The Tropical Ticket: Sweet Romance & Women's Friendship Fiction (Hilton Head Island Book 5) by Elana Johnson

Author:Elana Johnson [Johnson, Elana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AEJ Creative Works
Published: 2023-09-13T18:30:00+00:00

18

Oliver turned at the sound of a female voice he knew. Not Bessie, but one of her good friends, Joy.

One of his friends, Scott, stood at her side, his eyes still up on the menu board at The Mad Mango. The man probably had the thing memorized, because he’d come in countless times.

“Take this down to the register, please,” he said to one of his employees, and the young woman nodded as she picked up the smoothie he’d just finished making.

Oliver moved over to the ordering station, his smile sliding onto his face easily. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, brother.” Scott reached up and held out his fist. Oliver bumped it and looked at Joy. She looked perfect at Scott’s side, and she smiled at him too.

“Hey, Oliver.”

“What are you guys doing today?” On a Monday, he’d expect them both to be at work. But they wore tees and shorts, with sunglasses perched on Scott’s head. He sported a healthy tan, as he owned and operated a landscaping company and he worked outside most of the time.

“We’re playing hooky today,” Joy said with a grin. “Starting with smoothies before lunch, and then…I don’t really know what else Scott has planned.”

He grinned at her and said, “If you have a plan for your Day of Nothing, that defeats the purpose.”

“He has a point,” Oliver said. “I only tell Bess enough so she can dress appropriately and be prepared with the right shoes.”

Joy’s eyebrows went up, and Oliver’s chest fell into itself. “Bess?” she asked.

Oliver’s gaze flitted over to Scott, and he practically yelled, “I’ll have the Rainbow Sunshine.”

Oliver tapped on the tablet in front of him, embarrassment heating his face. He looked up at Joy, who’d engaged in a silent conversation with Scott. Oliver didn’t like that, but he wasn’t going to grump his way between them.

“What do you want, sweetheart?” he asked, glancing back to Oliver.

“I think I’ll go with the Surfer Boy,” she said. “Bessie’s always telling me that’s her favorite.” Her eyes landed on Oliver, and he nodded.

“You two should double with us,” she said next, and Oliver froze. He’d been hoarding Bessie to himself, he knew that.

“Yeah,” he said. “That would be great.”

Joy’s face bloomed into a smile. “Great,” she echoed. “I’m texting Bessie right now.”

“We’re pretty busy right now,” Oliver said as he tapped in Joy’s order. “The Heritage Festival is only a few weeks away, and my dad and brother are coming into town.” Oliver swallowed, hoping his worries about his family showing up in Hilton Head weren’t immediately obvious.

“Don’t give me the busy excuse,” Joy said as another couple joined the line. “We have a wedding the week before your Heritage thing, and I know you see her every day already.”

“Yeah.” Oliver glared at Joy now. He didn’t have to be besties with her. “But sometimes that’s just me stopping by the bread bakery and sneaking into the back.”

“Oh.” The hardness on Joy’s face softened. “That’s so sweet.” She smiled at Oliver, who couldn’t keep up with the hot-cold of the woman.

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