Page 39 of Sweet Summer Surprise
“Yeah. Should I dish it up?” He moved toward the kitchen.
The screen door slammed open. Red-faced, Jason snarled, “Kids, outside.”
She raised her hand palm out, like a traffic cop. “No, go get your gelato. Your dad and I will discuss this outside.” She shot Jason a sharp glance. “Like grown-ups.”
On the deck, Jason lost his shit, alternately flapping his hands and clasping his skull as if the top might fly off. “So this is why you don’t want me to stay? You’ve been sharing the house with that gigolo? That’s a fine example for your children.”
A veil of calm determination descended. “You’ve got nothing to say about it, Jason. You left me, remember? I don’t have to put my life on hold for you. And no, Matteo won’t be staying with us, but he is a part of my life now.”
Jason glared for a long moment, then stomped to the door and hollered, “Kids, come on. We’ll go to the Freedom Fair in Tacoma. There’s an air show, fireworks—it’ll be fun.”
Clutching their ice cream bowls, the kids conferred in low tones. Noah spoke up. “Naw, Dad. We had fun with you and Sharla, but now we’re gonna stay with Mom. We’ll see you when we get back.”
Relief fizzed through her veins. The moment she’d been dreading was over. “They’ll call you every day, Jason. Right, kids?”
“Totally,” Olivia answered. “Just like we did with Mom.”
Take that, vacation stealer.
Because her kids were watching, she bit back a grin of triumph until Jason tossed his bags into his car and drove off.
Chapter Seventeen
Thursday , July 4th
MatteogentlygrippedNoah’sshoulder. “Right shin against the rim?”
He nodded, his pale curls bouncing. “Check.”
“Bend low at the hips?”
Noah hinged forward. “Check.”
“Eyes on the forty?”
“Check.”
Matteo backed away. “Drumroll, please.”
Danielle and Olivia trilled their tongues while Matteo drummed on a trash can. Noah blew out a breath through pursed lips, then launched. The Skee-ball rolled smoothly as butter up the lane and into the forty-point hoop. With a kerchunk, kerchunk, the machine spit out a long stream of tickets, which Noah snatched up and waved overhead, hooting with glee.
“Bravo, piccolo,” Matteo crowed. “Almost as good as your sister.”
Noah’s forehead rumpled. “Bull dookie!” He grabbed for his sister’s strip of tickets, but she tucked them behind her back.
Danielle hid her grin behind Matteo’s broad shoulder. “Go on, pick your prizes.”
Squabbling and jostling, the kids made their way to the prize counter at the back of the crowded, noisy arcade.
Taking advantage of their diverted attention, Danielle pulled Matteo in for a juicy smooch. “Thanks, Coach.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her. “Advantage of growing up in a beach town. Mad Skee-ball skills.”
“And go-karts. And bumper cars. And…what else? We’ve been to so many places I’ve lost track.”
“Don’t forget the secret collection at Souvenir Galaxy.”
She shuddered. “That was seriously creepy. I swear, that mummified mermaid thing is a shaved monkey with a salmon tail.”
