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“I guess I didn’t bring enough spritzers,” I muttered.
“It’s okay,” Logan repeated. He took me by surprise when he pecked my cheek. “Hey, everyone!”
We were swamped in an instant. Once the initial chatter had calmed down, Logan introduced everyone. “Aria, meet Cathrine and Jackson, Charlie and Mark, Gretchen and Ben, and Ashton and Quinn. Everyone, this is Aria. She’s here on vacation.”
I waved at them. “Hi there.”
“Hi, Aria, it’s so nice to meet you.” Cathrine’s dark hair brushed my shoulder as she hugged me.
“Welcome to Virginia Beach,” Gretchen said.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like something to drink? We have plenty of great wine to consume,” Ashton said and her eyes grew large with happiness.
Natalie nodded. “Arabelle’s keeping the other kids occupied, so we are foot loose and fancy free!”
Jackson’s gaze radiated kindness and acceptance as he welcomed me. “Welcome, Aria. It’s an honor to meet you.”
“Muff’s motion is seconded. It’s an honor, for sure,” Mark added.
“Muff?” I repeated.
“Oh, that’s his call sign. We all have one, even the ladies. Logan’s is—”
“Don’t say it,” Logan interrupted.
Mark chuckled. “Twinkle Toes. He tears up that dancefloor when he wants to.”
“Not anymore,” Logan grumbled.
“Well, no, not with your knees. Still, once you have a call sign, you’re stuck with it.” Mark glanced at me. “You’ll end up with one, too, I’m sure.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. Weren’t they getting ahead of themselves? Was it honestly so easy to be welcomed into what appeared to be a tight-knit group? I’d never felt so welcomed in my life—well, aside from when I moved into the apartment with Lily and Zoey. I was coming to properly love America and the kind people I’d encountered here so far.
“Do you mind if we steal Logan away from you for a bit?” Jackson asked.
“Uh, no, not at all.” I sent Logan a questioning glance.
Logan squeezed my hand. “Have fun. I’ll be back soon.”
“Come on and hang out with us while the boys talk aboutguy stuff!” Ashton yelled a little obnoxiously. We walked over to the timber outdoor setting and Ashton indicated the bowl full of salad. “I’ve been trying to tell Catherine she should put more Italian dressing in the tossed salad.”
“And I’ve been saying that we shouldn’t because we don’t want to overpower the freshness of the lettuce,” Catherine said through gritted teeth.
“One of you needs to taste-test,” Ashton demanded.
Gretchen held her hands up. “I’m not getting in the middle of this.”
“I’m happy to try it,” I said.
Catherine stabbed some of the leaves and other salad pieces with a fork and held it out to me.
I chewed it thoughtfully and reached for the bottle. Ignoring Ashton’s smug expression, I drizzled a couple more drops into the bowl and mixed it thoroughly. “It needed a teensy bit more, but not much. If you mix it again before serving, it should be good, since dressings tend to sit at the bottom of the bowl.”
The other women all tasted the salad.
“Mm, that’s perfect,” Lee said.
