Barefoot in the Sun (Barefoot Bay)(68)

At fifteen hundred feet she turned off the main burner and the loud hissing stopped, bathing them all in a shocking silence that was almost instantly filled with gasps of delight from the passengers.

From behind her Oliver wrapped his arms around her, and she let her head drop onto his shoulder. “My goodness, you are one calm flyer,” she said.

“I’m in good hands.”

“And so am I. Very, very good hands.”

He squeezed her a little. “How’s Junior holding up?”

“Shhh,” she said, glancing over at Tessa. She was pouring champagne, but sound traveled in this silence.

“Come on, Zoe, let’s tell her. She’s your friend and she’s going to be happy for us.”

“I know but…the only thing she hates more than secrets is her BFFs getting pregnant.”

“She’s going to be furious you kept another one from her, then.”

“I can’t tell her now.”

“You love to give away your secrets in the sky,” he whispered.

He was right; she couldn’t wait another minute. What better place than up in the clouds, warmed by the sun and—Whoa!

Another unexpected gust buffeted the basket, knocking everyone a little sideways.

Oliver’s eyes widened. “Is that normal?”

She managed a smile and a nod, then went over to the passengers and made sure they were calm. And so was Oliver, who leaned over the side of the basket and looked straight down at the eastern side of Barefoot Bay.

“Look at that foundation,” he said. “That house is going to be amazing.”

She stepped to the edge of the basket to see the first wave of construction of their new home, the waterfront lot trimmed by a hundred tiny hummocks and islands and threaded with narrow, shallow canals. “That house is going to be a home,” she said softly. “Our home.”

“You, me, our kids, our dogs, our whole life.”

“Kids? Plural?” Tessa was right next to them, surprising Zoe.

For a moment, the two women didn’t speak as Zoe’s stomach—and the baby inside it—took a little dive at the look on Tessa’s face.

“I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“Really?” Tessa raised both brows. “ ’Cause I figured you were waiting until labor and delivery.”

“You know?”

She rolled her eyes. “You might love a good secret, but your fiancé hasn’t been able to wipe the smile off his face for two months.”

“She wanted me to wait to tell anyone.”

Tessa waved her hand. “You’re off the hook. Evan spilled the lima beans.”

“Evan knows?”

“You guys suck at secrets.” She leaned over and pressed her cheek against Zoe’s. “Congrats, my dear friend. I’m thrilled for you.”

“Really?”

“Really. I love babies.” She grinned. “I’m having one myself.”

“What?” Zoe and Oliver asked the question in perfect unison.

Tessa laughed. “Not all by myself,” she said. “I’m interviewing surrogates.”

“A surrogate mother?” Zoe asked. “What about the father?”

“He’s on his way.”

The basket swayed in the wind, making Zoe grab the side. “When? Who is it?”

Tessa angled her head. “I don’t know yet. But Pasha told me a long time ago he’d be here after the next blue moon.”

“Are you sure she wasn’t drinking a Blue Moon?” Zoe asked.

“And reading the beer foam?” Oliver teased.

“Joke all you want, but a lot of her predictions have come true, and you two are proof of that.”

The basket listed left, then right, earning another whoop from the wedding party.

“Here’s to love!” the best man called out. All the champagne glasses shot into the air, the crystal clinking.

“To love!”

Zoe looked up at Oliver. “To love.”

He kissed her. “To love.”

Tessa smiled. “To the next blue moon.” She scooped up the champagne bottle and made her way to the passengers to refill the empty glasses.

Zoe turned to Oliver. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world and I’m the luckiest guy on earth. And I’m not even scared even though we are basically suspended in midair, held by nothing but more air.”

She laughed. “I meant about Tessa.”

He angled his head, considering it. “I think what Pasha probably said was that love is rare and only happens once in a blue moon.”

“You really don’t think her predictions were true?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, I, for one, will be watching the men who come in contact with Tessa from now on.”

He pulled her closer. “Hey, the only man you should be watching is the one in front of you.”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him one more time. “I am.”

“And not just once in a blue moon. Forever.”

“And ever.”

“You promise?” he asked. “You’ll love me forever and never leave?”

She waited a moment for a voice in her head to tell her what to do.

Run, Zoe, run.

But all she heard was sweet, blissful silence. “I promise.”





While all her friends have

found love, Tessa Galloway

has just about lost hope.



But a mysterious visitor to Barefoot

Bay might be just what she needs—

if his tattoos and secrets don’t

scare her away first. . .



Please turn this page for a preview of





Barefoot by the Sea.





I could just walk up to a man and ask for sperm.” Tessa picked up her bottle to punctuate her statement with a sip of cold beer but froze midway as she took in the reaction around the booth. “Guys, that was a joke.”

Next to her, Jocelyn gave a thoughtful shrug and leaned in to make her point over the din of the Toasted Pelican crowd. “You never know. They love to give that stuff away.”

“Absolutely,” Lacey agreed from across the table, her topaz eyes lit with enthusiasm instead of humor. “Knowing your donor takes all the guess work out of it. What you see is what you get, unlike anonymous sperm.”

“Sperrrrrm.” Zoe made a disgusted face, her gaze drifting over the action in the bar. “Couldn’t man’s life-force have a more inviting name? You know, like ‘chocolate’ or ‘cabernet’?”

“ ‘Baby juice’?” Jocelyn suggested.

“ ‘Liquid gold,’ ” Lacey added.

“ ‘Nature’s protein smoothie,’ ” Tessa said dryly.

That made Zoe laugh, but she didn’t take her eyes off the crowd. “Always thinking healthy, aren’t you, Tess?”

Tessa waved her beer bottle to move the conversation along and prove that even she could have the occasional lapse in clean living.

“Let’s go back to the chef problem, Lace,” she said. “That’s why we all stole away from the resort to talk tonight. Thanksgiving’s in a few weeks, Casa Blanca is booking up, and we still haven’t found the right chef. We’ll worry about donors after the holidays. This is our first true season and—”

“Tess.” Lacey reached across the table. “It took you a long time to find a surrogate who meets your exacting standards. You know if you don’t act fast she’ll be scooped up by someone else.”

“I harvested my eggs.” Defensiveness lifted Tessa’s voice.

“Sorry, hon.” Zoe tore her attention from the bar, lifting her bottle of water and giving it a shake. “That test-tube cocktail ain’t got no buzz without the right mixer.”

“Ugh, test tubes are so clinical,” Jocelyn groaned. “I still think you should try the old-fashioned way.”

Of course they’d all think she should. Her best friends were falling in bed every night with the men they loved. Lacey had a baby and Zoe’s was due in six months. No doubt Jocelyn would be next.

“Listen, I tried the old-fashioned way for ten years with my ex-husband.” Tessa fought to keep any bitterness out of her tone but might have failed. “And as you know, he’s now the father of two. And I’m…” Alone. “Obviously not capable of getting pregnant by traditional methods.”

“But Joss is right,” Lacey insisted. “Maybe your infertility was Billy’s fault.”

Tessa angled her head and gave her a ‘get real’ look. “Tell that to his two children.”