Page 85 of Last on the List
Me: Fine. He ran out of the house right when I walked in. So it’s back to Awkward City just like that.
Dakota: You only have yourself to blame.
Me: I know. But it’s for the best. He lives a life I am not interested in being a part of. Better to end it before I start catching feelings.
Dakota: Mmmkay. ;)
I’m staring down at my phone, trying to figure out what Dakota means with that winky face when Everly shakes my shoulder. “Cozy, he’s here!”
“He is?” I jerk my head around and spot a young guy who looks fresh out of high school strolling into the backyard dressed in red swim trunks and a white T-shirt with the sleeves cut out all the way to the bottom hem. Honestly, it’s a pointless shirt, but the kid can pull it off.
I wave him over. “Heyo!”
“Are you Cozy?” he asks, pulling his hat down over his shaggy brown hair to block the blistering afternoon sun.
“Yes, you’re Ryne, right? It is Ryne, not Ryan?” I reach out, and he looks confused when I shake his hand.
“Yeah, Ryne.”
“That’s a cool name.”
He shoots me a crooked smile and nods. “It used to be Ryan, but Ryne has more swagger, don’t you think?”
My lips thin as I try not to laugh. “Totally. Anyway…thank you for coming.”
“No sweat. I love the private gigs.” He pulls his sunglasses off and looks over at Everly. “You ready to learn how to swim, little one?”
A peal of laughter erupts out of Everly as she leans against me for balance. Ryne looks confused.
“Sorry, I thought I explained on the phone. The lesson isn’t for her. It’s for me.”
“You?”
“Yeah,” I reply, and Everly holds my hand in solidarity. “I, um…don’t know how to swim, and this one is a fish. I would love to just learn the basics so I can be a better nanny.”
“Nanny?” Ryne looks me up and down, clearly assessing my age. “You’re not this one’s mom?”
“No.” My lip pops out into a childish pout. I would have had to be a teen mom to be Everly’s mother, thank you very much…Ryne.“Can you just do the swimming lesson?”
A slow smile spreads across Ryne’s face. “Bet! Let’s get started.”
Over an hour later, Everly is cheering me on from the side of the pool as I stand on the edge of the diving board hunched over with my hands pointed down at the water. The board dips when Ryne’s weight comes out to join me.
“You need to have your arms up over your ears.” He reaches around me to adjust my arms to the proper place. His hands linger on my waist for a moment, and I cringe at the close contact. Ryne’s honestly a great swim instructor, but this is maybe a bit too hands-on.
“I think I got it,” I announce, shaking him off.
“All right, Cozy…let’s see your dive.”
He steps back, and I roll forward, plunging hands first into the water. That one felt good! I’ve been belly flopping for the better part of twenty minutes, and that was the first dive that didn’t sting!
I practice the breaststroke up to the surface because that was also one of the lessons Ryne taught me. When I wipe the water out of my eyes, my face falls when I see a suited figure standing at the side of the pool.
“Daddy!” Everly peals, running over to embrace Max. She leaves a wet Everly imprint on his perfectly tailored suit, and he can’t even crack her a pleasant smile.
“What are you doing home already?” she asks, holding his hand.
Max’s face is twitchy as he tries to smile down at her. “Oh, I had some things here to take care of, so I got off work early. Why don’t you go inside and get changed and you and me can go get some ice cream when I’m done here.”
