Page 51 of The Best Friend Power Play

"You mean get up?"

She nods, and the bed moves. "Oops. Sorry."

"I'll stand first," I suggest. "I'll do it quickly, then I'll grab you and lift you up."

She smiles. "Sounds good."

It's not the most graceful move, but I manage to climb out of the bed in one relatively swift motion, before spinning around and scooping Hannah into my arms.

I must have over-exerted because I end up pulling her right into me. She crashes into my chest, but it doesn't hurt at all. In fact, it's the nicest feeling ever. I wrap my hands around her waist and inhale her coconutty scent.

She looks up at me. "Hi, husband."

I smile down on her. "Hi, wife."

It's happening again.

Time stops, and everything fades away. She may not be wearing my shirt this time, but she is wearing my ring, and damn if that doesn't do something to me.

We stay frozen like that for, I don't know, fifteen seconds? Minutes? A week? I honestly can't say.

Eventually, I create a bit of space between us. "What do you feel like doing?"

She takes a few breaths and runs her hand along my shoulders. "I know," she says, looking up at me with a smile. "Let's go for a hike."

"Sounds good." I glance over at the bed. "A hike, and then I'm going to speak with Jerry and see if we can get moved to a non-waterbed room when we get back."

She grins up at me. "Deal."

7

Hannah

After returning from an invigorating hike where we took in scenic views of oak forests and the San Joaquin River, Culver spoke to Jerry about switching rooms.

He came back with good news and bad news.

The good news was that we were able to move to another room with an actual proper mattress designed for humans to sleep on.

The bad news is that there was only one of said proper mattresses in the room and no other rooms available at the motel.

I can't remember ever seeing Culver look more bashful than when he broke the news to me.

I instantly thought of Beth and Amiel because isn't only one bed a romance trope, too? They'd have a field day with this if they ever found out.

Which they won't because I'm not telling them, or any of the Fast-Talking Five, anything about this marriage of convenience until after my hot girl summer is over.

After swapping rooms, Culver and I found some board games in the cupboard and spent the afternoon engaged in epic Monopoly, Scrabble, Guess Who?, and Hungry Hungry Hippos battles. It was all very wholesome eighties fun.

Culver didn't seem keen on trying out the local diner, so we ordered pizzas when we got hungry, which as it turns out, was a mistake since they weren’t great and Culver spent the whole time pointing out all the things wrong with them.

The plus side? He promised to change up our dinners to make me a 'proper Italian pizza' so I knew what it tasted like.

It's been a long day, so we decide to call it a night early.

I shower and finish brushing my teeth and go to put on my sleep shirt only…shoot. I didn't bring it into the bathroom with me. I wrap the towel covering my body a little tighter—and a little higher—and call out, "Culver!"

I wait.

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