Page 38 of When the Time Is Right
“Hey, buddy!” I laughed, planting him on my hip. I would get about thirty seconds of holding him like a baby before he started to complain.
“Guess what! Guess what!” he said, already squirming to get down.
I pretended not to notice. “What?”
“Grampa bought a Jet Ski and I got to drive it.”
“Rented!” David corrected from the porch, curling his wife into his side. “I only rented it.”
Jack gave him a blink, which I knew all too well was supposed to be a wink, and then let out a soft giggle. “He totally bought it, but then Mimi said it was a death trap, so now we’re pretending that he only rented it so she doesn’t bury him in the sand and never come back for him.”
Lex came walking around the hood, her bag already thrown over her shoulder. “He let you drive the Jet Ski? You’re, like, four. He still won’t even let me drive his car to the grocery store and back.”
“I’m seven and three eighths, thank you very much. I guess that means he likes me more than you.”
She faked a wounded gasp and dropped her bag. “Your words slay me, Jackie Boy.” She dove in to tickle him, and Jack finally wriggled out of my grip.
I put him down and he took off at a dead sprint toward the beach, laughing at the top of his lungs, with Lex hot on his heels.
I shook my head, but that was basically business as usual when those two got together. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I fucking loved it. Crazy as she was, she was good for Jack. And most of all, Jack was good for her.
I grabbed her bag off the ground and hooked it over my shoulder before making my way up the drive.
David extended his hand in my direction for a quick shake before taking his daughter’s bag. “So, riddle me this, son. What kind of blackmail do you have on Alexis that landed you behind the wheel of the old Chevelle?”
I shot him a wink. “Now I can’t tell you or she won’t let me drive home. Though, if you happen to mention to Cal that you saw me driving it the next time you two talk, that would be much appreciated.”
He chuckled.
Judy dragged me into a hug. “Well, I for one am happy you two came. You sure you can’t stay for more than one night?”
“I wish, but we both have to work on Monday. I promise we’ll be back for Fourth of July. Especially now that I know David has a Jet Ski.” His eyes flashed wide, and I smiled as I finished with, “That we can rent.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Judy chirped. “Hudson, you head down to the water and hang out with Jack and Alexis for a bit. David and I will be down shortly after he helps me with the chicken salad lettuce wraps and explains why it cost ten thousand dollars to rent a Jet Ski for the week.”
I pulled the screen door open and waited for them to file inside. David paused long enough to give me a quick elbow to the side before following his wife.
After dropping my bag in the room Jack and I often shared, I changed into a set of trunks and made my way down to the beach. David had already set up Jack’s bucket of balls, boogie board, and an elaborate array of pails and shovels beside the sun canopy, so I grabbed the sunscreen and headed down to the water.
“One, two, three, jump!” Lex yelled, tugging on Jack’s arm and all but dragging him over the top of a breaking wave.
They both had their backs to me, so when I got close, I called, “How’s the water?”
Jack giggled before replying, “Cold as tits.”
“Tips!” Lex yelled. “I said cold as tips, remember?”
Jack tilted his head up to look at her. “But cold as tips doesn’t make any sense.”
Lex at least had the good taste to look sheepish when she turned around. “It slipped, okay? Sorr—” The words died on her tongue when her gaze landed on me. Or, more accurately, when her gaze landed on my…abs?
“Shit,” she breathed, quickly turning back to the water.
“What?” I asked, looking down at my stomach, fully expecting to find a rogue hair or at the very least some belly button lint. There was nothing though and this meant she was back to acting weird. Which unfortunately meant a nap couldn’t cure everything.
“Jack, go play football or something with your dad. I’m going for a swim. I’ll be back in a few,” she announced.
“Hey, wait, I need you to sunscreen my back!”
“Oh God!” she shouted before diving into the water and swimming away as though the world had suddenly caught fire.
Jack moseyed over to stand beside me and shielded his eyes as we watched her go. “Jeez, what’s her problem?”
