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Nara held up her stuffed animal. “That’s what I’m naming him.”
Derek cringed. “Really?”
“What’s wrong with Larry? I happen to like that name.”
“Reminds me of a cucumber.”
Nara wasn’t sure what he meant, but she let it go. She liked the name. It fit. Larry liked his name, too. “I’m keeping it.”
“Okay.”
“And I’m definitely using him as a pillow tonight. Feel how soft he is.” She stuck Larry in front of Derek, even though he’d already held the animal. She kind of wanted more of Derek’s cologne to rub off on him.
“Yes. Soft.” Derek shoved him back in her face.
Her hiccups subsided as they arrived at their resort. As they walked into the lobby, they found Kay on a ladder, reaching for the gold star on the top of the Christmas tree. She startled and yelped, teetering on the ladder. Derek rushed to steady the ladder. “Do you need help?”
Kay laughed. “I guess I do. Do you two mind?”
Nara snorted. “I can help with the bottom branches. But if you think I’m going to be any help up there, you’re mistaken.” She tossed Larry onto a chair.
Kay descended down the ladder. “We can leave the top for your husband, don’t you think?” She winked, and it made Nara laugh.
“Yes. He’s plenty tall, even without the ladder.”
As Nara plucked ornaments off the lower branches, Kay grabbed the string of tinsel and began unwinding it from the tree. “Did you have fun today?”
“Absolutely,” Nara said as she carefully placed the ornaments in the box. “This is a great place to vacation.”
“Where did you go?”
“The Queen Elizabeth the Second Botanic Gardens.”
Kay’s smile widened as she gathered the tinsel in her arms. “I love it there. It’s so beautiful.”
“And tonight we found a street fair.”
A puzzled look came over Kay’s face. “You did? I don’t remember anything like that going on right now.”
Derek made a grunting noise as he reached for a particularly high ornament. “It was for children.”
“Oh, I know which one you mean. They do a week-long kid’s fair each January. I think all the money they make goes to help the Children’s hospital.” Kay squinted at her. “You found something to do there?”
“She made me ride the tiny Ferris wheel with her.”
Kay peered up at Derek, then snickered. “You didn’t.”
Nara pressed her lips together and nodded, the thought of Derek squeezed into one of those miniature seats making her want to giggle. “I did.”
“I bet that was fun.”
Derek made a noise that was part snort, and part exhale. “Fun for whom?”
Nara leaned a little closer to Kay. “He’s still upset about the dart game,” she said, her voice low.
“I’m right here. I can hear you.” Derek tossed her an annoyed look, but she could see the beginnings of his subtle smile behind his mask.
Kay looked between the two of them. “Dart game?”
