We look at each and say at the same time, “Nahhhhh!” The laughter rings out from all of us, and I’m starting to realize how much I have needed this weekend. And this time, it’s not about alone time with Tate.

I need my girls!

And maybe now is the right time to open up to them how I’ve been struggling.

Surely, I’m not alone in these feelings.

“Hey, can I ask you guys something?” My words are a little uncertain, but I’ve started now, so I need to keep going.

Chapter Two

TATE

Watching Bella head back to the beach, something just doesn’t feel right with her.

She’s been quiet for weeks, and I know we have been busy trying to settle Millie in and juggle her with the craziness of Jessie and Dominic, but I just can’t put my finger on it.

I’ve been trying to help as much as I can, but she wants to be super mom and completely hands-on with the kids. I know part of it is from the trauma of losing her mother at such a young age, but I’m starting to worry she is pushing herself too hard.

Hearing Gray and Mason laughing has me turning back to what is happening. Lex has ended up in the water again.

“Fuck off, all of you,” Lex says as he wipes the water from his face and hoists himself back up onto the board.

“Oh, do you need a hand there, Lexy boy?” Mason says, provoking him which will just make him worse.

“What the hell is that name? I’m not your boy, and I don’t need help, thanks. I’m quite capable of managing this myself.” He climbs back onto the board. “You just wait until we get on thecourt later and I’ll show you who is going to need a hand.” Lex sounds serious, which is his tone most of the time, but the great thing about our friendship is that none of us take it seriously at all.

Friendly banter is what we do best.

“Are you issuing a challenge here, my friend?” I ask, winking at Mason and Gray who know how easy it is to provoke Lex.

“Too right I am. You might be great at standing on a damn plank of fiberglass in the middle of the ocean, but being the shortest in the group and therefore lower to the ground, I think pickleball will be my thing. I mean, you can’t be an expert at everything, surely,” Lex replies as he wobbles a little on the board.

“Are you for real, Lex? This is Tate you are talking about. Even if he isn’t the best at something, he will tell us all he is. Have you not been his friend since we were twelve?”

“Well, I think it’s time he gets his ass kicked and put in his place, once and for all.” Lex starts laughing because he knows he has just laid down the challenge that I can’t back down from.

“Bring it on, buddy!” I call to him. “But what happens if I end up on your team?”

“Then I’ll make you look good, and the win will be because of me and not you,” he calls back as he is struggling to stay upright.

The noise of jet skis grabs my attention as I hear laughter and cheering above the revving. Turning to look at the last minute, they are closer than I was expecting and start doing a big swoop around the four of us. Whooping and hollering with their cool sunglasses on, mullet hair flapping in the wind, no shirts on and flashing their muscles, thinking they’re awesome.

Racing off as quickly as they arrived, their circuit around us accomplishes exactly what they were trying to achieve.

Our nice, peaceful water that was just a little rolling swell becomes like a tidal wave with the wake from their skis all hittingour boards, and although Lex is the first to hit the water, the rest of us aren’t long behind him.

“Assholes!” Lex screams after them, waving his fist in the air.

“Little pricks with their boy toys!” Mason yells, and Gray and I just look at each other and start laughing.

Lex is still grumbling as he hangs onto the board and bobs up and down like a cork in the water. “Probably trying to impress some girls with their bad-ass skis, but instead, we all know they are just trying to compensate for something else that obviously isn’t impressive at all.”

“Oh my God, when did we become old! That would have been us twenty years ago.” I’m still laughing at the slow motion of us all tumbling into the water like bowling pins, one by one, as the waves hit us.

“And we would have thought it was fucking hilarious.” Gray joins me in thinking it was funny. “Plus, you’re one to talk about big-boy toys, Captain White, whose wife brought him a new jet this time last year. I don’t think you get to say shit like that.”

He rolls his eyes at me, realizing what he said. “Okay, fair point, but I’d still like to give the little shits what-for. We’re just lucky the girls weren’t out here, falling and hurting themselves. Because then I would’ve chased them down and shown them a bit of respect.” Mason also starts to see the joke but still has his Mr. Protective hat on.