AARON

“Okay, but just one more time, and then I need to get out,” I told Delaney. I’d given her a spontaneous toss into the deeper end earlier, and now that’s all she wanted.

“What about two more?” She treaded, her purple and pink arm floats keeping her head well above water, but she seemed to be a natural swimmer.

Rhett and Vaughn were passing Sawyer back and forth, trying together to get her to like the water, but she still seemed skeptical. Ian hung out at the shallow edge, dropping his cars to the bottom and then going down to retrieve them. My parents and Darrell and Di sat on the shady patio watching us.

“Aren’t you getting hungry?” I asked Delaney.

“Nope. I just like swimming. I’m not hungry at all.” She swam over to me and I picked her up under the arms and gave her the toss she wanted, and she screeched as she flew through the air. I watched as she popped right back up. Throwing her scared me more than it did her, but Faith kept an eye on us the whole time. If she’d been worried, I would have noticed. 

“Last time,” I reminded her.

“I want to go really high then.” I’d never realized how early in life a woman learned to negotiate.

“Okay. One. Two.” I bounced us as I counted. “Three.” I dipped lower so I didn’t have to really throw her as high as it seemed. 

After Delaney surfaced and wiped the hair out of her face, she started to giggle. I was growing fond of that sound. It reminded me of her mom’s laugh.

“Will you get in after you cook?” she asked.

“Maybe after we eat.”

“If I eat all of my food, then you will?”

Faith’s head was nodding exaggeratedly behind her daughter as she came our way.

“Yep, but you have to eat everything your mom says.”

That got me a big thumbs-up.

“I will.” She spun in the water to face the boss. “I don’t want to get out yet, Mom. I’m going to stay in and play with that boy, okay?”

Faith made her way to the steps and replied to Delaney. “The boy’s name is Ian. You can stay in, if you want.”

I lifted myself out at the edge and reached for Faith’s towel and mine at the same time. “Here you go,” I offered as I handed it to her. It wasn’t that I wanted her to cover up—not even a little—but if I was to grill anything that resembled food, I’d need to concentrate and keep my eyes to myself.

The towel would help.

“Thanks.” She wiped her face before wrapping the beach blanket around her body.

The things I wanted to do to her.

She walked with me past the parents at the table. They were in deep conversation about local sports and the upcoming football season.

“Mom, can you keep an eye on her for a second while I run in?” Faith requested as she walked past them. Di nodded and adjusted her chair to get a better view before waving her daughter off. 

“Having fun?” I asked Faith inside the house.

“I am. I can’t believe you never have people over like this. It’s perfect for it.” She pulled the lid off the bowl she’d brought and snuck a grape out of the fruit salad, tossing it into her mouth.

It was about as much as I could take. Even my combat training couldn’t help me with that kind of torture. 

I’d done my best to make her comfortable and kept my hands to myself when all they wanted to do was reach for her the entire afternoon. Additionally, I hadn’t kissed her in two long, damn days, but we were alone for the minute and I couldn’t wait.

When I pulled her to me, she didn’t protest. I bent and tasted her blue-stained lips, sweet and tangy from the fruit and the cocktail.

I pulled away after getting what I needed, trying not to be too greedy.

She had no idea the effort it took me to stop each time my mouth was on her. No fucking clue how hard it was to hold back.

“Do you want help with this stuff?” I liked the sparkle in her sea glass eyes. The color contrasted with her sun-kissed skin even more that day and the water seemed to make them glow when she was in it. Lately though, they seemed to have more fire in them, and it reassured me I was finally on the right track.

“No. I’ve got it. Everyone can fill their plates in here. I just need to get these dogs and burgers on the grill. Go relax. No working for you today.”

I didn’t want to get ahead of the game and expect her to stay when everyone left, but damn if I didn’t want her to. And, if she did, she’d need her energy because I was going to keep her up all night.

Although, I couldn’t make that decision for her, she had to come to me when she was ready.

I already felt guilty about other choices I’d made on her behalf, lines I’d crossed without asking. But when she finally gave me her body, I’d thank her in a thousand different ways.

#

AS THE DAY GREW LONG, Vaughn and Hannah took Sawyer home, and Sunny and Rhett left because she had some work to do for the radio station. My dad would have liked to stay a few more hours and shoot the shit with Darrell longer, but they had a drive and wanted to get Ian home before it was too late.

I helped them carry things out to their van and as I slid their cooler into the back, my dad clapped me on the shoulder. “I’m glad to see you and Faith spending more time together. You two used to be close. Funny how things come back around sometimes, isn’t it, son?” He had that knowing, fatherly look in his eyes. 

“I hope I don’t mess it up this time around,” I confessed and shut the back hatch. Mom and Ian were already in the van, so I knew the conversation wouldn’t last long. He just wanted to speak his piece, and I didn’t mind. When he didn’t say anything else, I added, “I’m trying to take my time.”

“Well, there’s always a time to wait and a time to jump in. I think I’d jump if I were you. She’s been waiting long enough.” He stretched his arms wide. I could remember when he was the biggest man I knew, and now I towered over him. His hug was just the same though. Tight at first and then a solid pat on the back.

“Thanks for coming.”

“The house looks great.” He pulled the van keys out of his pocket about the same time my mom honked the horn for him to speed it up. “See what happens when a woman gets sick of waiting?” He laughed as he opened the door. “I’m coming, dear.” 

As I walked back to the porch, my mom blew me a kiss from the passenger seat, and they pulled away.

In back, I found the few who remained, Darrell, Di, Delaney, and Faith. I took the seat near Faith and listened as she talked to her mother about the upcoming work-week.

“Hey Aaron, have you ever seen this?” Delaney asked, coming to my side to show me something on her iPad. “It’s Wayne’s World.”

“It’s been a long time.” I recognized the scene she was watching.

“It’s so funny when they sing in the car.” Without prompt, she climbed into my lap, wet towel and all, and leaned against my chest as she watched it.

I didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but it felt like one. Darrell was the first to notice and he nudged Di at the other end of the table. Her hand covered her chest, causing Faith to look to her side and see what was going on.

A strange feeling coursed through me. Something protective and huge.

I cared about that girl’s mother so damn much I almost didn’t realize how much I was beginning to care about her. She was bright and curious and if I had a daughter, I’d want her to be just like Delaney.

It occurred to me that I’d told Faith to entertain the idea of us making it. To think about us working out long term. That meant I’d be in both of their lives, and I’d be around for Delaney in ways I hadn’t really thought about. Making sure that kid was taken care of and happy was as important as doing those things for her mom. There were two women in my life that I’d do anything for.

About the time Wayne and Garth got their five thousand dollars, her arm fell limp and before she dropped the tablet, I took it from her and placed it on the table.

I hated the idea of the day being over, of them leaving, but Delaney was passed out and Darrell had yawned twenty or more times.

He patted Di on the leg and asked, “Are you about ready then?”

She took a deep breath and replied, “Yeah, I’m ready. Aaron, thank you for having us. Can I help you clean up before we leave?”

“Nah, it’s not much. I’ll get it.”

When the three of them stood, I did too, turning Delaney in my arms so I could help Faith take her to the car. Di gathered their things and Faith rounded up the items Delaney had brought with her.

My first party was over, and I hadn’t even had a beer. The day being spent wasn’t the end of the world, but it sucked because I just wanted them to stay.