“How cute are you two?” Lizzy asks, leaning forward.
I reach across my body and plant my hand on her forehead, pushing her back. “No less cute than you two.”
She shakes her shoulder and tosses her legs over Tony’s and curls under his chin.
EVERLEE - THE SAND CASTLE
Fortyminuteslaterwe'reat the house, and the online pictures don’t do this beauty justice. We pull onto the semi-private turnaround drive, which is flanked with palm trees and ferns on either side. Sitting just behind it is a beautiful two-story white, hardy planked house with black trim around the roofline and windows, with stained wooden accents above the double entry door. Just behind the house, hints of the ocean crash on the white sandy beaches welcoming us to our home for the next week. A brick pathway separates the house from the drive, with large black cast iron lamps spread evenly in between. It’s like this house was plucked right out of Southern Living or a Coastal Homes magazine.
The driveway is wide. It can probably hold four rows of cars, two wide. When Knox pulls to a stop behind Beckett’s car, he honks the horn twice.
“What was that for?” I ask, hopping out of the Jeep.
“I didn’t know if they were inside boning or something. I didn’t want you to walk in on them. Not the best way to start a vacation.”
“For literally one person. One person in the entire group wouldn’t want to see that. I would venture the rest of us dirty fucks don’t fall into that category,” Lizzy chimes in, poking her head back up in the front again.
“Lizzy!” I smack her arm.
“I’m Seraphina this week.”
“I’ll wear that name out, too. Fuck.”
“Like those boys are going to wear out your ass?” She spanks the air in front of her.
“Lizzy!” Beckett calls, stepping out of the house.
“Beck!” She clamors out of the Jeep, dropping her stuff and full on runs into his arms, jumping on him.
“I used to be greeted like that. Then I put a ring on it… and now I’m lucky if I get a hand wave,” Tony teases.
“You lie like a rug,” I say, lightly punching him in the arm. “She is always on you like white on rice.”
“Yea. Stage five clinger, that one.” We laugh as we walk to the back of the other car to grab the luggage Callum and Jax are offloading onto the ground.
Lizzy and Beck join us a second later. “Need help?” Beckett offers.
“I think we’re all good here,” Jax says, shaking Beckett’s hand. “How’s the house?”
Beckett shakes his head, blowing out a breath. “Wow. Simply, wow. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go to the beach again in anything less than this house. It’s stunning. The back wall is floor to ceiling glass panels that look out at the ocean and accordion fold to open the whole back side up. The kitchen and living room are huge. There’s a game room upstairs with a pool table, darts, and a shuffleboard table. Pool in the back is an infinity, with a built-in ledge on the far side so you can just chill and look out at the ocean. I tell you… this place is fire!”
“Well, let’s go then, bro!” Knox says, hopping up and down.
Beckett laughs and looks at Lizzy. “Thanks for getting them to let us in early. We were able to get all the groceries and get them put up. We have a ton of food, so don’t freak out when it looks like we have a mini grocery store in the kitchen. But someone was very particular about the food items they requested.”
Everyone in the group turns to Emmett.
“What?” he bats his hand in the air. “You won’t have the same look on your face when I’m stuffing your bellies. You’ll be moaning out my name.”
“Like Ev? Oh Emmett. I love when you stuff me,” Lizzy teases, moving her body like one of those air things outside of car dealerships. What in the hell do you call those things? They look like bright colored worms dancing in the wind.
“Lizzy!” Beckett and I shout at the same time.
“Liz is out, Seraphina is in.”
“This again?” Beckett asks, looking at me.
“This again?” Lizzy mocks, smooshing Beck’s cheeks together.
