Everyone's a Winner with a Heart That Small

When Gigi got up, she went straight to the room down the hall where Cora was staying. She pushed the door open and looked around, but Cora was nowhere in sight. She shut the door back and went to Ezra's room but he was also missing. As she slowly crept down the stairs, her aunt passed by the bottom stair.

"Hey Aunt Lindsey, where is everyone?"

"Oh, Gigi, honey, I thought you'd gone with them. Ezra said, 'We're leaving' and I just assumed he meant all three of you. They left about 8 this morning"

She sighed. "Oh. Okay then"

"You want me to make you something to eat?"

Gigi shook her head. "Not hungry"

"I'm going to go do some shopping so I'll be back around five, okay sweetie?"

"Kay. See you later," she mumbled as she headed back up the stairs.

Once she reached her room, she flopped down on her bed and grabbed her phone off the night stand. She dialed Ezra's number first but after six rings, there was still no answer. She hung up and dialed Cora's number next but hers went straight to voicemail. Finally, she dialed one more number and waited. After only one ring, John answered.

"Morning, beautiful"

"Are you busy?"

"Not at all. Why?"

"Want to come over and entertain me?"

He chuckled. "Since when do you need entertaining?"

"Since I'm all alone in this big ass house"

"I suppose if you really want me to come, I could probably manage that"

"Good. I'll be in the back yard"

"See you soon then"

"Bye"

Once she hung up the phone, she jumped up and changed into her bathing suit then went downstairs to make herself a margarita. She hadn't been sitting by the pool long when she heard the patio doors open and John appeared in the doorway. He smiled when his eyes found her curled up in her lounge chair.

"You look beautiful"

"Thank you," she mumbled, trying to hide her blush.

"Where is everyone?" he asked as he took a seat in the chair next to Gigi's.

"My aunt is shopping but I have no idea where Ezra and Cora are"

"They left without telling you?"

"I'm not surprised though. It's obvious she's not in Arizona to visit me"

"But isn't she your best friend?"

"Yep"

"And didn't they break up a few years ago?"

"Yep"

"Then what's going on there?"

"I know they still love each other. I just hope they know what they're doing"

"What do you mean?"

"Cora broke up with him because the long distance thing was just too hard on them. The facts are.....you guys live here and we live 2,000 miles away"

"But if they really love each other you think that would matter?"

"How could it not? It's got to be hard for both of them"

John frowned and sat back in his chair, pulling his sunglasses down over his eyes. Gigi finished her margarita and got up from her chair. "I'm going to get another one. You want a beer or something?"

He nodded. "Sure, that's fine"

He watched her as she walked past him to the french doors and went inside the house. He sighed and leaned his head back against his chair but it wasn't thirty seconds before he heard voices coming from around the side of the house. He looked up just as the bigf head of Tim Kirch peeked around the corner. When he spotted John, he turned back to say something to whoever was behind him then started toward where John was sitting, while Eric and Pat followed close behind.

"Heeey Johno, wha'ts up?"

"What the fuck are you guys doing here? I told you not to come!"

"Like we were going to let you spend the entire day with her all to yourself," Pat scoffed.

The patio door opened and Gigi stepped back out, closing the door behind her. Tim whistled and her head snapped up.

"You're looking mighty fine today, G"

"What the hell are you boys doing here?" she asked, as she reached them. She handed John his beer and Tim wrapped his large arms around her in a hug.

"Just thought we'd visit. You must be bored," Pat answered, looking at John with a grin.

She smiled. "Nah, not too bad"

"Gigi, did I ever tell you just how fucking cute your accent is?"

"Nope, I don't believe you have, Tim"

"That's a shame. Because it is"

"Why thank you. Have a seat, guys. I'll get some more beers"

Once again, she headed toward the house, this time with four pairs of eyes glued to her. As soon as she disappeared into the house, the boys sat down around the table and John took his sunglasses off and glared at Tim.

"What the fuck are you three trying to do?"

"Nothing, dude. Chill the fuck out," Eric said, holding his hands up in defense.

"Yeah, I just want to spend time with my friend, John!" Pat added dramatically.

John rolled his eyes. "But she called me"

"We're not trying to take your woman, dude. Calm down"

The door opened again and they all looked up to watch her walk back to the table. She handed out the beers then took a seat on John's lap. She was surprised but gladly accepted this and he rested his hand on her bare thigh. John sat quietly while she talked with the other boys. She nonchalantly snaked her arm around his neck and began to play with his soft, dark hair. He sat completely still as she did so and he kept his eyes on her but she wasn't even looking his way.

Eventually Tim, Pat, and Eric made their way back around the house and out the gate, leaving John and Gigi alone again. She kept her seat on his lap instead of moving to one of the now vacant chairs. She finally turned her head to look at him and gave him a dazzling smile, running her fingertips lightly over the back of his neck, making goosebumps rise on his skin. She chuckled and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

He'd been trying to work up the courage to lean in and kiss her but she abruptly stood up from his lap, taking off her sunglasses and tossing them onto the table as she did, and did a run jump into the pool. When she surfaced, she pushed her hair back off of her face and grinned at him.

"Aren't you coming in?"

"I don't have a suit," he said, motioning to his dark jeans and Tom Petty tee shirt.

"Well, that's never stopped me before"

He raised his eyebrows at her but she just grinned at him in return. He shrugged and got up, stripping off his shirt and jeans, then did a cannonball into the pool. She was laughing when he surfaced. "I give that a three. That was a terrible cannonball"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah"

"Well, why don't you show me how it's done?"

"Fine, I will"

She swam over to the ladder and got out then went to the end of the pool, backing up a few steps. She ran forward and did her cannonball, making sure to splash John as much as possible in doing so.

"See? That is how it's done, sweetie"

"Yeah, well I'm taking off a point because you splashed me"

"Not fair!"

"Yeah, yeah"

"I want my ten"

"Nope"

"O'Callaghan, give me my ten!"

"I said no"

He was smirking as she swam closer to him. She pushed herself forward into his body and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Please give me my ten?" she asked sweetly.

He ran his hands up and down her arms. "You think that accent is going to make me cave?"

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"Okay, fine. You get a ten"

"Yes!" she squealed. She kissed his cheek and released her hold on him then swam to the other side of the pool. "Want to race?"

He grinned as he swam over to where she was. He was no doubt falling for this girl. And little did he know, she was falling for him too.