Page 81 of Press Play

“Are you still recording?” Gia asks, snapping me back to our conversation.

“Not as often,” I mumble while keeping my eyes on Andrew and Wren.

“How come? Oh . . . I see.”

I do a double take toward Gia. “See what?”

She nods toward Wren with a soft grin. “Is she your girlfriend?”

“What? No, well, it’s complicated,” I stutter.

“Your mom didn’t mention anything, but I thought you two seemed rather cozy.”

“She’s my best friend.”

“And?” Gia asks. “I think it’s rather clear how much you two like one another. It’s in your eyes.”

If a stranger can see how much I care for Wren, it’s only a matter of time before Mom catches on, and she’ll have a field day when she finds out. The revelation doesn’t frighten me. Sure, Mom would tease Wren and me when we were teens, and we were mortified. Now, I wonder how she would react to the news and whether she’ll leap for joy or faint from disbelief.

“Go to her.” Gia encourages me. “Before Andrew tries to ask her on a date.”

“Thank you. Truly, thank you so much.” I start back toward Wren but stop when Gia speaks up again.

“And don’t worry, I won’t tell your mom about your day job.” She gives me a reassuring wink.

I mouth another thank you before aiming for my girl.

Wren is sipping on some lemonade while Andrew talks her ear off. I come to a stop when an idea pops into my head. A grin spreads across my face as I reach the bucket of water guns Mom placed out. None of the kids grabbed them because there’s a cool breeze, which means she won’t be expecting this.

I grab a loaded water shooter and hide it behind my back. “Hey, Wren,” I say, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. Her shoulders drop when she sees me. “I have a surprise for you.”

Her brow creases, and before she can react, I point the water gun at her and unleash a torrent of water into her chest.

With wide eyes, her mouth drops open, and she bursts into laughter. “You son of a?—”

She dashes toward the bucket as I spray her with more frigid water. With a shooter of her own, she pumps the handle and lands a direct hit into my thigh.

A battle ensues between the two of us, and we garner attention we would normally shy away from. But we ignore the stares and laughter and focus on having fun. The kids from earlier are especially interested. I doubt they’ve seen two grownadults chase one another around while spraying each other with water.

Ducking behind an empty lawn chair, I wave a group of them over. “The enemy launched an attack. Hurry, grab a gun and help me fend them off.”

I glance over my shoulder and notice Wren has the same idea because a handful of children run into action. The smiles on their faces are priceless as they wait for directions.

Pumping the water in my gun, I bounce on the edge of my toes and then shout, “Charge!”

The backyard fills with laughter as a fierce battle erupts. Wren and I focus on drenching one another while the kids run around and shoot each other, ignoring pleas from their parents.

By the time my shooter is empty, Wren’s chest is heaving.

Pressing the tip of her gun against my chest, she brushes her nose over mine and says, “I’ve got you, Theodore Torres. Do you surrender?”

With a mischievous smirk, I drop my gun and raise my hands. “Shall I drop down to my knees again? Because I will, and I’ll enjoy every second of it.”

Color rushes to her cheeks, and she hums in amusement. “How about you deal with your mother instead?”

Tilting my head, I offer my mom one of my charming smiles as she taps her foot in the grass and crosses her arms over her chest. “Mom?—”

“Don’t.” She raises a finger at me.

---