Page 54 of Letting it Ride

“Excellent choice,” I say, nodding. It’s exactly what I would have chosen myself.

We bring our bag back upstairs, and I take the tags off the clothing while Addie goes into the bathroom to wash her hair. She was instructed to keep the bandage on her arm dry, so I can’t imagine it’ll be easy. I set the hairbrush on the counter and turn to see Addie staring at the shower like it’s a complex math equation she needs to solve.

“Do you need help?”

She shakes her head, too quickly. “I can do it.”

“I know you can. I’m just offering to help, since you only have one good arm right now. It’s okay to need help. I’m happy to do it,” I assure her.

I realize that part didn’t occur to her. She’d been working out how to keep the bandage dry, but even I use two hands to wash my hair.

She hesitates. “It wouldn’t be—”

“Weird? Stop asking that, Addie. Nothing is weird with us. You need help, and I’m here for you. I’m sure if I needed help with something you’d offer, right?”

“Yeah,” she says, tugging on a lock of hair.

“So just remember this next time I ask you forsomething. Take your clothes off and I’ll help you wash your hair.”

Her eyes widen, and I raise my eyebrows. “Addie, I’ve seen you naked. Did you forget everything about last night already?”

Her cheeks color. “No…”

“And I’m going to see you naked again—plenty of times, if I have anything to say about it. Take the shorts off, and I’ll help you with your shirt.”

It takes an entire bottle of hotel shampoo to wash her long hair. “Don’t forget conditioner,” she says, her eyes closed as I rinse her red locks, and I don’t miss that she asked for something she needs. We’re making progress.

I look at the options lined up on the shelf. Body wash, lotion… conditioner. Got it. I smear it on her hair and rinse again. Magically, it transforms her hair into a shiny, smooth wave. So that’s what it does.

“Okay, Addie. All set,” I say, taking a step back. I pluck a towel off the rack and hold it up, wrapping it around her body as she eases out. “Do you need any more help?”

She does some maneuver to the towel that keeps it tight around her chest, even when she takes her handsaway. “I think I’m good. Maybe just some help to brush my hair or something. It’s kind of hard to do with one hand. I’ll dry off and get dressed first, though.”

I leave her alone in the bathroom, wondering how in the hell she plans to fasten a bra with one hand, but somehow she manages to get into her clothes. When the bathroom door opens, she’s fully dressed, and a towel is wrapped around her head like a turban.

“Do you want help brushing your hair?” I ask.

She chews her lip for a minute before she nods and grabs the brush from the bathroom. “Start at the bottom and work your way up.”

It takes a solid ten minutes, but Addie’s hair is free of tangles by the time she goes to dry it—another ten minutes—and then we’re headed out the door.

Breakfast in the hotel rivals most restaurants back home. We load our plates with grits, some kind of meat that goes on top, Johnny cakes, and conch chowder. Addie grabs an extra plate just for fruit.

“I don’t know if I want to go put on a bikini,” she says as she takes the last bite of her grits, patting her stomach where it’s pooched out the tiniest bit. “I have a food baby.”

“It’s hot. I love your food baby,” I reassure her. “Do you want to do something else first?We can hang around the island and then go to the pool later on. After you digest, if you want.”

She giggles. “I think I’m going to have another food baby after lunch, but yeah. I’m already dressed in clean clothes. We may as well check out whatever else is on the island.”

A stack of brochures by the front desk offers suggestions for things to do. Snorkeling, a glass-bottom boat tour… ATV tours.

“Want to try ATVs again?” Addie says, a teasing note in her voice.

I wince. “Too soon.” I pluck the brochure from her hand and bury it under the others. “How about this?”

She takes the glossy paper from my hand. “Swim with pigs? Um, hard pass. If I’m not supposed to get stitches wet, I’m pretty sure they’d frown on exposing the cut to pigs.”

“Good point.” I leaf through the remaining brochures.

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