Page 58 of XOXO, Summer
Adding all of this up is getting me closer to the cliff of falling for him. My toes are already hanging over. My heart isn’t far behind.
Daniel sees me, standing in water that reaches his knees, wet from swimming, and looking like an Adonis coming from the ocean. He waves.
I wave back, feeling seen, not just literally but emotionally. I’m not one of the Season Sisters, the orphan of a tragedy, the one holding the family together. I’m Summer, and he accepts me as I am. Rules and all.
Prince Charming showed up. I deserve this.I deserve him.
Meandering my way over, he keeps his eyes on me the entire time. Sometimes they dip lower and linger, but he smiles when I get close. “Hey, you,” he says, coming out of the water to greet me with a kiss.
Nothing’s cooled between us after the Roman love talk at the docks. He got it. We’re friends who have feelings that could turn into more. An eight-year-old doesn’t need more information before Daniel and I figure it out.
He asks, “How’d it go?”
“I think I need all the options laid out and crystal clear. Can we go over the details?”
CHAPTER 19
DANIEL
“Instead of a set amount of ‘dates,’ what if we go with a period of time that’s required to be seen together?” Summer rolls her head against the back of the chair to face me.
Rubbing a hand over my face, I mumble, “I’m in the weirdest timeline.” I tip the beer bottle back and take a long swig.
“You’re telling me.” Turning away to watch Roman floating on a raft tied by a rope to the closest tree, she adds, “Do you know what a puck bunny is?”
Beer spews from my mouth. “What the fuck?” Why do I suddenly feel like I don’t know this woman?
Without looking back, Roman says, “You owe the swear jar five bucks.”
“At this rate, that jar is going to have your college paid off before you turn ten.”
“Then you can buy me a Lamborghini.” What the hell with this kid? I don’t recognize either of them right now.
Summer’s busy laughing. It’s good to hear it again.
“We’re a Ferrari family, Roman. We can dabble with Maseratis, but never a Lamborghini.”
He turns so fast on the float that it rocks beneath him. Car talk is what gets his attention? I’m learning all kinds of stuff about him on this trip. “That’s not fair!”
“It is when Ferrari is one of my sponsors. I got the car and a big paycheck last year. I’m loyal as fuck to that brand.”
He lies back down. “That’s another five bucks.”
“Fuck me,” I mutter.
“Fifteen,” he shouts, tucking his hands behind his head like he’s got it made in the shade, which he does.
I turn to Summer, thumbing over at my son. “Do you believe this kid?” I grin, not able to pretend I’m not enjoying every second of this with him.
“You only have yourself to blame. He takes after you.”
“That’s for sure.” I take another drink. “You didn’t know anything about hockey before, and now you’re asking about puck bunnies?”
“Yeah. I heard about them and . . .” Dragging the butterfly on her necklace back and forth, she returns her eyes to mine when she says, “Will I be accused of being your bunny?”
“No.” Simple answer that I hope ends this line of questioning. It pisses me off that it would even cross her mind. “Whatever idea you got for comparison, there is none. You’re nothing like them. End of story.”
“Is it the end or is this the beginning?” She reaches over to run her fingers over my forearm. “What makes me different from them? Please tell me so I can be prepared.”
