Page 93 of Sexting the Coach

“Let’s see the rest of those texts,” Karlee says, reaching for my phone, but I pull it just out of reach, heat moving up into my face.

In the spirit of that first one Elsie sent me, there are many,manyof them that are only for her eyes.

“These are just for Elsie,” I say, winking at them, but when I look back into my fiancé’s eyes, she’s looking knowingly right back at me.

“Is that so?” she whispers, while everyone else cheers and pours champagne to celebrate the moment. “Well, I’d love to have you read them to me tonight.”

“Oh, I plan to,” I say, tugging her even closer into my body. “Did I not tell you Mabel and Hattie are keeping Mia over night?”

At first, Elsie’s eyes flash with trepidation, but then understanding dawns over her face, “You got us a hotel room?”

“King-sized bed. Hot tub.”

Elsie lets out a hum of approval, then leans forward to kiss me, her hand sliding the length of my arm and tapping at my phone. When she pulls back, she whispers, “I can’t wait.”

“To the lovely couple!” August says, raising his glass, and Elsie and I turn, finding glasses pushed toward us. We all raise them, the liquid glinting in the light of the setting San Francisco sun.

“To love,” Elsie says.

“To forgiveness,” Drew adds.

“To understanding,” Sandra tags along.

“And to family,” I finish, watching as the faces around me soften, my new family members smiling in my direction.

“Cheers!”