“I love beaches in the evening. Don’t you guys?” Abby didn’t wait for an answer. She fluttered her lashes at Aiden and said, “Is there a beach where we’re going on our honeymoon?”
“Nice try, sweetheart.” Aiden leaned down and kissed her.
Cait tried to ignore another pang of longing.
They walked past a row of vendors with long tables set up by the dunes selling everything from popcorn and candy to salads and burgers. Cait had never seen anything like this pulled together so quickly. “Your parents really know how to put on a show.”
“They should. They’ve been doing it for more than thirty years.” Brant pointed up ahead. “Our stuff is just past the three red umbrellas.”
As they made their way down the beach, people waved and shouted greetings. Cait was surprised to be called out by name by customers she recognized from the Bistro. She was becoming more aware of her feelings and the things going on around her. With the burden of the past out in the open to those closest to her, she no longer felt the need to hide in the shadows.
Brant led them to an area covered in blankets, with a firepit already shoveled out and stocked with wood. “I told you our stuff would still be here.”
“You already dug the firepit?” Abby looked at Aiden. “You guys went to a lot of trouble.”
“That was all Brant. It’s like he’s been doing this forever,” Aiden teased, putting down the cooler he was carrying.
“There’s nothing better than beach life. I’m going to be the ninety-year-old man digging bonfire pits and kicking back with all of you.” Brant glanced at Cait, nodding confidently, and then he dug a stake out of his backpack and began pounding it into the sand for Scrappy’s leash. “I can’t wait to teach Cait to surf.”
“In your dreams.” Cait laughed.
He tied the leash to the stake and sidled up to her, lowering his voice for her ears only. “Baby, my dreams are already full of you, and I can assure you, in them we’re not surfing.”
Their eyes held, bringing a rush of memories of last night’s intimacy, and her body ignited.
“You picked a great spot,” Abby said, breaking the moment.
Cait dropped her bag on the blanket and looked out over the water, wondering how she was going to make it through an entire movie when everything Brant did made her want him more. Maybe it wasn’t the PDA but the secrets that had made them feel uncomfortable.
He put a hand on her lower back, his eyes flickering with another seductive tease. “Why don’t we get wet before it gets too cold?”
She swallowed hard. He knew just how to get to her.
“Yes!” Abby exclaimed. She and Aiden dropped to the blankets and began rolling up their pants. “It’s been too long since I’ve had my feet in the water.”
“Are you going to slay me with double entendres all night?” Cait whispered.
“Are you going to look that sexy all night?” Brant stepped closer, and her breasts grazed his body, her nipples pebbling with the memory of his mouth on them. “Better roll up your jeans, beautiful.”
Jeans. Right. She crouched to roll them up, her head swimming with lustful thoughts. Brant stood beside her in his shorts and Henley. His hips were right there as he talked with Aiden over Cait’s head, bringing more thoughts of last night, when she’d felt every hard inch of him.
“Let’s go, sis!” Abby took Cait’s hand the second she stood up, and they ran down to the water. They got ankle deep, shrieked from the cold, and scrambled back up toward dry sand.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Brant chased after Cait, and Aiden ran after Abby, driving the girls right back into the icy water.
They shrieked and laughed, splashing the guys and chasing after them. Brant turned on Cait, and she screamed, bolting in the opposite direction. He ran after her as Abby’s voice rang out, “Cait! Help!”
Cait turned, catching sight of Aiden lunging for Abby just as Brant caught her around the waist and lifted her off her feet, both of them laughing hysterically. “If you toss me in, you’re in big trouble!” she hollered, kicking as he carried her into the water.
“I think we both know I like being in trouble with you.”
He put her down in almost calf-deep water. She squealed and tried to climb him like a tree, laughter flying from their lips. He lifted her into his arms, and her legs circled his waist. Overcome with happiness, she grabbed his handsome face between both hands and lowered her lips to his, turning their laughter into steamy kisses.
As their lips parted, she became aware of catcalls and cheers. She looked toward the beach, and their friends came into view, cheering and whooping. Jules and Grant were holding tiki lights on long poles with a CONGRATULATIONS sign strung between them, and Jock and Daphne were carrying several pizza boxes. Randi and Ford were waving champagne bottles, and Tessa was holding a gigantic sheet cake.
“Congratulations!” their friends hollered in unison.
“About damn time, you two,” Jock said, looking right at Cait and Brant.
Cait looked at Brant in total confusion.
“Surprise, angel! You missed out on so many celebrations, we’re going to make up for every one of them, starting with celebrating your and Abby’s first month in business.”
“It was all Brant’s idea!” Aiden hollered from a few feet down the beach, prompting more cheers.
Cait’s heart filled to near bursting as she looked down at the man holding her in his arms, looking at her like she was everything he’d ever wanted. She’d never been this happy, this cared for, and she wanted to hold on to that joyous feeling, to hold on to Brant. A trickle of trepidation moved through her, but on its heels came Brant’s voice whispering through her mind. After today, it will be easy. I promise. Just push past the initial fear. With a deep breath, Cait threw her worries to the wind and grabbed his face between both hands, kissing him hard, deep, and very possessively, earning more whoops and cheers.
When their lips parted, she smiled down at him, laughing. “What have you done to me, Remington?”
“Not nearly as much as you’ve just done to me, Weatherby. Kiss me again.”
“You greedy little bugger,” she teased, and lowered her lips to his, because he was setting her free, and with him, she was becoming a greedy bugger, too.
Cait was on cloud nine as they sat barefoot and bundled up in sweatshirts on blankets around the fire, drinking champagne and eating pizza with their friends. Scrappy begged for tastes, and everyone spoiled him with pieces of cheese and crust. The CONGRATULATIONS banner fluttered in the breeze above the card table Grant and Jules had brought, which now held the cake and various chips and snacks. The cake had CONGRATULATIONS, ABBY AND CAIT (AND DEIRDRA!) written across it in blue icing. Cait loved that they’d thought to include Deirdra’s name on the cake. Deirdra was a silent partner, having invested her inheritance in the Bistro. Cait wished she were there to celebrate with them. But she had taken lots of pictures and texted them to Deirdra.
Cait plucked another pepperoni off her slice of pizza, adding it to the stack on the side of her paper plate.
“What’s going on with all that pepperoni?” Randi asked.
“I don’t like them.”