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“Thanks, Hope.”
“Thank you. See you Friday.”
I disconnected and dropped the phone back into the folds of my skirt. It was the truth—we did trust her. All that stuff with the missing meat felt like so long ago. She’d been a stellar employee since, and even before, she stole the chicken. This was the first time we were leaving her to run the restaurant for an entire week without us, but I had no doubt she’d rise to the occasion. She’d already taken on enough responsibility that I was actually able to take two full days off most weeks. After he spared her, she was fiercely loyal to Thacker. And she kept the kitchen staff in line like a drill sergeant. We were lucky to have her.
Lola stepped up beside me, rocking her toes into the sand and gazing out over the choppy, sparkling blue water. I slung my arm around her shoulders and hugged her to my side, and she laughed, wrapping her arms around my waist.
“Are we both just insane?” I asked, only kind of kidding. We both looked behind us at the private beach populated with gorgeous hunks who were unerringly devoted to us. When we turned back around, we were both beaming.
“Actually, I’m pretty sure we’re brilliant,” she said. “Come on.” She took my hand and we walked up the beach away from the crowd. “You know, I honestly never would have expected you to be down for a polyamorous relationship.”
I nodded, watching my feet as we walked along the surf line.
“Me either,” I said truthfully. I tucked my hair behind my ear and shrugged. “I mean, it’s not easy. But the love they have for me…I’ve never experienced anything like it. I didn’t know that something like that, something so raw and passionate, and unconditional, was really real.” Lola smiled up at me and I squeezed her hand. “Now I know.”
We walked until the palm trees swallowed up the sand, and then turned back. The sun had started to nod toward the horizon by the time we got back in sight of the group.
Rowan, Xander, and Nate were gathered around Tamara, laughing at her jokes. Thacker, Will, and my dad were standing in their cargo shorts in the shade, sunscreen on, hands in pockets, drinking from plastic cups of beer.
Jamie, Reid, Dallas, Will, Erik, and Huck had moved on from volleyball and were now tossing a frisbee back and forth, which they apparently considered a full-contact team sport.
Jamie saw that we were back and raised his hand in greeting, and then all eyes were on us. I basked in the glow of it, all that love aimed in our direction. As Jamie and Rowan came over to me, and my brother picked Lola up and threw her over his shoulder, I felt like my heart would burst with joy.
End
