Page 54 of Just A Trip

“Trent invited me.” I shrug.Lies.

“Because he likes you?”

I shrug again but my face burns, betraying me.

“You like him too? Therewerefireworks! Did you kiss?”

Juliet is the only other person on this earth, besides Trent now, who seems to see more than I care to let on. “Yes, we did. I like him too. But don’t get your hopes up. I’m just here for the day.”

She picks up a piece of hair and twirls it around her finger. “Then what?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t figured that part out yet.” I haven’t. I want this more than anything. I’m already loving every minute here, but there’s a little thought floating around in my head, constantly reminding me that I don’t deserve this. I haven’t earned it, and I can’t just take it. This is nice while it lasts but what happens after dinner? What happens next year?

I shake my head, erasing the depressing thoughts. I’m going to have the best Thanksgiving ever, and then next year I’ll have the memories.

That’s all I can ask for.

***

The Bentleys are hilarious. Growing up, my only companion was the television. So I’d watch shows and dream about being part of the fictional family, but no sitcom could ever portraythis.

After Juliet and I came up from the basement, we found all the men engaged in a high-stakes pool game while their grandma offered correction, and the occasional curse from the side.

The stakes? A whole apple pie. I’m not sure why.

Juliet and Lennox were rolling their eyes at their husbands, but the men played like their lives depended on it. In the end, Trent emerged victorious, and I had to wonder if it was all a setup to impress me. I didn’t care and pretended like he’d won the Superbowl anyway and kissed him until the room disappeared. Well, the room was still there but the people sure made themselves scarce.

Next up was swimming. I didn’t bring a suit but Lennox had some old ones here and let me borrow one. I picked the only one that fit. A bright pink bikini with a flamingo print.

Trent is already in the pool but emerges when I step outside. He looks as wild as I do. His swim trunks feature bananas with sunglasses.

His eyes rake over every inch of my skin, his brows raising in an appreciative way. He’s wet, but I don’t mind at all as he wraps me against him. My fingers trace up the ridges of his chest.

“I like your bananas.”

“I’m partial to the flamingos.” Trent wiggles his brows.

“For the record. I don’t usually wear birds.”

“And I don’t usually wear fruit. But here we are.”

I love this moment. I love watching him with his family, I love watching him come undone around me. I’m falling for this man. And that wasn’t a part of the deal. That complicates things.

I step out of his grasp. “Is the water cold?”

“It’s not too bad,” he says. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm.”

And he does. He doesn’t release me the whole time we are in the pool. Not until the volleyball game between him and his brothers gets too aggressive.

I finally manage to wiggle out of his grasp and join the other women in the lounge chairs beside the pool who called it quits thirty minutes ago.

I wrap up in a towel and sit down by Lennox. Baby Emmett reaches for me and it takes me by surprise. Why would a child want me? But something inside me yearns for him as well, and without meaning to, my arms stretch for him in return.

He grins and jabbers as Lennox releases him to me. He’s got his dad’s beautiful tan skin and dark curly hair, a direct contrast to the bright blue eyes he got from his mother. He’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.

I settle him onto my lap but he turns and tries to grab my face so I play peek-a-boo with him instead, holding his chunky baby fingers in front of my eyes. He giggles every time I pull them away and say “boo”.

I don’t remember the last time I held a baby. I certainly don’t remember the last time I was able to play with one like this.

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