Liz was going to make sure Jenna had the time of her life while she was still single. Not that they planned to get Jenna laid or anything, but she knew from experience that once you got married, you got wrapped up in each other, and less involved with all things related to the single life. Why not let Jenna cut loose and have a little fun?
Their rooms were beautiful and spacious, with a magnificent view of the ocean. She’d booked adjoining suites so they could all move back and forth and hang out together. She and Jenna were in one room, while Savannah, Tara, and Alicia were in the other.
Jenna got as far as opening her suitcase before she wandered out onto the terrace. “Get out here, Liz.”
Liz followed.
“This is fucking fabulous. I’m never leaving. Ty’s going to have to come down here for the wedding.”
Liz grinned. “So you like it?”
Jenna looked at her. “What’s not to like? It’s warm, gorgeous, and there’s no work to do. Put a drink in my hand and I’m telling you, you’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming back on the plane.”
“Let’s get unpacked, hit the beach, and get started on those drinks, then.”
Liz unpacked and changed into her swimsuit. She put on a cover-up and slipped on her sandals. By then, everyone else was unpacked. Jenna was nearly vibrating with excitement, so they all headed downstairs to the pool area.
Liz had called down to rent a cabana while everyone else was unpacking and changing.
“This is sweetly decadent,” Savannah said as they were escorted to the sheltered, private space right on the beach. “I could definitely get used to this level of pampering.”
Immediately, a waiter showed up to take their drink orders.
“I want something with rum in it,” Jenna said. “I think just a rum and pineapple juice.”
“Trying to keep it simple?” Alicia asked.
“Yes. Nothing too fruity. Those complicated recipes will sneak up on you and kick your ass.”
“I’ll have the same,” Alicia said.
“I’ll have rum and coconut juice,” Savannah said.
Tara debated. “Actually, the pineapple juice does sound good. I’ll have that one.”
The waiter looked at Liz. “Just orange juice, plain, for me.”
Jenna cocked a brow. “Designated driver?”
She laughed. “No. Just not in the mood for a cocktail yet.”
The cabana was gorgeous, the sun warm, which made Liz glad for the shade since she’d burn to a crisp without it. Jenna and Tara made a beeline for the water and the waiter brought their drinks. Liz settled against the back of the chaise with her orange juice.
“I think I’m going to swim,” Savannah said. “It looks so good.”
“I’ll join you,” Alicia said, getting up from the chair. She looked over to Liz. “Are you coming?”
“No. I’m going to sit here and stare at the sea and bask for a while. You two go ahead.”
Alicia grinned. “Okay.”
After they left, Liz closed her eyes and soaked in the heat, suddenly aware of how much she missed Gavin already.
Ugh. Love was such an all-consuming thing. She’d never wanted to fall in love, had never thought she would. Unfortunately, she’d been in love with Gavin for what seemed like forever. She’d thought marrying him would settle her feelings, make them a little less . . . intense.
She’d been wrong. They’d only grown more, the yearnings she felt for him intensifying the more time they spent together. He was everything to her—kind and generous and fun and playful. He was a generous lover, and even when they argued, which was rarely, it was still with a fiery passion. And their arguments tended to fizzle out quickly, because they communicated so well.
She’d found the man of her dreams and she considered herself so lucky.
She should be wholly content. And she was. Except she wanted to have his baby, and Mother Nature or some cosmic force in the universe refused to grant her this one wish. Maybe it was because she was so exceptionally happy in all other facets of her relationship. Maybe this just wasn’t meant to be, and she was going to have to learn to accept it.
They had already talked adoption, and she certainly wasn’t opposed to that. She’d love a child they could raise together, no matter where that child came from. She was going to give it another six months to a year. If they weren’t pregnant by then, they were going to start seriously pursuing adoption. By then she’d have figured for sure that pregnancy wasn’t an option for her.
The women all came back, dripping wet.
“How was it?” she asked.
“Fantastic,” Jenna said. “The water is warm and perfect. You should have joined us.”
“I will the next go-round. My fair skin can only handle so much of that sun. Besides, I sat back and enjoyed the quiet, something I don’t get a lot of with the fast pace of my job.”
Savannah grabbed a towel and patted herself down. “I understand that. It’s always run here, run there, grab a flight and run somewhere else.” She took a seat in the chaise and let out a breath. “It’s nice to just . . . sit and take a breath.”
“Yes, it is.”
Jenna stretched her legs out. “And here I am running you all ragged for my wedding.”