Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jocelyn
I’m so cozy. I’m surrounded by heat, but I feel air blowing on me from a fan overhead. It’s like having my weighted blanket on me, only…wait a minute, I didn’t bring my weighted blanket.
I open my eyes. The early morning sun is streaming in from the windows. I blink as I realize I fell asleep with Hutch. He’s stretched out on the chaise lounge part of the sectional, and I’m lying on the sofa part with my head on his lap and…why is something poking me from under the pillow?
Oh. My. God.
Hutch has morning wood. And holy crap, he’s big. I mean, this shouldn’t be shocking; the man is a literal Viking in stature.
I try not so delicately to get out from under him, but his arm that’s wrapped over my hip weighs a ton, and I can’t move it.
“Hutch,” I whisper.
He doesn’t budge.
“Hutch,” I say in my normal voice.
Still nothing.
“Hutch!” I yell.
His eyes pop open, and he looks around wildly.
“What? What is it? A lizard?” he says, his eyes wide.
I turn to look up at him.
“I’m stuck under you, and I have to pee,” I explain.
“Oh. Right,” he replies.
He lifts his arm, and I sit up and rub my eyes. I notice he keeps the pillow strategically over his erection. I can’t help myself. I decide to mess with him.
“Uh, you want to go first?” I ask.
“No. Uh, it’s fine. I can use the little powder room down here,” he says.
I giggle. “Powder room?”
“Half bath, whatever you call it,” he mumbles.
“No, please, use the powder room,” I insist.
He glares at me.
I smirk as I get up, and just when I reach the top step, I turn to him. “Just make sure you point that thing down. I’m sure your friend wouldn’t want pee on his ceiling in his powder room,” I tease as I open the bathroom door to the sound of his groan down below.
I can’t wipe the smile from my face as I rinse off after using the facilities. I’m still smiling when I walk back downstairs.
“Laugh it up, buttercup,” he says as he grabs some water from the mini fridge.
“Oh, I will,” I state, swiping the water from his hand. He glares at me again and grabs another one.
“So grumpy,” I say with a grin.
* * *
After a day at the beach and a trip into Old San Juan to see the fort and historic district, most of us are lounging around the pool. Kasen taught Ava to cannonball, and Bray is now launching her off his knee into the deep end of the pool.
Hutch and I are drifting around the far side of the deep end on rafts that might as well be lounge chairs, while everyone else is either lying out around the pool or in the kitchen snacking.
“Do you know where your dad is from on the island?” Hutch asks out of the blue.
I jerk my head to the side. “Uh, no.”
“And you haven’t been here before?” he asks.
“Nope. He never wanted to come here,” I state. “I mean, he never really was around much, so…” I trail off with a shrug and run a hand through the water.
“I’m sorry,” he says, his eyes meeting mine.
“Yeah, well. You can’t miss what you never really had, right?” I reply, attempting to lighten the mood.
“True, but you knew him, so he was around at some point. Right?” he asks. I nod. “I mean, my family has been weird since the accident, but my whole childhood was pretty normal, average family crap,” he says.
“I guess…it just makes you question people more and trust them less,” I explain. “I…” I lower my voice because I don’t exactly want Ava to hear. “If you can’t trust your parents because they choose not to be around, then who can you trust?”
He nods. “I get it. Do you think any of his family is still alive?”
I shrug again as I turn my raft in a circle using my hands.
“I don’t know. Maybe, like cousins or something?” I guess.
Hutch stills, and I glance over at him. “What?” I ask.
“Let’s look for them. I mean, we’re here.
We have the internet and Kasen. You haven’t asked Kasen to look for him yet.
Let’s see if we can find any of your family at least,” he says as if he just offered to find my favorite food on the island.
He had mentioned Kasen when we talked about looking for my dad, but I’m pretty sure my dad might be back home.
I suppose we can figure out that part of the mystery later. But as for my dad’s family, who knows?
“Hutch, I wouldn’t even know where to start looking,” I say with a nervous laugh. What is he thinking? I mean, wouldn’t my family have looked for me if they wanted to talk to me? Maybe none of them were close to my dad.
“Miss Jocelyn! Mr. Hutch! Watch this!” Ava yells as Bray catapults her off his leg and through the water. She dives in and comes up spitting out water and grinning.
Hutch claps. “Nice work!”
“You’re a mermaid!” I exclaim.
“I’m a princess mermaid,” she corrects. And all the adults in the vicinity laugh.
“Well, princess mermaids need to eat dinner. Why don’t you come inside? I’ve got a sandwich for you,” Carly says.
“Mom!” Ava whines.
“We can get ice cream after,” Bray promises as he lifts her out of the pool.
“Promise?” she asks, crossing her arms, her goggles pulled up on her forehead.
“Pinky promise,” he replies.
She purses her lips as if considering it and then grins and holds out her pinky. He grabs it in his and they swing their hands.
“Coming!” she yells as she turns to head to the kitchen, where Carly has a plate of food waiting for her.
“Slow down!” Carly and Bray yell in unison.
“Think it’s weird having a kid?” I muse as I watch Ava sit.
“Probably. But I think it’d be cool. I mean, if the kid was like Ava. I love that kiddo. She’s the best,” Hutch says.
“I suppose so,” I say. I lean back in my floating chaise lounge.
“You don’t want kids?” he asks. Why does this feel like a weird first date?
“Well, when I was growing up, I always wanted three, but now, I don’t know. Maybe if I found the right partner, two?” I contemplate as I swirl my hand in the cool pool water.
“I used to want three also. I think one would be hard. They don’t have a playmate,” Hutch agrees. “And I loved having siblings.” His voice is sad as he says that last part.
I look over at him. “When did you last speak to them?” I ask.
“About a month ago. They needed help replacing an engine on a tractor, I mean, with the money,” he explains.
“And you paid for it?”
He nods. “They haul lots of stuff with that tractor. The farm needs it to be operational, even in the winter.”
“Burgers?” Bray calls out from the kitchen.
There is a chorus of “yeses” and “heck, yeahs.” Hutch and I get out of the pool and help make dinner.
It’s so nice being here with everyone. No one is fighting.
And we’ve all had fun. We’ll get to see Jessa and Troy tomorrow.
I wish I could live in the apartment building with them, but I guess this is the next best thing.
I grab plates as Bray and Hutch start grilling. Al makes drinks, and Cam pulls out a pie she and Fletcher made earlier.
“Burgers are ready,” Hutch says as they bring in a platter and set it on the giant dining table. A few of us sit at the long island and the rest of us at the table as we start eating.
“So, who wants to help Jocelyn and me find her family tomorrow?” Hutch asks as he looks around at everyone.
“Are they missing?” Kasen asks with a frown.
I shake my head and glare at Hutch. “No. My dad was born here, but he never spoke about his family, so I’m not sure if any are left here. Hutch thought it would be fun to see if we could figure it out. I don’t talk to my dad any longer, so I truly have no idea if there is extended family here.”
Kasen nods as he chews on a bite of burger.
“Kasen, you could do a search, right?” Piper asks. He turns to her, and the look he gives her makes my cheeks heat.
“Yes, illustrator, I can,” he says, and I see his hand reach out to grab her thigh. The way he looks at her makes me swoon. What must it be like to have a man look at you like that? Like you are the center of the universe?
“Then, it’s settled. Tomorrow, we’ll see what we can dig up, and tomorrow night, I have us booked on a bioluminescent tour,” Hutch says.
“Rainforest hiking is the next day, and our last full day will be a free day to do as we like. Then we have a morning of leisure before we head back to the airport.”
I roll my eyes. “Lifestyles of the rich and famous?” I ask.
Margie snorts. “That was a great show. Champagne wishes and caviar dreams.”
“More like trust issues and potential hidden family members,” I mutter under my breath.
“What’s that, dear?” Cornelia asks.
“Oh, just looking forward to seeing if we can find my extended family. Who wants some of Cam’s pie?
” I ask as I try to distract them from my Freudian slip.
I get a bunch of “me’s” and as I get up to grab the pie, I lock gazes with Hutch.
He’s frowning, and I realize he heard what I said.
I hope no one else did. But oddly, I’m alright with him knowing.
Hutch is my safe place. I’m beginning to feel like I can tell him everything.
Everything except that I have a giant crush on him.