Read Always With Love for Free Online Page B

up,’ Billy says, his smile growing as he squints up at me, looking ridiculously handsome in the glow of the Californian sunshine.
    ‘Pass me a bucket,’ mocks Lauren, pretending to be sick in her hands as she waves them in front of her mouth. The spell of glamour breaks.
    ‘I’ll give you a bucket,’ replies a grinning Billy, bouncing through the water and grabbing hold of her foot. He tugs on it, causing her to let go of the side and her face to dunk into the pool.
    She splutters and wipes the water from her face, then quickly retaliates by jumping on his back and forcing him under the surface.
    I gasp, thinking they’re being too rough with each other (Lauren’s a girl, after all and extremely dainty compared to Billy) but clearly I’m the only one that thinks so as the two eventually come up for air, cackling with laughter.
    ‘You’re such a git,’ Lauren shouts, scooping a handful of water in his direction.
    ‘You asked for it,’ splashes Billy, running his hand along his face and wiping the water off with a flick, before shaking his fingers through his hair and sweeping it all back out of his eyes. ‘Coming in?’ he asks me.
    ‘Not if you’re going to do that to me,’ I warn, unwrapping myself from the dressing gown and dropping it next to me.
    When I glance back, Billy is looking at me with a cheeky smirk.
    I squint at him against the glare of the water, as I gently nibble on my bottom lip.
    He takes a deep breath and dives under again, completing a couple of laps before coming back up for air. He’s laughing when he wipes the water from his eyes, unable to wipe the saucy expression from his face.
    ‘I’ve booked a table at Little Dom’s for dinner,’ calls Julie a few minutes later, peering out from one of the windows above. ‘That OK with everyone?’
    ‘We’ve got an event we’re going to,’ says Hayley, coming out of the house with Jenny in tow, each of them having changed into matching floaty kaftans that sparkle and blow gently in the LA breeze.
    ‘Tough,’ barks Julie, not missing a beat. ‘Your brother has just got back.’
    ‘What’s the point in asking if it’s OK with us if you’re going to tell us we’re coming anyway?’ retorts Hayley, her hands on her hips as she swivels around to look up at her mum with an eyebrow raised.
    ‘Just being polite,’ Julie smarms back, letting her oldest daughter know that it’s non-negotiable. She might be outnumbered by her offspring, but she’s certainly still in charge and the boss of the household. ‘Table’s booked for seven,’ she calls out to the rest of us. ‘Didn’t want to do anything too late as I guessed you two would be jetlagged.’
    ‘Thanks Mum,’ calls Billy.
    ‘Can we go out afterwards?’ asks Jenny with an innocent little shrug, her eyes glancing over to Hayley with hope. It’s clear that these two have a very close bond, but that they also have a good cop/bad cop thing going on. One fights mean, the other treads softly afterwards andrestores order. I can’t help but wonder how that makes Lauren feel. She’s not privy to their exclusive twin gang and surely that must get lonely.
    ‘Only if Billy doesn’t mind,’ Julie replies, her head ducking back indoors.
    Both the girls’ heads swivel round to look at Billy with wide imploring eyes.
    ‘Of course I don’t mind,’ he laughs. ‘I’m going to be eating for England though, so don’t expect to be going anywhere fast,’ he teases, pulling himself up on to the pool’s ladder and out of the water.
    ‘Erm, dad bod,’ scoffs Hayley, looking him up and down.
    ‘Erm, what bod?’ he snorts, rolling his eyes as he heads over to me. He grabs a neatly folded black towel from one of the sunbeds and shakes it out before wrapping it around his waist, looking uncomfortable at the scrutiny his body is receiving.
    ‘You’ve been away far too long,’ she retorts with a raise of the eyebrow and a practised pout of her lips.
    ‘It’s when male actors relax