Page 40 of Bombshell (Whiskey Dolls 1)

Maybe. Possibly, I thought, but to him I said, “No.”

Just have fun. You deserve it.

He nodded resolutely. “All right then. You’re forgiven. I’ll order dinner in an hour. What are you in the mood for?”

“Burgers!” Eli shouted as he raced down the stairs, jumping them like an Olympic hurdler, nearly giving me a heart attack in the process.

“Burgers it is. But what have we said about running down the stairs like that,” Pierce asked in a very commanding Dad voice.

“Not to, ’cause I’ll crack my skull open.”

“Right. Don’t do it again.”

I expected an argument, for Eli to offer a bullet-pointed explanation as to why flying down the stairs in a single jump was better than taking them carefully, one at a time. Over the past several days, I’d discovered the kid could argue like it was his profession. He’d find himself a hill and he was determined to die on top of it. By the time he finished talking circles around me I’d have caved and developed a twitch in my eyelid.

But he didn’t give his dad any of that just then. He simply nodded and said, “Okay, Daddy.” Then looked at me. “I’m ready, let’s go!”

He ran off in nothing but his little swim trunks that were covered in cartoon characters, and I could hear Titan’s nails clacking on the hardwood floors as he followed after his person.

“I guess I should...” I threw my thumb over my shoulder in the direction Eli had just taken off in.

“You guys have fun.”

“Yeah, thanks.” I felt awkward as hell all of a sudden. I knew it was because of what Tali had said earlier about me wanting him and my every emotion being written on my face. “You have fun... working.”

Lame.

I whipped around and started toward the back of the house, doing my best to suppress a delighted shiver as the sound of his chuckle followed after me.

17

Pierce

Icouldn’t focus with them out in the backyard, laughing and yelling and running around. It wasn’t that the noise was a distraction so much as I’d have rather been out there with them than stuck in my office, reading over briefs and documents until my vision began to blur.

Whatever they were doing back there, they were having a hell of a time, and envy was sinking its claws into my gut.

I glanced out the window, taking in the beautiful sunny day. Maybe it was all in my head, but the grass looked greener than usual, the sky a brighter blue. And here I was, missing it all.

At the sound of Marin’s shriek and, “Eli! You little tooter!” I couldn’t take it any longer. Slapping the file shut, I dropped it onto my desk and clicked save on my computer before pushing out of the chair and starting for the back door.

When I stepped outside, I saw Eli bouncing on the trampoline with the hose in his hand, pointing the spray right at Marin as she tried to run and avoid it.

“I’m gonna get you!” he shouted.

She squealed as he hit her with water. “You’re going to pay for that.” She laughed.

“What’s going on?” I barked, infusing my tone with annoyance. The two of them stopped in their tracks and turned to look at me with trepidation.

“I was getting Mar-Mar with the hose, Daddy.”

A waterlogged Marin pushed her damp hair out of her face. “Sorry. Were we being too loud? We’ll keep it down.”

With my face a hard mask, I stomped toward the trampoline and reached my arm through the opening of the safety enclosure net. “Give it to me,” I said to Eli.

He hesitated, his face falling as he bounced his way toward me and handed me the hose.

As soon as my fingers wrapped around it, I gave him a secretive smile. “If you want to get her good, you have to do it from out here. Watch.”

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