Page 30 of Momcom Vacation

Perfect. I fill them in on the competition, and the kids all jump on board.

“That should keep them all busy for a while.” Ro holds Willow out to me. “Surprised you came up with that.”

“All Dylan.” I give my girl a non-sandy PipSquigz Loop to gnaw on, then settle into a chair in the shade.

“She’s good at that shit.”

I nod. She’s good at so many things. I’m in awe of her. As much as I hate all the wedding planning and the stress my mother keeps dumping on me. I’m desperate to call Dylan my wife.

The right thing to do would be to pull out my phone and respond to my mom, to get these plans hammered out, but for the next fifteen minutes, I watch the kids build their sandmen and relax.

“Look at this.” A deep voice startles me out of my chill state. “I’m doing all the work while you two work on your tan.”

My hand itches with the urge to toss Willow’s PipSquigz at my best friend, but the thought disappears the instant a woman appears next to him.

“I need you, hunny bunny.”

Beckett jerks back and blinks at Muriel.

I roll my lips and fight a laugh. Karma is clearly doing its best work. The sheer horror on the poor guy’s face every time this woman shows up is comical.

“You cannot be talking to me,” he chokes out. “Where is your husband?”

“Oh, you do tease me, dear.” She holds out a bottle of sunscreen. “Do my back? We wouldn’t want me to burn.”

“We definitely wouldn’t, Bossman.” With a hand splayed over his abdomen like he’s also holding in a laugh, Rowan smirks.

She forces the bottle into Beckett’s hand, then turns around.

His eyes widen almost comically and he takes two steps back. “Uh—I—sunscreen you,” he sputters. “Like, touch you?”

“Be a good boy and get my back. Gotta keep my skin nice and smooth.”

He shakes his head violently and stumbles back again.

Unfazed, Muriel grasps his wrist and squirts a large blob of white lotion onto his palm. Then she forces it onto her shoulder.

Beckett blinks, his spine going ramrod straight.

I clear my throat and choke back a laugh. Maybe I should let it out. Maybe a good laugh is exactly what I need.

“Rub, dear.” Still holding his wrist, she forces his hand to rub circles on her shoulder.

With his fingers stretched out so they don’t touch her skin, he moves his palm in small circles, leaving massive white splotches all over the poor woman.

“Other side.”

Robotically, he obeys. Once he’s done an equally terrible job on her other shoulder, the woman wanders off, leaving her sunscreen behind.

Beside me, a staccato laugh escapes Rowan. The sound startles Willow. Me too. And the next thing I know, we’re laughing. Even my baby girl, who doesn’t have a clue what’s so funny.

Beckett, however, is not amused. “After all I’ve done for you, neither of you is willing to help me out with one little woman?”

“You kidnapped us, Bossman. I’m not sure you deserve any awards for that.”

He frowns. “You have no idea what plans I have.”

Unease ripples through me, stamping out the humor. Shit. If that isn’t ominous…

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