Daisy was still laughing, wiping a tear as he studied her, suspicion suddenly drawn on his face. “What exactly is so funny?” But Daisy only shook her head, unable to talk.
Jack walked to Lily’s plate and took a bite, chewing almost cautiously. Realization seemed to strike him as he looked at her. “This is not the same thing.”
She nodded. “Well, technically Paul is eating the exact same batch as you and he’s fine.”
“Yeah, but I also saw the kid wolf down a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and not even blink.” He walked back over toward her, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
Before she could guess what he was about to do, his fingers were at her hips—in the exact spot he knew was intensely ticklish. She tried to fend him off, laughing as she did, but he squeezed again before catching her against him and planting a warm, poblano-infused kiss on her lips.
It wasn’t anything overtly sexual, and if there was a rating, it would have been G-rated by the big mouse himself—even if it sent the world around her spinning.
But it was also in front of their kids. And Aunt Glenda.
She looked over and found all five sets of eyes glued to them, Paul’s mouth wide open. Glenda’s, however, seemed a little more pleased as she smiled almost knowingly at them. Quickly, Daisy slid away from Jack and started placing the chocolate salted caramel empanadas on a plate for dessert.
“Why were you two kissing?” Natalie asked, first in puzzlement. “Do you like each other?”
“Of course they don’t,” Jenna said, glancing a little uncertainly at Daisy.
“And what’s wrong with my liking your mom?” Jack asked in a playful tone. “Don’t you like your mom?”
Natalie giggled. “Yes.”
“And because you like her, don’t you want to kiss her, too?” he continued.
“I suppose so,” she admitted. “But Daddy didn’t ever kiss her. Not that I can remember anyway.”
Daisy felt color suffuse her face and there was a moment’s pause as Jack seemed to process that before he continued. “Then he didn’t know what he was missing. So. Now that my mouth is on fire, do you think that maybe I’ve earned one of those chocolate empanadas? And then I thought we could take the sailboat out for a last trip before dinner and the firework show.”
This earned the kids’ shouts of excitement as they all quickly finished their lunch, chatting about the firework show later that night.
Daisy met Jack’s gaze, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
Smooth. Very smooth.
And despite being a bit annoyed with his maneuver in front of everyone, she couldn’t help but touch her lips, briefly wondering if they were tingling because of the peppers…or Jack’s electrifying kiss.
…
Jack flicked the lighter again, trying to get the sparkler to ignite while Natalie hopped from one foot to the other impatiently. Even though the fireworks show had ended five minutes ago, the air wafting across the lake already smelled faintly of sulfur, the kids had wanted to finish off the box of sparklers before heading to bed.
“Look at this, Nat!” Paul cried as he leaned over the water and wrote something in the air with his sparkler.
“Paul. That’s close enough,” Daisy warned from a few feet away.
Lily and Jenna were apparently too old for something as juvenile as sparklers and were stretched out on their backs on the blanket they’d brought down to enjoy the fireworks show. Glenda sat in a chair by the fire pit, basking in the warmth from the flames, watching them all with a soft smile on her face.
Jack looked around, feeling absurdly happy.
Everything about today had been perfect. Sailing, swimming, enjoying delicious food prepared by a beautiful and loving woman, hearing the sound of the kids’ laughter—even when it was interspersed with arguments—surrounding them.
It was something actually foreign to him. He had been an only child, as was Lily, and save for the occasional get-together with his cousins who lived across the country in upstate New York, life had been one of quiet and peace and, truthfully, a little loneliness. This, this chaos and laughter, was what Lily had been meant for, what he and Lara had wanted before death took her too soon.
It made him a little sad knowing that in a few days, this vacation would come to an end and they’d all be returning to their separate homes. But he also knew that whatever thing had taken hold of him and of Daisy, it wasn’t over, and he would do everything in his power to keep her and her family a part of his—and his daughter’s—life.
When the last sparkler puffed out, Glenda came to her feet. “Well, I’m ready for bed. Anyone care to walk with me?”
“I think it’s time we all start back,” Daisy said as she gathered the trash into a bag. “Girls, can you grab the blanket? Natalie and Paul, go ahead with your aunt and get in your pajamas. We’ll do baths tomorrow.”