Chapter 12
chapter twelve
Dayton
I’m an asshole. I just shouldn’t speak to Summer, unless it’s absolutely necessary.
The things I said to her yesterday were uncalled for.
I don’t even know why I did it. She drives me to a place I don’t want to be.
I can’t think straight around her. What I did while looking at her photos makes me feel like a monster.
Now I’m turning my anger at my obsession with her on her.
I just want her to break up with that moron already.
Why? It wouldn’t change a damn thing for us. She’ll always be off-limits.
I would never disappoint my father by attempting anything with Summer, especially now that he and Clara are gone. Not to mention the fact that Summer despises me and barely tolerates me.
I called an Uber and left the bungalow a few minutes after she stormed out and took a walk with Axel down the beach. I didn’t sleep much last night in my hotel room at the Grand Palm. Our heated conversation has been running through my head on repeat for nearly twenty-four hours.
Now I’m standing on the beach next to my buddy Reed’s wife, Alani. She’s holding their baby girl and watching their son, Koa, build sandcastles.
They’re here visiting because they own a chain of coffee and margarita food trucks on beaches all over America. When they first met, he started a rival business, selling margaritas across from her coffee cart on the beach in Hawaii. He stole her heart, and now they own the pop-ups together.
“Reed texted me that he needs me to come rewrite some of the menu items on the board. Would you mind holding Luna for me for just a second?” Alani turns to me and extends the sleeping baby girl in her arms.
I freeze. I’ve never held a baby before in my life. I shift my feet.
She notes the hesitation on my face and laughs. “She won’t bite. She’s a heavy sleeper.”
I tentatively extend my arms, and she places the baby directly into them. I don’t move a muscle as the tiny little girl wiggles around before settling herself and going still again.
Alani grabs Koa’s hand. “We’ll be right back. If she wakes up, just give her the pacifier in the diaper bag!”
She meanders through the crowd toward the food trucks, Koa in tow.
I gently rock the baby back and forth, like I’ve seen people do in movies. She’s drooling on my arm. As long as she stays asleep, I can handle this … I hope.
“Dayton?”
I turn toward the voice, being met with the face of a girl I went to high school with, Aurelia. Her husband, Will, is standing beside her, grinning at me. He has a guitar case on his back.
“Damn, Dayton, I had no idea! Congrats, man.” He claps me on the shoulder.
Aurelia smiles. “Who’s the lucky lady? I’m a little offended that we weren’t invited to the wedding.”
My brows rise. “I’m not married. This isn’t my kid. She’s my buddy’s, who’s running a marg truck over there.”
They both nod in understanding before giving each other a knowing glance.
“That makes more sense,” Will says. “I never thought you’d get over you know who.” He grins.
Aurelia rolls her eyes. “Are you just in town for Marg Fest?”
Luna stirs in my arms. I look down at her, seeing her little lips form like she’s looking for a bottle.
“Ah, sort of, I guess.” I look around for the diaper bag.
I see the pink backpack on the sand, zipper half open with baby bottles inside.
I bend down and start searching for the pacifier while attempting to keep Luna in the same position so she doesn’t wake up.
I finally find it, rising up to face Will and Aurelia again.
I attempt to give the wiggling Luna the pacifier, and she sucks it right into her mouth and settles down again.
“Sorry. Yeah, I’m just here for a few days.” I look back up at them, but this time, I’m met with Summer’s pale green eyes.
She’s staring at me, wide eyes shifting from my face, down over my exposed chest, to the sleeping baby in my arms. I’m wearing swim trunks and a blue floral shirt that was already unbuttoned when Alani handed me the baby.
Summer’s mouth falls open like she can’t believe what she’s seeing. I lift a curious brow as her gaze trails over me again, and she licks her lips.
“Um, hi, Summer,” Aurelia says.
Summer starts like she’s waking up from a dream and turns to the voice. “Aurelia! Will! Oh my gosh, I didn’t see you there. How are you?” She’s practically shrieking.
“We’re good. Will is performing today.”
Summer nods. “Sure, of course. How exciting! When are you on?” Her voice sounds more high-pitched than usual.
“We need to head that way now actually. But we’d love to get together with you two while you’re in town. I’ll text you, Dayton.” Will raises a hand as he and Aurelia turn to walk away.
I face Summer after they leave. She’s wearing a neon-green triangle bikini top with matching bottoms and a fishnet cover-up tied around her hips. Her long hair is in a braid over her shoulder.
Perfect to hold on to.
Stop. Not now. She’s probably still pissed at you.
Luna stirs in my arms again. I begin swaying side to side the way I’ve seen parents do when a baby starts to wake up from a nap. She stops moving and spits the pacifier out onto the ground. Summer bends down to pick it up. It’s covered in sand. She places it on the towel beside the diaper bag.
“Whose baby is that?” she asks.
“My buddy Reed’s. He’s running a marg truck.”
She twirls the golden ends of her hair around her finger. “And he asked you to babysit?”
“Don’t sound so surprised. Kids love me.”
“Because they’re not old enough to know better,” she mumbles.
Her eyes roll over me again. I can tell her mind is churning, like she’s dying to say something. She blinks, looks down at the sand, then back up at Luna.
Part of me feels like I need to apologize for what I said in the bungalow about her and Axel. I wouldn’t even know where to start with an apology to Summer.
If you’re in the mood to apologize, it really should be about what you did with her pictures.
I’ll take what I did with those pictures to the grave.
Savannah walks up behind her with Mia and Juniper, saving me the trouble of thinking of what to say to make amends. Summer and I went to high school with them. They’ve always been inseparable. Savannah whistles under her breath when she sees the baby.
“Oh my, whose kid is that?” She grabs Summer’s arm and turns to shoot her a look I can’t interpret.
Mia and Juniper snicker, whispering to each other.
“What’s so strange about me holding a baby? She’s sleeping.”
Savannah waves a hand, smirking. “No, no, it’s not that. It’s just … it’s a good look for you. I think it suits you. I can’t believe you haven’t been swarmed by women.” She gestures over me.
I raise a brow. Summer’s cheeks turn pink as she faces away from me, toward the stage farther down by the water where most of the crowd is gathered.
The sun is high in the sky, and the smell of taco trucks, funnel cakes, and a mix of other delicious food fills the air.
Summer’s bikini bottoms are cheeky, showing off the bottom part of her butt.
No way. Savannah thinks me holding the baby is attractive. Does Summer think that?
I sway back and forth with the baby. Summer’s eyes slowly trail back over to us like she just can’t look away.
“Her name is Luna.”
Savannah nods, chewing on her fingernail and grinning. “How old is she?”
“Uh, I’m not sure. She was born on Labor Day.”
Summer licks her lips, still staring at Luna. Actually, she’s staring at my chest and biceps.
Interesting.
Alani comes up behind the girls with Koa. “Thank you so much! Sorry about that. Did she stay asleep?”
I nod. “Yeah, she’s cozy. I think she likes me.”
Alani smiles. “Uncle Dayton’s arms must be comfy.” She turns to face Summer and Savannah. “Hi, I’m Alani. The baby is my husband’s, not his. He’s fair game.”
Savannah laughs, extending a hand. “We know Dayton actually. It would be wild to find out he happened to have a kid this whole time. I’m Sav.”
She and Alani shake hands before Summer extends hers.
“I’m Summer. Your baby is adorable.”
“I know, right? She looks just like her daddy. He gets hit on so much when he takes her for a walk without me. Babies are the biggest chick magnets.”
Mia and Juniper say hello and introduce themselves to Alani.
“She looks just like you,” Mia says.
“Thank you! She’s my little mini muffin.”
Having never held a baby before, I didn’t realize that women found it so attractive.
I don’t normally have any trouble getting female attention, except for this particular one who actively despises me.
This is the first time in my life I’ve noticed her staring at me like she can’t force her eyes away.
“Well, I’ll see you ladies later. I could use some exercise.” I turn to walk toward the beach.
Alani and Savannah both laugh. I turn back around, grinning. Luna stirs in my arms again. I sway back and forth with her until she settles down.
Alani raises her brows. “I’m impressed.”
Reed jogs up to the group. He’s shirtless, grinning widely. “Don’t be stealing my girl, Copeland.”
He’s a good-looking motherfucker and almost as tall as me. We met when I was in college. Their popular coffee and margaritas stand is usually run by someone else, but they’re in town for the event helping out.
“Too late. She’s a big fan of Uncle Dayton’s arms,” Alani says, lifting up on her tiptoes to kiss her husband.
“I don’t think she’s alone in that,” Juniper jokes.