Dance In The Rain

~56~ Tourists Are Weird!

A few months have passed and tourist season is starting to pick up again. I'm actually really excited, because I forgot how fun it is to eat at the food trucks and people watch the crazy.

Tate and I have stayed out of trouble for the most part, and we're trying to learn how to become a true family. We've all definitely been walking on egg shells since moving here, but slowly we're breaking down a few walls here and there—Although it's still not perfect.

"Okay, look at that guy over there," Kenna shrieks as she grabs my hand and turns me to look at an older, heavy-set man with his shirt off.

"What the hell is he doing?" She giggles as she takes a sip of her strawberry smoothie.

"I didn't realize a man that size could bend like that," I snort as the guy is trying to get a selfie of himself on the board walk. He's leaning over the rails as far as he can to make it look like he's standing at the beach, but he's about to topple over the side.

Kenna chuckles as she hands me the smoothie. "Can I stay with you guys tonight?" She asks as I take a drink myself and hand it back to her.

"Probably, but I'll text Holden to check."

As I'm texting, Kenna gasps loudly and it startles me so much that I drop my phone into my lap.

"What's wrong?"

"Look!" She whispers as I follow her finger.

A tall man with tan khakis and a black collared shirt is grabbing a woman by the bicep and pulling her into him.

He drags her over to where we are, more private than the rest of the area, and starts to speak in a tone that sends a shiver down my spine.

"I've told you three times to stop asking for a snow cone, and you're acting like a child. If you ask me one more time, I'm spanking your ass on this boardwalk."

"Johnny, there's a ton of people here!" She whines as she crosses her arms in a pout.

"Then you best stop begging for something I've already told you no!"

She sighs loudly and he raises his eyebrows. "You wanting to test me?" He growls as he grabs her discreetly and spins her, delivering six sharp swats to her bottom and she starts to whine even louder.

"Johnny stop! I'm sorry!" She hisses between clenched teeth.

"You will be. We're heading to the hotel before we do anymore sight seeing, and you can deal with a sore bottom on vacation. Only YOU would get in trouble on the first day," he snaps as he pulls her down the boardwalk and out of sight.

"Woah!" Kenna breathes as we stare after them in astonishment.

"Did he just......" I start, but I'm so startled that I can't finish my sentence.

"....spank her? Uh....yeah. I swear tourists get crazier every year." Kenna says.

"Wanna get outta here and go back to my house? I've had enough between that man about to fall over the side and this," I say as I throw my almost-gone nachos into the trash can and put my phone in my pocket.

"Yeah. Is Mr. T home?"

"Should be," I nod as we walk down the path to my house.

~*~

We get inside and I see Tate playing a video game on the couch.

"Hey," I say as I look around for Holden.

Tate glances over his shoulder and rolls his eyes. "Of course you had to bring her. Go home, Troll."

"Tate," Holden sighs as he comes out of the kitchen and smiles at me. "Hey Annie. Have a good day?"