“Good morning.”
“Morning.” Kendra crossed toward the bedroom. “I’ll take a shower and then we can go for breakfast.”
“Okay.”
She took a quick shower and changed into a green sundress with white polka dots. In the mirror, she gave herself a stern expression. She would remember that she and Lucas weren’t really a couple.
When she got back outside, Lucas was still on his phone.
“Ready?”
He looked up, setting his phone on the side of the chair. “Yep.”
It was a far cry from the joking conversations they’d had yesterday, and from the hostility of the first day. Now they really felt like what they were: two strangers on a honeymoon together.
Downstairs, Kendra got a plate of fruit and a cinnamon roll at the buffet. With her free hand, she poured a cup of coffee with plenty of milk and sugar, just the way she liked it. There was even a little shaker of cinnamon to sprinkle on top, which she hadn’t noticed before.
On the way back to the table, Kendra spotted Susie buttering a piece of toast at the buffet and hurried over to her, her plate and mug carefully balanced in her hands.
“Good morning!” Susie beamed at her. “How was your evening?”
“Great.” Kendra bit her lip. “Um, I was wondering… could we cool it on the activities a little? My husband and I are looking for something a little more relaxed, if you know what I mean.”
Susie beamed. “I know exactly what you mean!”
Kendra’s brow furrowed. She wasn’t so sure that Susiedidknow. “Like, some time to relax by the pool, maybe. That kind of thing.”
“Definitely! Can do.” Susie flipped her ponytail. “Enjoy your breakfast, and I’ll get something set up.”
“There’s really no need to set anything up,” Kendra emphasized. “We can just have a relaxed day.”
“Exactly!” Susie winked like they were sharing a secret. “It’ll be averyrelaxed day.”
“Um, okay. Thanks.” Kendra nodded at her, though she was still suspicious, and went to join Lucas at their table.
“What was that about?” he asked. So far, he had no food, only a large mug of black coffee, which he sipped.
“I just told Susie again that we can back off from the activities and do something relaxing today.”
“Great. What did she say?”
Kendra shrugged. “She seemed to be agreeing with me, but you never know with Susie.”
“True.” Lucas reached for his coffee again. “For all we know, ‘relaxing’ for her could mean wrestling crocodiles or participating in an international cheerleading competition or something.”
Despite herself, Kendra smiled. “I really hope not.”
They ate their breakfast, mostly in silence. As Kendra was finishing the last bite of her cinnamon roll, Susie practically skipped over to their table. Her blond ponytail bounced with each step.
“Are you ready?” she asked.
Kendra and Lucas exchanged a glance. “I suppose we are,” Kendra said.
“Then follow me! Oh, but grab your swimwear first.”
“Swimwear?” Kendra asked Lucas in a low voice as they got to their feet. “That seems like a good sign, right?”
“I think so. Although I imagine one would also wear swimsuits for crocodile wrestling.”
