Page 49 of A Taste of Whiskey
He gritted his teeth. “No, you’re just making him feel second best.” He headed back to his vehicle, made sure Gus was strapped in, and drove away. “Sorry your visit with your mom was cut short.”
“It’s okay. I’m hungry. Mom didn’t have time to make breakfast. Will you make me pancakes?”
When Gus was chatty and excited, it was easy to write off hisIt’s okayas a glib comment, but Ezra took note of the way his son casually disregarded his time with his mother. “With chocolate chips?”
“Yeah!” Gus cheered.
“How about we make them together?”
“Okay. I’m gonna put in lots of chocolate chips. Can we bring some to Sasha? She’s missed a lot of breakfasts.”
He thanked his lucky stars that Gus was still at the age where he didn’t read into things like adults avoiding each other. “I think she’d like that. How would you like to go to the water park today?”
“Thewater park? Ilovethe water park! Can Sasha come with us? She likes the water park. Remember that time she went down the slide with me and you raced us? I bet we can beat you this time. I’m bigger now…”
LATER THAT AFTERNOON, the scents of chlorine, sunscreen, and fried food and the sounds of people shouting, water splashing, laughter, and conversations hung in the air at the Splash ’N Slide water park. They had something for everyone, from an enormous kiddie area with massive kiddie pools and slides, climbing equipment, and elephants that sprayed water from their trunks to adult-level obstacle courses, waterfalls, long and winding tube slides, and inner-tube rivers.
“Hurry up, Dad!” Gus was a bundle of excited energy in his goggles and swimsuit, with his wet curls sticking to his forehead, as Ezra helped him into the middle seat of a three-person raft, preparing to go down the Wet and Wild slide.
“Yeah, hurry up, slowpoke,” Sasha teased.
She’d been teasing him all day, sauntering around in that pale pink bikini, with her flirtatious looks and furtive touches. He was just as guilty, eating up the time with her, loving her competitive nature, and getting off on every stolen glance and brush of their bodies. He couldn’t resist teasing her right back.
“I thought you liked it when I went slow.” He winked and climbed into the back of the raft, enjoying the blush spreading over her cheeks.
“No, she doesn’t!” Gus exclaimed. “She likes to win! Comeon, Dad!”
“I’m ready, buddy.”
“Hold on to the handles,” the teenage attendant said. “And remember to stay in the raft.”
“We will,” Gus reassured him.
They all gripped the handles as the raft moved along the straightaway and climbed to the top of the slide, shooting them into a downhill tunnel. Gus cheered, Sasha screamed, and Ezra laughed as they zipped around curves and sped down open slides and through more tunnels. They were all cracking up as they flew off the last slide, crashing into the pool. They climbed out of the raft, and as Ezra scooped up Gus in one arm, he stole a grope of Sasha’s ass under the water with the other, earning another pink-cheeked grin.
“That was so fun!” Gus exclaimed, wriggling out of Ezra’s arms as they climbed out of the pool. “Can we go to the buckets that dump water on us?”
“We sure can.”
Gus took off running for the buckets.
“Slow down,” he hollered to Gus, and reached for Sasha’s hand. “Let’s go, beautiful.” They hurried after him. “Are you having a good time?”
“The best time. Gus is having so much fun, and it’s been forever since I’ve laughed so much.”
“Me too.” He leaned in to kiss her, and her wide eyes stopped him short. “Shit.” He glanced at Gus, walking a few feet in front of them, and reluctantly released Sasha’s hand. Gus didn’t see him almost kiss her, but his own fucking heart did. Apparently he could no longer hold her hand without wanting more. “Sorry.”
“He didn’t see you,” she said.
“The apology was meant for you. I’m sorry we’re stuck hiding like a dirty fucking secret.”
“Well, I happen to like the dirty and I like the fucking, so don’t reveal our secret, and keep your hands to yourself when we’re in public.”
He chuckled. “Maybe if you didn’t tempt me in that sexy bikini, it wouldn’t be so hard.”
“Oh, you like this old thing?” She feigned innocence and looked down at her body, wiggling her chest.
“You know I do.”
