by J. L. Berg
Who needed a hotel when we had one that could float?
“You’re just jealous,” I answered.
He tossed me the soda I’d requested. Being the gentleman I’d taught him to be, he politely handed Liv her bottle of water. She thanked him, and he quietly replied as he took a seat next to her. She sat up and twisted off the top of her water bottle.
“Who’s ready for some fun?” I asked as I stood and settled back into the seat across from them.
Both looked at me with blank faces.
“I thought we were already having fun?” Liv challenged.
“Okay, let me rephrase. Who’s ready for more fun?”
Liv turned sideways to meet Noah’s gaze. They both lifted their eyebrows and broke into laughter. I watched in complete bafflement as the two continued to laugh, and then they finally turned toward me and raised their hands like kindergartners. Both hands shook in the air as if they were children begging for restroom passes. Soon, pleading followed.
“Me, me, me! Fun!” Noah yelled at the same time Liv said, “So excited!”
“Okay, stop placating me. Jerks.”
The laughter continued, and I just shook my head, pretending to be slightly annoyed. In reality, I was overjoyed at the relationship Liv and Noah had created. It wasn’t just the fact that he had grown close to the woman I was dating, even though that was an added bonus. It was simply that he had connected with someone—period. Since my parents had moved, I’d watched him retreat, almost refusing to allow himself to become overly attached to anyone—adults in particular.
I knew my parents had done what was best for them, and I loved knowing they were happy in their retirement, but Noah really missed his grandparents. Being with Liv slightly helped to ease the strain.
“So, what are we doing, Master of Fun?” Liv asked.
The laughter had died down a bit, but I could tell she was desperately trying to hold it in.
“I thought we could take turns on the inner tube.”
“Oh, man!” Noah yelled out in enthusiasm.
“See? Your old man really is the Master of Fun.”
“Hell yeah,” he answered.
When I gave him the death stare, he immediately amended it to, “I mean, heck yeah!”
“So, who wants to go first?” I asked.
“Me!” Noah called out, nearly bouncing up from his spot on the bench.
“Anyone?” I asked, pretending not to see my son wildly flailing his arms in front of me.
“Me, me, Dad! Please!”
“So, no one then?”
“Seriously, Dad?” he shouted.
He grabbed my waist in a bear hug and nearly tackled me to the ground.
I chuckled. “Okay, okay! All you had to do was ask!”
Although brief, that bear hug was the closest thing to a hug I’d had in weeks. When his arms left me, I nearly groaned out from the loss.
When Noah was born, everyone had warned me how quickly he would grow.
Enjoy each and every moment, people would say.
But no one had ever told me how much it would hurt, how much my chest would ache when he took his first step or finally wiggled his first tooth loose. Watching him grow up was a balancing act. I would feel immense joy, seeing someone I’d created and raised transforming into a young man. Yet, at the same time, I would mourn the child who was leaving me behind—the little boy who had jumped into bed with me when a thunderstorm rolled through, or the infant who only had eyes for his daddy because I was his entire world.
Right now, I was mourning hugs—good-night hugs, the hugs that came from nowhere, the just-because hugs, and those hugs that he sometimes seemed to need to settle in at night.
I really missed hugs.
“Come on, Dad, help me set it up,” he insisted, bringing me back to the present.
“Absolutely!” I answered, remembering that even though I’d mostly lost hugs, I still had Noah.
I’d blown up the inner tube before we left, and Noah and I carried it up from below the deck.
“You are seriously going to put me on that thing in the middle of the lake and drag me behind the boat?” Liv asked, looking at the tube as we dropped it into the water.
“Yep.”
“That’s insane.”
“No, it’s fun,” I corrected.
“You’ll be gentle?” She stood to glance over the edge of the boat.
“Of course,” I lied.
“Okay.”
Noah crawled over the side and made his way on top of the tube, moving around to situate himself. I knelt down, pretending to help him as I whispered in his ear. He looked up at me, nodding quickly, and added a grin.
“Oh. Well, that doesn’t look too bad. He didn’t even get wet,” Liv said.
She watched me as I stood, none the wiser to my little chat with Noah.
“Nope. See? Totally easy. You ready, buddy?”
“Yes!” Noah answered, giving two thumbs-up. Lying belly down across the tube with his feet hanging off the edge, he wrapped his fingers around the handles. He looked like he was prepared for anything.
“Give me a thumbs-up if you want to go faster and thumbs-down to slow down. Got it?”
“Got it!” he replied excitedly.
I pushed us forward, slowly at first, and I steered straight, making sure to keep Noah and the inner tube aligned with the boat. This would most likely keep him from tipping over. I turned around to check on him, and he gave the signal to speed up. I accelerated, the engine roaring to life, and I heard Liv’s laughter.
“That actually looks fun!”
Oh, just wait, neighbor.
~Liv~
“Okay, Liv, you’re up,” Jackson said.
Noah climbed back in the boat, almost as dry as the moment he’d climbed onto the inner tube ten minutes earlier. His hair was blown back and wet from the spray of the tube hitting the water, but he hadn’t fallen into the water. He’d stayed on that little raft-looking thing the entire time, which was what I intended to do as well. That water looked cold, and I was way too warm to plunge headfirst into frigid water.
“Tell me what to do.” I nervously walked toward the edge of the boat as Jackson handed me a life jacket.
My family had never been much into boating. I remembered a few elegant parties held on yachts, but that had been the extent of my boating experience until this morning. I much preferred lying out and being gently rocked back and forth by the waves than attending a stuffy party on a yacht circling the city.
However, the decision to be tugged behind a boat in an inflatable tube was still up in the air. Looping my arms into the vest and securing it into place, I was as ready as I’d ever be.
“One foot at a time,” he instructed, taking my hand and helping me over the side of the boat where there was a large ledge. I could see the propeller below, currently stationary and quiet.
“Good. Now, the other foot. Okay. Carefully climb onto the raft like Noah did and grab the handles. Same directions—thumbs-up for more speed, thumbs-down for less. Oh, and do this if you want to stop.” He made the universal cut signal, slicing his hand quickly across his throat. “Got it?”
“Yes.” I nodded.
“Okay!” He slapped my ass, pushed the tube away from the propeller, and jumped back into the boat.
It was just me for a moment, floating across the serene water. It was peaceful—until the motor kicked on, and I started to fly.
“Holy shit!” I screamed, gripping my fingers tightly around the handles.
I couldn’t hear them, but even from this distance, I could see Jackson and Noah laughing, loving the sounds of my shrill screams. I forgot everything Jackson had just told me—the thumbs, the signal to stop. I just screamed and laughed. It was thrilling, and I allowed myself to get completely lost in the moment.
The straight path suddenly curved, and my breath hitched as the tube grew closer to the white wake caused by the boat. I was jostled and bumped as my poor inner tube tri
ed to stay steady until it finally gave up and flipped.
“Oh crap!” I managed to say right before everything turned upside down.
I saw the world spin once, maybe twice, before the water consumed me.
I was right. The water was freezing. If I could have gasped under water, I would have. I swam back to the surface and looked around for the boat. Jackson was already circling around to come get me.
His lopsided grin greeted me as the boat came alongside me.
“Did you do that on purpose?” I asked.
“You looked hot,” he stated.
“You big jerk!”
I swam the remaining distance to the ladder and crawled back up to the boat’s ledge where he greeted me with a towel.
“Your bathing suit got a little out of place.” His eyes were full of fire as he covered me quickly before Noah had a chance to see me.
I looked underneath the towel and saw my left breast popping out of my vest and top.
Oops.
I reached down and stuffed my girl back into my bikini top, blushing. Then we climbed back over the ledge and sat down.
“So, feeling a little feisty today?” I asked, noticing the mop on my shoulders that had once been my hair.
“Just wanted to remind you of that feisty guy you met all those weeks ago.”
“Hmm…” I answered. “Just remember, payback is a bitch.”
“What the hell kind of s’mores are you going to make with this stuff?” Jackson asked, peeking into the grocery bag I’d asked him to carry outside.
“The best s’mores you’ve ever eaten,” I answered over my shoulder with a wink.
He looked doubtful, but by the end of the night, I would prove him wrong after watching him cram at least four of these in his mouth.
Not all s’mores were created equal.
We’d decided to end our perfect weekend by making dinner on the grill and finishing with dessert outside. Among its endless amenities, this house also came equipped with a fire pit, which was perfect for roasting marshmallows.
After Jackson set down the bag of groceries I’d gone out and purchased hours earlier, I began pulling out the various ingredients, including homemade graham crackers from a local bakery down the street along with a selection of chocolate I’d found at a candy store. The owner of the candy store and I had chatted for nearly fifteen minutes on the importance of fresh and basic ingredients, and it really showed in her products.
The only thing I’d had to settle on were the marshmallows. I couldn’t find those locally made anywhere, so I’d gone for the regular store brand for those.
We all began sticking our puffy white marshmallows on our metal sticks.
“Black or brown?” Jackson asked.
“Pardon?”
“Do you like your marshmallows roasted a lot or a little? I personally like mine black.”
“I do, too. Charred on the outside, gooey on the inside. Perfect. How about you, Noah?”
“I like them light brown.”
“He’s a bit of a snob. It can’t be too overdone, or he’ll give it to me. When he was little, I ended up with a lot of his rejects.”
“I’m sure that was hard for you.” I laughed.
“Terrible,” he agreed. “He’s got it down to a science now though.”
Jackson and I worked on turning our marshmallows into charcoal while Noah became a boy of precision. He placed it above the fire, not too close and not too far, and he would time how many seconds each side was exposed.
“Wow, that’s fascinating,” I commented as I watched him.
“He could be here all night.” Jackson grinned.
We each took out two graham crackers and a hunk of chocolate, and we assembled our s’mores, placing our thoroughly cooked marshmallows in between the two crackers. I waited for Jackson to take his first bite.
He brought the s’more to his mouth and bit down, and then a groan escaped his lips. “Mmm…that’s good.”
That groan froze me in place. I was mesmerized and intoxicated by it.
Is that what he sounds like in bed? I really wanted to know.
“Liv? You still there?”
I realized my eyes had glazed over while transfixed on his mouth. “I’m good,” I answered, remembering our present company.
He grinned, obviously knowing he’d had an effect on me.
This morning, I’d been flipped on my ass, and I’d found myself submerged in lake water.
Tonight, I wanted to flip him on his ass, and yeah, I was still the one who was wet.
~Liv~
Ever since little Asher had come into our lives, Mia’s need to nurture had grown tenfold. When she’d heard the news of my unfortunate incident with Victor the week before, trying to keep her from freaking out and practically moving in with me had been a challenge.
After I’d talked her out of bringing me dinners, I had finally settled on allowing her to bring me lunch. I hadn’t lost a family member, so casseroles were unnecessary. But when occasionally running late in the mornings, I’d forget to pack a lunch. If bringing me food would help ease her mind, then she could certainly help with my rushed mornings.
Right on time, like every day since I’d come back to work, Mia waltzed into my office at noon, carrying a bag of food in one hand and Asher in the other. Garrett was following close behind with a look on his face that made me laugh out loud.
“You look lost, Garrett,” I said, commenting on his bewildered expression.
“I’m just wondering why she always insists on carrying everything when I’m standing right here.” He raised his hands in mock frustration and shook his head.
Mia turned around and placed a chaste kiss on his nose. He returned the endearment with one of his own—a lingering kiss on the forehead. Asher watched the entire interaction between his parents with immense fascination as bubbles sprung from his tiny pink lips.
“I’m sorry, Garrett. I didn’t mean to insult your manhood. Here. Would you like to carry the lunch bag?” she asked, grinning from ear to ear.
He took the bag from her outstretched hand and moved past her, swatting her ass as he did so. She yelped and giggled in response.
He approached me while I leaned against the doorframe of my office. “We brought burritos from that place you like down the street. Hope that’s okay.”
“Did you get extra veggies?” I asked, raising my eyebrow in question.
“Yep, sure did.”
“Then, we’re good. Hand it over,” I answered with a grin.
He handed me a wrapped burrito marked with a V, and we all settled on the empty couches in my lobby area. I’d purposely leave the noon hour open, so I could take a lunch break. Sometimes, appointments might go late, but for the most part, it usually worked out. The afternoons were my busiest times anyway. Everyone wanted to schedule appointments after school or at least toward the end of the day.
“So, Mia tells me you had a hot overnight date this weekend?” Garrett said through a mouthful of burrito.
“Jackson took me to his boss’s lake house for the weekend,” I replied before adding, “with his son.”
“Oh, so not hot?” Mia asked as she picked around her taco salad.
“Well, we had our moments, but it definitely wasn’t a romantic getaway, if that was what you were picturing.”
“I’m trying not to picture anything,” Garrett chimed in.
“Were you ready for that?” Mia asked. “Considering—”
“We didn’t sleep together.”
“Oh, I just assumed when you said—”
I smiled, remembering Jackson’s sweet words. “We got close, but he put the brakes on.”
“Hold up,” Garrett said mid-bite. “He said no? To sex?”
I looked down, staring at my half-eaten burrito, as I recalled our evening in the hot tub. “He said he wanted to wait…until I was ready.”
There was silence for a moment.
When I looked up, I saw tears in Mia’s
eyes.
“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, Liv.”
“Am I missing something? Ready for what?” Garrett said, his eyes darting between the two of us.
“Dork.” Mia just rolled her eyes.
We returned to our meals, letting the laughter eventually die down. I made googly eyes at my godson and watched as Mia fed him tiny handfuls of cheerios.
While Asher was busy eating, Mia looked up at me. “Are you okay? I mean, after last week. You haven’t talked much about it.” A serious tone replaced the jovial one she’d used earlier.
I knew she would ask after I’d mentioned Jackson. “I’m almost there. I’m nearing the realm of okay,” I said with a small smile.
“I just don’t feel like I’ve done anything. I feel like I should be helping you in some way.”
I leaned forward, placing my hand on hers. “This, right here, having a nice, normal lunch with me—that’s all I want. I know I can’t expect to forget it, but I don’t want to dwell on it either.”
“Well then, good. I’m glad I’m helping you do that. Is he?” she asked, speaking of Jackson.
I grinned. “Yeah, he is.”
~Jackson~
The Senator and his crew had been at the firm all afternoon, and it was well past closing time. I looked at the clock again and saw the minute hand tick one minute further past five. My lip twitched in annoyance.
Four agonizing long hours of brown-nosing and kissing ass had nearly sent me over the edge, and now, I was late in getting out of here.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I snuck a look.
Liv: I’ve got Noah. We’re on our way.
Realizing I might have nights like these, I’d given the summer camp Noah was attending permission to release him to Liv. Thank God I’d thought of that. Otherwise, I’d be in sheer panic at this moment, wondering if my son was being hauled off to child protective services because I hadn’t arrived to pick him up.
“Everything all right?” Senator Prescott asked from across the table.
I looked up and saw genuine concern in his expression. A career in politics was never good to the body. Over the years, the once good-looking and fit man, Douglas Prescott, had faded, and he now looked years older than his actual age. Stress had a way of doing that to a person.
