“Are you enjoying your honeymoon so far?” the concierge asked.
Seth paused, allowing Meg the platform to use as she saw fit, but she said nothing. He responded in her stead, “I couldn’t have imagined a more memorable honeymoon.”
“Fantastic. Sorry it’s such a short one. You’re all flying out tomorrow, is that right?”
“Yes, I know, it’s awful,” Stephen said. He’d pushed his sunglasses up like a headband to hold his hair out of his eyes, and gave the woman a grin that could have given Curt a run for his money.
Curt must have noticed it, too, because he pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and his cheeks twitched as he stifled a laugh.
“Dr. Roash-cof down there has rocket parts or something to put together first thing Monday morning, and I, well, you know. I’ve got some legal stuff I need to consult on in time for trials next week. I just made partner.” He sighed and shook his head. “Busy, busy.”
“Lame ass,” Meg muttered.
Seth couldn’t help his grin, but he damn sure had it wiped off his face by the time Meg looked up.
The concierge did that little bow again. “Of course, Mr. Scott. I do hope you’ll visit us again.”
“Here we go,” Meg mumbled.
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Stephen said, still grinning. “Hey, you got a card with your direct extension? Maybe I can give you ring when I get home and have my secretary pull my schedule. Maybe you can let me know which dates are best, what events are happening. When’s the best time. That kinda thing.” He tipped his chair onto its back legs, awaiting her response.
She didn’t miss a beat. “Of course, I’ll have that sent to your bungalow along with some festival brochures. Many of our American visitors do enjoy fishing so.” With a nod, she turned on the heel of her smart, navy-blue pump, and strode toward the interior.
When she was out of earshot, Meg asked, “Could you be more obvious?”
Stephen guffawed. “What do I have to lose? If she tells me to go eff myself, it’s not like I’m ever going to see her again. Carpe diem and stuff.”
Toby turned in his mother’s lap and tilted his face toward hers. “What does that mean, eff?”
Meg didn’t respond. She stared at Stephen.
Stephen beamed at her.
Seth chuckled.
Meg glowered at him.
Yikes. Scary wifey.
And was it perverse that he found that kind of hot?
Erica giggled. “Listen, this is far more entertaining than you guys know, but we’ve got a livery van out there waiting to take us on a historical-site tour. Might even get this guy into a pair of Bermuda shorts and loafers before the weekend’s over.” She tipped her head toward Curt.
He pushed his chair back and stood, mumbling, “Don’t hold your breath, darlin’.”
“Hey, Meg?” Erica prompted. When Curt pulled her chair back, she stood and accepted the phone Toby thrust at her. “You want us to take Toby with us? If there’s any paparazzi milling around, they probably won’t follow us. They’re looking for adults with red hair, and we can put a hat on Toby.”
Meg opened her mouth to refuse, probably, but Curt put his hands up, palms out, and said, “Hey, we don’t mind, and you know after what I went through with my mum that I have no particular love for the press.”
She’d already forgotten about the debacle Curt’s family endured last year, and that gave her a pinprick of hope regarding her own notoriety. His mother had become a person of interest in the Irish press after serving time in prison for a crime his father pinned on her. Curt had been the one to unravel the mess.
“I know you want to lie low, but there’s no good reason for Toby to stay cooped up here all day,” Curt said. He wrapped his right arm around his wife’s waist and made a come-on gesture with his left hand.
“Children like him for some reason,” Seth said with a shrug when Meg looked at him. “I don’t try to understand it.”
“Hey, can I invite myself?” Stephen tossed his napkin onto the table and pushed his chair back. “Maybe I can find someplace for later. I have plans to dance the night away and inebriate my lonely heart.”
Erica laughed and clasped her hand around Toby’s when he offered it. “Come on. I’d offer to hook you up with my sister, but I like you too much.”
The four loped toward the main resort building, Toby chattering a mile a minute in their midst.
Quiet stretched between Seth and Meg for a few moments, with Meg staring at the ocean over the patio’s half wall, and Seth alternating his gaze between her and the wrinkled napkin on his lap.