17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Thursday , July 4th
Matteo gently gripped Noah’s shoulder. “Right shin against the rim?”
He nodded, his pale curls bouncing. “Check.”
“Bend low at the hips?”
Noah hinged forward. “Check.”
“Eyes on the forty?”
“Check.”
Matteo backed away. “Drumroll, please.”
Danielle and Olivia trilled their tongues while Matteo drummed on a trash can. Noah blew out a breath through pursed lips, then launched. The Skee-ball rolled smoothly as butter up the lane and into the forty-point hoop. With a kerchunk, kerchunk, the machine spit out a long stream of tickets, which Noah snatched up and waved overhead, hooting with glee.
“Bravo, piccolo,” Matteo crowed. “Almost as good as your sister.”
Noah’s forehead rumpled. “Bull dookie!” He grabbed for his sister’s strip of tickets, but she tucked them behind her back.
Danielle hid her grin behind Matteo’s broad shoulder. “Go on, pick your prizes.”
Squabbling and jostling, the kids made their way to the prize counter at the back of the crowded, noisy arcade.
Taking advantage of their diverted attention, Danielle pulled Matteo in for a juicy smooch. “Thanks, Coach.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. “Advantage of growing up in a beach town. Mad Skee-ball skills.”
“And go-karts. And bumper cars. And…what else? We’ve been to so many places I’ve lost track.”
“Don’t forget the secret collection at Souvenir Galaxy.”
She shuddered. “That was seriously creepy. I swear, that mummified mermaid thing is a shaved monkey with a salmon tail.”
“Heresy! Hush your mouth, woman.” He kissed her again. And again.
She squirmed from his grip. “The kids will see.”
“Give them some credit, bella. They’re smart. They know what’s up.” He glanced back at the prize counter, where Olivia was collecting a plush panda.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Her kids’ easy acceptance of Matteo surprised and delighted her. Then again, they’d already been conditioned by their dad’s revolving stable of girlfriends. It seemed they were sturdier than she thought.
She squeezed Matteo’s waist. “You’ve been a champ, giving up all your free time to entertain my offspring.”
He squeezed back. “Well, I do have ulterior motives. I know you have to get back home for their soccer league, but I’m hoping you’ll let me come up for a few games.” He nuzzled her neck. “Especially when they’re staying with their dad.”
It would be a long time before she trusted her ex again, but Matteo was right. Jason was a grown-ass man, and he had to forge his own relationship with the kids now, independent of hers. At least she trusted Olivia and Noah to tell her when Jason’s screw-ups became too onerous.
Matteo jerked a thumb toward the door. “Gotta get back to Sal soon. I’ll text you after we close up.”
“We’ll have the food ready by then. Your friends still holding a place for us on the beach?”
He nodded. “Got a prime spot. They’ve been camping out there since this morning. Just bring folding chairs and blankets. It’ll cool off tonight.” He snuggled closer. “Unfortunately, we can’t duck into the tent and warm up like we did the other night.”
She stifled a laugh. “My kids would be scandalized.”
He kissed her forehead and fixed her with a gaze that warmed her all the way through. “You’re a great mom, Danielle. Fun, but firm.” He gave her butt a quick squeeze, drawing a squeak. “You know, Trappers Cove is a great place to raise kids. When the tourists leave, there’s still a tight-knit community here. Pretty good school. We’ve even got a soccer league. And kids who need a speech therapist.”
“How would you know that?”
He lowered his gaze and shuffled his feet. “Friend of Sal’s on the school board.”
She laced her fingers through his and sighed. Two weeks ago, she’d have scoffed at the idea of pulling up stakes and moving to a little shore town. Now, the idea was mighty appealing. A smaller house to maintain, smaller mortgage payments too, a slower pace, and daily walks on the beach with Matteo. Not to mention nightly cuddles, waking up to his warm, sleepy-soft body wrapped around hers…
Head out of the clouds, Delfino.
She shook her head. “If it were just up to me, I’d put in my job application tomorrow. But—” she waved toward the back of the arcade. “They get a say too.”
“Fair enough.” He folded her against his chest and rocked her, moving to their own slow rhythm despite the frantic dings and clangs all around them.
Close behind her, someone snorted. She turned, expecting to see Olivia’s teen sneer, but the intruder was a vaguely familiar young woman, arms crossed, nose wrinkled.
“Well, well, well. Matteo’s still hanging onto his cougar. Thought you’da dumped her old ass by now.”
A flash of black and white bounced off the critic’s head as Olivia wielded her new stuffed panda like a club. “That’s right, he’s with my mom. And she’s way cuter than you.” She waggled her fingers in that infuriatingly dismissive manner only a teen girl can master. “So move along now. Buh-bye.”
The young woman flounced away. Noah trotted up, a plush green snake wrapped around his shoulders. “What’d I miss?”
Eyes crinkled in laughter, Matteo said, “Just your sister being a badass.” He fist-bumped Olivia. “Respect, Princess. Well, guys, I’ve gotta go. See you on the beach tonight.”
He shot Danielle a look of longing as he backed away.
Noah huffed. “It’s okay, man. You can kiss her in front of us. We won’t hurl.”
“Just, like, no tongue, okay?” Olivia added.
Giggling, Danielle grasped Matteo’s shoulders and gave him her first kid-approved smooch.
With a laugh and a wave, he made his way through the crowd.
She wrapped her arm around Olivia. “Thanks, kiddo. That was awesome.”
Olivia shrugged. “Who knows? I might want a younger boyfriend someday.” She counted on her fingers. “Let’s see. Eleven years younger. That means he’s—two!”
Noah socked her arm. “Eew, you perv.”
Danielle separated them. “All right, enough violence. Where to next?”
“I’m hungry,” Noah declared.
“You’re always hungry.” Grinning over her incredibly good luck, Danielle led her little family back onto the crowded street. Until her ex’s ill-timed arrival in Trappers Cove, she’d envisioned a future where fun times like this would be shared with either her kids or with Matteo, but—fingers crossed—Noah and Olivia seemed at ease with her new…
“Boyfriend,” she whispered, giddy with happiness.
“What’s that, Mom?” As sharp-eared as a bat, Olivia snatched that clue.
“Beautiful, I said.” Danielle slung her arm around her daughter’s skinny shoulders and smooched the top of her head. “I’m so glad you guys stayed for the holiday.”
Noah linked his arm through her free one and tugged them toward the cluster of food vendors further down Main Street. “Dad’s a poop-head on the fourth. Never wants to stay up to see the fireworks.”
She really ought to scold her son for disparaging his father that way, but Noah was right—Jason was a poophead. And for once, she got to enjoy being the fun parent. What a treat!
Trappers Cove had pulled out all the stops for the Fourth of July. Balloons bobbed everywhere. Red, white, and blue bunting hung from the old-fashioned streetlamps, and buskers and vendors filled the sidewalks. All along Main Street, visitors streamed from shop to shop and clustered around booths hawking crafts, beach gear, and food.
“I smell corn dogs.” Noah launched himself into the crowd.
Fortified with cheese-stuffed corn dogs, the kids scanned the other offerings on this block. “Look, a fortuneteller. Can we, Mom?” Olivia’s teenaged cool fell away as she hopped, hands clasped over her chest.
In front of her crystal shop, Zora had set up a canopy draped with glittery scarves. Striking in her purple caftan and campy jeweled turban, she inspected the palm of a girl about Olivia’s age. After sending her customer on her way, Zora beckoned to Danielle.
“Good to see you again, dear. Are these angels yours?”
Noah’s eyes bugged out. Clearly, knowing a psychic netted Mom some serious cool points.
She introduced her children, dropped a ten into the jar, then backed off as they seated themselves at Zora’s table. “I’ll just check out that stained-glass stand.”
She kept an eye on them, of course, smiling at their wide-eyed expressions as Zora foretold their futures. A few minutes later, the kids returned, gesticulating, heads bent close.
“Must’ve been an interesting prediction,” Danielle observed.
Noah went first. “She said I would find treasure on the beach. Do we have a shovel?”
Olivia clucked her tongue. “It’s a metaphor, numbnuts.”
“Language, Olivia. What your sister means is that treasure could be anything valuable.”
He nodded. “Uh, okay. Like money? Or jewelry? I’ll bet people drop all kinds of stuff on the beach.”
“And what’s your prediction, Olivia?”
“It was weird. She said not to be scared of open doors.”
Danielle tapped her pursed lips. “That’s a thinker.” And not so different from what Zora told me. “So, ready to help me grill some chicken for tonight?”
Following the kids through the crowd, she chuckled at the sweet irony. First the school board, then the fortuneteller. Matteo was rallying the troops to convince her to stay. If only it were that easy.
Back in the kitchen, Noah shucked corn while Olivia diced peppers for pasta salad.
Noah scooped corn silk from the sink into the trash can. “Man, I love it here. I wish we could live here all the time.”
Open doors. She snuck a glance at her daughter, whose lips were clamped tight.
“No way.” Olivia gave her head a sharp shake. “All my friends are in Tacoma.”
Danielle’s stomach sank. That’s what she got for allowing herself to fantasize. It would be years before she could reconcile her obligation to her kids and her desire to be with Matteo full time.
Olivia’s soft hand fell on her shoulder. “You’re not gonna ask us to move, are you?”
She should’ve bought that crystal Zora recommended for wisdom and balance. “No, baby, I’m not going to ask you to move. Not anytime soon, anyway. But I will want to come here more often.”
Noah folded and unfolded a strip of corn husk. “Are you gonna marry Matteo?”
Her heart pinched as she drank in Olivia’s tight-lipped expression, Noah’s nervous, fiddly fingers. So young, so at the mercy of her decision.
“Matteo and I just met two weeks ago. It’s way too early to talk about marriage.”
Both kids exhaled.
“I really like him, though, and I want to keep seeing him. I don’t know if we’ll end up together long term or not. I hope we will. But you guys always come first.”
Noah grinned. “That’s cool. I like him too, way better than Sharla.”
“Sharla’s okay,” Olivia added. “Not as nice as Matteo, but she’s not mean or anything.” She exchanged a look with her brother. “But her sons are dickwads.”
Noah nodded. “Total douche waffles.”
She held up a hand. “Hey, hey, where’s this language coming from?”
Oliva tsked. “We’re not babies, Mom. And don’t worry. We’re not gonna turn into Brayden and Jayden if you hook up with Matteo.” She cocked a hip. “Lots of my friends’ parents are divorced. Right, bro?”
“At least half. Hey—” he clutched a handful of corn husks. “Matteo doesn’t have kids, does he?”
“Nope.” She grabbed a kitchen towel from the counter and flicked it at each of them. “Now, let’s get this chicken on the grill.”
While the chicken sizzled, she snuck glances at the kids, flopped on their bellies on the chaise cushions, snort-laughing over videos on Olivia’s phone. Love for them swelled her chest and filled her eyes with happy tears. They really were great kids, and even if their new normal didn’t resemble their old life, they were going to be okay.
“We’re all going to be okay,” she whispered to the brilliant blue sky.