Chapter 21
Evie is lounging beside the pool like a golden suntanned goddess. She’s put her oversized shirt back on and added a massive straw visor and big sunglasses. A picture of her hanging in a dermatologist’s office as an example of sun safety would have every container of sunscreen sold out.
The best part of Evie: she’s laughing. She’s always laughing. Her smile lights up her whole face in a way that looks like she might explode from joy. She’s talking to June right now about a date that June went on last week. I was hanging out nearby until my baby sister started talking about the guy kissing like a slimy wet fish and I decided it was time to go.
But the weird thing is, Evie fits here. My family gave her the ultimate hazing of no personal space and a rousing game of a hundred questions right out of the gate, and Evie accepted it all with that adorable dimpled smile of hers. I don’t want to be that guy who’s constantly comparing every woman he spends time with to his ex-wife, but I can’t help it. The picture is a stark contrast.
Natalie never fit in with my family. She didn’t like them. She thought June was childish and that everyone else was too involved in our life. I don’t remember the last time we had a pool party like this, because honestly, Natalie wouldn’t have wanted to spend the afternoon with them. In the interest of making my marriage work, I went along with it. I had lunch with my parents by myself most Sundays, and for holidays we got in and out of family functions as fast as possible.
I’ve missed having them in my life, and I can’t help but notice that I don’t miss Natalie one bit.
“Well, I think this pool party was a success, Jakey,” says my mom, using my shoulder to help her sit down beside me on the edge of the pool. My mom is cute. She’s about five feet tall standing on her tiptoes, with the voice of Paula Deen and a personality like a shot of Fireball whisky mixed with sunshine.
“You think? I’m glad. And I’m glad you guys could come.”
Evie’s voice carries across the pool and distracts me. “Sam! When’s the last time you put on sunscreen, darlin’?”
Sam pauses her descent down the pool steps and looks over to Evie. “Oh. Not since this morning.”
“Come over here and let me lather you back up before you turn into the world’s cutest lobster.”
I watch my daughter smile from ear to ear and then rush back up the steps to go perch in front of Evie on the lounge chair. Evie’s sitting cross-legged now, smiling and talking away to my sister while thoroughly applying sunscreen to my daughter’s back. I’m mesmerized by this scene. I couldn’t look away if I tried.
I am the person who loves Sam the most in this world . . . and I forgot to reapply sunscreen to her back. But Evie remembered. What does that mean? It feels significant.
My mom leans close to me, and from the corner of my eye, I can see her smile. “I think you found a good one.”
I take in a deep breath. “Yeah. I’ve thought that before, though.”
“True. But you were just a kid back then when you met Natalie. You didn’t know the first thing to look for in a woman besides her bra size. And Natalie didn’t know what she wanted from her life either besides what was in your pants.”
I grimace. “That was disturbing to hear. You’re starting to sound like June.”
She chuckles and rolls her eyes. “You kids think I’m so out of touch, but I’ll have you know that I watch The Bachelor every week.” She says it like that fact in itself should knock fifteen years off her age. “But that’s not the point. The fact is, you’re a grown man now who’s lived a lot of life, and you know what kinda woman it’s gonna take to hold your hand through the rest of it.” She pats my back and then shimmies off the edge of the pool into the water to go swim by my dad, who, at this moment, has approximately five grandkids leeched on to him in the shallow end.
I turn my eyes back to Evie just in time to see her stand up, empty glass in hand, and head toward the house.
Next thing I know, I’m on my feet and striding after her. I suddenly feel like there is some unfinished business between us.
I step into the house, and the cool air hits my bare chest. I probably should have grabbed a shirt, but there was no time. Everyone else is outside, and Evie’s alone in here, and I didn’t want to waste this moment.
Turning the corner, I find Evie in the kitchen, pouring herself a fresh glass of lemonade and shoving a brownie into her mouth. She spots me and covers her mouth to keep the crumbs from spewing out with her laughter. “Caught red-handed,” she says from behind her fist.
I round the island to get closer to her, and I notice her chewing slows and her body straightens a little. I stop just behind her, hoping she’ll turn around to face me. “You’re allowed to eat the brownies, you know. You’re the one who brought them.”
My plan works, because Evie turns around, and now she’s trapped between me and the counter, and I’m loving how close we are. I can see the freckles dotting the bridge of her nose and the perfect bow of her full top lip.
“Yeah,” she says with a final swallow, “but am I allowed to have four brownies?”
My eyebrows lift. “I’m impressed. Did you really eat four?”
“What? Me? No. I was kidding. I’d never eat half the pan of brownies I brought for other people. That would be soooo rude.” That means she actually ate five.
I smile and lean in and set my hands on the countertop behind her—one on either side of her, pinning her in. Her eyes widen. I know this is bold. Other than that ridiculously amazing and unexpected kiss we had last night, our relationship has looked nothing like this. And speaking of that kiss, neither of us has even acknowledged it.
I’m ready to acknowledge it now.
I’ve been watching Evie all day, and there’s not a chance that I’m letting this woman leave my house with us stuck between friend zone and something else. I get closer and breathe in the scent of Banana Boat suntan lotion mixed with the sweet strawberry balm I’ve seen her apply to her lips. Let me tell you, it’s a ridiculously good combination.
“Jake,” says Evie in a slightly nervous, playful voice as she looks over her shoulder toward my hands. She takes a tiny step back toward the counter and puts her hands behind her to grip it. “What’s going on right now?”
I smile because I like how frank she is. She doesn’t try to play games. She’s straightforward. What you see is what you get—and goodness, I like what I see.
“What’s going on is . . . I can’t stop thinking about our kiss from last night.” I can be frank too.
She sucks in a breath and blinks before pursing her lips. She looks over both of her shoulders before her green eyes hit mine again. “Do you think this is the place to discuss that?” She’s cute when she’s nervous.
“Yeah. I do.”
“But what if Sam walks in here?”
“She’ll probably be scarred for the rest of her life.”
“Jake! I’m serious.”
I smile and inch closer so our bodies are touching. “Me too.”
Evie’s eyes drop to my mouth and then lower to my chest. She swallows, and her cheeks pinken, and I swear I’ve never felt cockier than at this moment.
She looks back up at me. “You can’t just switch gears on me like this in the middle of the day at your family pool party. I mean . . . one minute you’re giving wholesome PG dad vibes and the next you’re pinning me against the counter and kissing me while you’re half-naked? You’re not allowed to do that. It gives me whiplash.”
I smile bigger and move my hand up to her neck, enjoying the way her skin is still hot from the sun. “It’s been a little while since I’ve brushed up on the rules, so you’ll have to forgive me. I want to kiss you again, Evie, even though there’s a pool party outside. And I don’t want to be just friends. Or friends with benefits.”
A full smile curls her lips, and I can’t stand it any longer. I’ve gotta kiss her. I’m leaning down, and her hands move up to rest on my bare chest. The sudden skin-to-skin contact is electric, and it short-circuits my brain. I’ve been dead for the past year, and she just put two paddles to my chest. I’m alive now.
My lips touch hers, and I immediately want to groan from how good she feels. But of course we get interrupted.
“Whoa!” says my dad from the doorway. Evie and I split apart. “Sorry, you two. I didn’t realize there was something going on in here.” But his smile says he knew very well.
I lean my back against the counter opposite Evie and give my dad an unamused smile. “Impeccable timing, Dad.”
He shrugs and struts right on over to the fridge to fill his glass with ice. “I’ve got four daughters, son. I’ve had loads of practice to perfect my timing.” He looks at Evie and winks.
One minute ago I was a cocky son of a gun, and now I’m fifteen with a face on fire, and my dad is embarrassing me and my pretty girlfriend. How can I recover from this?
Dad is taking his sweet time, adding one cube of ice to his glass at a time, filling it with water, taking a sip, and topping it off again. This goes on for two minutes, and I can see that Evie is trying hard not to dissolve into laughter.
I give her a look that says, Enjoying this, are you? That forces her to cover her mouth with the back of her hand so a laugh doesn’t spew out.
All right, enough.
I’m not fifteen, and this is my own damn kitchen. “Okay, water boy, I think you’re well hydrated. Why don’t you take this outside now and stop doing whatever it is you’re doing in here.”
My dad laughs as I’m pushing him from the kitchen. “I’m going, I’m going . . . but you should know that we can all see you out there.” He points toward the glass sliding door just off the kitchen . . . and yep . . . it’s a straight shot to where Evie and I have been standing. Everyone is gathered and watching like their cable got canceled months ago and they’re starved for entertainment.
Once I forcibly remove my father from my house, I turn around and go back into the kitchen. I find Evie giving in to her laughter with both hands covering her face. I take one of her wrists and pull her out of the kitchen and into the hallway—away from the prying eyes of my creepy family.
“Are you going to sneak me away to make out in the hallway now?” she asks while laughing.
I stop and turn around when I know we are clear from the audience. “No. The moment’s over.”
“Boooooo,” she says with a big smile.
I’m laughing now too, and I can’t believe how bad I am at this flirting thing. Turns out, it’s something you can get rusty at.
“What are you doing Friday night?” I ask.
Her smile goes a tad serious. “Friday?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Well, nothing that I know of.”
“Come over Friday night, then.”
Her smile peeks out again. “Come over?”
“Are you just going to keep repeating everything I say?”
“Only if you don’t start explaining what you mean in full sentences. I know we just kissed again in the kitchen, but I don’t want to misconstrue anything.” Gosh, I like this woman. I want to kiss her more, but I refrain because I can’t handle another interruption, and the potential for that happening is way too high.
“Sam has her slumber party that night, so I’m going to be off dad duty. I was hoping you’d come over and let me cook you dinner . . . as a date.”
“A date?”
“You’re still repeating.”
She smiles wider and leans her back against the wall. The shadowy hallway blankets us—only adding to the flirty look she’s giving me. Evie is not rusty. “So . . . a date date? Like . . . you like me like me? Not just a friend or attraction thing?”
“Didn’t you get the note I passed you in science class? I like you. Check yes or no if you like me too.”
She scrunches her nose and pulls me even closer by wrapping her arms around my neck. “I check yes.”
“So, does that mean you’ll come?”
“You said you’re cooking?”
I nod.
“Count me in.”
She raises up on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek before breaking away and darting back out toward the pool.