“Yep.”
She giggles. “You want to go sit on the deck?”
Oh, thank God. “Yes, please!” I say quickly.
She walks out the sliding glass door and jumps down from the deck onto the sand. She’s barefoot, so I slip my shoes off too and follow her.
“Hey Nick!” a voice calls from down the beach.
I look over and see a small fire flickering in the sand, and all the Reeds are sitting around it. I wave at them.
“Come join us!” someone calls.
I look at Carrie and she just smiles and shrugs her shoulders. I take her hand and we walk toward the flames.
Paul is sitting with Friday almost in his lap, and he motions for us to take a seat on a spare towel. Carrie sits down. She already knows almost everyone here, except she might not know Reagan, Emily, or Friday, so they introduce her.
Sam walks down from the house, and he’s carrying a guitar in one hand and a bundle in the other. He passes the guitar to Emily, and the bundle he gives to Paul. “Couldn’t sleep, huh?” Paul asks Sam.
“I think he wants some boobie,” Sam says.
“Well, I just happen to have some of that,” Friday says. She takes the baby from him, coos at him for a minute and then adjusts her shirt, cradling him to her. Paul throws a blanket over them and the baby goes still. And so does Friday. She leans against Paul and he turns to kiss her really quickly.
“You got enough boobie to feed ten of those,” Emily chirps.
Friday picks up a marshmallow and throws it at her. Logan catches it and eats it. Friday makes a face at her.
I can’t believe I’m sitting with the Reeds around a campfire. “No cameras?” I ask, looking around.
“We get time off sometimes,” Paul says.
“Where are the kids?” Carrie asks, looking into their faces.
“The good kids are sleeping. And the other one is on the boobie,” Matt says.
This time, Paul throws the marshmallow and it hits Matt in the middle of his forehead. Logan catches it on the ricochet and pops it in his mouth. He shrugs when Matt grouses at him.
“We get a nanny as part of the production crew when we travel. It’s kind of nice at night when they’re sleeping,” Paul explains. He looks fondly down at his own. “Or not sleeping, as the case may be.”
Sky is sitting with her legs stretched out in front of her toward the fire, and Matt’s head is in her lap. “How’s your mom feeling?” he asks Carrie. Sky drags her fingers down the length of his long hair, and he looks so content.
“Better,” she says. “Thank you for your help the other night. And all of you for moving furniture.”
I bet she’s wishing they’d tightened up those headboard bolts right about now.
“Don’t worry about it,” Matt says with a breezy wave. “I’m glad she’s feeling better.”
Emily starts to strum her guitar and everyone goes quiet. I can’t believe I’m sitting here listening to Emily Reed play her guitar. She’s famous for when she was playing with Fallen from Zero. Then she wrote a song that was supposed to be a fluke, but it took off and hit the charts a couple of weeks ago. It’s a beautiful song about love and loss and finding where you’re supposed to be.
“I’m taking requests,” she says.
She runs through a couple of upbeat songs that I know, and she does her single, and I have to pinch myself because I still can’t believe where I am and what I’m doing.
“Hey Nick,” Pete calls out.
“Yeah,” I reply. I can barely see him over the flames, but I know he’s there.
“Do you know any preachers?”
The guitar and all the people go quiet.
“A few, why?” I reply. I immediately think of Patty’s funeral, and I hope to God he’s not going to ask about that.
“Well, Reagan and I were thinking we might like to get married on the beach while we’re here.” He waits.
All the Reeds erupt at once, jumping to their feet to hug Pete and Reagan. “Are you serious?” Paul asks.
“Completely,” Pete says. He sits down with Reagan again and looks into her eyes. “I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
“Then you two can have some babies too!” Sam cries, like he’s faking excitement. Then he pretends to heave.
Reagan snorts. “How much have you had to drink?” she asks. “No.”
“Oh, come on,” Sam says. “You know you want kids too. Rug rats. Crumb snatchers. Diaper fillers.”
“Maybe someday,” Pete says, looking into her eyes. She nods at him and my heart goes pitter-patter for them. I want that look. I want that life.
“I just happen to know a preacher who owes me a favor,” I tell him.
“Speaking of kids…” Matt says.
Everyone goes quiet.
“No freaking way,” Sam breathes.
Matt lays a hand on Sky’s stomach. “Yes, way,” he says.
Carrie shakes her head and laughs as they do the congrats thing again.
“You figured out where those things are coming from yet?” Paul asks as he sits back down.
Sky blushes and Matt laughs. “Yep.”
Sam mocks Paul’s tone. “Do you need to get a condom from the drawer?”
Pete deepens his voice too. “You need to wrap that shit up.” He makes a circle with his finger in the air.
Matt laughs. “Okay, that’s enough,” he warns. “We know where they’re coming from.” He looks at Sky. “You can use me any time you want to get pregnant, baby,” he says. She shoves his chest when he pulls her down so he can kiss her.