Page 290 of Out of Left Field

Olivia shot me a look. Kate smacked me again. Chris just shook his head.

Behind them Everett swept Willa off her feet, marching off to the Jeep. Seth pulled Annalise into a hammock. I kissed the top of Kate’s head. “Walk with me?”

We congratulated Rosie and Linc, then set off down the beach, arm in arm. “This is going to sound really weird but I’m glad you and Jeri were roommates in college.” Even Jeri got married a few years ago. Some bizarre love match that happened when one of their friend’s dates went haywire.

“Oh yeah? I thought you normally run and hide when Jeri is over.”

“I do. I don’t like being insulted nonstop. But if you two weren’t roommates then you never would have been at The Red Tourist that night.”

“We would have met the next day.” She glanced up at me like I’d lost my mind.

I steered us closer to the waves. “True, but I’m not sure we would have sparked the same way if we met at work. You walked in the door and I was already half in love with you and I didn’t even know you. All because we crossed paths the night before. We were a foregone conclusion after that.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She stopped, going up on her toes for a kiss. “Being friends meant that Seth met Annalise. And without Annalise I have no idea if or when Willa would have pulled your brother’s head out of his ass.”

“Exactly. Our chance meeting brought all of those people together into one big happy family.”

“I think you’re taking a little more credit than you’re due considering how many connections we have.”

“I’m taking all the credit. Why not?”

My wife smirked at me. “You do realize that means you’re also taking credit for getting Rosie engaged to Linc, right?”

Son of a bitch. “I should have married a dumb woman.”

“You love me.”

“Very, very much.” We resumed our walk. By now Everett probably had Willa docked and in the cottage. She was probably delighted that he went to so much effort to surprise her.

I needed to take notes from my brother. But until I learned better, I’d just have to settle for my usual spur of the moment brilliance. “Hannah and Patrick wouldn’t mind some help, right?”

“What are you thinking, Isaac Anson?” Kate knew my moods too well.

“The twins could help them manage all those Cooper-Anson kids.”

“And where will we be?”

“Wherever we want to be. Caribbean? Mountains? The city?” I didn’t care where we went. I might not be any good at planning but I could make something come together at the last second like no one else.

“Hmmm. A couple of nights in New York could be fun. But we do that all the time.”

“I’m always working when we go.” I wouldn’t mind visiting the city with no game to plan for.

“Of course Charley said we’re always welcome at her house in the mountains.”

“I do not want to spend two days with Charley.” I was happy she’d found success in her new career and loved that mountain town so much, but I wasn’t about to plan a romantic weekend getaway at a friend’s house.

Kate rolled her eyes. “She has a guest house. It’s not even near her house. She lives on a freaking mountain, remember?”

“I’m listening.”

“There’s a hot tub. And no one else for miles.”

I liked the sound of that. There was nothing I loved more than being alone with Kate. “My love, would you like to escape to a mountain paradise for a few days with your very happy, very loving husband?”

“All these years later and you still like running off with me?” She stopped to let her feet sink into the wet sand.

I didn’t like that her question actually sounded like a question. I tilted her face up so I could see her eyes. “I love running off with you. You’re my favorite person. I don’t always remember to plan vacations or dates, but it isn’t because I don’t love the fuck out of you. It’s actually because I love the fuck out of you. Every day I’m happy. I look forward to every message, to seeing you, to spending whatever time we can squeeze in between our jobs and our crazy kids. Doing life with you makes me happy.”

She scrunched up her eyes. “I was a teeny bit jealous that Everett planned their weekend away.”

“I know. That’s why I want to take you away too. Come away with me, wife. Your husband wants to spend two full days naked with you in the middle of nowhere.”

“You really think we can pull this off?”

Everett had the right idea when he swept Willa off her feet. We could stand here all day or I could…

“Isaac! What are you doing?” She shrieked as I picked her up and started marching back to the party.

“I’m getting our vacation started.”

“You’re insane.”

“Always have been and you still married me.” I stopped to kiss her soundly. “Regrets?”

Her face softened. “No Isaac. Never. Impress me with another of your famous magic tricks.”

And so I mustered up all of my last second planning skills and took my wife on our best vacation yet.