Page 71 of Part of Me (The Seaside Chronicles 2)

She laughed.

“I’ll run to the hardware store and make a few extra keys. How many do you want?” I asked as she rushed to the back door and opened it.

It wasn’t Harlee standing there, but Palmer. She walked in and took one look at Sutton, then at me. A huge, shit-eating grin appeared on her face. “Oh. My. God. You two had sex!”

Sutton’s eyes went wide, and I simply smiled.

“What? Why would you say that?” Sutton asked as Palmer did a circle around her.

“You have color in the cheeks and a look in your eyes that says you’ve been thoroughly fu—”

Sutton held up her hands to stop her sister. “Okay, Palmer, you made your point.”

Palmer’s eyes gleamed. “So? Did you consummate the marriage?”

“What?” Harlee shouted as she walked in through the still-ajar back door

Palmer turned toward her. “Sutton and Brody finally had sex.”

Harlee jumped up and down, clapping her hands. She rushed over to Sutton and hugged her. “Did you use a vibrator?”

Sutton opened her mouth, then shut it quickly. All three of them looked at me.

I shrugged. “Hey, I don’t kiss and tell.”

Palmer and Harlee both squealed and did some weird little jumping dance with Sutton sandwiched between them.

“And that is my cue to go to the hardware store,” I said with a smirk on my face.

The two women let Sutton go, and I walked over to her. I placed my hand on the side of her face and looked into those beautiful eyes of hers that were sparkling with happiness. They were so green, they reminded me of a meadow in spring. “Good luck today, and I’ll see you in a few.”

She nodded and nibbled on her lower lip shyly before I kissed her.

“I love you,” I said.

Her hands gripped at my long-sleeve T-shirt. “I love you too.”

Harlee and Palmer both sighed, which caused me to laugh and Sutton to shoot them dirty looks. “Have fun, ladies!” I said.

Harlee followed me and called out, “Oh, we will!”

I glanced back and laughed as she waved goodbye, then shut the door behind me. Poor Sutton. She was most likely already getting hammered with questions.

For the first time in years, I whistled as I walked to my truck.

After stopping at the hardware store and getting the extra keys made for Coastal Chic, I swung by the Seaside Grill. When I walked in, I heard Gannon call out my name. I smiled when I saw him and Braxton sitting at a booth.

“Hey, you’re just in time for lunch,” Gannon said as he motioned for me to sit. I had texted Sutton to see if she was hungry, and she’d said that Palmer had already gotten her and Harlee sandwiches from The Maine Bakery. Apparently the store was packed and Palmer was going to stay and help out for the day.

“Great, have you already ordered?” I asked, sliding into the booth.

“Not yet,” Gannon said. When he looked at me again…he paused.

“What?” I glanced from him to Braxton. “Why are you both looking at me like that?”

Braxton leaned in and lowered his voice. “You better have slept with my sister and not some random hookup.”

I jerked my head back and stared at him. “I’m sorry?”

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