14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Jamison
A s usual, that was the wildest game of Spoons probably ever. At one point, Lance got his matches and pulled a spoon, and by the time Lilly and I noticed there weren’t many left, we both went for the same one. The electricity that passed between us as we battled for the last spoon was intense. I finally let go because we had gained an audience, and I didn’t want the book club to get any ideas. The entire afternoon was already suspect as it was, and the raised brow from Lance after our little battle was questionable.
“Well, this has been fun and all, but I’ve got to get out of here,” Lance said.
“And Lena and I have a family to get home to. I had fun.” Rose stood and said her goodbyes.
Lance gave me a man-hug pat on the back. “It was fun, bro. You goin or stayin?”
I glanced quickly at Lilly, then at the girls sitting in a circle on the grass. “I think I’m going to hang out a bit more. I don’t think Darcie’s ready to go quite yet.”
Lance shook his head. “Okay, have fun.” He turned to Lilly and gave her a hug. “Bye, sis. I love having you home.”
Lilly smiled wide. “I agree.” She kissed him on his cheek.
“Ladies, I think we should go clean the kitchen,” Kaye said.
“Yep, then Skylar and I will need to be heading home also,” Diane said.
Suddenly, it was just me and Lilly on the patio with the three girls playing in the yard.
We were quiet for a while as we watched them play. The space between us filled with a little tension. Why did I have to kiss her? Everything seemed awkward now. Then earlier—her hair was so soft. I didn’t even realize I was playing with it, but I needed the contact with her.
I glanced at Lilly. Her gaze was far away, but the corners of her mouth turned up. Even after all these years, she was beautiful.
I wonder if she ever thinks about that summer. God, I was going to start my senior year. If I hadn’t started dating Carly, what would have happened between us?
Lilly turned toward me. “So, has Darcie said anything about registration? Maddy has been talking about the school nonstop. She’s so excited. Honestly, I’m surprised she’s not more anxious. She’s usually quiet and reserved in new places—well, she used to be—but since we’ve been here, she’s been a totally different little girl.” She looked out across the yard again. “I told her Anthony was moving to London and is getting married. She was surprisingly happy for him and said maybe I should find a new husband.”
Her eyes met mine for a second, and my stomach lurched hard. I pulled my gaze from hers.
Lilly chuckled uneasily. “I told her I wasn’t ready for that yet, but it was very grown up of her to be happy for him.” She scrunched her eyes, cocked her head, and laid her hand on my thigh. “What’s up? You seem far away.”
That small gesture sent my pulse racing. Should I mention the kiss—ask her out—or just ignore this pull between us? She just told me about Anthony. I shook my head. “Nothing.” I stood. “I think Darcie and I should go as well. We’re going to see Carly’s parents tomorrow, and she’s staying the week. We have to get some things packed.”
“It was a fun afternoon. I’m glad you came over and brought Darcie.” Lilly’s eyes were shrouded, and her voice was soft.
“Me too.” I smiled, and my eyes held hers for a second. I wanted to kiss her again. God, I wanted to. But it wasn’t right. She wasn’t ready; I wasn’t ready. Not gonna happen. “What time will you be by on Tuesday?”
She glanced at the sky. “I don’t think we ever chose a time. You go to the office, so I guess after you leave would be good.”
I nodded and stood. She didn’t realize how good being gone before she got there would be. “It would. I’ll get you the code to the garage, and you can get in that way.”
“A secret code to your home. What if I’m an ax murderer?”
I chuckled. “I’ve known you since you were born. I think I’d know if you were an ax murderer.”
Her shoulders met her ears. “People change a lot in a decade. Who knows what I got into in the big city.” She rose from the seat.
She stood right in front of me. In short jean shorts, frayed at the ends, a tight pale-yellow shirt that hugged her perky, and if my memory recalled correctly, soft breasts, and the sunlight caught the highlights of her hair perfectly. I took a strand which fell over her shoulders in my fingers, again. It was soft—like silk. Our eyes locked, and time froze. All of my nerve endings were at attention and took her in. Her flowery scent, her clear porcelain skin. I touched my knuckles lightly across her cheek—then the kitchen door opened.
I stepped away.
It was Diane. She called Skylar, and I grabbed the interruption and Darcie and called it a day.
“Daddy, can we stop at the burger stand and get a milkshake? I’m dying for ice cream.” Darcie was buckled in the back seat.
I needed to get home, but I could use ice cream. I could still finish the laundry, get her washed up, and have an early night. I planned on being on the road early tomorrow morning—by at least seven. Carly’s parents lived two hours away. It’s not a long drive, but if we got there early enough, we could grab lunch; I could visit for a bit, then get home in time to relax and prepare for a few virtual meetings I had Monday morning.
“Sounds great, princess.” I pulled onto the road and made the short drive to Burgers and More, a drive-in burger stand. “I want to stay in the car, though. We’ve got to get home.”
Well, my perfect plans were short-lived. When we pulled into a spot to order, Lance was there eating with Johnny, a long-time friend of ours.
“Hi, princess,” Lance said as he opened Darcie’s door. “Want to eat at the table with me and Johnny?”
Darcie’s face fell. I could see it through the mirror when I glanced back before taking our order. “I can’t. Daddy said we need to get our milkshake and go straight home.” She pushed her bottom lip out in a pout.
Great. Lance could never ignore that look on her face. I unbuckled. I knew when I lost.
“Nonsense.” Lance leaned across her and undid her seatbelt. “Come on. Your daddy needs to relax a bit. It won’t hurt if you stay for a while.”
“Fine. We’ll go for a bit.” I finished our order and met Lance and Darcie at the table with Johnny. “You know we can’t stay. We’ve got to eat and run.”
“Whatever,” Lance said.
“Yeah, whatever. I want a milkshake,” Darcie said. She sat next to Johnny. “Hi, Johnny.”
“Well, hello, beautiful. How was your day?” he asked her.
“It was amazing.” Her eyes were wide with excitement, and she gave us a rundown on her day and all the fun she and the girls had playing and having a picnic. “The worst thing about our day was all the noise the grownups were making.” She splayed her hands out to express herself. “They were playing a loud game and fighting over spoons. We didn’t understand it.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes.
We all chuckled at her dramatics and the food was placed in front of us. I had a shake only, as I’d just had a sandwich, and Darcie had a milkshake and fries. She loved fries and was quickly occupied with opening multiple ketchup packets.
“So, how’s Lilly?” Johnny asked.
“She’s doing okay,” Lance answered.
Darcie was busy stirring her ketchup together with a fry then popped it in her mouth. “Madeline told me her daddy called and is moving to . . . somewhere far away and getting married.” She sipped her shake. “Madeline also says she likes it here better because her mommy doesn’t cry as much as she did before, and she seems happier.”
I stared at Darcie. It never ceased to amaze me what she understood.
“Well, maybe I should call her and ask her to dinner and a movie,” Johnny said. “Would that be okay with you?” He made eye contact with Lance.
Lance looked at him hard for a moment and shrugged. “Not for me to say. She’s an adult.”
I stopped eating. “Didn’t you ask her out in high school, and she totally dumped your ass?”
“Daddy, don’t say naughty words. You owe me money.” Darcie pointed a French fry at me.
And there went another dollar. “Sorry, princess.”
“It’s okay,” she said as she popped another fry in her mouth. “You can pay me when we get home.”
I stared hard at her and she flashed me a toothy grin.
I shook my head. That girl has me so wrapped around her pinky finger, I’m in trouble. I turned back to Johnny. “I think you’ll be wasting your time. Lilly isn’t ready to get back into a relationship.” My voice came out much more irritated than I anticipated.
Lance’s brow shot up. “You suddenly know an awful lot about my sister.”
I shrugged. “Our daughters are friends. She cleans my house. We’ve spent some time together.” If I was trying to lie low about Lilly, I was failing miserably, but I couldn’t help it. The thought of her going out with Johnny . . .yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.
Johnny jumped in. “I’m not quite the football dork now, and you never know. She could be ready to go out with someone. It’s not like I’m asking her to marry me.”
“Yeah, chill, bro. Lilly doesn’t need us to protect her anymore. She’s a grown woman,” Lance said.
My heart pumped hard, and I clenched my teeth. Slow your roll, dude, and calm your ass down.