Page 43 of Outnumbered

I tried to make a tower for the castle, but it just kept falling apart.

“You need to use sand that’s a little wet,” Branson explained. “That’s the only way it’ll stick together.”

“Oh.” I supposed that did make sense. If the dry sand stuck together, it would be weird to walk on.

“Building a sandcastle?” Caleb asked as he and Riddick joined us.

“Not very well,” I muttered as I tried to dig down to get wet sand that would stick together.

“We’ll help,” Riddick said and dug his hands down into the water at the shoreline, and carried back the wet sand, placing it next to me.

I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, silently working on our castle, but the sun was definitely lower when we finished and stood back to admire it.

It wasn’t perfect, my spots were definitely crumbling, but it was done and castle-like.

Triston grabbed his phone from the lounge chair and snapped a picture. “Let’s take a picture together,” he suggested.

“Yes!” I agreed. We didn’t have any pictures of all of us together. The only pictures I had found online were usually Caleb and I with the guys behind us, partially hidden. I wanted a picture I could save and print to put in my apartment.

The guys put me in the center and lined up around me.

Triston set his phone up, put a timer on the camera, then ran back to get in line beside Branson. “Smile!” he shouted.

I was already smiling, so it didn’t matter.

Everyone’s stomachs started growling, so we packed up our things, I put my coverup on, and we headed to the boardwalk to find some food.

It turned out there were only two restaurants, so Caleb flipped a coin to choose one. They nearly tripped over themselves to get us a table in any part of the restaurant we wanted. Caleb requested the second-floor balcony where we could see the ocean as we ate and a nearby table for our guards who I hadn’t even noticed since we parked.

Skipping up the steps, I hummed a happy tune, trying to figure out what I was in the mood to eat.

The second floor was completely empty, which made it even nicer to be up there. Caleb and Branson took the seats at the patio rail, so I sat beside Caleb. Riddick sat at the head of the table and Triston sat beside Branson, across from me.

“This is the perfect afternoon spot,” I said as I watched the people playing on the beach and those walking by down below.

Triston nodded his agreement and opened his menu. “The weather is perfect today.”

Our guards for the day, Andras, Martin, and Thor, sat at a table on the opposite side of the second floor, all turned so they could see the staircase, which was the only entrance to this area. I’d learned Martin was an ex-boyfriend of Jolie’s and someone Caleb considered an uncle. He was really nice and hugged me when he introduced himself.

Opening my own menu, I looked over the available items and grew irritated at myself for being unable to make a choice. Everything sounded good and I couldn’t decide.

“What’s wrong, Ember?” Riddick asked.

“I want everything,” I mumbled. “I can’t decide.”

Caleb folded his menu closed. “Perfect.”

“Huh?” I asked, turning my head to look at him.

He just smiled and raised his hand for the waiter who was waiting nearby.

“How can I help you, Your Highness?” the waiter asked.

“We want one of everything on the menu, two pitchers of the house ale, and a cherry mimosa for the lady,” Caleb ordered.

My eyes widened. Had he really just done that? Had he just ordered one of everything because I had said I wanted that?

“Right away, Your Highness,” the waiter said and left to put in our orders.

---