We headed into the sunroom and out onto the deck. The humidity had broken just enough that it was almost comfortable outside. Oldies music poured from a speaker on the table.
Lou was manning the grill. The sizzle and scent of red meat made my mouth water. Amanda and my grandmother were sitting in Adirondack chairs, shading their eyes from the lowering sun.
The dogs, wet now, shook and sunned themselves in the grass.
But what caught and held my attention was Naomi. She was knee-deep in the creek, sunglasses on. That short, dark swing of hair pulled back in a clip. She was wearing a coral bikini that showed off every curve I’d enjoyed that morning.
Waylay, in a pink polka-dotted bathing suit, doubled over and scooped two hands of cold creek water at her aunt.
Naomi’s shriek and ensuing laughter as she attempted to exact revenge on the kid hit me someplace besides my cock. I felt a warmth in my chest that had nothing to do with the damn good gin and tonic in my hand.
Amanda adjusted her straw hat and sighed. “This is heaven,” she said to my grandmother.
“You must have had a different Bible than the one I grew up on,” Liza quipped.
“I always dreamed of having a big family in a big house. All these generations and dogs all tangled up in each other’s lives. I guess sometimes we’re just not meant for certain things.” She said it wistfully.
Stef cleared his throat. “Ladies, can I freshen up those Long Island iced teas?”
Liza held up her empty glass. “I could do another round.”
“I’m still working on mine, sweetie,” Amanda told him.
“Have you decided to forgive me?” Stef asked.
“Well, you did sneak down here without a word,” she said, lowering her sunglasses to give him what I identified as a Mom Look. “But you were just looking out for my girl. Anyone who does that is always all right in my book.”
Stef dropped a kiss on top of her head. “Thanks, Mandy.”
Naomi and Waylay were now in a full-fledged splash battle. Arcs of water rose high, catching glints of the late afternoon sun.
“How much time left on those burgers, Lou?” Liza called.
“Five minutes,” he said.
“Knox,” Amanda said, drawing my attention.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Take a walk with me,” she said.
Uh-oh.
Stef flashed a smug look at me and disappeared inside with Liza’s glass.
I followed Amanda to the end of the deck and down the stairs into the yard. It felt like only yesterday that it was Nash and me in the creek fooling around, scaring the fish. Pop manning the grill.
She slid her arm through mine as we walked.
“You’ve only known Naomi for a short time,” she began.
I already didn’t like where this was going.
“Sometimes you don’t need a history to see the future,” I said, sounding like a damn fortune cookie.
She squeezed my arm. “I meant, in her entire life, my daughter has never jumped into anything, especially bed with someone.”
I didn’t know what to say to that so I kept my mouth shut.
“She’s a born caretaker. Always fussing over everyone else in the room. It’s no surprise to me that she’d step up to keep Waylay even when the rest of her life is spiraling out of control. She gives until she’s got nothing left.”
This wasn’t news to me. If Naomi wasn’t slinging drinks to customers, she was doing everyone else’s side work in the kitchen or cleaning out Liza’s mausoleum of a house.
“You brought her a cup of coffee doctored up just the way she likes it,” she continued. “She also told me that you got her this place to stay and gave her a job. You drive her home. Stef mentioned you got her a cell phone when she didn’t have one.”
I was getting antsy. I wasn’t known for my patience with conversations when I didn’t know where they were going.
“She’s a worrier but doesn’t want anyone worrying about her,” Amanda continued.
“I get that.”
“You worrying about her, you taking care of her when you only just met, says a lot about your character. So does the fact Naomi let you into her bed without the usual ninety-nine-point inspection.”
I was equal parts uncomfortable and oddly pleased.
“All due respect, Amanda, I don’t like talking about your daughter’s sex life with you.”
“That’s because you’re a man, sweetie,” she said, patting my arm. “I just want you to know that I see how you’re taking care of my girl. In all their time together, I never once saw Warner bring her a cup of coffee. Never once saw him do anything that benefited her unless it benefited him too. So thank you for that. Thank you for seeing my girl and wanting to be there for her.”