Page 22 of Georgia Guy
Tears pool in the woman’s eyes as Dane gallantly kisses the back of her hand.
Lightening the mood, her husband makes a typical dad joke. “I always dreamed that someday we might be able to live off of our kids. Since they’ve both wisely chosen wealthy partners, it seems that we may finally be able to reap the rewards of raising them.”
He lets out an exaggerated “Oof!” when his wife playfully smacks at his chest.
We’re all still chuckling as we leave the loving duo to relax and enjoy their opulent suite.
Demi guides us to a twin room with a portable crib. “Does this room work for you, Danielle?”
The teenager’s eyes light up, even though the room is less than a quarter the size of the primary suite. Carrying her baby inside she coos at her, “Look at this, Nati. It’s all ours for the next few days.”
As we leave them to settle in, Demi proves that she knows exactly who Dane and I are by saying, “I’ll let you two billionaires duke it out over who gets the queen suite and who is stuck in the other twin stateroom.”
She shows us the two rooms. There is no denying that the suite with the queen-sized bed, elegant bathroom, and sweeping ocean views through the oversized windows is far superior to the barebones room with the twin beds and porthole view.
Not wanting to create a ruckus, I say to Dane, “You’re paying for this trip, so you should get the better room. I’ll pick up the tab next time, and you can stay in the storage closet-sized accommodations.”
My attempt at humor falls flat when Dane says, “No, I insist that you and Joe take the bigger room.”
Emmy snuggles up next to her man, obviously proud of his extreme generosity.
Joe steps forward, “That isn’t necessary, man. You guys take the better room.”
Demi glances back and forth between us, probably just wanting to escape this standoff, before weighing in. “You know, most people fight over who gets the nicer room. It’s refreshing to see so much politeness.”
“Oh, I’m not just being polite,” Dane reveals. “The twin room will allow us to be closer to Dani and Nati, in case they have any problems. Besides, we’re used to waking up to a baby crying in the night. Right, sweetheart?”
Dane and Emmy beam at each other before she snuggles closer to him and agrees, “Absolutely.”
“I don’t know,” Joe says, already beginning to waver.
“All right, I didn’t want to have to tell you this,” Dane hints. At our curious looks, he explains, “I’m hoping to talk your sister into sharing one of those narrow twin beds with me.”
When he waggles his thick eyebrows suggestively, Joe lets out a disgusted “Eww,” before holding up his palms in mock surrender and saying, “Okay, you win. Just go, and don’t ever speak about sleeping with my kid sister in my presence again.”
We all laugh at his over-the-top reaction.
Demi tells us to make ourselves at home and that dinner will be served at eight, then she hurries off.
After settling in, we all head upstairs. We spend the day relaxing on the sundeck, riding jet skis, and zipping down the slide into the warm, blue water.
When Dani asks me to hold Nati so she can go down the slide one more time, I give the teen an alarmed look. The girl chuckles as she shifts the adorable cherub into my arms, “It will be okay. I promise. I didn’t know what I was doing at first, either, but Nati doesn’t care.”
With that, the young mom disappears down the slide, and I am left staring down at the tiny bundle in my arms.
Sensing Joe’s presence, I glance up to discover him gazing at me like I am the answer to all of his dreams. His eyes are sparkling with delight when he says, “You look good with a baby in your arms.”
“Don’t go getting any ideas,” I warn him, but I can’t keep the smile at bay.
“Someday?” he asks with a hopeful glint in his eyes.
Unable to deny the sudden, mysterious urge that heats my chest, I surprise us both by nodding and saying, “Someday soon.”
Joe lets out an excited “Whoop!” before barreling headfirst down the waterslide.
The day of sunshine, play, and laughter goes by way too quickly. Joe’s family is absolutely delightful, and we quickly bond with each other.
When we all head below deck to our rooms to get ready for dinner, I’m delighted to see that one of the stews has created a towel bunny to be Mr. Fluffy’s friend. They are snuggled together on our bed.
