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5
Mason
I walked into Pete’s after six. Eden said she and Grey would be on the terrace. The bar where the locals gathered after work had grown on me, kind of like the rest of the island.
Mark had called on my way over. The Lachlan Corporation bid had been accepted. Barbara must have been a shark at the table. My instincts were right to send her in. We outbid the competition without going over our budget. Our application was in with development services. I couldn’t think of a better time to have a few beers to celebrate.
“Look what the cat drug in,” Mac taunted me. Like the rest of the locals here they had started to accept I was a part of the Padre landscape. The Palm was reason enough for me to travel to town.
“Funny stuff.” I tapped the bar. “Eden and Grey here?” I asked the bartender.
“Yep. They’re out there.” He pointed to the sound side of the bar as he tossed a towel over his shoulder.
“Thanks, man.”
I strolled toward the sundeck.
“You made it.” Eden jumped from her seat and hugged me.
“I’m always up for a beer.” I smiled at her.
Grey was sitting at the table. “How’s it going?” he asked.
I sat across from him. “Good. How about you?”
“Good.”
Eden started to laugh. “Wow. You two really know how to have a conversation.”
“Darlin’ we’re both here. That should be good enough.” Grey squeezed her hand, and she smiled.
“It is.” She hadn’t taken her eyes off him.
I cleared my throat. “So tell me what’s going on at the Palm. Are you ready for me to move my stuff out? Do you have a buyer for that end unit? I hope you’re asking top dollar with that view. Best damn view on the beach.”
Eden shook her head. “No. We are not talking about work. No talk about the Palm. I don’t even want to hear about your latest conquest. This is drinks and dinner only.” She looked at both of us sternly.
I expected Grey to mutter something under his breath like he usually did, but he didn’t argue. Maybe he had learned when to accept defeat.
“All right. Tell me about the wedding. How’s it going?”
Grey looked at me. “You realize you have opened Pandora’s box?”
I laughed. “I just want to make the girl happy.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He tipped a cold bottle to his lips.
Eden handed a beer to me out of the bucket on the table. It was icy. “Can you believe the wedding is in three months? Three months.”
“No, seems quick,” I replied.
She spoke hurriedly as if she expected Grey to argue with me. She wasn’t completely off-base. We argued a lot. It was hard not to with our history.
“Ever since December it seems like all we’ve done is wedding planning. Marin has been amazing since she and Pick just did this a year ago, but still, I wasn’t really sure what I was doing.”
“I’m sure it will be great. I’m looking forward to seeing North Carolina again.”
“What about Taylor?” Eden slowed her words. “Are you excited to see her?”
