"Life's a Beach (4/4)" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic (sequel to Catch the Wave)
Title: Life's a Beach (4/4) - sequel to Catch the Wave (it's necessary to read this first!)
Co-author: sharon_ray
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor, Rusty,
Rating: T
Word Count: 2, 721
Disclaimer: Not our characters or television show
A/N: rococoms is at it again, sending us irresistible prompts! This time she asked for: Follow up fic. Rusty stressed about trial. Sharon stressed about Rusty. Andrea takes Sharon and Rusty to Hawaii or Catalina for vacation. Return of the big floppy hat. She buys Andrea one after she gets burned in the sun. Pool bars. Cabanas. Hikes through rainforest. We hope you like it! As always, thanks to my co-author of awesome. Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three
“I can’t believe you brought the floppy hat with you,” Rusty muttered in the backseat of their rental. “Andrea, tell her it’s ridiculous. You two are already dating so you don’t have to pretend to like it anymore,” he implored. Beside him, Justin was biting his fist to keep from laughing.
Sharon glared at him in the reflection of the rearview mirror.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I thought it was adorable,” Andrea said, “And by the way, lying to an attractive woman won’t get you a date with her, it’ll get you a death wish,” she said seriously. “That goes for anyone you want to date, really, man or woman.”
Sharon rested her hand on Andrea’s thigh and watched Rusty and Justin in the rear view mirror “You both better watch it, or I’ll buy you floppy hats.”
“Okay, okay, Aunt Sharon. We like the hat.” Justin was quick to compliment her, patting her on the shoulder to calm her down as her laughed with Rusty. He had taken to calling her Aunt Sharon after the first few months she and Andrea got together. She liked it; it made her feel like she and Andrea really were an inseparable, recognized, legitimate unit.
“Thank you, Justin.” She laughed as she watched the two boys nudge each other in the back seat.
“We’re here,” Andrea announced as she successfully maneuvered their rented van into a narrow parking space. “Get the boards out!” She didn’t have to ask twice, the boys were already hastily unbuckling their seatbelts and rushing to drag their surfboards out of the back of the van. Andrea took a moment to lean forward and kiss the tip of Sharon’s nose. “I do find you adorable in this hat. Thank goodness you wore it, otherwise I’d be staring at your bathing suit the entire time,” she teased.
Sharon smacked her playfully on her thigh, then caught her lips with her own. “Thank you for bringing us here. I haven’t seen Rusty this happy in weeks, Andrea.”
“I’m glad he’s having fun so far. We needed this,” Andrea said. “Just wait until we take them hiking tomorrow though, they may hate us by the time we’re done with them.”
“From what I’ve heard, the views of the volcano totally counteract the physical effects of the hike,” Sharon laughed, “but I may hate you by the end of it too.”
“I’ll massage your legs after,” Andrea purred, “I promise.” She was about to lean in for another kiss when a sharp knock against the hood of the van interrupted her. Her nephew and Rusty were glaring at them impatiently, clutching their boards and backpacks. “We’re being summoned, let’s go before they make us go surfing,” she laughed.
***
The view from their towels on the beach was magnificent. There was something about the sand, the sun, and the aroma from the flora that grew nearby that made Sharon feel so decadent. The boys were wreaking havoc in the water and Sharon had to admire how much they’d both learned in the last several months from their lessons. They navigated the waves with practiced ease, watching them became less stressful for her now that she was confident in their abilities.
Next to her, Andrea was sprawled out on her towel, soaking up the sun. Her hair was turning a lovely platinum blonde, but her skin, which usually tanned nicely, was starting to burn. Sharon brushed her hand lightly across Andrea’s shoulder. “Andrea? Did you re-apply sunscreen?” she asked.
Andrea, who was lying on her back, lifted her head up slightly to address her. “No, why? I’m usually good with just one application.”
“You’re starting to burn,” Sharon informed her, “your back is turning red.”
Andrea laughed. “I don’t burn,” she said, brushing off Sharon’s concern, “I’m fine Sharon, really.”
“No, honey, really. Your back is burning, and even if you don’t normally burn, it’s dangerous for anyone to forgo wearing sunscreen.” Sharon chided, pulling the tube of lotion out of her bag. “Just put my mind at ease and let me at least re-apply it to your back?”
Andrea leaned over and kissed the corner of Sharon’s mouth. “You’re just looking for an excuse to rub me in public. Sharon Raydor, you shady lady,” she teased, sitting up so she could flip over. “I will turn over, is that okay, Captain?”
Sharon rolled her eyes and tossed the sunscreen back into her beach bag. “Whatever. It’s your back, Andrea, just remember that it will be you in pain later.”
“Yes my love,” Andrea chuckled.
Sharon turned her attention back to the boys, who were riding wave after wave as the tide came in. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling. She couldn’t begin to put into coherent thought how nice it was to be on a beach, without her cell phone, with the love of her life, watching Rusty act like a carefree kid with her honorary nephew.
After a while, Justin and Rusty came in and collapsed next to Sharon and Andrea in two exhausted heaps. “That. Was. Awesome.” Rusty smiled up at his foster mom as he laid his head on the edge of her towel, soaking her thigh with his hair. Sharon’s heart swelled as she watched him; this was the closest he’d allowed himself to get to her in a while.
“I’m so glad you’re having fun, Rusty,” she said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder. She dared, after a moment, to softly brush the wet hair off of his forehead. Rusty watched her for a moment, then afforded her a small smile.
“Love you, Sharon,” he muttered, almost quiet enough that she didn’t hear it. Sharon squeezed his shoulder. It was a small gesture, but as they watched each other, they both knew. Things were going to be okay.
“I love you, too, Rusty. Very much,” she said, just as softly.
Andrea watched their exchange with pride, her heart swelled to see them both so happy and carefree. “I don’t know about you boys, but I’m starving,” she said after a moment, “why don’t we head back to the cottage and have us an early dinner? We’ll pick something up on the way back?”
The boys nodded in agreement and began to pick up their things and stuff their towels in to their beach bags. Andrea extended a hand to Sharon, helping her to stand. Sharon moved closer to her as soon as she was on her feet, wrapping her arms around her.
“Thank you,” she said seriously, kissing Andrea on the cheek. “This was exactly what he needed.”
Andrea grinned at Sharon and kissed her on the lips in response. “Come on, let’s go home honey.”
***
Sharon walked out of the bathroom, a plush white towel wrapped around her nude, slim figure. It had been a lovely day at the beach, but she was happy to get the sand off of her. “It’s gorgeous out here,” she muttered as she met Andrea on the balcony, admiring the view.
Andrea turned to her, then did a double take. “Why do you do that?” she laughed, pointing at Sharon in the towel. “You obviously enjoy torturing me,” she sighed. Andrea moved to wrap her arms around Sharon, but she was a little stiffer than she was earlier in the day and it showed.
Sharon frowned. “Andrea? Are you okay?” she rubbed her hands up and down Andrea’s back through the soft cotton of her tank top. This time, Andrea’s wince was unmistakable. “You’re burnt! I told you!” she exclaimed, “How bad is it?”
Andrea rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around Sharon. “I’m fine. It isn’t that bad, if it’s even really a burn. Which, I don’t think it is,” she countered, glaring down at Sharon, “I never burn,” she repeated stubbornly.
“You never burn in LA, maybe, but we are in Hawaii, and you were in the sun for hours, and you only put sunscreen on once. You’re burnt,” Sharon chided, moving to lift up Andrea’s shirt. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed when she saw the red, peeling skin of Andrea’s back, “Andrea!”
“I’m fine,” Andrea insisted. But Sharon just rolled her eyes and went back to the bathroom in search of the aloe vera she had packed for their trip.
“Shirt off, on the bed, face down,” she gritted out, annoyed.
“You know, usually when you say that we’re about to have a lot more fun than we’re going to right now,” Andrea complained as she lifted her shirt above her head, with some difficulty, and reached behind her back to unsnap her bra. She did as Sharon said and lay down on the mattress, sighing as she did. Why on earth did Sharon have to be right this time? There was absolutely no way Sharon as going to let her live this one down; not any time soon, anyway.
“You’ll be lucky if we have any of that sort of fun with your back like this,” Sharon snapped as she spread a generous amount of the aloe vera across Andrea’s back. Leave it to Andrea to roll her tankini up all the way, to make sure the sunburn on her back was spread evenly.
“What?” Andrea jerked her head up, then hissed as the sudden movement irritated the burn on the back of her neck.
“Head down,” Sharon instructed, “your neck is burnt too. I’ve got to say Hobbs, when you do something, you certainly don’t do it half-assed,” she sighed.
“Part of my charm,” Andrea mumbled into the pillow.
“You can’t turn over, you’re going to have to sleep on your stomach tonight with the sheets turned down,” she said irritably. Sharon preferred to sleep with the sheets up to her chin; that was going to be difficult with Andrea’s burn tonight.
“I had plans tonight,” Andrea said miserably, “and they involved each of us being flat on our backs at some point in the evening.”
Sharon laughed at the pathetic, contrived look Andrea threw her way. “No. I am not irritating that burn. As it is, it’s going to be worse tomorrow.” Sharon got off of the bed and bent over her luggage to retrieve a dusty-rose baby-doll and a pair of panties.
Andrea watched, dry mouthed, as Sharon changed into the alluring sleepwear in front of her. “That’s new,” she croaked.
“Yes, I bought it for this trip,” Sharon said nonchalantly. She walked back to the bed, with a deliberate sway of her hips. “If you’re a good girl and you listen to me, your back will feel better in a few days time. You may even get to enjoy me in this at some point.”
As she lowered herself onto the mattress, Andrea tugged her closer, ignoring the pain as her burnt skin was stretched with the movement. They arranged themselves so that Andrea’s head was pillowed on Sharon’s chest, and her arm was wrapped around Sharon’s baby-doll clad waist. “I will wear sunscreen tomorrow,” she promised seriously into the swell of Sharon’s cleavage, “and I will sit in the shade and re-apply the damn lotion every hour.”
Sharon chuckled, and planted a kiss on the top of Andrea’s sun-kissed locks. “Yes dear.”
***
Sharon moved among the racks of clothing and souvenirs in the tourist shop as she waited for Rusty and Justin to make their purchases. What they could possibly need in preparation for going up the side of a volcano she didn’t know, but she wasn’t about to question two teenage boys when she was the one who was outnumbered. As she moved along the back of the shop, she spotted them; the solution to Andrea’s recent sunburn issue. Smirking to herself at the irony, she quickly sought the attention of the shopkeeper and purchased the item and stuffed it into her beach bag as quickly as she could without the boys seeing.
“Sharon, we’re ready,“ Rusty called out as the boys exited the shop with their stuff, then waited for her outside, “Do you think Andrea will be ready when we get back to the house?”
“Oh, yes, she was just moving a little slow this morning, but she’ll be ready,” she smiled, resting a hand on either one of the boys shoulders as she sauntered back down the road with them. “I think she’s learned her lesson by now, and will be applying generous amounts of sunscreen to her body before she thinks about stepping foot outside.”
The boys snickered as they followed Sharon back into the van for the short trip back to the cottage. “So this hike thing today, we’re going on a real volcano?” Rusty asked as he fiddled with his iPhone in the front seat next to Sharon, trying to snap photos out the window as she drove.
“Yes, apparently,” Sharon mused, “though it’s been inactive for some time, I believe... or, I hope. It should be a nice little hike. It supposed to take a couple of hours one way.”
“Sounds like fun.” Justin grinned as he unbuckled his seatbelt when Sharon parked the car outside their rented cottage. Andrea was sitting on the stairs, her back hunched forward as she read her book.
Sharon kissed Andrea on the top of her head and squeezed her shoulder as gently as she could. “You ready to go, honey? I just need to grab the lunch bags before we head out.”
Andrea winced slightly as Sharon touched her shoulder. “Yup, I’m all packed,” she said, her smile looking more like a grimace.
“Did you re-apply the aloe vera?” Sharon asked.
“Yes, and the sunscreen. And my skin feels like it has a few extra layers now thanks to the lotion and the goo.”
Sharon shook her head and laughed. “Well, I bought you something for the hike today to help with your sunburn,” Sharon said. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that could only mean trouble.
“Oh god. Sharon, what did you do?” Andrea asked, a little bit afraid of her girlfriend.
“What?” Sharon said with feigned innocence. “Do you want your present or not?” she narrowed her eyes at Andrea, indicating that if Andrea wanted to continue sharing that luxurious bed with her, she was going to answer in the affirmative.
“Yes, please,” Andrea said carefully.
Sharon retrieved the oversized, floppy hat from the bag. It was deep, burnt orange and white striped and made from paper with a thick ribbon around the dome. All in all, Sharon thought she’d done a good job of capturing Andrea’s personality if Andrea were a silly floppy hat, that is; classic and elegant, but eccentric and unique at the same time.
Andrea accepted her gift and put it on her head, turning left and right. “Well? How do I look?” she asked playfully.
Sharon had meant for the hat to be a joke, a gag gift, but she had to admit, the colour and style of the hat looked quite lovely on the blonde. “Adorable,” Sharon pronounced as she leaned forward to kiss Andrea. Behind her she could hear the boys snickering.
“Great,” Justin muttered to Rusty, “Now we’ve got two of them.”
Rusty nudged Justin. “Dude, re-apply the sunscreen. I’m not wearing a hat like that.”
“Dude, trust me, the hat will be the least of your worries,” Andrea grimaced as she imitated the boys’ tone and language.
“Well, I did pick up something else for you boys,” Sharon said seriously. The boys looked at each other, then at Sharon, in utter horror. Andrea bit her lower lip to stifle her laughter. Sharon retrieved the souvenirs from inside the bag, and the boys relaxed visibly. “They’re key chains for your car keys,” she said with a smirk, “What did you think I bought?”
Rusty and Justin took their gifts with matching, relieved, grins. “Nothing Sharon,” Rusty said with contrived innocence.
“Thanks, this is great,” Justin added.
The four of them gathered their bags and reloaded the van. Just as Rusty and Justin were getting into the backseat, Justin caught Rusty’s elbow. “Don’t worry, I hear the trails up the mountain get be windy. And if it’s an active volcano...” he trailed off grinning.
“Sweet,” Rusty said, snickering the whole way to the volcano.
Co-author: sharon_ray
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor, Rusty,
Rating: T
Word Count: 2, 721
Disclaimer: Not our characters or television show
A/N: rococoms is at it again, sending us irresistible prompts! This time she asked for: Follow up fic. Rusty stressed about trial. Sharon stressed about Rusty. Andrea takes Sharon and Rusty to Hawaii or Catalina for vacation. Return of the big floppy hat. She buys Andrea one after she gets burned in the sun. Pool bars. Cabanas. Hikes through rainforest. We hope you like it! As always, thanks to my co-author of awesome. Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three
“I can’t believe you brought the floppy hat with you,” Rusty muttered in the backseat of their rental. “Andrea, tell her it’s ridiculous. You two are already dating so you don’t have to pretend to like it anymore,” he implored. Beside him, Justin was biting his fist to keep from laughing.
Sharon glared at him in the reflection of the rearview mirror.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I thought it was adorable,” Andrea said, “And by the way, lying to an attractive woman won’t get you a date with her, it’ll get you a death wish,” she said seriously. “That goes for anyone you want to date, really, man or woman.”
Sharon rested her hand on Andrea’s thigh and watched Rusty and Justin in the rear view mirror “You both better watch it, or I’ll buy you floppy hats.”
“Okay, okay, Aunt Sharon. We like the hat.” Justin was quick to compliment her, patting her on the shoulder to calm her down as her laughed with Rusty. He had taken to calling her Aunt Sharon after the first few months she and Andrea got together. She liked it; it made her feel like she and Andrea really were an inseparable, recognized, legitimate unit.
“Thank you, Justin.” She laughed as she watched the two boys nudge each other in the back seat.
“We’re here,” Andrea announced as she successfully maneuvered their rented van into a narrow parking space. “Get the boards out!” She didn’t have to ask twice, the boys were already hastily unbuckling their seatbelts and rushing to drag their surfboards out of the back of the van. Andrea took a moment to lean forward and kiss the tip of Sharon’s nose. “I do find you adorable in this hat. Thank goodness you wore it, otherwise I’d be staring at your bathing suit the entire time,” she teased.
Sharon smacked her playfully on her thigh, then caught her lips with her own. “Thank you for bringing us here. I haven’t seen Rusty this happy in weeks, Andrea.”
“I’m glad he’s having fun so far. We needed this,” Andrea said. “Just wait until we take them hiking tomorrow though, they may hate us by the time we’re done with them.”
“From what I’ve heard, the views of the volcano totally counteract the physical effects of the hike,” Sharon laughed, “but I may hate you by the end of it too.”
“I’ll massage your legs after,” Andrea purred, “I promise.” She was about to lean in for another kiss when a sharp knock against the hood of the van interrupted her. Her nephew and Rusty were glaring at them impatiently, clutching their boards and backpacks. “We’re being summoned, let’s go before they make us go surfing,” she laughed.
***
The view from their towels on the beach was magnificent. There was something about the sand, the sun, and the aroma from the flora that grew nearby that made Sharon feel so decadent. The boys were wreaking havoc in the water and Sharon had to admire how much they’d both learned in the last several months from their lessons. They navigated the waves with practiced ease, watching them became less stressful for her now that she was confident in their abilities.
Next to her, Andrea was sprawled out on her towel, soaking up the sun. Her hair was turning a lovely platinum blonde, but her skin, which usually tanned nicely, was starting to burn. Sharon brushed her hand lightly across Andrea’s shoulder. “Andrea? Did you re-apply sunscreen?” she asked.
Andrea, who was lying on her back, lifted her head up slightly to address her. “No, why? I’m usually good with just one application.”
“You’re starting to burn,” Sharon informed her, “your back is turning red.”
Andrea laughed. “I don’t burn,” she said, brushing off Sharon’s concern, “I’m fine Sharon, really.”
“No, honey, really. Your back is burning, and even if you don’t normally burn, it’s dangerous for anyone to forgo wearing sunscreen.” Sharon chided, pulling the tube of lotion out of her bag. “Just put my mind at ease and let me at least re-apply it to your back?”
Andrea leaned over and kissed the corner of Sharon’s mouth. “You’re just looking for an excuse to rub me in public. Sharon Raydor, you shady lady,” she teased, sitting up so she could flip over. “I will turn over, is that okay, Captain?”
Sharon rolled her eyes and tossed the sunscreen back into her beach bag. “Whatever. It’s your back, Andrea, just remember that it will be you in pain later.”
“Yes my love,” Andrea chuckled.
Sharon turned her attention back to the boys, who were riding wave after wave as the tide came in. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling. She couldn’t begin to put into coherent thought how nice it was to be on a beach, without her cell phone, with the love of her life, watching Rusty act like a carefree kid with her honorary nephew.
After a while, Justin and Rusty came in and collapsed next to Sharon and Andrea in two exhausted heaps. “That. Was. Awesome.” Rusty smiled up at his foster mom as he laid his head on the edge of her towel, soaking her thigh with his hair. Sharon’s heart swelled as she watched him; this was the closest he’d allowed himself to get to her in a while.
“I’m so glad you’re having fun, Rusty,” she said softly, resting her hand on his shoulder. She dared, after a moment, to softly brush the wet hair off of his forehead. Rusty watched her for a moment, then afforded her a small smile.
“Love you, Sharon,” he muttered, almost quiet enough that she didn’t hear it. Sharon squeezed his shoulder. It was a small gesture, but as they watched each other, they both knew. Things were going to be okay.
“I love you, too, Rusty. Very much,” she said, just as softly.
Andrea watched their exchange with pride, her heart swelled to see them both so happy and carefree. “I don’t know about you boys, but I’m starving,” she said after a moment, “why don’t we head back to the cottage and have us an early dinner? We’ll pick something up on the way back?”
The boys nodded in agreement and began to pick up their things and stuff their towels in to their beach bags. Andrea extended a hand to Sharon, helping her to stand. Sharon moved closer to her as soon as she was on her feet, wrapping her arms around her.
“Thank you,” she said seriously, kissing Andrea on the cheek. “This was exactly what he needed.”
Andrea grinned at Sharon and kissed her on the lips in response. “Come on, let’s go home honey.”
***
Sharon walked out of the bathroom, a plush white towel wrapped around her nude, slim figure. It had been a lovely day at the beach, but she was happy to get the sand off of her. “It’s gorgeous out here,” she muttered as she met Andrea on the balcony, admiring the view.
Andrea turned to her, then did a double take. “Why do you do that?” she laughed, pointing at Sharon in the towel. “You obviously enjoy torturing me,” she sighed. Andrea moved to wrap her arms around Sharon, but she was a little stiffer than she was earlier in the day and it showed.
Sharon frowned. “Andrea? Are you okay?” she rubbed her hands up and down Andrea’s back through the soft cotton of her tank top. This time, Andrea’s wince was unmistakable. “You’re burnt! I told you!” she exclaimed, “How bad is it?”
Andrea rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around Sharon. “I’m fine. It isn’t that bad, if it’s even really a burn. Which, I don’t think it is,” she countered, glaring down at Sharon, “I never burn,” she repeated stubbornly.
“You never burn in LA, maybe, but we are in Hawaii, and you were in the sun for hours, and you only put sunscreen on once. You’re burnt,” Sharon chided, moving to lift up Andrea’s shirt. “Oh my god!” she exclaimed when she saw the red, peeling skin of Andrea’s back, “Andrea!”
“I’m fine,” Andrea insisted. But Sharon just rolled her eyes and went back to the bathroom in search of the aloe vera she had packed for their trip.
“Shirt off, on the bed, face down,” she gritted out, annoyed.
“You know, usually when you say that we’re about to have a lot more fun than we’re going to right now,” Andrea complained as she lifted her shirt above her head, with some difficulty, and reached behind her back to unsnap her bra. She did as Sharon said and lay down on the mattress, sighing as she did. Why on earth did Sharon have to be right this time? There was absolutely no way Sharon as going to let her live this one down; not any time soon, anyway.
“You’ll be lucky if we have any of that sort of fun with your back like this,” Sharon snapped as she spread a generous amount of the aloe vera across Andrea’s back. Leave it to Andrea to roll her tankini up all the way, to make sure the sunburn on her back was spread evenly.
“What?” Andrea jerked her head up, then hissed as the sudden movement irritated the burn on the back of her neck.
“Head down,” Sharon instructed, “your neck is burnt too. I’ve got to say Hobbs, when you do something, you certainly don’t do it half-assed,” she sighed.
“Part of my charm,” Andrea mumbled into the pillow.
“You can’t turn over, you’re going to have to sleep on your stomach tonight with the sheets turned down,” she said irritably. Sharon preferred to sleep with the sheets up to her chin; that was going to be difficult with Andrea’s burn tonight.
“I had plans tonight,” Andrea said miserably, “and they involved each of us being flat on our backs at some point in the evening.”
Sharon laughed at the pathetic, contrived look Andrea threw her way. “No. I am not irritating that burn. As it is, it’s going to be worse tomorrow.” Sharon got off of the bed and bent over her luggage to retrieve a dusty-rose baby-doll and a pair of panties.
Andrea watched, dry mouthed, as Sharon changed into the alluring sleepwear in front of her. “That’s new,” she croaked.
“Yes, I bought it for this trip,” Sharon said nonchalantly. She walked back to the bed, with a deliberate sway of her hips. “If you’re a good girl and you listen to me, your back will feel better in a few days time. You may even get to enjoy me in this at some point.”
As she lowered herself onto the mattress, Andrea tugged her closer, ignoring the pain as her burnt skin was stretched with the movement. They arranged themselves so that Andrea’s head was pillowed on Sharon’s chest, and her arm was wrapped around Sharon’s baby-doll clad waist. “I will wear sunscreen tomorrow,” she promised seriously into the swell of Sharon’s cleavage, “and I will sit in the shade and re-apply the damn lotion every hour.”
Sharon chuckled, and planted a kiss on the top of Andrea’s sun-kissed locks. “Yes dear.”
***
Sharon moved among the racks of clothing and souvenirs in the tourist shop as she waited for Rusty and Justin to make their purchases. What they could possibly need in preparation for going up the side of a volcano she didn’t know, but she wasn’t about to question two teenage boys when she was the one who was outnumbered. As she moved along the back of the shop, she spotted them; the solution to Andrea’s recent sunburn issue. Smirking to herself at the irony, she quickly sought the attention of the shopkeeper and purchased the item and stuffed it into her beach bag as quickly as she could without the boys seeing.
“Sharon, we’re ready,“ Rusty called out as the boys exited the shop with their stuff, then waited for her outside, “Do you think Andrea will be ready when we get back to the house?”
“Oh, yes, she was just moving a little slow this morning, but she’ll be ready,” she smiled, resting a hand on either one of the boys shoulders as she sauntered back down the road with them. “I think she’s learned her lesson by now, and will be applying generous amounts of sunscreen to her body before she thinks about stepping foot outside.”
The boys snickered as they followed Sharon back into the van for the short trip back to the cottage. “So this hike thing today, we’re going on a real volcano?” Rusty asked as he fiddled with his iPhone in the front seat next to Sharon, trying to snap photos out the window as she drove.
“Yes, apparently,” Sharon mused, “though it’s been inactive for some time, I believe... or, I hope. It should be a nice little hike. It supposed to take a couple of hours one way.”
“Sounds like fun.” Justin grinned as he unbuckled his seatbelt when Sharon parked the car outside their rented cottage. Andrea was sitting on the stairs, her back hunched forward as she read her book.
Sharon kissed Andrea on the top of her head and squeezed her shoulder as gently as she could. “You ready to go, honey? I just need to grab the lunch bags before we head out.”
Andrea winced slightly as Sharon touched her shoulder. “Yup, I’m all packed,” she said, her smile looking more like a grimace.
“Did you re-apply the aloe vera?” Sharon asked.
“Yes, and the sunscreen. And my skin feels like it has a few extra layers now thanks to the lotion and the goo.”
Sharon shook her head and laughed. “Well, I bought you something for the hike today to help with your sunburn,” Sharon said. There was a mischievous twinkle in her eyes that could only mean trouble.
“Oh god. Sharon, what did you do?” Andrea asked, a little bit afraid of her girlfriend.
“What?” Sharon said with feigned innocence. “Do you want your present or not?” she narrowed her eyes at Andrea, indicating that if Andrea wanted to continue sharing that luxurious bed with her, she was going to answer in the affirmative.
“Yes, please,” Andrea said carefully.
Sharon retrieved the oversized, floppy hat from the bag. It was deep, burnt orange and white striped and made from paper with a thick ribbon around the dome. All in all, Sharon thought she’d done a good job of capturing Andrea’s personality if Andrea were a silly floppy hat, that is; classic and elegant, but eccentric and unique at the same time.
Andrea accepted her gift and put it on her head, turning left and right. “Well? How do I look?” she asked playfully.
Sharon had meant for the hat to be a joke, a gag gift, but she had to admit, the colour and style of the hat looked quite lovely on the blonde. “Adorable,” Sharon pronounced as she leaned forward to kiss Andrea. Behind her she could hear the boys snickering.
“Great,” Justin muttered to Rusty, “Now we’ve got two of them.”
Rusty nudged Justin. “Dude, re-apply the sunscreen. I’m not wearing a hat like that.”
“Dude, trust me, the hat will be the least of your worries,” Andrea grimaced as she imitated the boys’ tone and language.
“Well, I did pick up something else for you boys,” Sharon said seriously. The boys looked at each other, then at Sharon, in utter horror. Andrea bit her lower lip to stifle her laughter. Sharon retrieved the souvenirs from inside the bag, and the boys relaxed visibly. “They’re key chains for your car keys,” she said with a smirk, “What did you think I bought?”
Rusty and Justin took their gifts with matching, relieved, grins. “Nothing Sharon,” Rusty said with contrived innocence.
“Thanks, this is great,” Justin added.
The four of them gathered their bags and reloaded the van. Just as Rusty and Justin were getting into the backseat, Justin caught Rusty’s elbow. “Don’t worry, I hear the trails up the mountain get be windy. And if it’s an active volcano...” he trailed off grinning.
“Sweet,” Rusty said, snickering the whole way to the volcano.