Page 36 of Peach

“We have wet suits,” Peach said. “But yes, we get in and swim. It’s part of being a SEAL.”

“That’s crazy. I don’t think it would be fun to play in the water like the movies show it is.”

A few people laughed, and Haisley backed up and stood beside Ava, who bumped her shoulder. "This is why we use Harry's pool instead of spending a lot of time here. The guys do play volleyball sometimes, and we'll do some beach days, but it can be cold."

Haisley looked around. “It is beautiful.”

“It is,” Peach said as he moved to stand beside her.

“I love the beach!” one of the kids yelled.

“Let’s build sandcastles,” Harry said.

The kids and a few of the men ran back to grab their buckets and shovels, then started building in the sand. She joined in for a while, enjoying sitting in the sand and playing with the kids. This was probably the most fun she'd had in ages.

Being free like this made her wonder why life had been so difficult when she’d been in Georgia. She needed to get a job and earn money, but being able to have fun and hang out with these people was amazing.

While they played, she watched how the men interacted not only with each other but also with the kids and their women. Not one of the men was sharp or short with the kids. They all seemed to speak kindly. Just the idea of the men hanging out and playing with the kids was wild, but they stopped arguments and redirected the children instead of barking at them when problems arose.

While they were eating the snack the women had brought, no one was rude. The men didn't say demeaning things to their women, and they didn't act lustfully toward their buddies' wives or even random strangers.

When four women in very revealing bikinis walked by,none of the guys paid any attention to the women, even Peach. He didn't turn to stare at their almost bare bottoms or make any comments about their hardly covered breasts.

These guys were so different from what she'd experienced in the past. There were plenty of other men out on the beach who were watching the mostly uncovered women, some of them whistling and calling out to them, so it wasn't a California thing. Peach and his friends were just good men. She was sure they'd spent time picking up women when they were single, but now that they were attached—well, all except Peach—they seemed to honor their wives.

After a few hours, the guys picked up and packed up their gear, getting the kids to help, and she was alone with the women.

“So these guys are different,” Haisley said.

“How so?” Ingrid asked.

“Not once when I lived in Georgia, even with married men, have I ever seen guys who don’t ogle every hot babe that walks past.”

The women all laughed, and Jessica even snorted.

“We all know they look at times, but yeah, if they’re with us, they keep their eyes on us or the ground,” Ava said.

"I mean, we look, too," Rory said. "You know, when we're out on our own, but we don't shove it in the guys’ faces."

Mel snorted. "I love my guy, and our relationship is new, but even I'm amazed that when we're out and a gorgeous woman walks past, he doesn't pay attention to her."

“It’s sweet,” Haisley said.

“Yeah. They can be sweet,” Ava said.

“Who’s sweet?” Wild asked as he came up behind them.

Ava threw back her head, laughing. “Certainly not you. You’re tough as rawhide.”

Ava shrieked as Wild picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “Come on, women, time to go.”

Ava’s laughter filled the air, and though people looked, no one came over to stop Wild. Andy was there and scooped up Mel but didn’t toss her over his shoulder.

She laughed but demanded he put her down. “I’m too big,” Mel said as his laughter spilled out.

“Please, even with that baby in you, you’re tiny. Come on, let’s go to Harry’s place.”

Haisley followed and met up with Peach. His broad smile made her smile, too. The day had been perfect so far. She liked these people. They were nice, not only to her but to each other. It was easy to understand why they were all friends. No one was a jerk. They didn't yell and scream at each other. It would be easy to just hang out with their crew and feel at peace. She could get used to this, and that worried her.

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