Back to the Beach (Hunt Family Book 4) Read Online Free Page B
Author: Brooke St. James
shrugged. "I don't know. I think I was about eight or ten." She paused and glanced at the door to make sure Nico wasn't there before continuing. "I can appreciate that he looks good or whatever, but honestly, I've never seen him like that. He really is like my brother."
We heard the sound of more footsteps coming up the stairs—these were accompanied by Ryan talking a mile a minute. I knew Ryan and Cub would come walking around the corner any second.
"Are you still crushing on him?" Charlotte whispered quickly before anyone could hear.
"Me? No." I said.
She narrowed her eyes at me. "I knew it, she whispered, pointing at me as her eyes grew wide. "That's why I called to let you know. Are you gonna be okay? I can make him take one of the couches downstairs if you want."
She spoke quickly, but barely had time to get the words out before Ryan rounded the corner, pulling Cub along behind her.
"I'm good," I said, casually answering Charlotte's question before turning to face Cub. I had grown to love Charlotte's new husband during the time I spent with him in Africa, and it was good to see him again. We both instantly reached out for a hug.
"It's good to see you Mia," he said. "Your hair looks good like that."
"My mom did that," Ryan said.
"Did she?" Cub asked, smiling down at her as if he was really impressed.
She nodded and smiled as she regarded him. "You can see the back if you want," she said, reaching out to touch me as if to cue me to turn around. I did as she instructed, using my hand to gesture to it like a model on a game show.
"Wow!" Cub said. "That looks hard to do. Your mom must be an expert with knots. Is she a sailor?"
Ryan giggled at his question. "No, silly, she's a hair stylist," she said.
"I meant to tell you your hair looked good like that, Mia," We heard Nico (who had obviously overheard us) yell from the living room.
"Thanks," I yelled back.
"Sounds like your mom has fans," Cub said referring to Nico's statement. He smiled as he reached out to rub Ryan's head.
"Yep," Ryan said, nodding. "She has about twenty-seven likes on her website."
"Wow," Cub said. "She must be really popular."
Ryan continued to nod seriously, which made Cub smile.
Chapter 4
Ryan was eager to get out to the beach, so we all promised we'd meet her downstairs in a few minutes. Cub and Charlotte went to their bedroom to put down their luggage and get settled, which left me alone in the bathroom. I hadn't seen Nico pass the doorway on his way downstairs, so I figured he was still upstairs. I hadn't expected everyone to come upstairs when I went up to check out my braid, and my nerves were on edge as a result of their sudden appearance.
I regarded myself in the mirror, wondering if I would feel this nervous had it just been Charlotte and Cub who surprised me. There was no use speculating, and it didn't really matter anyway. I took one last deep, calming breath before heading out.
I realized, as I stepped out of the bathroom, that I had a choice to make. I could make a right, and head downstairs without visiting my spot on the couch, or I could go into the family room and say 'hi' to Nico. (This was assuming he was still up there.) I made the split-second decision to grab my phone from my purse before going downstairs.
Nico was sitting on the couch closest to mine. He was propped on the edge, staring intently down at his phone. My plan was to grab my phone and sneak out without distracting him. I was looking into my bag when I heard him speak from behind me.
"How you doing, sweet Mia?" He said in his deep, borderline raspy voice.
I instinctually glanced at him with a smile before turning to stare in my purse again. "I'm doing well," I said. "How are you, Nico?"
He didn't answer my question until I glanced at him again. It was as if he wanted me to be looking at him before he responded. I glanced behind me, and he sat back on the couch, regarding me with a devastatingly handsome, casual smile. "I'm better
We heard the sound of more footsteps coming up the stairs—these were accompanied by Ryan talking a mile a minute. I knew Ryan and Cub would come walking around the corner any second.
"Are you still crushing on him?" Charlotte whispered quickly before anyone could hear.
"Me? No." I said.
She narrowed her eyes at me. "I knew it, she whispered, pointing at me as her eyes grew wide. "That's why I called to let you know. Are you gonna be okay? I can make him take one of the couches downstairs if you want."
She spoke quickly, but barely had time to get the words out before Ryan rounded the corner, pulling Cub along behind her.
"I'm good," I said, casually answering Charlotte's question before turning to face Cub. I had grown to love Charlotte's new husband during the time I spent with him in Africa, and it was good to see him again. We both instantly reached out for a hug.
"It's good to see you Mia," he said. "Your hair looks good like that."
"My mom did that," Ryan said.
"Did she?" Cub asked, smiling down at her as if he was really impressed.
She nodded and smiled as she regarded him. "You can see the back if you want," she said, reaching out to touch me as if to cue me to turn around. I did as she instructed, using my hand to gesture to it like a model on a game show.
"Wow!" Cub said. "That looks hard to do. Your mom must be an expert with knots. Is she a sailor?"
Ryan giggled at his question. "No, silly, she's a hair stylist," she said.
"I meant to tell you your hair looked good like that, Mia," We heard Nico (who had obviously overheard us) yell from the living room.
"Thanks," I yelled back.
"Sounds like your mom has fans," Cub said referring to Nico's statement. He smiled as he reached out to rub Ryan's head.
"Yep," Ryan said, nodding. "She has about twenty-seven likes on her website."
"Wow," Cub said. "She must be really popular."
Ryan continued to nod seriously, which made Cub smile.
Chapter 4
Ryan was eager to get out to the beach, so we all promised we'd meet her downstairs in a few minutes. Cub and Charlotte went to their bedroom to put down their luggage and get settled, which left me alone in the bathroom. I hadn't seen Nico pass the doorway on his way downstairs, so I figured he was still upstairs. I hadn't expected everyone to come upstairs when I went up to check out my braid, and my nerves were on edge as a result of their sudden appearance.
I regarded myself in the mirror, wondering if I would feel this nervous had it just been Charlotte and Cub who surprised me. There was no use speculating, and it didn't really matter anyway. I took one last deep, calming breath before heading out.
I realized, as I stepped out of the bathroom, that I had a choice to make. I could make a right, and head downstairs without visiting my spot on the couch, or I could go into the family room and say 'hi' to Nico. (This was assuming he was still up there.) I made the split-second decision to grab my phone from my purse before going downstairs.
Nico was sitting on the couch closest to mine. He was propped on the edge, staring intently down at his phone. My plan was to grab my phone and sneak out without distracting him. I was looking into my bag when I heard him speak from behind me.
"How you doing, sweet Mia?" He said in his deep, borderline raspy voice.
I instinctually glanced at him with a smile before turning to stare in my purse again. "I'm doing well," I said. "How are you, Nico?"
He didn't answer my question until I glanced at him again. It was as if he wanted me to be looking at him before he responded. I glanced behind me, and he sat back on the couch, regarding me with a devastatingly handsome, casual smile. "I'm better
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