“Jaxon?”
“What? You’re inviting me on your big outing?”
“Would I be talking about it in front of you if you weren’t getting let in on the fun?”
I shrug.
“Well, you never know. I’ve heard plenty of vacations being planned in my company.”
“Our group’s not like that. You’ve caught on that we’ve kind of pulled you into our circle by now, right?” Trystan adds.
“I thought you guys were just being nice to one of Colin’s old college buddies who happened to move to town.”
Mark snorts.
“Nah, man, you got adopted.”
A fuzzy feeling explodes in my chest, and I tell myself to play it cool. I’ve never really had a place, or a group of people, before. As an only child, it’s been kind of lonely.
“You barely know me.”
“True, but Colin knows you, and Holly likes you, and those two are excellent judges of character. Plus, you’re my new surfing buddy.”
“You delivered my daughter and made my wife feel like a badass.”
“I think the majority spoke for you, and my sister keeps trying to set you up with the last of our ladies. You seem okay to me.”
I laugh out loud at Mark’s ‘I’m just along for the ride’ attitude.
“Okay, I’m in.”
???
Holly
Midstroke of painting my third toe, I suddenly realize my predicament. Jade green toes wiggle back at me, and I puff out air through my cheeks and curse under my breath. It’s a bit of a windy, rainy evening, and I watch the big, fat raindrops hit the windows. A muted blob of inky sky and water beyond the glass greet me instead of the usual deep purples sunset brings over the dark depths.
Buzz.
It’s our girl’s chat.
Sydney: Colin got a wild hair up his butt. Weekend after next, he’s booked a lake house upstate for all of us to relax before the twins come. Apparently, all the guys talked about it while fishing today.
Jane: They agreed to an infant joining along?
Sydney: Yup
Brynleigh: I’m down
Ava: In
Me: Yeah sure
Sydney: So…looks like we’ll all travel up Friday evening, grab dinner, chill all Saturday while the guys fish, then bonfire and fish fry Saturday night
Jane: What if they don’t catch any fish on Saturday?
Brynleigh: *laughing emoji
