“Doing what?” I ask.
Her cheeks are pink, but I have a hunch it’s not just from the summer sun. “Kissing me,” she says softly, the wind catching her hair and making it ripple around her.
I lean down to kiss her again on principle. “Gotta lot of time to make up for.”
This time her smile turns into a laugh. “Well how long is it going to take?”
“Dunno,” I say. “Why don’t you kiss me and maybe we’ll find out?”
Then she leans down and puts a tentative hand on my chest. I cradle her with my left arm and prop us both up with my right as her lips cover mine. Kissing her is sunshine and a soft ocean breeze. Beautiful and bright and enough to wash away every inconsequential thing that doesn’t matter. She tastes like the fruit punch she shared with Cole and I sit up to get a better hold so I can drink her in.
She moans against my lips as I angle my head to take the kiss deeper, take her lips harder. Her arms wind around me and rain sand on both of our laps, but neither of us pay it any mind. When we both break apart breathing heavily, she leans her head against my chest.
“I could probably get used to that,” she says.
“I plan on doing it enough that you do,” I tell her as I recline so she can rest her head on my arm.
Her fingers fidget with the tie on my board shorts, drawing heat to places not quite touched by the sunlight. “Something on your mind?” I ask.
“Nothing, just thinking,” she says.
“About what?”
“How crazy life is.”
I grunt and pull her fingers from my trunks to rest on my stomach and then cover them with my own.
“I know you said you wanted to take it slow,” she starts, then stops to take a deep breath.
Cracking my eyes open a little to study her dark hair, I say, “Yeah, what about it?”
“I’m thinking that maybe I don’t want to.”
“You mean that?” I ask. “Or are you just sayin’ it because you think you should?”
“I’m saying it because I mean it.”
The following Monday after Sofie heads to work, I take the boys to school again, then to their basketball practice. Their summer workouts focus on lots of running and conditioning to prep for the season, and I sit in the bleachers and watch them. Mostly because I enjoy spending time with them, but also because I want to make sure Damian doesn’t decide to target the boys next.
If he can target women, I wouldn’t put it past him to try to attack kids.
Especially, if he’s doing it to get to me.
Rafe and Donnie come up after their practice finishes and I snag them around the shoulders. “Y’all want to hang out at your friend’s house tonight?”
“Yes!” they both say at the same time.
“Can we stay over?” Rafe asks.
“That’s a helluva great idea,” I say. “But I’ll be checking in every couple hours so no funny stuff.”
“Who us?” Donnie asks.
“I remember what I was like at your age, so yes, you.”
I walk with them to my truck, nodding at a few of the parents I recognize. No doubt word will spread through town that I’m back with that V girl again. Which is exactly what I want. I want him to know I’m with her. That he doesn’t scare me. That even if he took ten years, he can’t have what he wants. Especially if he thinks he can scare her again.
With that in mind, we swing by the local diner whose proprietor is also known as the biggest busy body in three counties. The moment she sees me walk in with the two of them her eyes go as wide as the antique saucers she collects and when I order our food and one extra, she purses her lips as if she can’t possibly contain the secret, even though I’m standing right in front of her.
I hear her whispers even as I’m walking out the door. It makes me smile the entire way home. If I learned anything during my time in the military, you don’t let them see your weakness. And fuck if I’m gonna let him get away with terrorizing her twice.
A few hours later the front door opens and shuts and Sofie walks in with a cheerful, “Hello,” over Rosie’s welcoming barks. “I forgot to bring something back for dinner, but we can order…”
She stops in the entryway to the kitchen and finds her food already on a plate on the counter. The smile that spreads over her lips, but tries to hide, also warms her eyes as she glances from the plate to me.
“What’s this?” she asks, setting her purse, keys, and cell on the counter.
“Dinner,” I tell her. I take a sip of my drink and watch her over the rim.
She takes the beer I offer and brings it to her lips. “Where are Donnie and Rafe?” she asks.
“They ate a little while ago then I dropped them off at their friends for the night.”
She pauses with a burger held up to her mouth. “You did what?” She swallows. “Why did you do that?”
“This is me not taking it slow.”
Her face reddens. “Jack,” she says.
I walk over, cupping her face in my free hand and kissing her lips, still cool from the beer. “Why don’t you finish your food first, though?” I kiss her again, a little deeper this time. “You’re gonna need the energy.”