Page 66 of Beach Vibes

He smiled. “Just to be clear, I don’t want to wait. But I will.”

“Me, too.”

“Good.”

He stood, took her hand and pulled her to her feet, then lightly kissed her. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Can’t wait.”

* * *

“Sad Bunny stared at all the other woodland creatures standing outside his front door,” Jana read, her voice soft. “His sad heart puffed up with love, and his sad mouth turned into a happy smile. ‘We love you, Sad Bunny,’ the woodland creatures shouted out together. ‘Today and for always.’”

Jana looked at her daughter, who was fighting to stay awake in her bed. “Sad Bunny believed them, and he was never sad again.” She closed the book. “The end.”

“Sad Bunny is going to have to change his name,” Linnie said with a yawn.

“I think so, too.”

“I’m glad he has friends. Magnolia says a support system is very important.”

“I have no idea where she gets her information, but she is right about a support system and family. I love you, baby girl. Always and forever.”

Linnie’s eyes closed, and she snuggled into her pillow. “I love you, too, Mommy. Forever and always.”

Jana leaned down and kissed her cheek. Just like Sad Bunny, she felt her heart puff up with all the feels. Linnie had been unexpected, but she had turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to her. Having her daughter had grounded her and sent her into a different kind of future. One she was excited about.

She turned off the bedside lamp and walked over to the small bookcase, where she returned Sad Bunny to his place, then crossed to the door. She paused to look at her now-sleeping daughter. Linnie was growing so fast, yet asleep in her bed, she seemed small and defenseless. The need to protect, to guide her through all the twists and turns life could offer, burned fiercely inside her. Not that Linnie needed extra coddling. She was smart and tough, and like Sad Bunny, she had an excellent support system. All would be well.

She stepped out into the hallway and partially closed the door before heading to the kitchen. She was going to make herself a mug of herbal tea, then get in about an hour of homework before heading to bed herself. She had an early morning.

She’d just put the mug of water into the microwave when her brother walked into the kitchen.

“Linnie in bed?” he asked.

“Yes, and already asleep.” She smiled at him. “What’s up?”

“I saw Beth yesterday.”

“You mean last night on your second date in less than a week?” She grinned. “Yes, I know. For a guy who doesn’t date, you’ve sure gotten back into the practice.”

Teddy didn’t smile in return. When she realized he wanted to talk, her stomach sank. Had something bad happened?

“Tell me,” she said urgently.

“It’s not Beth. She’s great.” His expression softened. “I can’t wait to see her again.”

Jana relaxed. “Counting the minutes?” she teased. “Try not to stalk her. A restraining order would put a damper on things.”

The microwave dinged. She retrieved the mug, then dropped in the tea bag. They both took a seat at the island.

“So if all is well with Beth, then what’s the problem?” she asked.

“There’s no problem. It’s more of a question.” He looked at her. “What does Rick think of his sister?”

Jana hadn’t known what Teddy was worried about, but that particular question came from nowhere.

“What do you mean? They’re tight. From what she’s told me, their mom was kind of flaky, so they looked after each other.” She remembered Beth telling her about Rick trying to protect her from one of their mom’s boyfriends and how he still had the scar, but wasn’t sure the story was relevant.

---