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THIRTY

LUCAS

My brothers spend their first two days in Monaco fighting jet lag and sunburn, but by the third day, they’re ready to get out on the water, and on our way to the marina, we make a stop at the local café. I’ve owned my place in Monaco for years, and while I’ve eaten here on occasion, I’m by no means a regular. Charlotte’s been in Monaco for two weeks, and every employee not only knows her name and go-to order but treats her like a lifelong friend.

They know off the bat that she’s Theo’s sister. He’s been to the café a handful of times, but he made enough of an impression that they named their special profiterole after him. Both Charlotte and Theo have the innate ability to make the person they’re talking to feel like the brightest star in the night sky. Despite the pleasant thought, a niggle of discomfort gnaws at me. But with a shake of my head, I put thoughts of Theo out of my mind, not wanting to let the strained silence between us ruin my day.

“This shit is fucking good,” Jesse comments, taking a sip of his honeycomb latte. “Damn.”

“Mm-hmm,” I respond while I check some rigging. From there, I move to securing the sails. “Can you check the tension on the backstay?”

“On it.”

While he heads to the stern to make minor adjustments on the line that connects the mast to the stern to ensure it’s properly tensioned, Finn and I check on the halyard, the line used to raise and lower the sail. Ezra knows how to sail, but he doesn’t enjoy it like the rest of us, so he helps Willow and Charlotte find the towels and life jackets, then set up breakfast.

Jesse, Finn, and I move around the deck with practiced ease, methodically and seamlessly going through each task. With the help of their experienced hands, it takes half as long to get the boat ready as it typically does.

Meeting me at the helm, Jesse wipes his hands on his shorts and looks out at the open water. “Feels like the perfect day.”

I grin, the familiar thrill of anticipation coursing through me. “It does. Everything’s in place. Weather’s on our side, too.”

“Clear skies and a light breeze.”

“The forecast said we may get some stronger winds later this afternoon,” I note, glancing at the digital navigation system. “Nothing too severe.”

He squints up at the sky. “Should give us a good push toward our next waypoint.”

I can’t help it. I burst out laughing, the sound cutting through the almost meditative quality of the early hour. “Dude, things are bad if we’re talking about the fucking weather.”

Jesse grins, his laugh joining mine. “We do sort of sound like acquaintances stuck in an elevator together.”

With a bit of the tension broken, we unfurl the sails, watching as a rush of wind fills the canvas. I offer to let him take her out, and he jumps at the chance. He takes the wheel, gripping it firmly as he navigates the Blank Check away from the dock. The engine hums softly as we glide through the maze of moored boats. Once we’re on open water, he picks up speed, and the coastline on Monaco gradually recedes into the distance.

The Blank Check ’s white hull contrasts beautifully with the deep blue of the water, especially in the light of the early morning. We sail for about an hour before we find the perfect spot to stop. The anchoring process is quick, a testament to years of sailing together, and Ezra and Finn waste no time cannonballing into the water while Willow gracefully dives in behind them.

“You don’t want to cool off?” Jesse asks Charlotte. Any lingering animosity between them disappeared yesterday morning when she presented him with a signed agreement stating that she won’t hit him in the nuts. It was her olive branch, and it allowed her to apologize without having to say “I’m sorry.”

Yep. Definitely going to marry this woman; not that there was any doubt before.

Shaking her head vehemently, Charlotte says, “Oh, no. I don’t swim.”

He chokes on his coffee, the liquid staining his white shirt, and shoots me a panicked look. “What do you mean you don’t swim ?” he almost shouts, focused on her again. “You need to be wearing a life vest.”

“I can swim. I’m simply choosing not to swim here ,” she explains. “There are sharks, deep-sea dragonfish, decomposing pirate bodies… oh, and jellyfish. I have no interest in being stung by one. What if no one has to go pee so the venom can’t be neutralized? By the time one of you chugs enough water, I could succumb to toxic shock.”

Jesse blinks at me, then at my girlfriend. “Um… I guess.”

Charlotte shrugs, my brother’s opinion in no way, shape, or form changing her views. She sets up a striped towel while sipping on her iced honeycomb latte, then slips in her earbuds and tunes out the world around her. She looks like a Sports Illustrated rookie in her leopard-print swimsuit with a deep-V cut that shows off her ample cleavage.

“I’m happy for you two,” Jesse says with an earnest smile. “I know I said it was hypocritical of you to date her, but she’s really good for you.”

“Theo doesn’t think so,” I say with a wry smile.

He grunts and sits forward, his forearms resting on his knees and his paper cup dangling between them. “If anyone can sympathize with how it feels to be blindsided by a close friend, it’s you.”

Chuckling, I nod. “Touché. How have you been doing with everything post-breakup?”

I figure we may as well rip off the Band-Aid while everyone else is occupied. But based on the way he stares at me like I’ve grown a second head, and then a third, I don’t think he agrees.

“That’s what you want to talk about?”

“We’ve got to start somewhere.” I shrug. Charlotte suggested I do a wellness check, since despite Grayson’s determination to talk to me about it, I know absolutely no details regarding the breakup.

Straightening, he sighs and roughs a hand down his face. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m okay, I guess. I want kids and she doesn’t. We both thought the other one would change their mind, but after a while, when neither of us would budge… well, it is what it is. Breakups are never fun.”

“Imagine going through a breakup and then finding out your brother’s dating her,” I say, keeping my tone light.

“Not my finest moment.” He cringes. “I should’ve talked to you a long time ago. You’re not a mind reader, so I shouldn’t have expected you to know that I had feelings for her. I don’t even think I realized how much I liked her until you two started dating. I really am sorry.”

“I’m sorry, too,” I tell him. “You hurt me, yeah, but it was an unfortunate byproduct, not your intention. I could’ve talked to you, too, and I didn’t. I shut you out and made you the bad guy without taking any accountability. It didn’t occur to me that you ever felt second best. That’s not at all how I see you. You’re talented and smart and successful in your own right.”

“Thanks,” he replies with a shy smile. “Kylie never made me feel like a runner-up, despite your history with her, so I sort of leapt at my chance. I didn’t think about how much it would hurt you. You have so much going for you. I figured she wasn’t all that consequential.”

I take a long sip of my coffee and search my mind for the right words. “I think it was a shitty situation to begin with, and then we both fucked it up in the aftermath.”

“It’s my fault it happened.” Jesse frowns.

“And it’s my fault things got so bad that we can’t have a civil conversation and are forced to talk about weather.”

His responding laugh is light. “Fair enough. I’ve missed you, man, and not just because you have a fantastic ass—your girlfriend’s words, not mine.”

Dropping my chin to my chest, I give my head a shake. Of course she said that . “Are we good?”

Nodding, he stands and pulls me in for what Charlotte calls a “manly man hug.”

Naturally, Finn ruins the moment by yelling, “Stop being pussies and get your asses in the water already.”

“Calling someone a pussy is actually a compliment,” Willow tells him. “Not only do they push babies into the world, but they’re self-healing and self-cleaning. And they’re the epitome of endurance and strength. You should pick a new word if you’re trying to be derogatory.” She punctuates her lecture by splashing a handful of ocean water into Finn’s gaping mouth.

I turn to Jesse and pat his shoulder. “We’re going to need to keep an eye on them. ”

“If Finn and Ezra were going to off each other, it would’ve happened by now,” he points out.

“It’s not the twins I’m worried about.” I nod to the real-life Disney mermaid. “Willow’s the loose cannon.”

“Good point.” He sets his coffee down and pulls his shirt over his head. “I’m heading in, anyway, so I can play lifeguard. Want to join?”

I tip my head in Charlotte’s direction. “In a bit.”

He slaps me on the back before joining the others, and I head over to where my girlfriend is lounging. I stand over her, blocking the sun, and when she notices the shade enveloping her, she pushes her sunglasses down her nose and opens her eyes.

“Oh, hey,” she says, her lips spreading into a smile.

“Hey, yourself.” I squat next to her and push back a stray curl. “How do you feel? Need anything?”

“My levels are reading a bit high, but I took insulin before I ate, so I’m waiting to see if it helps,” she replies, squinting against the sun. “Do you mind filling up my water, though?”

“Course not.” I pick up her insulated bottle and stand. In a concerted effort to not be overbearing or make her feel incapable, I rarely check her blood sugar levels and instead support in little ways like getting her water when she asks. It may not be huge in the grand scheme of things, but Charlotte’s been handling her blood sugar swings and scares alone for years, so the fact that she’s letting me help with anything is a win.

When I return, I squeeze in next to her, lying on my stomach but propping myself up on my elbows.

“There are more towels, you know,” she tells me. “I’m sweaty and covered in sunscreen.”

“I don’t mind. I like being close to you.”

“Hmm…” Her lips twitch. “How was your talk with Jesse?”

“Good,” I reply. “Things will probably be a little awkward and uncertain for a while because we spent so long not talking, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

A guilty smile washes over her face, and she blurts out “I didn’t turn on any music, so I overheard everything.”

Head thrown back, I bark out a laugh. Honestly, I’m not the least bit surprised. “Any feedback?”

“Nope,” she confirms with a giggle. Sitting up, she picks up her phone, then she holds it out to me. “I made a list of questions in case things got awkward and you needed help, but you handled everything maturely.”

My smile grows with each bullet point I read. The last one has me chuckling. She’s right; she’s definitely my favorite person. Leaning down, I press my lips to hers. It’s a sweet, innocent kiss, but my cock throbs uncomfortably in my swim shorts regardless. At least I’m not wearing the monstrosity she bought me in Budapest .

“I’ve never had sex on my boat,” I murmur against her lips.

She bursts out laughing, the sound mixing with the light lapping of the waves against the hull. “Not happening. The boat may tip over.”

I pause, studying her face. “Roo, I may fuck you hard, but not hard enough to capsize a forty-five-foot sailboat.”

“Clearly, you’ve never heard the song ‘Rock the Boat,’ babe, because that’s exactly what they do.”

As a deep chuckle rumbles through me, I rest my forehead against hers. Most definitely marrying this woman.