Page 17 of All Yours

‘What happened to Friday Fun Club?’ Fox asked.

‘Cancelled!’ Reggie shouted back.

‘This is much more fun,’ George agreed.

‘You’re not cold?’ Fox asked, hating himself for sounding like such an old worrier. But then again, that’s what he was.

‘Nope!’ the boys agreed.

Willow made a sound and he turned to her. Her waving arms had dislodged her blanket and he reached over carefully to tuck it in. Her cheeks were rosy with the fresh air.

The boys had started to throw a ball, taking it in turns to splash it into the water. Soon, as he could have predicted, the ball went flying across the surface and out of the pool at the far end. He stood to retrieve it for them but Robyn lifted herself out effortlessly, running to grab the ball and throwing it back in.

As she stood poolside, the water cascaded down her body to the tiled floor. Fox tried to swallow but his mouth was suddenly dry. Holy shit, she was hot. Curves in all the right places, boobs and hips fitted perfectly into a low-backed, emerald-green bathing suit. Her red hair hung in long wet tresses down her back, like a sexy wet mermaid. Fuck. It wasn’t that he’d forgotten how good her body was, it was that seeing it again in front of him brought it all back. She was seriously smoking. He forced himself to keep his eyes on her face as she walked his way.

She stood dripping beside him, squeezing the water from her hair.

‘Finished for the day?’

‘Yep,’ he said, saluting her with the beer, then suddenly realising he was being rude. ‘Want one?’ he offered, but she shook her head.

‘Not while I’m working,’ she said, with a smile, and he kicked himself.

‘Dad, are you coming in?’ Reggie shouted again.

Robyn turned to face Fox then, and he kept his eyes on her big blue eyes, so acutely conscious of the body below them. The body that he’d touched, kissed. He remembered how it had responded under his hands.

‘It’s not cold,’ she encouraged, ‘once you get that jumper off.’ She prodded him in the side of his cable-knit jumper. ‘A bit of Friday Fun for you too?’ He could picture the type of fun he’d like to have right now. He swallowed another mouthful of beer, knowing there was absolutely no way he could politely put on a pair of swimming shorts right now. Not with her standing there, looking like that.

‘Not tonight,’ he said to a chorus of disappointment from the boys. ‘Maybe next time.’

‘It’s probably time to get out anyway,’ Robyn said, clapping her hands for the boys’ attention and helping them out of the pool where she wrapped each of them in their robes. ‘Run on inside, boys,’ she said.

‘See who can get into their pyjamas the fastest!’ Fox encouraged as Robyn bent to pick up Willow.

‘It was a spur of the moment thing, to tire them out,’ Robyn said. ‘Hope it was okay?’

‘Of course,’ he said, averting his eyes to watch Reggie and George tear across the garden and in the back door.

‘It’s just that it wasn’t on your approved actions for today . . .’ He heard the teasing in her tone and allowed himself to glance at her.

‘Approved actions?’ he asked.

‘You know, that message you send me every morning, the one that reads like an essay.’

She cocked her head, waiting. He laughed.

‘Is it that bad?’

‘I look forward to it every day. Sometimes even read it while I drink my tea. Although, step-by-step directions to the butcher’s is probably a bit over the top,’ she said. ‘We have this thing called Google Maps now, you know . . .’ She wrapped a robe around herself, and he felt himself exhale, although whether from disappointment or relief he wasn’t quite sure. Running her fingers through her hair, she shook her waves out.

‘I was just trying to make life easy for you.’

‘It was helpful, really,’ she said. ‘It’s been a good week.’

‘It has,’ he agreed, thinking how little he’d actually seen her all week. This was the first time they’d talked without little ears about.

‘Do you use the pool much?’ she asked.