Page 28 of Better Than the Beach
It’s only been one day, and it’s Christmas Eve. I’m sure they’ll get back to you soon.
I wince as I read Ivy’s message and send one of those little embarrassed emojis.
Me
So, you’re saying I’ve hit my limit?
Bailey
Yes
Ivy
For now
For now. I sigh and tell them thank you and wish them both Merry Christmas before sticking my phone in my dress pocket and heading back into the living room where my sorority sisters are all waiting.
We all follow Kaia’s mom and dad out the door and toward the neighbor’s house. Their backyard is already all set up for a Christmas party, with tables full of food, music playing from Bluetooth speakers, and twinkle lights strewn up in the trees.
Before I can even get a few feet into the backyard, my eyes catch on a gorgeous man in red swim trunks, a plain white button down, and a Santa hat. He’s beautiful, I have to admit, and when he smiles at me, I can’t help but smile back. Kaia grabs my wrist, stopping me from walking any farther and when I look at her, she’s grinning mischievously at me.
“Stay, Cass,” she says quietly through her smile.
I narrow my eyes, but before I can ask her what the heck she’s doing, a deep voice, warm and smooth like honey, steals the words from my tongue. When I glance up, I find the hottie in the Santa hat.
“Kaia,” the man says, greeting my friend and pulling her into a hug. “Thanks for coming.”
“I’m here every year. Where else would I be?” Kaia teases, then she turns to me. “This is my friend, Cassie. Cassie, this is Etana, my neighbor.” She raises her eyebrows. “He surfs and bartends.”
Ohhhh. The bartending surfer.
And just in case I needed further confirmation, I catch a glimpse of Penelope smirking and winking at me from over Etana’s shoulder.Subtle. My sorority sisters really want to get me laid.
If only I was as excited as they are.
“Nice to me you, Etana,” I say honestly.
I smile up at him, his deep brown eyes glinting with kindness and humor, and he flashes me a charming grin of straight, white teeth.
“Glad you could finally make it. Kaia’s been telling me about you,” he rumbles. “Sorry to hear you got stranded in a snowstorm.”
Etana shivers dramatically, and I laugh with him and Kaia.
“It wasn’t so bad,” I say with a shrug. “I made some new friends. Went snowmobiling. It was fun.”
He scrunches his nose and gives his head a shake. I laugh louder.
“What? Not a fan of snow?”
“Tropical weather or nothing at all,” Etana says, then he elbows Kaia playfully. “I’ll never understand why this one decided to go to a frozen wasteland for college.”
“Ugh, shut up, Etana,” Kai groans, and I shrug. “It’s Indiana, not the Arctic.”
“I mean, he’s not wrong,” I joke. “Frozen wasteland is a decent description of winter in the Midwest.”
Etana steps between me and Kaia, slinging his arms over both of our shoulders and escorting us into the backyard.
“Lucky you’re here now, Cassie,” he says. “As soon as you experience the kalua pig and the Shaka Santa, you’ll never want to celebrate Christmas any other way again.”
