When We Run (Mason Brothers Book #4)

Chapter 31

CADE

“Toni wants to know if we can pick her up on the way.” 

I finish stuffing the final towel into the beach bag first and then smile up at her, “We need to stop by the gas station and pick up ice and drinks, but yeah, we can pick her up after that.”

“Awesome, I’ll let her know,” she starts typing away at her phone and then slips it into her back pocket. “Are you ready to leave?”

“Just have to take all this out to the car.”

Danica claps and skips into the bedroom like an excited child and I can’t help but watch her and smile. Going to the stream is something my family does all the time. There is a swimming pool in town, but there is something about sitting out on the bank and splashing around in nature’s swimming pool that is so much more fun.

When I first brought up the idea, I thought it would be too below her, but she keeps surprising me. If you didn’t know she had millions in a bank account, you’d think she was the missing piece to my family’s puzzle because she fits right in.

I agreed to bring beer in our cooler, so we had to make a stop there first. After getting ice, a couple of cases of beer, and some lemonade we pull up to Toni’s apartment where she’s waiting for us on the ground level. I help her get the bag of snacks that she brought into the car and she slips into the back seat. “Hey, you two! Thanks for picking me up. I really didn’t want to drive.

“It wasn’t a problem,” Danica turned around to say to her. “I’m just glad everybody was able to be off today. This is going to be so much fun.”

I laughed, “Mom and Dad were the hardest to convince, but they do love their Sunday brunch.”

Since the bar opened when Mom and Dad were newlyweds, they’d also kept it closed on Sundays until later in the afternoon/early evening. Once they had kids it was the perfect way to start the week as a family. When we took over we did change it up a bit and during football season we open up a bit earlier, but still have plenty of time to meet as a family.

We convinced Mom and Dad that since we would be together at the stream, they should let us replace brunch with the stream. They said yes, but it did take some convincing. We drive past where Eden’s parents live and then pull off down a small path that leads to an opening. 

Danica looks out the window with so much excitement, “Looks like everybody else is here!”

“I don’t see Parker and Jolie yet,” Toni commented from the backseat.

I put the car in park and got out, “Alright let’s go slow pokes, last one in the stream has to be the DD.” Danica and Toni bail on me right away, but my dad comes over and takes a few of the bags to help me unload.

“It looks like they ditched you first sign of a fun time.”

“I know, right?” I chuckled, “Jokes on them, I have all the beer.”

“Well, let’s get you situated by the blankets and then we’ll crack a couple open and make sure that they’re still good.”

“That’s a plan I can get behind. Thanks, Dad.”

We make one trip to drop off some blankets, towels, and Toni’s snacks. By the time we get back to the car, Parker and Jolie as just pulling up. We say our hellos and then Parker helps me with the cooler instead of dad. The four of us follow a small trail that leads to the stream. There is a flat area with some blankets already set up. There is one picnic table, but everybody else brought chairs to sit on.