Page 19 of #Resort Romance
That made him laugh. “It’s going to be a long day.” Kissing her one more time, he forced himself to head for the door. “I’ll meet you outside in five minutes.”
“Sounds good!”
As soon as Jayce stepped outside, he found his family standing there, waiting for him. “Five minutes!” he said before jogging across to his cabin.
Inside, he quickly changed and wondered if he was supposed to bring anything else, but ultimately realized he didn’t have anything else that would be necessary for a fishing excursion. Grabbing a baseball hat and sunglasses, he stepped back outside and found Kelsey standing and chatting with everyone.
“Finally,” his grandmother said before giving him a hug and a loud, smacking kiss. “We were afraid you were going to make us miss the boat!”
Chuckling, he just shook his head, because there was no way to win this argument. “Sorry,” he said, kissing her cheek. “I can run ahead and make sure they hold the boat if you’re worried.”
“Nonsense,” she countered. “If that boat captain knows what’s good for him, he’ll wait.”
There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she was speaking the truth. No one said no to his grandmother. Ever.
“How about we stop talking about it and start walking?” his grandfather suggested even as he began to walk away.
Jayce took Kelsey’s hand and stayed back for a moment so his parents and grandparents could start walking.
“And we’re staying in the back because…”
“We can keep pace,” he told her. “Trust me. If we were in front, we’d be there already and then have to deal with a ton of comments about us racing rather than walking.”
Beside him, she laughed softly. “Then I guess we are going to enjoy a leisurely stroll.” Resting her head on his arm as they walked, she asked, “Do you think anyone saw me leaving your cabin this morning?”
Good question.
Even though she asked in a near whisper, he wasn’t completely sure no one heard. Slowing his steps a little to put more space between them and his family, he replied, “I want to say no because no one’s brought it up, but I also know how early they all get up so…it’s possible? Maybe?”
Straightening, she nodded. “Makes sense. Are you okay with them knowing?”
Now it was his turn to laugh. “I mean…I’m not looking forward to discussing my sex life with my parents—or my grandparents—but I’m not ashamed of us spending the night together. It’s no one’s business but ours. If they want to say anything, that’s what I’m going to tell them. I don’t want them embarrassing you either.”
“Pfft…I’m fine and I can totally handle myself if anyone says anything, so don’t worry,” she assured him, squeezing his hand. “Personally, I’ll be surprised if they don’t bring it up.”
“Now I wish my cabin wasn’t right across from theirs…”
“We’re all adults, Jayce. And really, it’s not like it’s going to be a shock to anyone. They’ve all been dropping hints and gushing about how happy they are that we’re spending so much time together. For all we know, there will be strawberries and champagne waiting for us later on!”
“Oh God…” he groaned. “Don’t even put that idea out in the universe!”
“All I’m saying is while it would be nice to have a little more privacy, it’s also not the end of the world that we don’t. This is a vacation fling. Lots of people have them. It’s just a bonus that we’ve known each other for so long.”
Vacation fling.
Damn, that stung.
He was about to comment on it when his mother looked at them over her shoulder and smiled. “I figured the two of you didn’t have time for breakfast this morning, so I went up to the lodge and grabbed you a couple of muffins and some fruit.”
“O-kay…” he murmured before calling out, “Thanks, Mom!”
She looked at them again. “No worries. And if either of you need to nap instead of fishing since I’m sure you didn’t get much sleep last night, you go right ahead. We’re all fine with it.”
Hanging his head, Jayce groaned again while Kelsey laughed.
“Thanks, Mrs. Nash!” she called out. “A nap on the boat sounds heavenly!”
“Don’t encourage her,” he whispered.
