Page 34 of Keeping it Casual
Eventually, he pulls back and lets out a shaky breath. “I better get back to the party. It’s not a good look if the host deserts his duties for a make-out session around the side of the house.”
We haven’t exactly been making out, but I let him away with plastering a joke over this moment if that’s what he needs.
“You want to talk about it?” I ask gently.
He pinches the top of his nose. “It’s okay. It’s nothing. I’m just being a drama queen. Besides, today’s not about me. It’s about Lucy,” he says.
“Every day should be a Jeremy day,” I reply and get a small tug of his lips in response. But it quickly fades.
I’m surprised by the intensity of how much I hate the fact he’s hurting right now.
“Thanks,” he says, his eyes briefly flitting past mine. He runs a hand through his hair, glancing away. “Um…to curb the gossip, do you maybe want to walk down that way and circle around the house to get back to the backyard?”
“Sure. I wouldn’t want to give the matchmakers in this town any more inspiration,” I say.
He manages another small smile at that before he turns to leave.
I watch him walk away, feeling helpless. Did I make him feel better? God, I hope I helped him.
When I make it back to the lawn, I keep a close eye on Jeremy as I resume my barbecue duties. Every interaction he has where he smiles loosens some of the tightness in my chest.
My eyes dart to Jasper, wondering what the hell he said to upset Jeremy. It’s not my place to confront him, but a large part of me wants to go up to him and demand answers. How could he say something nasty to Jeremy? It’s like stomping on a kitten.
But Jasper looks like he’s got his own problems, with him and Beau standing under some trees engaged in a tense discussion, which Beau then stalks off from. Jasper is left standing by himself, his face pale.
I turn my attention away from Jasper’s shocked face. It’s not my business.
Instead, I message Lachie and lure him to Jeremy’s house with the promise of barbecue food.
When he turns up, he discovers his friend Connor is also here, being the older brother of one of Lucy’s friends, so he happily hangs around even after he’s eaten his weight in food. The hollow legs of teenage boys are a phenomenon I don’t think scientists have fully explained yet.
At around five o’clock, people start to drift off.
I linger, though, especially as I see the huge clean-up job that lies ahead of Jeremy.
“Lachie and I can help you with the cleanup,” I say to Jeremy after the last of the guests leaves.
Lachie’s by my side and raises his eyebrows at his inclusion. “We can?”
“Sure we can. I hear people who want expensive mountain bikes for their birthdays are excellent at cleaning up.”
He rolls his eyes but doesn’t protest as I put him to work in the kitchen washing all the glasses that won’t fit into the dishwasher.
I go out to the lawn and wipe down the barbecue while Jeremy moves all the outdoor furniture back to its normal place. Lucy flits around, picking up all the discarded plates and glasses and ferrying them inside to Lachie. Chill music continues to pump through the speakers, and the leftover smoky smell of barbecue mingles with the scent of recently cut grass.
“So, any ideas what you want as payment for your services?” Jeremy gives me a saucy look as he stacks some plastic lawn chairs next to me.
“I’m pretty sure you’ve been paying me enough recently,” I say.
“I’ve made enough deposits into your bank account?” he asks innocently.
“I thought we’ve been sharing the deposits, actually.”
Jeremy laughs, and it takes all my self-control not to close the gap between us and kiss his laughing lips. But I don’t want Lachie or Lucy coming out and seeing us kissing and misinterpreting it.
Jeremy meets my eyes, and he must see my internal conflict because his smile slowly fades from his face. Something in his dark eyes sends an anticipatory thrill down my spine.
“Dad, are Dustin and Lachie allowed to stay and watch the movie?” Lucy asks as she comes back out on the deck.
