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“We’ll see about that.” Kit blew her a kiss before, thankfully, moving on. “Alder? Bonnie? What about you?”

Alder shook her head. “I’m going to take advantage of Greg and the kids being down at Disney and catch up on my sleep.”

Lydia chuckled at the way Kit pouted but chose not to argue that one, instead turning to Bonnie with her most unfairly charming smile.

“C’mon, Bonnie. Girls’ night!”

Bonnie looked ready to beg off, but then Shannon said, “Yeah, come on, Bonnie! We haven’t gone out in ages!”

Bonnie’s shoulders dipped in resignation. “Yeah. Fine. Why not? But I’m running on East Coast time, so not too late, okay?”

Shannon cheered and bounded over to pull Bonnie into an energetic, bouncing hug. “Absolutely!”

“Well, that was unexpected,” Zann muttered.

Lydia hummed in agreement. She had totally been expecting Bonnie to ride back with them. Before those who were staying could wander off, she called, “Please remember that we leave at ten-thirty tomorrow morning. We have reservations at the vineyards, so make sure to set extra alarms so you’re not late.”

“Yes, mom,” Jack intoned dryly, as, beside him, Michael made a shit, that’s right face and pulled out his phone to set an alarm like Lydia had suggested.

Kit clapped sharply twice to get everyone’s attention. “All right, y’all!” She turned and pointed toward the warm yellow streetlights lining the boulevard and the downtown district beyond like an energetic tight end signaling a first down. “Let’s go!”

“Yeah, definitely not sorry to be missing out on that circus,” Alder said to nobody in particular, shaking her head as she climbed onto the shuttle.

A light hand slid over Lydia’s hip as Zann leaned in close and gestured toward Kit and her merry band of mischief makers who were headed off toward the city. “You sure you don’t want in on that?”

“It would be fun,” Lydia admitted as she watched Michael and Jack link arms and start skipping like they were headed off to see the wizard. She turned and pressed a kiss to Zann’s cheek before dragging her lips to her ear to murmur, “But the only thing I want right now is you. Naked. On top of me.” She smiled when Zann swayed into her, and pressed a hand to Zann’s chest to steady her. Zann’s heart was positively racing under her palm, and she licked her lips as she dragged her thumb along the short expanse of Zann’s sternum that was exposed by the open collar of her dress shirt. “But if you’d rather go drinking with everyone instead…”

Zann whimpered and caught her hand. “Get on the bus.”

Lydia laughed and stole a quick kiss before pulling away to do just that. She nodded her thanks to their driver, Joaquin, as she turned down the central aisle, and rolled her eyes at the knowing smirks she got from the bus’ other three occupants. “Oh, shut up.”

Alder laughed and closed her eyes as she tipped her head back against her headrest. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You guys didn’t want to go out with Kit and everyone?” Eve asked from the opposite side of the aisle, her expression a perfect mask of faux innocence.

“Nope,” Lydia sassed, squeezing her friend’s shoulder affectionately as she ducked into the row behind her so they could chat.

“Not even a little,” Zann agreed as she dropped into the aisle seat next to her.

Aspen sniggered. “That’s fair.”

Lydia smiled at the way Zann pulled their joined hands onto her lap, and hummed happily when Zann’s fingertips began lightly stroking the length of her fingers. “That feels wonderful,” she whispered.

“Good.” Zann squeezed her fingers lightly before resuming her easy caress.

“Yeah…” Lydia closed her eyes and leaned her head on Zann’s shoulder, content to zone out while Zann, Aspen, and Eve chatted quietly for the short, fifteen-minute drive back to the resort. She gritted her teeth against a yawn when the bus stopped, the doors opening with an audible hiss of compressed air, and her heart leapt when she blinked her eyes open to find Zann watching her with a smile. “Hey.”

Zann’s brow twitched as she lifted her hand to kiss the back of it. “Hey, sleepy.”

The kiss was warm and gentle and absolutely lovely, and Lydia couldn’t help but smile as she protested, “I was just resting.”

Zann’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Uh-huh, sure.”

Really, she shouldn’t have found Zann’s teasing so goddamn endearing, but she did, and she rolled her eyes and playfully shoved at Zann’s shoulder with her free hand. “Shut up.” She hiked her chin toward the front of the bus, where Alder was leading the rest of the group’s exit. “Let’s go.”

“Bossy.”

“You like it.”