“Huh.”
We fall silent after that, watching the guys play. Noah has stripped down to only the dark green cargo shorts he wears over his swim trunks. His bicep bulges as he winds up for a throw, his chest and abs contracting and rippling on the snap and release.
Sigh. The man is pure temptation.
The ball goes long and Mark races down the beach, Owen right on his tail and leaping for an interception. I don’t know what actually happens though, because my eyes have strayed uncontrollably back to my man. Sweat glistens on his chest, and I squint, swallowing thickly as I watch a bead drip down between his defined pecks and over the dips and hollows of his abdomen.
Fuck, he looks good.
I bite my lip as the throbbing starts up between my legs. I’m suddenly feeling really very hot.
A glance at Piper tells me she’s feeling somewhat overheated herself, her green eyes look impossibly dark as they rove slowly over her husband’s equally bare-chested and muscular body.
In silent agreement, we get to our feet and strip down to our bathing suits, both in desperate need of a dip to cool off. I pause on our way to the water to give Noah a quick peck and grin when I catch Piper doing the same with Aidan. She squeals when he makes a show of dipping her back until she’s almost perpendicular to the water, her long hair dragging in the surf.
Noah too refuses to release me, tugging me back by the arm for another kiss and groaning into my mouth. He nips lightly at my bottom lip as I reluctantly pull away. I so badly want to drag him out into the deeper water with me, to wrap my legs around his waist as he slips my bikini bottoms to the side and–
I shake my head.
Don’t go there, girl. You’re trying to cool off, remember?
Piper shoots me a knowing smile from where she floats a few feet away and I answer with a shrug and a saucy grin of my own.
“It’s a good problem to have, am I right?” I ask.
She snorts. “Having hot men issucha hardship.”
We return to lay out in the sun. I dig my sunglasses out of my bag and slip them on, checking on Cece once more–she’s sleeping on a towel by Nora’s feet now–then lay back against my own towel to dry off. Piper settles down beside me on her stomach, letting out a long satisfied sigh, then pops in her earbuds. No doubt she has a good audiobook cued up.
Eventually, Steph returns, plopping down next to me and flicking noisily through a magazine. Irritation rolls off of her in waves. Piper and I refrain from inquiring, though it nearly kills us, both sensing that she’s still not prepared to talk about it.
Riley appears to have left.
Luke gets a phone call and leaves as well but returns about twenty minutes later with Tessa, my new barista, who, according to Jill, is working out even better than I could have anticipated. She doesn’t remember if she’s ever worked in a coffee shop before, but she picked it up quickly and my customers all seem to love her. We wave her over and she joins us, unrolling a towel to sit beside Steph and smiling shyly.
I must doze off at some point for I’m jolted awake by the cries of my daughter. Sitting up abruptly, I turn towards the sound, but Noah is already there and scooping her up into his arms. He carries her over to me and I feed her using a light cover-up to shield her face from the direct sun.
How long has it been since we last applied her baby sunscreen? I wonder. Might be time to do it again …
“Do you think she needs more sunscreen?” Noah asks as I finish up, and my heart warms as it always does when we appear to be on the same mental wavelength. Cece’s dressed in a cute lilac sun guard with a matching little floppy hat, but her hands, feet, and face are still exposed.
“Yeah, we should probably re-apply,” I say, but he’s already reaching for the tube in my bag.
“Make sure you get the back of her neck,” I murmur and he nods, swiping the lotion over her skin. When he’s done Noah straps Cece into a carrier on his chest and proceeds to parade her proudly amongst the guys who have seemingly tired of their football game and are now standing around in the knee-deep water sipping beers. Well, not Matt and Alex–those two have both sprawled out on their towels and appear to be scrolling through their phones.
I gaze out over the water, thinking again of the last time I was here, that fateful night of Piper’s wedding when Noah and I came together for the first time. I never could have imagined back then just how much my life would change, but I couldn’t be happier for it. I’m so glad I pushed through the fear and opened myself up to the idea of motherhood; so glad I took the risk and opened my heart to love.
A soft breeze blows in off the water, cooling my skin and carrying with it the sounds of laughter from the men gathered at the shoreline. Noah stands among the guys, grinning as he says something to Luke, who chuckles and shakes his head in response. They both pause to stare down at our daughter held securely against his chest. Noah’s eyes are soft as he takes her in, pride and adoration shining on his face. The sun has moved lower, and while it’s still bright, the sky behind them is tinted a pale peach color. It’ll be painted with vivid oranges and pinks in another little while.
“I don’t know how you stand the cuteness,” Piper says beside me.
“Huh?”
She nods in the direction of the men, indicating that she too is observing Noah with his daughter. Steph sits up and glances in their direction as well. The three of us watch as he leans in and tucks his face against her neck. He closes his eyes and I know he’s breathing in her sweet baby scent, sucking it deep into his lungs like he’s taking a hit of a drug.
Steph and Piper both sigh at the sight. Ditto, ladies, ditto. I justhada baby and my ovaries are aching at the sight.
“I want one,” Piper whines.
