Page 103 of Even if You Fall

With a sigh that said everything for me, I set Chloe’s feet on the floor and sent an annoyed look Briggs’ way.

He just ticked up a brow as Kaia burrowed deeper against his chest, and Lainey failed at fighting a smile. “If I’m not sleeping with my fiancée, you’re not sleeping with your girlfriend.”

My gaze darted to Chloe at the title, but she was staring at my chest, wide-eyed and red-cheeked.

“Just kissing her,” I said, making Chloe’s blush deepen.

A disbelieving sound left him, but Lainey nudged his arm with her shoulder, her head shaking as her smile widened. “They’re fine,” she told him, then to us, she added, “You’re fine.”

Just as Briggs started arguing, mechanical beeps sounded from the exterior door, just off the living room we were all standing in.

In seconds, Briggs had passed Kaia into Lainey’s arms and pushed them in the same direction I’d already sent Chloe—the second bedroom. But before they made it there, the door opened to the last person I expected to see in Aruba.

“What—”

“What are you doing here?” Briggs demanded, cutting me off.

“Ah,” Ada said as she came ambling into the room, a rolling suitcase trailing behind her. “Glad to see y’all finally made it.”

“Aunt Ada?” Lainey asked as she hurried back into the room with Chloe at her side. A stunned sound burst from her. “What are you doing?”

She waved a hand at us, her jewelry clanging together at the movement. “What a way to greet an old woman—asking her what she’s doing instead of helping her with her things.”

Briggs stepped forward to take the bag from her, giving the woman a glare I was sure she only allowed because he adored her. “Now, tell me what you’re doing here.”

Lifting her hands, she said, “Someone saidAruba, so I came running.” As if that was that. “Wasn’t all too sure what kept y’all, but don’t you worry, I found things to occupy my time.” She pointed over her shoulder and gave a dramatic eye roll. “One of the staff woke me from my afternoon nap, handed me this”—she held a handwritten note on thick paper out to Briggs—“and told me I’d be moving here for the rest of the stay. But I took a detour to the bar for a few hours first.”

“Aunt Ada,” Lainey said on a choked and slightly scandalized laugh as Briggs gave me a meaningful look while passing off the note.

Consider the upgrades an apology from your new friends.

From, your old friends at ARCK

At least we knew how we’d ended up in the suites.

“I’ll tell the others,” I muttered as I handed the note back to Briggs, already slipping my phone out of my pocket.

“Oh, hush,” Ada was saying to Lainey. “I didn’t even finish one drink. I just got caught up chatting with everyone there. Next thing I knew, I was having dinner with some nice people.”

“Youwhat?” Briggs whispered in exasperation, his head snapping in her direction.

Speaking of”—she pointed at Chloe and me—“we seem to be missing quite a few of us.”

“They’re in another suite,” Briggs said offhandedly as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand before telling her, “You can’t just have dinner in another country with people you don’t know.”

Ada lifted a brow, daring him to continue disciplining her.

I swallowed a huff and finished sending the text to the rest of our team before pocketing my phone again.

After a silent standoff between the two, Briggs relented and asked Ada, “Who told you about the trip?”

“Well, I see vacations don’t stop you from being a grump.” Ada patted his shoulder as she passed him, then reached out her hands for Kaia. “Told you I’d be around. Besides, someone has to watch this sweet girl so the two of you can have some fun.” After a meaningful look at Lainey and Briggs, she added, “Good, clean fun and none of that funny business until both of y’all have rings on y’alls fingers.”

“Oh my gosh,” Lainey whispered, sounding at once wholly amused and completely horrified.

“From what a couple was saying down at the bar, Aruba is a wonderful place to elope.”

“Aunt Ada,” Lainey chastised, dropping her head into her hands, but Briggs wasn’t the only silent, contemplative one.

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