Page 32 of Donner

We skipped shopping for a second day, choosing to hang out in the penthouse suite once again. That meant we were back in our casual tank tops and shorts for dinner. The restaurant didn't have a dress code, thankfully.

We met Nick and Brian in the lobby outside the elevator bank. While also dressed casually in polos and Bermuda shorts, they looked far more professional than we did. Jax's cheeks darkened as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Are you cold?" I asked.

"Underdressed," he said.

"Not at all," Brian said, taking Jax's arm and leading him into the restaurant. "There's a woman in her bathing suit over there, and if we walk by, you'll see her husband is wearing nothing but a speedo."

When the waiter led us past them to a corner booth by the window, I could barely see the thin stretch of fabric between the man's belly and thigh. Jax visibly relaxed after that.

While Jax and I looked through the menu, Brian and Nick told us the story of how they met on vacation, much like us. Brian was a software engineer at a large firm on the west coast, and Nick was former military like me. He now worked security at the same firm, but at a different building from the one where Brian worked.

"We ran into each other," Nick said. "I was coming out of the elevator, minding my own business, and he was going in without looking to see if anyone was around."

"Boom!" Brian added.

"Love at first sight."

Love. I glanced at Jax. I wished I knew what love felt like. I was happier around Jax than I'd ever been, and I'd be devastated once he returned to the North Pole.

All I knew about love was that it hurt when someone was gone. I already dreaded it, but there was no way around it. Even if Jax was my mate, I couldn't leave Florida yet.

We told Nick and Brian our story as we waited for our food. Then, while we ate, I asked them my most pressing questions about fatherhood.

"Whatever you do," Brian said, "do it together as a united front. Set rules and stick to them. If you don't want them to play in the pool without supervision, make sure they know to ask you to go in the pool. If you change rules, discuss them as a family."

"We changed bedtime for Melissa without discussing it with the boys last summer. That did not go well." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Don't be afraid to let them be kids," Brian said. "Ross is the smart one out there, but he's shy. Melissa is the mouth of the operation. Tom is there for the heavy lifting. He's the emotional support and the strong man." From his smile, I could tell he really loved his kids. I also longed for the way Nick looked at him, like he was the hero of the universe.

"Are there any books you recommend?" Jax asked. "I didn't have the best role model growing up."

"Sure!" Brian handed Jax his phone. "Give me your number, and I'll send you the links. A friend of mine wrote an omega parenting book. His partner had great success with an alpha book a few years back, if you're interested, Beau."

"Absolutely." I wasn't a big reader, but something told me that was about to change.

Chapter 19

Jax

On Thursday, we finally made it to the outdoor shopping center Beau had been trying to show me since Monday. I was now a full week into my vacation. The halfway point was bittersweet. Everything after this moment would mean I'd already spent more time with Beau than I had left in my stay. Even knowing I might see him again, it wasn't enough.

We passed the rest of the week by the pool, and then we returned to the Everglade Oasis on Saturday night for another round of dancing. I didn't pretend to want anyone else around me this time. I danced with Beau.

Even though my mood worsened with each day, I tried to make the best of our time together. We went to see the most recent superhero movie on Sunday night and stopped for fast food on the way back. The hotel's burgers and fries would have tasted better. It would have been better for us, too, but I loved it all the same. It reminded me of so many nights alone in my apartment back home, reading a book over a mediocre cheeseburger and large fry.

We stayed up long past midnight watching a reality show about loggers on television. The drama between the different personalities and the competition between the crews was addictive. I couldn't look away, but at some point, I must have fallen asleep because I found myself in bed as the sun rose with Beau wrapped around me.

I'd loved waking in Beau's arms, but now it felt hot and oppressive. I tried to wiggle from his grasp, and then my stomach lurched. I barely swallowed back bile. Gross. Now my throat burned, and I was too hot. I forced my way out of Beau's arms and launched out of bed. I barely made it to the bathroom before emptying the dregs of my stomach into the toilet.

Food poisoning. Ugh. One more reason to eat the hotel food instead of stopping for fast food.

"You okay?" Beau asked as I climbed back into bed.

I groaned as I lay back and my head throbbed. Fuck. Maybe it was more than food poisoning. "I'm sick."

Beau rolled out of bed like he was on fire. He vanished from the room, but he was back before I could even wonder where he'd gone with a glass of water and two ibuprofen from the bottle in my bag. "Take these."

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