tub, sitting on Flynn’s lap, pressed up against his hot, naked chest, and sharing longing looks between quick kisses.

“I guess I’ll just have to find you some entertainment then,” I told Gina with a wink.

Her lips twitched. “So you are planning to jump his bones. And here I thought you’d gotten enough of at least one ‘bone’ last night, according to half the town.”

I sighed heavily. I’d been slightly mortified by the knowing winks and nods and elbow nudges I’d gotten from the good townsfolk of Tangled River. You’d think we were all in high school again and I’d just bagged the football captain.

I’d been so worried about how Chloe would take it that I’d been skittish all day, checking my phone and the front door, thinking I’d see her barreling through the door without even opening it.

But she hadn’t said anything.

Gina and Sarah had sent a barrage of texts, asking if it was true and what actually happened. I’d told them it was blown out of proportion, that Flynn and I had spent a fun evening painting moonscapes and may have done a bit of wading. That was it.

I wanted to keep everything else for myself. For my own daydreams. Talking it to death might tarnish it.

Even during the car ride up with Chloe, Gina, and Sarah—which I was punctual for, thanks to Flynn closing up the gallery for me—Chloe hadn’t treated me any differently.

She must’ve heard the rumors. Her lodge’s cook, Mable, was hooked up six ways to Sunday in the Tangled River gossip network.

Maybe it was her way of letting us do what we wanted, no judgment?

I certainly hoped so. I’d never want to risk a friendship over a fling. Maybe if she saw that we could handle this like adults, she wouldn’t worry. Because I knew that was the cause of her well-meaning intervention: worry. And I appreciated it. But it wasn’t warranted in our case.

I leaned closer to Gina. “First of all,” I muttered, “please don’t say things like that in his sister’s vicinity. Secondly, I hear that Princess Leia is one of Wyatt’s favorite female characters.”

Gina stiffened, her smug smile gone. “So?”

I pointedly eyed her gold bikini and high ponytail braid. “You just need some gold armbands and a purple loincloth to complete the ensemble. Did you leave them in our hotel room?”

She splashed me, and I laughed, drawing the attention of the other couples.

Chloe, stunning in a white bikini, looked around, her arms still wound around her fiancé’s neck. “Louis never made it down?”

Carter waved his phone. “Nah, he texted me that he was taking a nap in his and Owen’s room before the others get here. There was some dog emergency late last night.”

I frowned. “Oh no, is the dog okay? Did he say which one?”

Carter scowled at his phone then shook his head. “Nope.”

Sarah straightened her star-spangled bikini and grabbed her own phone. “Have you heard from the others?”

Thankfully, Hunter responded before I had to. “Yep. Owen said they picked him up about an hour and a half ago, so they should be here soon.”

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