AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Or at least, I’lltryto be okay.
23
CARTER
Iwake up because there’s something moving next to me, and it takes me a second to realize it’s Jada. I realize it’s actually been a long time since I’ve shared a bed with someone, even longer since it was someone I really cared about. The thought of it sends a warm and comforting sensation spreading through my chest.
It feels good – so good that I almost don’t want to get out of bed, wishing we could spend the morning cuddling, maybe even kissing like we did last night. That thought is something I immediately shake off, though.
I don’t know what last night’s kiss was about, but I’m not about to complicate things by asking about it.Better to just take it in stride, I tell myself. Instead of overthinking it, I stretch awake, the crick in my neck decidedly absent this morning after having spent the night in a real bed.
“Good morning sleepy head,” comes Jada’s voice as I peer over the covers at her.
She’s already sitting up, a huge smile all over her face, but it’s clear she only woke up a few moments before I did.
I grin at her. “What do you mean sleepy head?” I retort playfully. “You were asleep too.”
“That’s true,” she says. “But I’m so excited for the day that I feel like I’ve been up for ages. Like a kid on Christmas, only better-rested.”
I chuckle a little at that, dragging myself out of the warmth of the covers and stretching a little more.
“Well, what is it you’re so excited about?” I ask, enjoying how cute she looks in her pajamas with her braids loose around her. “Have you already made a plan for the day that I should be filled in on?”
“I thought we could go on a trail ride,” she tells me, grinning eagerly.The kid-on-Christmas analogy is pretty accurate,I decide. “What do you think?”
I smile at her, wandering over to the table and picking up the activity schedule to take a look.
“I think we should do whatever you want and if you want horses, you’ve got horses,” I say. “But we’ll have to book it in advance.”
“Then let’s book it,” she tells me, her grin never faltering for a second.
We end up booking the horse riding for eleven, which gives us a couple of hours to kill. Once we’re dressed, we head down to one of the resort restaurants for breakfast.
Jada orders pancakes and orange juice while I go for a classic bacon and eggs with coffee. Somehow we end up sharing both of the meals though, stealing little bites from each other’s plates with an easy sense of familiarity.
We talk and laugh as we eat and for the hundredth time since she said yes, I thank my lucky stars that I ended up marrying Jada and not some random woman my mom set me up with. Hanging out with her almost makes me see why people go for marriage in the first place.
“Hey, how about a quick swim before the trail ride?” Jada asks once we’ve finished our breakfast and are lazing in the sun.
“I can’t think of anything better,” I reply and we head quickly back to the room to change.
When we make it back to the outdoor pool though, we teeter on the edge for a second. The water looks cold and even though the sun is warm, we’re both still a little reticent about jumping in.
“Let’s do it together on three,” I say, taking Jada by the hand.
I feel my heart skip a beat for a second as she squeezes back but I don’t want to dwell on it too much.
“One…” I say, grinning at her. “Two…”
“Wait!” she cries, just as I’m about to say ‘three’ and jump in. “There’s a jacuzzi!”
She points frantically to a little cabana at the end of the pool deck, semi-obscured by potted palm trees and before I know it, she’s pulling me by the hand to the jacuzzi, a giant grin plastered on her face.
I have to laugh along with Jada as she steps into the tub, still holding my hand. I follow suit, and the warm water feels good on my skin. We spend a while lazing together there and I find it hard to take my eyes off her. She looks so happy, lying back and letting the warm water bubble over her dark brown skin, her head resting against the side of the jacuzzi with her braids tied up tightly in a bun.
The relaxation doesn’t last too long though.
“I think we’d better get going,” I tell her, though I hate to drag her out of what looks like pure contentment.
