Page 30 of Maldives & Mistletoe

FIFTEEN

Lily and Damian

LILY

Lily rested on the square-shaped hammock suspended from the back veranda of her hut where it hung over the water. Given Christmas was going to be their last day in the Maldives, she had every intention of enjoying what was left of their time here. On one side of her, Alessa was baking in the sun and ignoring her sister’s warnings about sunscreen. On the other side, Eve had rolled over to her stomach to tease Theo where he was swimming just a few feet away.

She wasn’t sure where Damian was, but she could hear his laughter in the background so that told her everything was just fine. She didn’t need to move, and that was her entire goal today.

“Then at least put on a hat,” Abriella said from where she sat shaded on the back veranda. “You’ll regret this in ten years when you have a sunspot or two, Lissa.”

“All your complaining is what I’m going to regret, Ella.”

Lily and Eve muffled their laughter to keep Abriella’s glare from turning on them.

Eve pushed up on her elbows. “Let her enjoy herself, Ella.”

Abriella huffed.

“You know what we should do,” Lily said, peering up at the sky that was so clear, all she could see was bright blue for miles, “is head into town tonight, find a club, drink and dance all night.”

“Been a while since we did that,” Eve agreed.

“Adulting sucks,” Abriella muttered.

“What about the kids?” Alessa asked.

“They have dads,” Lily deadpanned.

“So, it’s decided, then?” Abriella grinned slyly. “We go out and have fun, and the rest of them stay here and watch the kids?”

“It’s agreed,” the three from the hammock echoed.

“I’m not drinking,” Alessa added after a minute. “But I’ll go and dance.”

Lily glanced over at her friend. “Why wouldn’t you want to have a drink with us? I know you brought your pump for the baby—you could get her milk for the night and morning ready, and then she’d be fine.”

Having a drink was part of the fun.

Alessa opened her mouth to reply, but it was only the sound of arms cutting through water that stopped her. Theo had finally decided to pay back his wife for teasing him minutes ago, it seemed. A wave of cold water came up behind the hammock, and landed on all of them, not just Eve.

“Theo!” Eve shouted. “You asshole!”

“That’s what you get for thinking you could tease me and leave it be, Eve. Doesn’t work that way with me,” Theo taunted.

Lily turned in just enough time to watch her brother swimming away from them, but not before he tossed a cocky smirk over his shoulder. His chuckles echoed over the water. Lily glared at her brother for all she was worth. She tried really hard not to hope a shark would come up and bite him on the ass, but it was difficult.

They were having such a good time sunbathing on the hammock, and now they were all soaked. All that work Lily put into managing her hair that just did not seem to like this heat was now ruined.

“He gets Cory again,” Lily said, narrowing her gaze on her brother. “That’s who he gets to watch tonight.”

Laughter passed over the girls, because hell yeah, they all knew how troublesome Cory could be when he wanted to make someone’s life difficult.

Eve and Alessa were already climbing off the hammock just as Abriella came out of the back of the hut with towels ready for them. Lily soon followed, still grumpy that now she looked like a damn mess. By the time she had gotten dried off, and slipped her shawl over her shoulders, the others had headed in the house to get drinks for the kids playing outside.

She was going to help, but then she heard the laughter of her boys, and Damian. It was like an invisible rope had suddenly been tied around her middle, and was tugging her in their direction. It was funny how that worked; her husband was trying to give her a little bit of time to relax as this was going to be their last day here, and somehow, Lily just found her way right back to her boys and husband, anyway.

She wouldn’t have it any other way.