A Picture's Worth
Copyright© 2026 by Evie Olivia Niven
Chapter 15: Surf
Her body ached, but in a pleasant way. Bea settled down at the breakfast table, across from Alanna and next to Ethan. Glancing in his direction, she met his warm, dark gaze and blushed, just a little. I haven’t felt like this in ... ages, she thought, shifting on the seat. He must have been channeling his inner eighteen-year-old or something. They hadn’t gotten to sleep until almost four in the morning. Bea was glad no one else was able to get up early, either.
It took a while for the table to fill and surprisingly, Gabriel and Aislinn were the last ones to come down to breakfast. Bea glanced at them and grinned; Aislinn was cheerful in the morning, but Gabriel was a complete grump. He wouldn’t speak more than a word here or there until he’d gotten a decent amount of strong, black coffee into his system. This is interesting, Bea thought, looking around the table. You learn a lot about people when you eat with them. Chase broke his bacon into pieces and mixed it with his eggs, and Gavin, who she’d seen so little of before now, read at the table.
“That’s rude, Gav,” Bailey scolded. She reached over and closed the book—much to Gavin’s annoyance—then glanced over at Bea and Ethan. “So, big brother, how was your night?”
Ethan glanced up sharply. “Why?” he asked, gazing at her warily.
“Well, I heard you were being a jerk,” Bailey explained, grinning at him. “I went to see if Bea was in the room, and if she was okay.” Bailey’s dark eyes, so like her brother’s, were alight with mischief. “I thought maybe you guys were asleep, because you didn’t answer. Although I did hear something ... did you leave the T.V. on?”
All eyes were on them now. She wasn’t sure which was worse; Gabriel’s raised eyebrows or Chase’s wolfish grin. I guess we know who knocked, Bea thought, glancing at Ethan. She smiled at him sheepishly. Bailey was the picture of innocent curiosity, but she wasn’t buying it. For once, she was grateful that she’d never had siblings, older or younger, to deal with. At least Bea was rather open about what she did and mostly comfortable. Ethan squirmed like a hyperactive child.
“Something like that,” he grumbled, toying with a piece of toast.
“Try not to do that every night,” Gabriel said wryly. “If I get complaints from the people in the rooms next to you, I’m not going to be happy.”
Even Bea blushed at that. I guess we’ll have to ... keep it down or something, she thought, staring down at her plate. She wasn’t usually embarrassed by this sort of thing, but this was a little different. Her relationship with Ethan was special, more so even than her one with Alanna had ever been. Underneath the table, Bea sought his hand with hers. When he wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed, she flashed him a quick smile. I guess I know how Alanna was feeling, she thought, when things really started getting serious between her and Drake.
As interesting as their relationship might be, the Wolfes were more interested in breakfast. When their attention was no longer on them, Ethan raised his hand to his mouth and gently kissed her knuckles. This is going to be the best vacation ever, Bea decided, smiling at him. Even with the annoying nosiness. She stuck her tongue out at Alanna, who was watching closely, and both of them dissolved into laughter.
“Come on, Ethan!”
Pausing on the porch, ringing the hotel restaurant, Ethan watched Bea race across the sand. She’s been like this all week, he thought, watching as she crashed playfully through the waves. I suppose fair is fair. She tires me out by day, I tire her out by night. And vice versa, too. Being on vacation with Bea was certainly an experience. They’d gone skiing (or attempted to), scuba-diving, and parasailing; three things he’d never done before. Ethan liked trying new things, but since they’d been out all day, shopping with Alanna and Drake, he was hoping for a quiet evening.
Still, watching her, he couldn’t help but smile. She’d let her hair down, and it flew like a banner as she splashed around, a faint wind whipping it around her face. Bea wore a pair of jean shorts and a string-backed halter-top in forest green; simple, but she looked amazing nonetheless. Ethan grinned when she turned to him and beckoned. He shook his head. There was no way he was going to get too close to her when she was in this mood. He had no desire to get soaking wet right now.
“Come on!” Bea called again. “Don’t be such a bum!”
“What’s wrong with wanting to stay dry?” Ethan called back, as he stepped down off the porch and headed towards her. “Why don’t we go for a walk?”
She pouted at him. It was so cute that he laughed outright. He watched her wade out of the ocean, wet almost to the bottom of her shorts, and licked his lips, staring as water ran in rivulets down her bare legs. Bea reached his side, and he automatically put an arm around her, pulling her against him. They started down the beach together in companionable silence, Ethan matching his stride to hers. “I’m actually pretty tired,” he thought, stifling a yawn. “Maybe we’ll just go directly to bed tonight…” Yeah, that was pretty unlikely.
“So... what’s going to happen when we go back?” Bea asked, her voice quiet.
Ethan glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you and I,” Bea explained, looking up at him. He was surprised to see worry and uncertainty in her eyes. “I mean... what are we?”
“Us,” Ethan answered simply.
He hadn’t really thought about it before saying it; it was just what he felt. Bea seemed to understand what he meant, because she smiled and snuggled close to his side. It had been a long time since Ethan had thought along the lines of an ‘us’. Not since Andrea, he thought, toying with Bea’s windblown hair. Damnit ... I should tell her, but... It seemed like the only blight on their relationship. The thing was, she didn’t ever pry. He liked that she allowed him his privacy. Still, he couldn’t help feeling a bit of dread at what she’d think when he finally told her.
There were quite a few people on the beach, but since it was starting to get dark, people were clearing out of some areas. Eventually, they wandered onto a stretch where they could see no one in either direction. Ethan paused and looked out over the water, where the sun was beginning to set.
“As much as I miss home,” Bea said, “I’ll definitely be sad to go.”
“Well, we should come back someday,” Ethan told her. He bent and kissed her temple gently. “Maybe even next summer.”
Bea chuckled softly. She turned to him, standing on her toes to get her arms around his neck. “For someone who took months to kiss me,” she teased, “you’re adapting to this relationship rather well.”
“It’s worth it,” Ethan said quietly, lowering his mouth to hers.
Her mouth was so sweet beneath his. And he was an unsuspecting chump; when he was too absorbed to realize what she was doing, she took the opportunity to poke at his sides. Bea had discovered, over the course of the vacation, that he was ticklish. Ethan released her and jumped back. She was just as ticklish as he was, if not more so, and he grabbed her, dragging her against his chest and pinning her arms against her sides. Bea shrieked and struggled as he tickled her. Laughing, he dragged her backward until he was hip-deep in the water.
“I thought you said you didn’t want to get wet!” Bea complained. The water was nearly to her waist.
“I changed my mind,” Ethan said, grinning.
He turned his head in time to avoid a large wave of water. Laughing, Ethan waded back further. Even up to his chest, he had no problem reaching the bottom. Bea, on the other hand, had to tread water to keep her head above the surface. She still tried to splash him, but wasn’t all that successful; she nearly went under every time she tried. Finally, Ethan grabbed her around the waist and pulled her to shore. They dropped together onto the sand, still half in the water, both trying to get the upper hand.
In the end, Bea surrendered when he got her hands pinned above her head, holding them in place easily with only one of his. Instead of tickling her, though, Ethan kissed her. She was breathless when he finally released her. Grinning down at her, he tweaked her nose gently.
“You know, I never noticed before,” Bea said, “but you are a great big goofball.”