Rafe was talking to the hotel staff quietly, as I looked around. There were rooms, both sporting King size beds with freaking lovely views, so pretty--- made up with white and wicker and bamboo. The accoutrements were simple and elegant, and just what you'd want if you were staying in a bungalow in Mazatlan. Ben went in the first room... noted the really nice open air feeling, the wet bar, the flowers smelling heavenly. He flopped on the bed, and I flopped down beside him. We both crossed our legs at the same time.

Rafe came in, and took our picture with his phone. "You guys are too funny." He said and Ben sat up, I guess recognizing Rafe's key words for 'jealous'. I tapped him on the shoulder.

"It's not like we're under the covers."

He shook his head and grinned at me. "I'll take the other room. Jeff can have the third. I think there are three rooms. Dylan and Mutt can have the other bungalow and share with Holli and whoever. We only got the two bungalows, right Rafe?"

"Two bungalows, two nights." Rafe came in and plopped down on the bed beside me. We were both still wet, but the heat of the morning was starting to permeate, which was nice. "I ordered us smoothies and an assortment of breakfast." He turned on his side smoothing my wispy drying curls.

"Every time I see you, I feel like it's happening all over again."

"Stop it. Rules of recovery. No negative talk, and no living in the past." I smoothed his hair as well. "But you could get me some pain pills." He snapped up and caught a hotel bus boy bringing luggage to the bungalow next to ours. The boy nodded graciously.

"Do you like this?" Rafe plopped back on the bed beside me and indicated the lovely bungalow. "Have you ever stayed in one?"

"I like it immensely, very cool. And yes, I've been in one. Maui. Oahu."

"Oh. I suppose you've traveled a fair amount."

"Some. Mostly where family is."

"Where is your family? Who do you visit?"

"We have a place in Alaska, we built it--- my parents built it, long before I was born. We go there for a family reunion every summer. Melia has a ranch in Australia, we go there occasionally. Tecca is from there as well, I've been to his ranch. My grandparents live in Wales, and England. I've been to Thailand, and Italy, and Rio. I've been to Ireland, just because I wanted to."

He was nodding. "My family is in So Cal. We pretty much stay there."

"You've traveled." I laughed.

"Yeah, but not like this, not what you're doing. We didn't get out much and see things. I like that you got Ben all fired up about doing stuff while we tour. It really stimulates the imagination. So, when is your family reunion?"

"In July. The end of July." I stared at the ceiling-- pretty sure the rushes that made up the top had a spider--- a rather large spider crawling around. I indicated this without saying anything and Rafe directed his eyes to where I pointed.

"You plan on being home by then?" He stood on the bed and with his flip flop smashed the darn thing, so that I had to cover my head and roll off the bed to avoid its corpse.

"Oh." I followed his train of thought, wondering when I was planning to leave. Axis left Mexico for events in South America by the second week in July. "Yeah, I'll probably go. But, you guys don't have that much longer, do you? I mean after Mexico? Don't you guys fly in and out?"

"We will." He nodded laying back beside me as I slipped to the bed--- minus the creepy spider. "Yep."

"Maybe you can come with me to Alaska. You don't have to stay the whole time, but it'd be nice to meet the family. It's hard to get us all together at one time, but this has become kind of like that one time that we really make the effort."

He turned on his side. "You want me—to meet your whole family?"

"You're still planning to marry me right?"

He laughed and fell back on the pillows. "I think I might have crowd phobia. That's too much family."

"It is a lot of family." I said, a little chagrined. "Does it really bother you?"

"Crowds? Yeah. I'm much better in small groups. What about you? Are you used to crowds of people you don't know?"

"No. Not that I don't know. That causes anxiety. But I know my family."

I was interrupted by a knock on the outer bungalow door. Ben called out that he'd get it. I assumed it was our breakfast and perhaps my pain meds. I sat back up, and as I saw the shadow and heard the voices talking, I lay back down and covered my eyes with the back of my hand.

Then, realizing it wasn't enough, I put the pillow over my head and turned on my side.

"Aubrey, you have company." Ben announced.

*******