Page 33 of Enchant Me

“Come on, Syl,” Jamie presses. “You’d be there, too. And I bet Jackson’s just as wild in bed. And I know Ryan is.” She leans back, clearly pleased with herself. “Sounds like a seriously great night all around to me.”

“Does she have an off button?”

I shake my head. “Sadly, I’ve never found one.”

“It’s my quality,” Jamie says.

Sylvia peers at her. “Your what?”

“That je ne sais quoi that makes me so lovable.”

“Being an obnoxious bitch is your quality?”

Jamie glares at me, though she’s obviously holding back a laugh. “Girls! Come bury your mommy in the sand.”

My two and Ronnie squeal, then start heading my way, kicking up sand. I climb to my feet and race the other direction, then get tumbled down by a pack of wild girls, laughing my ass off and thankful that after so many years, I love my friends even more now than I did when we were all single.

10

The smell of bacon frying pulls me from the sweetest dream in which Damien kissed me all the way down my body, then traced words all over my body with his fingertip.

I stretch, wanting to stay in place and enjoy the aroma and the memory, but even though I’m on vacation, there are things to do, so I sit up, toss the sheets aside, and then laugh out loud, when I see the little heart right over my sex— a heart with an arrow and N&D inside.

I take a picture, then text it to my husband.

I like what I woke up to. Can’t wait to properly thank the artist.

I’m in a meeting. This text is the highlight.

Hopefully only to you.

Always only mine.

I send him a kiss emoji, then close my phone. Awake and happy, I head to the kitchen to greet the rest of the family, then find the kids and Bree in the kitchen. Gregory’s there, too, which surprises me as most mornings he’s invisible as he goes about overseeing the gardeners, repairmen, and cleaning staff.

“Good morning, everyone. Is this a special day?”

“We decided to do up breakfast,” Gregory says. “Bacon, eggs, and…” he adds with a look to Anne.

“Choca pipcakes!” she squeals. She’s old enough now to say it properly, of course, but I’m pretty sure she’ll be having choca pipcakes in bed on her honeymoon.

“Thanks, Gregory,” I say, taking the plate of eggs and bacon he passes to me. I settle at the table between Anne and Bradley and across from Bree, who’s frowning at her phone. “Something wrong?”

“Another rejection. I’m not sure if I’m querying the wrong agents or if my writing sucks.”

“I read it, remember? It’s a long way from sucking. Damien and I both loved it. So did Jamie. Hell, she said she could see it as a movie.”

“I just want to see it as a book.”

“It’s not an easy career to break into.”

“I know.” She takes a deep breath, then repeats, “I know,” and this time, she sounds less defeated. “I knew it would be a long haul—everyone said so. I guess I just hoped I’d be the exception.”

“Everyone hopes that. Unfortunately, not everyone can be. That would defeat the whole exception thing.”

She rolls her eyes at me, but I can also tell she’s fighting a laugh. “Maybe you should ask Evelyn,” I suggest. “I don’t think she represents authors, but surely she knows agents who do.”

“I thought about it,” Bree says. “But it seemed weird. Like crossing a line.”