Page 39 of Whiskey Wednesdays

Connor looked at us, then walked over and peeled off my backpack, and took the food container out of my hand. Ellie wrapped her arm around my waist.

I looked down and smoothed her hair back. “Do you want to put your goggles back on for the picture?”

She grinned. “They won’t stay on my eyeballs.”

Connor cleared his throat. “Okay, look at me.” We turned to him and he snapped a few pictures.

When he was done, Elodie ran over to him. “You need to be in a picture too.”

I walked over and held my hand out. “I’ll take a photo of you two.”

“How about we do a selfie?” He flipped his screen around, stood behind us, and wrapped his arm around my upper chest.

I looked at his phone screen. He’d gotten the top of Elodie’s head and his chin, with only my face showing in the frame. I hoisted Elodie up and he scrunched down a little. We started laughing as we shifted around. Finally, we got us all in.

I was hyperaware of his body molded along my back, and I silently cursed myself for being attracted to him. Nothing good would come from it.

Connor finally let go and grinned. “Let’s eat lunch, then I’ll get a swimsuit for you, Belly.”

“Do you need your ears cleaned out? Only Ellie gets to call me that. Bella is enough.”

Connor cocked his head and studied me. “Okay. I’ll call you Smelly Belly then. Or how about Jelly Belly?”

Elodie shook her head. “No. Something nice.”

“Like what?” Connor asked her.

“Like sweetheart or honey.”

Those were two names he called her sometimes.

He ruffled Elodie’s hair. “Honey, huh? I like it.” Then he turned to me and grinned. “How about honey buns?” He stared at my lips. “Or better yet, honey lips.”

Elodie nodded. “That’s a good one.”

The tingles started up again, and I stepped back. “All this talk is making me hungry. Let’s eat lunch and go swimming.”

While we ate, Elodie talked about her new soccer buddies. “Sophie and Willie and Lennie are my new best friends.” She’d gone to her first soccer practice that morning in Palm Springs.

Connor picked up his drink. “One of the soccer coaches is Damien’s business partner.”

I looked up. “Is it Martina’s cousin, Sebastian? Or Zeke?”

He stared at me, his drink suspended in midair. “Sebastian. How do you know them?”

“Harley invited me to a couple of their Martini Monday parties, and I spent New Year’s Eve with them.”

He didn’t look happy. “Did you have a date for New Year’s?”

I shook my head. “There was a large group of us, and we met up at their friends’ bar.”

He carefully set his drink down. “They own the security company I use.” He winced a little. “But you already know that.”

The reminder pricked at my temper. “Yeah, I remember. Sebastian told me the bottle of whiskey you gave my dad was expensive.”

Connor’s eye twitched. “Why would he know about the bottle of whiskey?”

“Because I brought it with me. Dad gave it to me to take as a thank-you gift, and the guys loved it.” I reached over and patted his hand. “Dad doesn’t like hard liquor. If you want to give him a thoughtful gift, he likes games and books. And maybe herbs. If you’re set on liquor, a decent beer is all he drinks.”

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