I didn't consider myself a beach novice, but I had never been to a bonfire party. Maybe tonight would be the first of many. I held up a pair of cutoff shorts and then a sundress. I opted for the shorts and a shirt with a wide collar that hung off my shoulder.
I fastened a pair of hoops on my ears and grabbed my bag. I was already running late. I sent Eden a quick text. I didn't want her to leave without me.
Five minutes later I parked in front of the Palm Palace office. I tried to pretend it didn't bother me. Who was I kidding? My eyes were fixed on Mason's door. My heart beat rapidly when I walked closer to his staircase. I didn't want him to walk out and see me, and yet at the same time he was all I could think about.
I shook my head. The light was on. He was probably buried over a stack of financials. Or worse, he had someone with him.
Eden waved from the top of the boardwalk. "Hey, you made it!"
"Yes. Sorry I was running late. I didn't really know what to wear."
"That is perfect. It's still hot on the beach even when the sun goes down. Grey's already there helping Pick and Conner get set up."
"Is it a lot of work?"
She shook her head and I followed her steps onto the beach. We sank into the sand. Eden immediately shed her flip flops and carried them in her hand. I did the same.
"The guys collect driftwood and save it for nights like this one. I hope you ate." She looked over her shoulder at me. "No food, only beer and some lime drink Marin makes. I have no idea what's in it, but it's my favorite."
"I had something before I left my apartment."
"Good." She pointed next to us. "That's where Grey and I live."
I took in the blue beach house. It looked like an ideal place to live with the man you were madly in love with. There was no doubt they were crazy about each other. "It's cute. I want to see inside some time."
"Definitely. The front room is crammed with wedding stuff, but I'd love for you to come over one night. Do you watch Hiatus or Zombie Island?"
"My DVR is overwhelmed with both."
"Awesome. Grey barely tolerates them. It would be fun to have someone watch them with me. TV night this week?"
"I'm in. I can bring the wine."
I could see the beginnings of a small flame as we walked closer. The sand was still warm between my toes. If I dug deep enough with my heel I would graze over a cool patch. There was a small circle of people scattered next to a line of coolers.
"I'll introduce you to everyone. By the time you leave here you'll know half of South Padre."
"I need to meet people." I said it with more sadness than I intended.
"Come on, drinks first." She tugged me toward the cooler.
Within seconds I had a red cup in my hand and was sipping Eden's favorite drink.
"Ok, you have to meet Pick and Connor. Pick is married, but Connor is single. Again." She whispered the last word.
"All right."
I didn't come to the bonfire to meet guys. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but Mason had wrecked my interest in dating for a while. When I fell asleep I could still smell his skin, feel the warmth under my hands, shiver from the look in his eyes. He wasn't easy to forget no matter how much I wanted to stop missing him.
"Carolina, who is this?" A lanky guy, with round eyes and a high forehead stepped toward us.
"Connor, this is Sydney. She just moved here."
"Nice to meet you. Are you one of Eden's friends from back home?" He tipped the corner of his Stetson. I realized I was meeting an authentic Texas boy.
"No, we only met last week."
"Who do we have here?" A guy almost a head shorter than Conner slung an arm around the cowboy's shoulder.
"Pick, meet Sydney."
I smiled at him. He was cute and athletic, but if I had my stories straight, this was the guy Eden said was married. "Nice to meet you. Welcome to our little part of heaven."
He tipped his hat. I was starting to think there was a kind of guy I had been missing out on. The hat trick was nice.
I couldn't help but blush. They were sweet. "Thanks. Glad I could make it tonight."
"Have either of you seen Grey?" Eden scanned their faces. "He said he would be here before me working on the fire."
"Oh yeah," Connor offered. "He should be back in a sec. He and Mason went to bring another cooler of ice. No one brought ice." Connor started laughing. It quickly turned to a snort.
Eden looked at me. It was probably written on my face. I was analyzing my escape routes. There was no way I was staying if Mason was on his way back here.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know he would be here. He usually stays home and does work."
I handed my cup to her. "It's ok. He's family and he lives here. I'll just go before things get awkward."
"Good lord," Connor slapped the top of his head. "What is it with pretty girls and Lachlan boys?"
I looked at him, not sure I understood what he referenced, only picking up on his frustration.
"Thanks, Eden. Really. Maybe another time when he's out of town?" I suggested.
"You don't have to go. I'll text Grey and see where they are. Maybe he changed his mind."
I considered it for a second. But I knew it wasn't right for me to stay. I didn't want to see him and the longer I stayed the more I risked that happening.
"Come on, girl. Stay for one song." Connor shoved the red cup back into my hand. "If Mason gives you any trouble I'll take care of him."
I stifled a laugh. The most Connor could do to Mason was wrinkle his clothes. The lean cowboy was lacking the muscle and shoulders. I looked around the circle. Whether I wanted it to happen or not, it had become awkward. They were waiting to see how I would handle the situation.
"Ok. I'll stay and finish my drink." I looked at Connor. "And for at least one song."
He looked happy. "All right. Now you're talking."
I wanted to stick next to Eden. "Did you text Grey?" I asked.
"He didn't answer." She scrunched up her nose. "Sorry."
"Pickford?" A girl with dark hair shuffled through the sand. Her eyes landed on Pick, and he tossed her in the air as if she were a feather. She started giggling.
Eden leaned toward my ear. "Marin. They've been married less than a year, but it's like a constant honeymoon. I apologize ahead of time if they make you want to vomit."
I laughed. "It's fine."
She wasn't kidding. Pick's arms were wrapped around Marin, while her legs hooked against his waist. They seemed oblivious to the rest of the party.
"I'll introduce you in a minute."
"Yeah, I'll just wait on that one." I turned away from the couple. "I'm going to feel the water. I'll be right back."
I walked toward the surf. There was enough light from the bonfire to illuminate a path to the waves. I felt the water splash around my feet. It tickled at first, but I sunk into the wet sand when the waves pulled hard with the current.
I sipped the drink. The lime drink reminded me of the margaritas in San Antonio. The night of tequila shots at Pete's. The lime tasted too much like Mason's lips. I closed my eyes, wishing for a second I could let the waves pull me out too. I could float on top of the swells. My body listless and light, carried by something stronger than me.
My hair blew across my face, but I kept my eyes closed. I didn't want to open them and face the party. I wanted to imagine for a few more minutes what it would feel like to let go of everything and wash out to sea.
15
Mason
"There is a hell of a lot of ice in this cooler," Grey grumbled.
He held one handle, and I lugged the other over the sand. It shuffled under our feet, making a path to the fire pit ask if it had been formed by a couple of sea turtles.
"Can't drink warm beer though." I nodded at him.
"Oh no. Not doing that."
We had to make two stops before we had the cooler full. We weren't the only ones in search of ice on Friday night. It had been a long time since I went to one of these parties. They always had a good time on the beach. Music. Drinks. Pretty girls. Someone usually ended up in the ocean before the night was over.
We dropped the ice cooler near the end of the row, as the crowd parted for us. The chatter quieted the closer we got. Something was up. No one was dancing, and it looked as if they had forgotten to throw wood on the fire.
"Hey, you're here." Eden smiled, but I could see it. She was hiding something.
Grey examined her. He could see it too. He glanced at me. "Something happen while we were gone?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I might have screwed up. A little."
Connor traipsed over. "Eden's not the one who screwed up." He was always puffing out his chest where Eden was concerned. I didn't know how Grey put up with it.
"Technically I did. Sorry, Mason."
"Just tell us what's going on," I suggested.