Page 15
“Not even a little,” Lydia confirmed. “But they’re adorable, and it’s their wedding week, so be nice.”
“Yeah. Be nice,” Aspen echoed. “Anyway, Eve is waving me over.” She glanced at her watch as she stood. “The shuttle bus we rented to drive us all up to Santa Barbara will be here any minute, so, y’know, go potty now and whatever.”
Zann ran her thumb over the side of Lydia’s hand as she drawled, “Yes, mom.”
Aspen flipped her off. “I’ve had too many people get into my charter and, like, five minutes after we take off, be like, ‘I need to pee.’ I’m just making sure you know to take care of it now, because, otherwise, your only option is a porta-potty at the bottom of the trailhead.”
“Eww.” Lydia shuddered. “Point taken.”
Zann nodded. “We’ll go now. But you know that hiking is, like, one of the gayest fucking things you could do for your bridal party week, right?”
“Yeah, well…” Aspen shrugged unrepentantly as her gaze drifted back to Eve. “When it’s your wedding, you can make me do whatever you want.”
Normally, Zann would laugh that one off—not because she was opposed to the idea, but because she’d kind of given up hope that she would ever find someone who would both hold her interest and be okay with her unpredictable schedule—but the impulse was markedly absent this time around.
It was disconcerting, but not exactly an unwelcome realization.
Still, though… One fantastic night shouldn’t be enough to completely alter her worldview.
Should it?
What the actual fuck?
She realized she’d been quiet too long when Aspen whirled back around with a brow arched almost comically high in surprise, and flicked her free hand dismissively as she drawled, “I’ll keep that in mind and try to think of something that’ll out-gay your hiking adventure.”
“I mean…rock climbing is pretty gay,” Lydia offered.
“Yeah. Or maybe camping?” Zann suggested.
“Shit,” Lydia sniggered. “I’m not gay enough for that.”
Zann grinned. “Ultimate frisbee?”
“That’ll be Kit or Jack’s thing,” Lydia shot back.
Zann inclined her head in a you’re not wrong kind of way. “What about—”
“I hate you both,” Aspen interrupted.
Lydia stuck her tongue out at Aspen and sassed, “Well, good thing I’m here to stand with your soon-to-be wife, then, and not you.”
“Speaking of…” Zann pointed at Aspen. “Why is Michael with them and not us? He’s your fucking cousin.”
“We’re cooler?” Lydia suggested with an adorably impish little smirk.
Zann grabbed the collar of her flannel in mock offense. “Cooler than me, Kit, and Jack?”
“Kit and Jack are nerds,” Lydia pointed out.
Zann cackled. “I can’t even argue with that.” She batted her lashes flirtatiously. “But what about me?”
She shivered as Lydia caught her lower lip between her teeth and gave her a slow, deliberately thorough once-over that suggested Lydia was mentally undressing right there in front of everyone.
“You, Zann Silva,” Lydia purred, her lips quirking with amusement, “are the pinnacle of what it means to be cool. I strive to be as cool as you one day, yet I fear I will forever fall short because you have set the bar so high. You are—”
“Fucking hell, keep your pants on,” Aspen snorted. “He’s with Eve because he’s one of her best friends,” she said, flicking a hand at Lydia as if to say like her.
“All right, everyone!” a new voice hollered.
