“I want to know why there isn’t someone with drinks,” Alex says, looking around. “Uncle Matthew,” she calls my father, who looks over as he tries to get his own luggage. “You dropped the ball with the whole vacation. Where are the welcome drinks?”
"I will definitely look at that for next time," my father huffs. “What is the island drink for Turks and Caicos?”
“Rum punch,” Julia says as she holds Jamison in her arms. “They make their own rum here.” Jillian walks down the stairs with Bianca in her hands while Michael holds Bailey, who just turned six months.
“Remember when we did Dominican last year, and everyone was ordering MammaJuana drinks,” Alex says, laughing, then smacks Dylan on the shoulder. “You even told the waitress my mamma juana you to get me a drink.” Dylan laughs now, shaking his head.
“That was a good night.” He puts an arm around Alex.
“You woke up with your whole face done in makeup from Emma.” Alex points at him, and I hear Wilson chuckle behind us.
“Oh, there’s my bag.” I point at the bag placed down beside Cooper, who picks it up and throws it on our luggage cart.
“Hey, be careful with that,” I say, looking at him. “My toys are in there.” He just stares at me with a look of disgust. He looks like he’s going to vomit. “If you rough them up, they might turn on.”
“Please tell me you're joking.” Cooper puts his hand over his mouth, trying not to gag.
“I want to play with toys,” Emma says. “Auntie Fran, can I play with your toys?”
“No!” Cooper yells, pulling her to his side.
“You're joking, right?” Wilson says from beside me, and I look up at him.
“Maybe.” I shrug. “Only one way to find out.”
It takes a full two hours to load and unload the bus. The chaos is something one will never get used to. The number of times I saw Wilson with his mouth hanging open was at least fifteen. When we get to the houses, there are golf carts there to bring us to our individual homes. “How did your father find this?” Wilson asks when we pull up to the house that has four different houses in one.
“Knowing my father,” Cooper says, getting out with us, “he had this built, starting last vacation.” He gets out with Erika, going to the right where his house is.
“This is like a cruise ship without the water,” Wilson says as we walk down the marble area toward the brown door with the number two on it.
“Tomorrow, we get the itineraries,” I say, and he just stares at me. “I’m kidding.”
Walking in, I dump my bag on the couch, then head out to the patio that overlooks the blue water. “Now this.” I turn to look over at him. “Is what I call paradise.” I look down, seeing the massive swimming pool. This is probably a resort, and knowing my father, he shut it down just for us.
He walks to me as I turn around and put my hands on the railing, looking at the blue water. I feel him at my back, putting his arms on the railing beside mine. “This.” He leans down and kisses my neck. “Is what I call paradise.”
I turn in his arms now. “I thought your cock in me was what you called paradise?”
I lift my hand up to touch his face. “Now that”—I wrap my arms around his neck—“is also paradise.”
“Any place.” His eyes go soft. “Any time.” He brings his hand up to cup my face. “With you.” He kisses the side of my lips. “Is paradise.
“Why don’t we unpack and then change into our bathing suits and take a swim in the ocean?” he suggests with a smile.
“Oh, ocean sex.” I wink at him, walking into the house and going to grab my bag. I slip into my white bikini as we head down to the beach.
“Your whole ass is out,” Wilson says, looking behind me as we walk down.
“Not my whole ass,” I tell him. “The middle is covered.”
“I should walk behind you.” He lets go of my hand and starts to walk behind me, and I laugh, turning on him. “It’s just us.”
I open my hands and turn around in a circle. “Just us and your five hundred family members.” He exaggerates.
“If it makes you feel better.” I turn back and walk toward the beach. “Our wedding can be intimate,” I say, and then I close my eyes as I hear him stop in his tracks behind me. I swallow, wanting to kick myself at even mentioning marriage. And secretly blaming my father for it. “Relax, I was just kidding.” I look over my shoulder, walking forward and taking off my flip-flops. I don’t wait for him until I walk into the water, the warm water rushing over my feet. I slowly walk into the calm waters, dunking my head and coming up with my head back so my hair is out of my face.