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Izzy turns the page of the magazine she’s reading. “You were too slow. We’re hanging out. I need her advice now that there’s finally another girl around.”
Bex stands, hanging on to my hand. “Want to swim with us? We can talk about Christian there.”
“Who’s Christian?” I ask.
“A server at the club,” Izzy says. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“And how old is Christian?”
She tosses her magazine to the side and sits up with a sigh. “See, Bex? Any mention of a boy and he decides it’s his business.”
“It’s my business if it’s Christian Rozzi, who, last I remembered, is my age.”
“And lastIremembered, you’re only four years older than me,” she shoots back. “Not everyone finds love in their class year, James.”
Bex looks at me, squinting against the sun. “She likes him. He’s doing a masters in the city, so he won’t be far from McKee.”
“Oh, joy.”
“If I had a little sibling, I’d rather they date someone I alreadyknow,” she adds, her voice teasing now. She pokes my stomach. “Take me swimming. Iz, come on, I’ve never been in the ocean before.”
“What?” Izzy says, scrambling to her feet. “Do you know how to swim?”
“Thanks to the pool at the Y, yes.”
“Don’t let any of my idiot brothers dunk you under. But if they do, I’ll pull on their hair.”
They high-five. “Solid plan,” says Bex, giggling when she sees the stony expression on my face.
She takes off running in the direction of the ocean. Izzy sticks her tongue out at me and follows. I give them a few seconds head start, watching Bex’s ass in that cute little bikini bottom, but I catch up when she wades into the water, laughing as she hops around.
“It’s cold!” she says.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“Carry me in?”
I lift her into my arms, and she steadies herself by wrapping her arms around my neck. She shivers, pressing her face against my chest, as I wade into the surf. It’s calm today, good conditions for someone who has never been in the ocean before, but she’s right, it’s a little chilly. Eventually, it gets deep enough I have to let her down, and she splashes around, shaking but smiling, as I tread water next to her.
Cooper and Seb swim over. Seb looks like a seal, his dark blond hair plastered to his forehead. Cooper has on a pair of sunglasses that are definitely too expensive to risk losing in the water, but he’s never worried about things like that. Izzy swims next to us, wrapping her arm around Cooper’s to steady herself.
“How’s it going?” Seb asks.
“This is Bex’s first time in the ocean,” Izzy says.
Cooper gestures to Bex with his free hand. “Enjoying it?”
Bex’s lips are looking a bit blue, but she smiles. “I thought there would be seaweed and I’m happy I was wrong.”
Seb laughs. “It’s really calm and clean today. But I like when the surf is rough, it’s great for body surfing.”
She makes a face. “Maybe I’ll watch that from the shore.”
“You’re going to love this whole trip,” Izzy says. “We’re having dinner at the club tonight, but I always make us go to get ice cream at Big Bucks after. And when the boys go golfing tomorrow, we’re going to the spa with Mom. Think about what color you want for your nails.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” Bex says. “Did you already make reservations? How much is it?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Izzy says. “It’s a welcome to the fa—welcome to OBX gift.”
