Page 47 of Firefly Effect

As soon as I reach the cooler, Francine is beside me. I fish out three ice-cold seltzers and hand one to her, then we both head over to where Lucy and Lincoln are playing. We grab folding chairs and set them in front of the pool, sitting down and sticking our feet in.

Lucy squeals as Lincoln picks her up, flips her in the air, and plops her back into the water. Then he raises his arms, flexing them like he won some kind of championship, egging Lucy on. She hooks her entire body around his leg like a little monkey, trying to climb up, but he grabs her again, flips her, and flops her back down.

Giggles take over Lucy’s whole body. She falls into the water, unable to control herself as she laughs at her daddy’s antics.

Suddenly I realize I’ve never been more attracted to a man than I am to Lincoln when he’s in full dad mode. It’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever witnessed, which completely shocks me.

“Well.” Francine sighs heavily. “You were right, Lincoln. That was a great party. Lucy got to invite all her friends, and everyone had fun. Great job.”

He grins at her like there’s some in-joke there. “Thank you, Francine. And thank you for all the help today.” His focus shifts to me. “You, too, Evie. The kids had a blast with you.”

Warmth spreads through me. “I had a good time too.”

Francine pats my hand. “If you’re hungry, there’s plenty of food left over in the fridge.”

I laugh and pat my tummy. “I already ate two burgers and a hot dog. Oh, and cake. I think I’m good until tomorrow.” I grin up at Lincoln. “Didn’t realize you were such a master of the grill.”

“Then you don’t come around enough,” he teases. “Next time, I’ll show you what I can really do.”

I grin. “Okay. That’s a deal.”

As successfully as I’ve kept myself from taking in a good eyeful of Lincoln all day, I’m unable to stop myself now. His forest-green swim shorts nearly match the color of his eyes, and they are short enough to reveal the defined muscles in his thighs. The light covering of hair on his chest does nothing to hide his phenomenal build, from firm pecs to cut abs. I get lost in the shape of him, memorizing every inch. That is, until my gaze rises to his to witness him watching me right back.

Busted. The space between my thighs heats, and my nipples harden. I swear, the man doesn’t even have to touch me for my body to come alive. “I should go,” I blurt out, suddenly feeling an overwhelming need to get away from the one man I can’t seem to control myself around.

“Stay,” Lincoln pleads, disappointment and hope mixing in his expression.

“Yeah, Evie, stay!” Lucy leaps out of the pool, grabs my hand, and tugs.

Laughing, I let her lead me into the bounce house again. The hose to the slide has been turned off, so the inside of the inflatable is completely dry now. Maybe the cake has given Lucy a monster sugar rush, because Lucy goes a little crazy, jumping like she hasn’t been active the entire day. At some point, Lincoln climbs in to join us.

Just when I’m starting to feel exhausted from the continuous bouncing, Francine pops her head in and holds her arms out for Lucy. “What do you say, birthday girl? Want to spend the night with Gammy?”

Lucy’s eyes light up like Christmas morning. “Yes, yes!” We all laugh as she jumps up and down. “Can we watch a movie, too?”

Francine nods. “Yup, we can watch a movie, eat junk food.” She grins at Lincoln. “I’ll even let you get all showered and dressed in warm clothes first.”

Lucy whoops with excitement, completely missing the psychological game her grandmother just played. “Bye, Daddy! Bye, Evie!” She starts to flop around to get to the entrance, but Lincoln scoops her up and cradles her like a baby.

“Not so fast, my little birthday goose.” He tickles her side, causing her to erupt in a deep belly laugh. “I’m going to need a better goodbye than that.”

With that, he flips her back upright and earns a giant hug. Then he whispers something into her ear that I can’t hear, but I assume it’s something absolutely precious, since a look of warmth and love completely takes over her face. I can practically feel their deep connection tugging at my own heart like an invisible string.

Francine winks at us both when she finally takes Lucy in her arms, then they walk off toward the guesthouse together. Lincoln and I are silent as they head into the cottage, the silence so deafening, I’m sure he can hear the thrumming of my heart.

A faint click of a door sounds, and all at once, our eyes lock. The air seems to ignite, sizzling with electricity—and suddenly it becomes crystal clear that I’m in a whole lot of trouble.

CHAPTER

SIXTEEN

EVELYN

Unable to handle the chaos of nerves zigzagging through me, I lie back and focus on the open sky above. The sun is preparing to set in the west, so all I see is a landscape of blue with a single white puffy cloud on a slow path to nowhere. It’s shaped like a horse. Or maybe a puppy. No, definitely a unicorn.

Lincoln reclines beside me, our hands by our sides with our pinkies touching.

“You’re a really good dad, Lincoln.” The words come out before I even think about them first, but I don’t have time to second-guess them. They’re genuine—I’ve been thinking it all day long.

---