something for you. Let me stay with you and Michy tonight, so I can take care of you.”
Chapter Nine
T wo hours after The Incident, as Sam had come to think of it, she still hadn’t figured out what launched Kevin out of the pool and across the deck like his ass was on fire and the ice in the cooler was his only chance at survival. But since then, he’d been a perfect cabana boy, seeing to her every need while she reclined on the lounger, her leg propped up on a pillow covered in a luxurious, multi-million thread-count pillowcase, an ice pack wrapped around her ankle, and a glass of lemonade… complete with a little umbrella Kevin found in the kitchen cabinet—a leftover from Callie. Or so he claimed.
After announcing his intentions to stay with her for the night, he’d spent several moments convincing her she needed to stay off her ankle so it would heal faster. The best way to do that, of course, would be with his help. She didn’t accept help easily, but the heat flaring in his eyes as he said, “So I can take care of you,” had done more to convince her than anything else.
Although the subject of sex hadn’t come up, an excited rush skittered across her shoulders as she thought about what the night might bring. She hoped like hell his idea of caretaking amounted to more than making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.
The side gate opened and a tall, dark-haired woman stepped into the backyard. Spencer jumped out of the pool and rushed her. “Mamma, I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with Uncle Kevin and Michaela and Ms. Sam. Can I, please?”
His mother’s gaze slid across the patio to Michaela, who clamored out of the pool to serve as Spencer’s backup, then to Sam. She wore an odd expression as she cut her eyes to Kevin, then turned back to Spencer.
“Sorry, buddy. Uncle Kevin left a message saying you guys were here instead of the beach. I tried calling back, but I didn’t get an answer, so I decided to come on over and find you. Since I’m here, you need to come with me.”
“Sorry,” Kevin said. “I’ve had my phone on vibrate.”
His sister arched her brows and opened her mouth, but Kevin gave a sharp shake of his head to cut her off as Spencer leapt in with more begging.
“Please, mamma. Why can’t I stay?”
Kevin tossed him up over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Your mamma said it’s time to go.” He spun around so he faced Marianne and mouthed, “Can he come back tomorrow?”
“Sure.” She shrugged. “Other than mass, I don’t have any plans.”
Kevin gave Spencer a hug and set him on his feet. “Your mamma says you can come back tomorrow, but only if you behave tonight. Deal?”
Spencer stuck out his tiny fist and bumped Kevin’s. “Deal. Is Michaela gonna be here tomorrow too?”
“Uh…” Kevin spun around to Sam. “Yes?”
Only a fool would pass up the opportunity to do this again. “Sure.”
“Yay.” Michy and Spencer celebrated the victory while a strange vibe passed between Kevin and his sister.
Sam realized she and Michaela hadn’t been introduced, so maybe his sister was trying to figure out who the strays in Kevin’s yard were, without coming right out and asking.
“I’m Sam, by the way. Michaela and Spencer go to afterschool together.” She pushed to a sitting position and began to stand, then glanced down and stopped. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about arranging some playdates with the kids, but I’m usually too late to catch you.”
Marianne winced as she approached. “Ow, that looks painful.” Extending her hand, she said, “I’m Marianne Mazze. Spencer talks about Michaela all the time. It’d be great to get them together.” Marianne turned to Kevin and grinned. “Maybe we could leave both kids with Kevin sometime and grab lunch or something.”
Sam felt her eyes light up. “That sounds wonderful.”
Kevin rocked back on his heels and smiled at Marianne. “Maybe you could keep both while
Chapter Nine
T wo hours after The Incident, as Sam had come to think of it, she still hadn’t figured out what launched Kevin out of the pool and across the deck like his ass was on fire and the ice in the cooler was his only chance at survival. But since then, he’d been a perfect cabana boy, seeing to her every need while she reclined on the lounger, her leg propped up on a pillow covered in a luxurious, multi-million thread-count pillowcase, an ice pack wrapped around her ankle, and a glass of lemonade… complete with a little umbrella Kevin found in the kitchen cabinet—a leftover from Callie. Or so he claimed.
After announcing his intentions to stay with her for the night, he’d spent several moments convincing her she needed to stay off her ankle so it would heal faster. The best way to do that, of course, would be with his help. She didn’t accept help easily, but the heat flaring in his eyes as he said, “So I can take care of you,” had done more to convince her than anything else.
Although the subject of sex hadn’t come up, an excited rush skittered across her shoulders as she thought about what the night might bring. She hoped like hell his idea of caretaking amounted to more than making tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.
The side gate opened and a tall, dark-haired woman stepped into the backyard. Spencer jumped out of the pool and rushed her. “Mamma, I don’t want to go. I want to stay here with Uncle Kevin and Michaela and Ms. Sam. Can I, please?”
His mother’s gaze slid across the patio to Michaela, who clamored out of the pool to serve as Spencer’s backup, then to Sam. She wore an odd expression as she cut her eyes to Kevin, then turned back to Spencer.
“Sorry, buddy. Uncle Kevin left a message saying you guys were here instead of the beach. I tried calling back, but I didn’t get an answer, so I decided to come on over and find you. Since I’m here, you need to come with me.”
“Sorry,” Kevin said. “I’ve had my phone on vibrate.”
His sister arched her brows and opened her mouth, but Kevin gave a sharp shake of his head to cut her off as Spencer leapt in with more begging.
“Please, mamma. Why can’t I stay?”
Kevin tossed him up over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. “Your mamma said it’s time to go.” He spun around so he faced Marianne and mouthed, “Can he come back tomorrow?”
“Sure.” She shrugged. “Other than mass, I don’t have any plans.”
Kevin gave Spencer a hug and set him on his feet. “Your mamma says you can come back tomorrow, but only if you behave tonight. Deal?”
Spencer stuck out his tiny fist and bumped Kevin’s. “Deal. Is Michaela gonna be here tomorrow too?”
“Uh…” Kevin spun around to Sam. “Yes?”
Only a fool would pass up the opportunity to do this again. “Sure.”
“Yay.” Michy and Spencer celebrated the victory while a strange vibe passed between Kevin and his sister.
Sam realized she and Michaela hadn’t been introduced, so maybe his sister was trying to figure out who the strays in Kevin’s yard were, without coming right out and asking.
“I’m Sam, by the way. Michaela and Spencer go to afterschool together.” She pushed to a sitting position and began to stand, then glanced down and stopped. “I’ve wanted to talk to you about arranging some playdates with the kids, but I’m usually too late to catch you.”
Marianne winced as she approached. “Ow, that looks painful.” Extending her hand, she said, “I’m Marianne Mazze. Spencer talks about Michaela all the time. It’d be great to get them together.” Marianne turned to Kevin and grinned. “Maybe we could leave both kids with Kevin sometime and grab lunch or something.”
Sam felt her eyes light up. “That sounds wonderful.”
Kevin rocked back on his heels and smiled at Marianne. “Maybe you could keep both while
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