“Okay.” She put one foot on the stairs, and then looked into the kitchen. “Thanks for taking me to the beach again, Jacks.”
He grinned. “Any time, Buttercup.” I collapsed on the couch and a few seconds later he joined me. “What are you looking at?”
He was sticking by what he said. Her mom didn’t exist right now, and I’d honor that. For him and for her. “Tile.”
“For the house?” He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. He smelled like sunscreen and salt water. I had the sudden urge to lick his skin; I bet he’d taste like summer. I also knew what he meant by saying the house instead of my house. “Take things slow” didn’t really seem to mean anything to him.
“Yes, for your and Landry’s house.” It would be her house, too, so maybe I should let her pick out her own bathroom stuff. If she went with unicorns and rainbows Jacks could always have it remodeled later.
He was quiet for a while, just sitting next to me looking at flooring over my shoulder. “I have no intention of this relationship going badly, baby doll.”
I shrugged. “I’m sure no one goes into a new relationship thinking it’ll fail. Right?”
“We’re different. Special.”
I smiled, loving his cheeseball side. I leaned away from him so I could look in his eyes. “Oh yeah? And what makes us so special?”
He brought his finger under my chin, guiding me toward him. His lips touched mine, just once, but so sweetly I melted into him. “Because we’re best friends.”
I kept my eyes closed when I answered him. “I think that’s what scares me the most.”
Luke walked in and sat down in the recliner. “What are you two lovebirds up to?”
Jacks kept his eyes locked on mine when he answered, “I’m trying to convince B here that she is it for me.”
“Well, actions speak louder than words, my friend.” Luke flipped on the TV and leaned back in his chair. “And if you two are going to keep staring into each other’s eyes, take it upstairs. I’m in no mood to watch another set of people make out right now.”
Jacks chuckled, finally releasing my gaze. “You walk in on Smith and Dylan again?”
Luke shook his head but didn’t answer. Which I assumed meant that he’d walked in on Lexi and Dash. What the hell was the deal with him and Lexi anyway? Sometimes you could cut the tension between them with a knife but then other times it was like they were inseparable. “Any signs of you-know-who while you guys were at the beach?”
Jacks stiffened at Luke’s words, glancing at the stairs to make sure Landry wasn’t within earshot. “No. I took her down to the private beach club over by Water Sound. They weren’t huge fans of Dagger being there, but they got over it. There is no way her mom could get inside that place, security is tight.”
He nodded. “So anytime she wants to go, that’s where we take her?”
“For sure.”
Landry came bouncing down the stairs and into the living room. Jacks patted the couch next to him. “I was thinking after I shower all the sand out of my hair maybe we could grab one of my guitars and I can give you a little lesson?”
Landry bit her lip and looked down to the ground. “Sure.”
It was obvious she wasn’t pumped about the idea. I leaned forward, putting a hand on her knee. “Landry? Do you want to learn to play the guitar?”
“Um…”
It was like she was scared to turn Jacks down or tell him she didn’t want to play. Was she scared of hurting his feelings? Scared of getting in trouble? Jacks tapped the end of her nose. “Buttercup, if you don’t want to play, you don’t have to.”
Landry looked from us to Luke and then back to Jacks. “Do you think you could maybe teach me to play the drums instead?”
“Of course I can! I’m not as good as Luke is, but I can teach you the basics, I think.”
Landry’s little face lit up. So she was a drummer who loved giant pit bulls and the beach. She was also gorgeous… Jacks was going to have his hands full in about five years.
“I could work with her. I used to give drum lessons to help make ends meet.” Luke looked over at Jacks, a small smile on his face.
“Yeah?” Jacks turned back to Landry. “Would that be okay? Uncle Luke is the best drummer there is.”
She nodded shyly.
This would probably be good for both Landry and Luke. Playing an instrument was good for a kid. And I saw the way Luke smiled when Jacks called him her uncle.
***
I read Landry a few chapters in our book, and then she was asleep as soon as the lights went off. Playing at the beach and then spending a couple of hours on the drums had worn her out. That kid was a great sleeper even without the exhaustion. I headed across the hall expecting to find Jacks on his bed with a controller in his hand. But the only thing I found was a note.
On the patio. Bring fresh beer. Come alone.