Page 15 of Unleashed

I push her arm with a laugh. “The Bahamas is on the line, girl!”

She cracks a smile, but it doesn’t last long. “I’m not a fan of the ocean.”

“Dolphin phobia? Those cocky assholes.”

Rhonda giggles but restrains herself from enjoying herself. “I drowned in the ocean.”

Hadley chokes on her lemonade, and I’m more incredulous. “You seem able to breathe.”

“I was nine. A riptide. My older brother, a former lifeguard, rescued me, but I had no pulse. Two vacationing doctors did CPR. And here I am.”

“Holy shit,” I say in awe. “How badass.”

Rhonda shrugs, her cheeks reddening. “I don’t talk about it much.”

“Or at all,” I tease.

Hadley says, “Damn. I don’t blame you.”

I elbow Rhonda’s arm. “You wouldn’t have to go into the water on this vacay. I’m not. I’ll admit it. I’m a pussy.”

Hadley rolls her eyes. “Who says we’ll win first place this season?”

“You gotta be joking. We came in as the dark horse last season, and we kicked their asses. We’re the team to beat. Viva the Bermuda Triangle.”

Rhonda toys with a package of Oreos. “Another place I need to avoid.”

I laugh. “Yeah, same. What a pair we are.”

Hadley laughs while Rhonda gapes at me before realizing she is. She then tears open her cookies and shoves one into her mouth. She’s pretty entertaining.

As Hadley finishes her lunch, she asks, “You worked at Amy’s bar? How was bartending?”

“A disaster. I thought the college girls were coming on to me, but they were only ordering drinks with dirty names. Too bad.”

“Did Simone have trouble with that?”

“I doubt it.”

Rhonda asks, “The same Simone here? Hadley’s sister-in-law?”

Hadley nods. “Simone did her internship at Rod’s mom’s office and worked at the bar with him. And they didn’t kill each other.”

Between sips, I mutter, “Miraculously.”

“Did Simone also tend bar?” Rhonda asks.

“She waited tables.”

Rhonda says, “I’m sure she did well. I didn’t.”

I set down my can. “Whoa. You waitressed?”

“In high school, but the restaurant burned down.”

“Jesus, Ronnie. Your life surprises the hell out of me.”

“It horrifies me.” She winces, and now I feel like an ass. More so than usual.

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