Back to the Beach (Hunt Family Book 4)

by Brooke St. James

  More than once, I was tempted to bring up the news about Nico's newfound faith because I knew Dee-dee and my mom would love hearing about it, but I didn’t say anything. He still hadn't called me, so I figured it was best to leave the subject alone.

  "Can we please go to Kirk's?" Ryan asked, giving her parents puppy dog eyes as we walked out of the restaurant.

  "No baby," Cody said. "We have to get home so you mom can feed Izzy."

  "She can feed her at Kirk's," Ryan said, smiling like that idea would solve everything.

  Cody shook his head. "You don't need to go out for ice cream. We have some chocolate at home. We might even have some ice cream there."

  "We do," Paige said.

  "Yeah, but not a banana split," Ryan said.

  "Ryan, don't beg," Cody said in a fatherly tone. "We just had a nice meal. You need to tell Dee-dee thank you for the spaghetti."

  "I could go for a banana split," I said, since that's just what aunts were supposed to do in this situation. Cody shot me a please don't look as Ryan cheered.

  "I'll take her," I said. "It's Saturday night. You guys can head back so Paige can feed Izzy, and Evan and I will take Ry in the Subaru to Kirk's."

  "I could go for some ice cream," Dee-dee said.

  Everyone else went back to the house, but Dee-dee rode with Evan and me to Kirk's to get ice cream with Ryan. We had already been there two other times that week, but it was one of our favorite places and this was our last night, so it was our duty to go again.

  Ryan got a whole banana split all to herself; we just made her promise to stop eating before she got a belly ache so we wouldn’t get in trouble with her parents.

  Dee-dee and Evan both ordered a sundae, and I got a strawberry milkshake. I sipped on it, but I had an unsettled feeling in my stomach wondering why Nico hadn't called. I knew it was silly for me to worry about it, but knowing it was silly and actually forgetting about it were two different things.

  I told myself I'd hear from him tomorrow, and if I didn't, then I'd send a casual text so that things wouldn't be awkward.

  Chapter 16

  Nico

  For the first time in his life, Nico Torres was straight with God. One of the downfalls to being born rich, handsome, and intelligent was that it was almost more difficult to understand the need for God in your life. But being around the Hunt family all week made Nico realize he was, indeed, missing something—something he couldn’t provide for himself.

  He had a heart-to-heart with Denise and the other Ritchies on their way back from Myrtle Beach, which gave him a greater understanding of what he'd been missing. It seemed odd to him that confessing and believing could be such an easy process, but it was, and he did it with no shame or regrets.

  They were flying in a private jet that Logan had chartered, and were just about to land at LAX when he made another decision. This one was about Mia. He felt so terrible about leaving without saying goodbye to her that, while they were traveling, the words sort of just randomly came out of his mouth for no reason at all. There was about thirty minutes to go before their arrival in Los Angeles when he said, "I feel sick about not saying goodbye to Mia."

  He hadn't even meant to say it, but he was literally feeling physical symptoms from it, so it came out of his mouth unwittingly.

  "Why don't you just go back?" Charlotte asked.

  Nico sent her a look like she must be crazy for saying such a thing.

  "What?" she said, giggling at his face. "They're still at the house till tomorrow. Why don't you just go back and tell her goodbye if it's bothering you so bad."

  Nico stared at her unflinching expression, wondering if she could possibly be serious. "I have a huge closing on Monday," he said.

  She shrugged. "It's just Saturday. You could turn around as soon as we get to L.A., go tell her goodbye, and easily be back in California for Monday."

  The corner of his mouth turned up as the idea sunk in. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it himself. The sick feeling he was experiencing vanished the instant he made up his mind. He had to get back to her—even if it was only to give her a decent goodbye.

  It took some major shuffling, but Nico found a flight plan that worked for his schedule. He would hop on a commercial flight from LAX to Charlotte—there was one scheduled to depart just a half-hour after they touched down. Then, for the short trip from Charlotte to Myrtle Beach, he would charter a small private jet. It would cost him an arm and a leg, but at this point there was no other choice. Money was no object. His itinerary had him arriving in Myrtle Beach at 7:15 that evening, and he would fly home the next day at noon so that he could get back for work on Monday as planned.

  This would give them the chance to have a decent farewell and talk about when they could see each other in the future. Because, honestly, not seeing her in the future wasn't an option. There was no way to be certain about how it would all work out, but Nico knew he needed to see more of Mia than just on the occasional family trip.

  He rented a car at the Myrtle Beach airport and drove it to Dee-dee's beach house, feeling like he was in a haze after doing so much traveling. He expected to find the whole family there when he arrived, but instead he found an empty house. He knew they weren't planning on heading back to Charlotte until the next afternoon, so he was perplexed about no one being there. He had planned on surprising Mia in person, but he almost broke down and called her to make sure they hadn't gone home early. He glanced through one of the windows and could see that their stuff was still everywhere, so he decided to wait for them to come back instead of ruining the surprise.

  Nico told himself he'd give them half-an-hour, and if they didn't return, he'd call her. He sat in a chair on the front porch in an expectant position with his elbows resting on his knees as he answered a few work emails. He absolutely couldn't wait to see her. The feeling of relief he had from simply knowing they were in the same town was undeniable.

  It was just after 7:30 when a few cars pulled into the driveway. Nico stood on the front porch and watched as the family got out of their vehicles and approached the house. There were a lot of them—Willow and Andy, and their kids, Dan and Dave, and their wives along with Cody, Paige, and the baby. There were plenty of people headed toward him, but none of them were Mia.

  The front porch came off of the main level of the house, which meant it was set up on piers. Nico could clearly see the whole family from his higher vantage point as they approached, and it was clear that Mia was not with them.

  "Where's Mia?" he asked.

  All of them looked at him when he spoke.

  "What are you doing here?" Cody asked.

  "I thought you left this morning," Christy added in a sweet but curious tone.

  Nico waited until the family came onto the porch to respond. Dave and his side of the family greeted Nico warmly, but went on into the house as if assuming Nico would follow them. He stood against the rail, waiting for Mia's side of the family to ascend the stairs so he could talk to them before heading inside.

  "Where's Mia?" Nico repeated once Cody came up the stairs.

  Paige unexpectedly reached out and hugged Nico when she passed him. "I'm glad you're here," she said. "I know Mia's gonna be excited to see you."

  He felt relieved at her statement since somewhere inside he feared she had gone back to Charlotte or she wouldn't want to see him, or both.

  Paige reached out to take the car seat from Cody. "I'll let you boys talk and I'll take Isabel inside to eat."

  Christy did the same thing when she came up the stairs. She reached out to hug Nico, although hers wasn't accompanied with any news about Mia. He was dying to know where she was.

  Dan, Christy, and Cody let the door close behind Paige and the baby and stayed on the porch to talk to Nico. "Mia and Evan took Ryan to get some ice cream," Christy explained sweetly. "They should be back in just a little bit."

  "I thought you were on a plane to California," Dan said jovially as he clapped a hand on Nico's shoulde
r.

  "I was," Nico explained. "But then I got on another plane that was headed back here."

  "Forgot something?" Cody asked.

  "Yeah," Nico said, looking straight at him. Nico sighed as if he was contemplating what he should say next. "Listen Cody, I know you're just looking out for Mia or whatever. I have two younger sisters, so I understand completely. But I'm not gonna let you tell me I can't be with her."

  The two of them stared at each other for a few seconds.

  "You told Nico he couldn’t go out with your sister?" Christy asked.

  "I told him he doesn't deserve her, which he doesn't," Cody said, still staring at Nico.

  "Cody Hunt!" Christy said. "That's not nice at all."

  "What's not nice is that Mia gets her heart broken every time she sees this guy," he said, gesturing to Nico.

  Nico held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "I'm not here to hurt Mia," he said. "It's the opposite, in fact. I love her, and I'd do anything in my power to see that she doesn't get hurt." He paused, but continued before Cody could say anything. "If anything, you're the one hurting her by telling me to leave her alone."

  "Cody that's ridiculous," Dan said. "How would you feel if someone tried to tell you that you couldn't be with Paige?"

  Cody shook his head. "They wouldn't. I wouldn't let that happen."

  "Exactly," Dan said.

  "It's not the same," Cody said. "I'm good to Paige. I don’t cheat on her."

  "What makes you think I'm going to cheat on Mia?" Nico asked.

  The question made Cody give him an incredulous look that Nico returned.

  "Son, you can't go around ordering your sister's life around," Dan said.

  "You're the ones who always taught us about being with someone who loves God," Cody said, trying to turn it back on his parents. "He just doesn’t have the same values we have."

  Dan put his arm around his wife and kissed her on the forehead. They smiled at each other before focusing on Cody again. "Cody, when I met your mother, she was not the same woman you see in front of you right now. Where do you think Evan gets his wild streak?"

  "Mom was wild?" Cody asked with a skeptical expression.

  "As wild as they come," Dan said.

  "What are you saying?" Cody asked.

  "I'm saying that nobody's too far gone to experience change and forgiveness."

  "Not that it's any of your business," Nico interjected, staring straight at Cody. "But I'm good with God now. I'm not saying I'm perfect, but I understand forgiveness, and I'm definitely not looking to hurt your sister."

  Christy Hunt let out a whimper and sank her face into her hand. It wasn't until Nico looked at her that he could see that she was tearing up. "That's so sweeeet," she said in a high-pitched tone as Dan squeezed her and hugged her shoulders.

  "He's right about it being none of your business," Dan said, looking at Cody. "I'm glad you love your sister and you're looking out for her, but that's really not your job."

  Christy sniffled and wiped at her eyes before reaching out to give Nico a big hug. He hadn't been expecting it, so he came across as a little stiff at first, but he wrapped his arm around her, patting her on the back.

  "If you hurt her, so help me…" Cody said, crossing his arms in front of his chest like he wasn't yet convinced.

  "So help me if you hurt her, Cody," Nico said.

  "What do you mean by that? I'd never hurt her."

  "You're hurting her by keeping her from me," Nico said.

  Christy let out another whimper and squeezed her eyes shut as she sank her head into her hand. "Dave and Denise didn’t want your father with me, either," she whispered through the tears. "They said I wasn't right for him and it wouldn't last. They did everything they could to discourage me from going out with him."

  "And look where we are," Dan said, holding his wife of thirty years by the shoulders.

  Cody let out a resigned sigh as he stared at Nico. They shared some extended eye contact where a lot of words were exchanged in silence.

  "I love her," Nico said, finally.

  Another wheezing wail came from Christy's general direction as she continued to cover her face.

  "I can't predict exactly what will happen in our future," Nico continued, still looking at Cody since Dan and Christy seemed to be onboard. "But I would do anything in my power to make her happy. It would make me happy if someone with my intentions wanted to marry one of my little sisters, if that makes any sense."

  "It makes perfect sense," Christy said, smiling as she wiped at her eyes. She pointed at her son. "You need to apologize," she said.

  Cody gave her a look of someone who was wrongly accused. "Me?"

  "Yes, you."

  "I was just trying to protect my sister," he said.

  "That's not your job," Dan said. "At least not in this capacity."

  Cody sighed and regarded Nico as if trying to work up the nerve to say he was sorry. "I apologize for butting in," he said with a hand extended for Nico to shake.

  Nico reached out and shook it. "Hey, I'm glad she has you to look out for her." A smile crossed his face. "She just doesn't need to be protected from me." He hesitated. "Maybe she needed to be protected from the old me, but she definitely doesn't need to be protected from me now."

  Christy squealed with delight and hugged Nico again. "I can't believe you came all the way back."

  "I can't either," Cody added, teasing him.

  Nico reached out and punched Cody's shoulder, and Cody laughed and shook his head as if he might just deserve it.

  "I'm gonna go down to the beach," Nico said. "Send her down there when she gets home if you don't mind."

  "We will," Christy promised.

  Chapter 17

  I was standing over Ryan's shoulder watching her lose tragically at Pac-man when my phone started ringing. I had been on high-alert waiting for Nico's call, so it only took me about half-a-second to get the phone out of my purse.

  The word "Mom" was written across the screen, and I tried my best not to be disappointed about it.

  "Hey, Mom," I said, putting the phone to my ear.

  "Hey, honey, where are y'all at?"

  "Kirk's," I said. She didn't respond right away, so I said, "Why?"

  "Because I think Cody's anxious for Ryan to get home," she said. "It's getting close to her bath time."

  I pulled the phone away from my ear just more enough to glance down at the clock. "It's barely 8 o'clock, and it's Saturday night. Tell Cody to just chill for a few seconds."

  "You know how they have a routine," she said.

  "I know, but we've only been here for like ten minutes. It won't kill her to take her bath a little later one night."

  "Did you even order yet?" Mom asked.

  "Yes, Mom, we're done with our ice cream. Ryan just wanted to play a couple of video games."

  "Well, I think you should probably be getting back."

  I let out a groan. "Dee-dee's not even finished with her sundae yet. Tell Cody we'll come when she finishes."

  "All right, but don't be long, and come straight home."

  "Yes ma'am," I said, with only the slightest sarcastic edge.

  "Okay, bye," she said.

  "Bye."

  I put my phone in my purse and glanced at Dee-dee with wide eyes.

  "Who was that?" she asked.

  "Mom. She said Cody's in a hurry to get Ryan home."

  Evan overheard me saying that and made a disapproving noise. "Doesn't he know a girl needs to party on Saturday nights?" he asked, tickling Ryan who wiggled and giggled on her stool, but kept playing the game.

  "Well, we shouldn't disobey Daddy," Dee-dee said, scraping the last morsel of sundae out of her cup.

  "We can disobey for one more game," Evan said as he pulled the last of his quarters out of his pocket. Ryan beamed at him and took the coins out of his hand before feeding them to the machine.

  We took a long-cut home just to teach Cody a lesson for being so uptight about
bath time. Dee-dee wasn't onboard with our plan, but Evan and I were both stubborn like that—and what was an extra five minutes, anyway?

  The whole family was downstairs when we arrived, and everybody looked at us like they'd been anxiously awaiting our arrival.

  "What took y'all so long?" Mom said from the kitchen.

  "Nothing," I said. I looked at my brother who was sitting on the couch with his feet propped up like he didn't have a care in the world.

  "She's gonna be all right if she takes her bath five minutes late," I said.

  He shrugged and looked at me like I was a lunatic.

  "I got a whole banana split," Ryan said.

  "She didn't eat the whole thing," Dee-dee assured everyone.

  "Almooost," Ryan said.

  We were all standing by the front door, taking off our shoes and I shot her a conspiratorial glance, which made her smile.

  "It wasn't very big, though," she said.

  "Do you remember Logan's friend, Nico?" my mom asked randomly, coming to stand in the open space between the living room and the kitchen.

  My heart stopped beating when I heard his name. I stopped breathing. "Do I remember him?" I asked, staring at her as if she must be kidding. "He was just here in the house with us."

  The whole family was staring at me, and I could feel my face turning red.

  "Did you like him?" my mom asked.

  "Christy, don't put the poor girl on the spot," Dee-dee said. She and Evan both stepped in front of me to make their way into the house, but I just stood there in the entryway, unable to move from the onslaught of random questions from my mom.

  "What?" I asked, even though I had clearly heard my mom.

  "Did you like him?" my dad asked, adding to the already surreal situation.

  I looked at both of them with what must have been a comically confused face, because they both smiled.

  "Do you want to see him again?" Cody asked.

  I threw my hands in the air. "What kind of question is that?"