by Jerry Cole
From there, Braden asked if the shop was close. I told him it was a five-minute walk, and we set off as I searched the small parking lot. It could be crowded, and Lisa could get mobbed but so far, everyone was respectful toward her privacy. There were a few cars parked and I smiled when I saw Ryan’s car parked in the back.
I opened the door for them, and the couple walked through. Lisa was wearing the same dress, and it flowed around her legs as she rushed to the bikini wall. I looked at the counter and caught Ryan’s eyes as he was ringing a customer up. He smiled and finished before making sure he could take a quick break. “Hi, baby.” He came over and kissed my cheek as I smiled. “What brings you here?”
“I brought some new shoppers your way.” I gestured toward Lisa and Braden, and he whistled.
“First shoot? I’m impressed.” Ryan took them in. “She’s gorgeous in person.”
“She’s so sweet. Not like Willow on TV. They’re a good couple, and he wanted to check this place out. I won’t ask this with every client, but would you want to have dinner with them? It’s not because she’s a celebrity. I promise.” I smiled as he chuckled.
“Introduce me.” I led him over to the couple as Lisa was looking through shirts.
“Hey, guys. This is Ryan.”
“Your guy? Hi! I’m Lisa, and this is Braden. It’s so great to meet you.” She shook his hand, and he moved to Braden.
“Great store. I’m definitely going to be getting some stuff. How would I go about signing up for a surfing lesson or two?” Braden asked after they shook hands.
“When you finish, let’s talk at the counter. You’ve never surfed?” Ryan asked as he took in Braden’s tanned skin.
“A little here and there. We live in New York and stay busy. A lesson might give me a little confidence.” Braden gave him a natural smile, and I looked at my boyfriend.
“Perfect. We’ll take care of that. Feel free to shop.” Leo called Ryan, and he excused himself to go to the register.
“That won’t be difficult. I’m glad we brought a big suitcase.” He smiled at Lisa as she shook her head and started to flip through the shirts again. I made my way to my favorite rack and looked through it, feeling my day ease up. Not that dealing with great clients was a problem, but I enjoyed going quiet when it was all done.
Braden bought a few items and signed up for lessons at the register. Ryan liked him and invited him to join them in the morning if he was up for it.
We cooked dinner that night in our kitchen, and he chopped veggies to sauté as he chuckled. “Your first week back, and we already have celebrity friends.”
“Not that it has anything to do with how great they are. I can’t believe that they’re going to be here for dinner this weekend. Jamie’s going to freak out.” I smiled as I peered at the chicken on the grill outside, speaking through the screen door. We ate outside and sipped beer as we watched the sunset. “I love this.” I gazed at him. “I love you.”
“I love you. This is like a dream.” He shot me a wide grin, and the butterflies in my stomach erupted. We washed the dishes and watched a movie in bed, distracted more by each other than what was playing on the big screen.
Chapter Eighteen
Ryan
This house was the best move I ever made. Being here with Ben was perfect, and I wished it could last forever.
A month was a long time, though. I reminded myself that every day. He went to the beach with me every morning for his run, making it so that we spent as much time together as we could. He fit right into the scene there with his job and warm personality, and into my life.
I didn’t think that he’d make friends working there, much less celebrities. We all knew Lisa from her show and other jobs she’d done in the five years she became a loved actress. I was happy to help Braden learn to surf, and Leo certainly didn’t mind helping out. The guy was great and made it fun to be around him, and Leo had a crush on Lisa the second he saw a preview of her new show.
I noticed that he didn’t react too strongly to meeting her, and that made me smile. Leo would flirt with anyone if he chose to. He’d flirt with a taken woman, but he always managed to make it friendly. He didn’t get in fights over any of that. With Lisa, he was calm and respectful. He still talked to Jamie a lot and I could see that he wasn’t dating women like he used to.
Was Jamie the one that could change Leo?
Jamie was landing Friday evening and my mom and sister the following day. We did shop online, but there was no huge rush. Every room had enough furniture for guests since the former owners were moving overseas. It was going to be comfortable for all of us and by Friday afternoon, I noticed both Leo and Ben were growing manic. Ben nearly finished with the photoshoot, and the couple was coming for dinner over the weekend. We were all friends and it made sense.
We picked up Jamie at the airport and drove her to the house as the sun set. We were going to drop her bags off and go out to dinner, so Leo just drove with us there. He was in the back with Jamie as we all chatted, and they sat together as she laughed at something Ben said. She freaked out when we told her about Lisa and how they were coming to dinner the following night.
We took her to a small restaurant on the water, ordering a few appetizers and a pitcher of beer to share.
The four of us sat at the table and talked about the house and the weekend plans. Leo had his arm around Jamie’s shoulders most of the night and a smile on his face. They both looked happy to be together again.
He returned to the house with us, and we hung out in the living room, watching a movie and showing them what we were thinking of buying.
Jamie excused herself to bed around midnight, and I watched as Ben yawned. I knew that he was tired from the early morning, and we all agreed that sleep was a good idea. We weren’t surfing in the morning and could all sleep in a bit.
We made breakfast when we were all up, eating on the back deck. Jamie sipped coffee as she looked over the ocean, happy and light. I suspected that she and Leo slept together last night, but we’d talk later about that. Why ruin a perfectly good Saturday?
We finished eating and went to the airport to pick up Mom and Sarah. They hugged all of us, and we headed through the airport to get their bags. Ryan told them that we were having guests over and waited until we were on the back deck to say who that was. Sarah screamed, and Jamie started to jump around as I laughed, slipping my arm around Ben. We did have some snacks to get us through until dinner and Mom helped us set them up.
“This place is beautiful.” Mom told me as she hugged me again. “I’m proud of you, baby.”
“Thank you. I’d never have it without Ben.” I smiled at my boyfriend, and he shared a long gaze with me.
“We’re all going to have a lot of good times here.” Her eyes began to shimmer, and I smiled at her.
“We are. New traditions.” We carried bowls of chips and dip to the table outside, and I asked what everyone wanted to drink. We took seats around and talked about the house and the beach as everyone kept telling us how amazing it was.
The sun was lowering in the sky by the time we went in to get dinner going. We bought chicken and some good cuts of steak along with vegetables. Mom was going to work on a salad, and we bought a cake from a popular bakery around the corner. It was a lot of food but there would be something for everyone. The fridge was loaded with various drinks and we set up a cooler outside with more.
The doorbell rang, and I went to get it. Lisa hugged me and strolled in as I shook Braden’s hand. She was wearing a flowing soft pink dress with flip flops and her hair in a messy top knot. Braden was wearing shorts and a t-shirt that I recognized from the shop. Everyone from the deck rushed inside to greet the new arrivals, and I slightly winced at the enthusiastic reaction to the pretty actress. I stepped in after a few minutes and calmed everyone down, telling them to grab a drink and relax while I grilled and Mom roasted the vegetables in the oven. Lisa brought a fresh fruit salad and a couple of bottles of wine along that
we set on the counter.
They gathered on the back deck, and I listened to the laughing as I cooked the meat. I loved to grill while Ben was more of an oven and stove kind of guy. He also bought an instant pot and air fryer to add to our growing collection. The smell filled the air, and I sipped my beer as I let everything sit for a few minutes.
“Smells good, Ryan,” Sarah said as she joined me. “I can’t believe you invited Lisa Collins here. She’s gorgeous.”
“Ben did an engagement shoot for them, and we all got along. Leo and I helped get him on a surfboard, and we knew you would like having them over here.” She smiled and nodded as she smiled in Lisa’s direction.
“Of course, she’s marrying someone as beautiful as she is.” Sara giggled and shook her head.
“They’re both down to earth. That’s what I like about them.” I looked over the beach, and the waves as happiness washed over me.
I started to plate the meat on separate platters, and Mom brought the vegetables outside. We set everything on the square table to serve buffet style and opened the wine before settling down to eat. The sun was setting as we finished, and I reached for Ben’s hand as we watched it. Sarah, Lisa and Jamie were sitting in a big chair, talking and laughing together as they watched the sky. I had a feeling they’d get along and wasn’t surprised at all when they planned a beach trip the following day.
I was opening the shop with Leo, so we’d be gone for a while. I wanted them to all have fun and smiled as Mom agreed to go after she brought the cake out.
Lisa and Braden left after ten o clock and agreed to meet everyone at one of the famous beaches the next day. We locked the door behind them and smiled as everyone stretched and yawned. “What a night. That was so fun,” Mom told us as she smiled. “You have to work tomorrow?”
“Leo and I both do. We might need to talk about bringing on some more people. Once we get them trained, we could take more time off that way.” Leo nodded as he grabbed another beer from the fridge.
“Sounds great.” He smiled as he handed Jamie the bottle for a sip.
“It sure does.” They smiled at each other, and I glanced at Ben.
“So, we put your stuff upstairs. You’re the first door on the right, Mom. You’ll be on the left, Sarah. There’s a bathroom in the hall as well.” They nodded and hugged everyone good night before trudging up the stairs. “I guess I’ll see you early.” I smiled weakly, and he nodded as he took Jamie’s hand.
Ben watched as they walked into their room, and I secured the house. I looked toward the dark beach and smiled before shutting off the lights and heading to our bedroom. Ben was already there and I closed the door as he disappeared into the bathroom to slide on some shorts. “Tonight was amazing.” He watched as I slid my arms around his waist, smiling at me in the mirror.
“It was great. We have a week of this ahead of us,” I agreed as our eyes locked in the mirror. “Are you going to go to the beach with everyone?”
“I figured I would for Braden’s sake. I thought it might be nice to take some pictures, too. It would be fun to make some gifts with them from this trip and Christmas.” His love for my family filled me with joy and I hugged him tightly. I changed into shorts and we shut the lights off before slipping under the covers. We just planned to do that since we took advantage of our alone time before everyone arrived.
Ben propped his pillows up to look outside. “This was a good idea, buying this place.”
“It was.” We paid cash for the house and had no payments on it. It was a big step on our parts, but it would pay off down the line if we ever chose to sell. I curled up against him, closing my eyes as he pulled me close.
Getting up in a quiet house was miserable. I didn’t like that everyone was going to the beach while we had to work, but it was our responsibility. It was our future here in Belize and Leo asked if I wanted to drive with him. We were going to the same place, after all.
Luckily, the shop was busy. I helped people all day and skipped lunch, starving when we left. Leo bitched as he slipped behind the steering wheel, and I sent a text to ask where everyone was. They were getting back to the house and Mom was going to make some dinner and I relayed the message to Leo. “Thank fuck. I’m so hungry.”
He drove home in a hurry, and I smiled as we pulled into the driveway. I got out and headed to the front door as Leo followed. Voices filled the room as I walked in, taking in the tans on everyone as they headed into the kitchen.
“How was the beach?” I asked, and Ben smiled at me. He looked gorgeous with a darker tone to his muscles and I licked my lips, making him laugh.
“Amazing. I’m just going to be hurting for the next few days,” Jamie grumbled as Leo walked over to kiss her, pecking her lips gently. “That water is so pretty, and I forgot that it was frying me to a crisp.”
“You’ve been pale your entire life, Jamie. How do you not know to be careful?” Ben teased her as I walked over to him, kissing his cheek. I missed him a lot today and decided that I was not going to behave myself tonight.
“What do you have going there, Mom?” I asked as she gave me a bright smile. Her skin had an even color to it, and she looked beautiful.
“I was going to make spaghetti the quick way with salad and fresh bread. We didn’t eat a lot today, and we’re all hungry.” I groaned, loving her cooking. She would make enough for everyone and then some.
“Need any help?” I asked, and Sarah turned to me from the fridge.
“She has so much help. How was work?”
I noticed that Lisa was in there, working on a salad and shrugged. “Good. Busy today so we didn’t eat. Hurry up.” Mom laughed as she looked at me, and I asked my sister for a beer.
Chapter Nineteen
Ben
The house seemed brighter when Ryan got home with Leo. The kitchen was full of women cooking, and there was laughter in the air. I loved this feeling and wrapped my arm around Ryan’s waist as I shared his beer. “How was it?”
“Great. We just swam and hung out. We had a few snacks, but we never had lunch. Your mom cooked some breakfast before we left.” I saw him pout and kissed his cheek. “Sorry. I wish you could take time off.”
“We have a few regulars in the store that we might be able to hire for some help. They know most everything in the store and would just need a bit of training. It would be nice to be here,” Ryan told me, and I smiled.
“I’m normally working part of the day in some form. It’s okay.” I shrugged, and he nodded. “We won’t always have people here like this. Most nights will be quiet, but I love this.”
“Me, too.” He kissed me again, and I smiled as I felt his warmth against my body. The kitchen started to smell amazing, and we took a seat on the couch when we were told that everything was being handled.
When it was finished, Mom told everyone that she was going to set it up buffet style again. We got plates and filled them before going to the deck to eat. “I can’t get enough of this house,” Sarah said as we watched the sun setting. “I feel like you could watch this every night and it would never look the same.”
“You could from what I’ve seen. Sunrise, too.” Leo paused in taking a massive bite of pasta to speak. I could tell that he was in heaven here with the food and Jamie. She was eating beside him and winced as she leaned back in the seat.
“You need some aloe. We have some in the fridge,” Ryan told her, and she nodded.
“I need aloe and a lot of wine. I’ll sleep through anything that way.” She smiled and leaned into Leo as he slipped an arm around her. She managed to eat and had two glasses of wine, sitting in the love seat with Leo once she had aloe slathered on her skin.
Tomorrow was Monday, and I’d be taking Jamie to the airport in the evening. I didn’t want to and longed for a way that we could both move here. After that, I knew that Mom and Sarah would be staying, but Ryan and I would both be working. I stayed up as long as I could but Ryan was tired and planned to surf in the morning. He agreed with Leo
that they might catch some waves at the private beach behind the house. I was going to hang out with Jamie and spend the day with her. Lisa was fine with putting off the last of the pictures until Tuesday.
I went to bed with Ryan, turning onto my stomach for him. I pressed my face into the pillow to stay quiet as he took me slow and deep, feeling every inch of him. “I love you,” I whispered as he slowed, feeling him filling me.
“I love you. I’m so happy with you,” Ryan murmured as he pulled away slowly, both of us gasping at the feeling. He went to the bathroom to get something to clean us off, and we snuggled together.
He left the room early in the morning, and I fell right back to sleep. Waking up without him sucked, but the view was amazing. I stayed in bed just looking out at the sky and the water as the smell of coffee filtered under the door. I could hear voices and wondered what I was going to do with Jamie today. Would anyone else join us?
I finally stood up and made my way to the bathroom, freshening up and getting dressed before joining everybody. Jamie was sitting on the deck, and Sarah and Mom were making breakfast in the kitchen. “Hey, Jamie. What do you want to do today?”
“Stay. I love it here.” Her voice was low, and I glanced back to see Sarah bringing me a cup of coffee. I took it and thanked her before sitting in the seat beside my best friend.
“I wish you could stay for longer. I wish we could forever.” I sipped the steaming liquid and listened to the waves. “Is it serious with Leo?”
“I think it could be. We get along, we laugh, and he’s fun. He’s great, but we live so far from each other.” She looked at me and I knew what was coming next. “Is it worth visiting when you can? Is it okay when you’re not with Ryan?”