Page 66 of Anchor Point

“He’s still just as great as he was then,” I marveled, watching him paddle the boat from the far side of the pond. He splashed the paddle, a spray of water arcing over Rosie. She laughed, the sound vibrant and light, echoing through my heart.

“You sound happy, sweetheart. How’d you find him?”

I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. It felt huge and right. “It’s a long story, but Rosie actually found him through social media. And yeah, I am.” My smile fell. “But I’m also… hesitant. I guess having a failed marriage did a number on me. I just want to be smart. And try to keep things in check for Rosie in the process. Although, she’s pretty much already head over heels for him.”

I wanted to be all-in with Mac. He was a great guy. But Tim had also been great when we started, not that there was any comparison between the men. Mac was Rosie’s dad, and despite what happened between us, he wanted to be in her life. Tim had left Rosie, just as he’d left me in the end. I didn’t want to put my girl through that again. I needed to take a step back and reevaluate.

“You deserve it, sweetheart. Things have definitely taken a turn for the good for you and Rosie, then.” Mom’s voice was gentle and loving, and hearing it made my heart ache that we weren’t closer.

“I guess. We’ve been through our share of hard times. It’s nice to enjoy the sweet for a bit.” I lay back in the sun, enjoying hearing their voices carry on a low hum across the water. His deep chuckle and her high-pitched giggle providing the most delightful background music.

“He’s good to Rosie? They are getting along?”

“Actually, they are two peas in a pod. They are just coming in from fishing right now. I’ve got a picnic ready for them.”

Mom didn’t answer, so I continued, “I think you’d really like him, Mom.”

More silence.

“Mom?”

A sniffle caught me by surprise. “I’m here, sweetheart. I’m just glad to hear you happy, even if it’s guarded.” Her voice quavered, and I imagined the tears welling in her eyes. Then she cleared her throat and said, “Well, I’m going to let you go. I’ve got to get some cookies out of the oven and run them to your dad.”

We hung up, and the bittersweetness of hearing her voice, yet being so far away, was hard. But she was right—Rosie and I were where we needed to be. I closed my eyes and waited for my two favorite people to get off the water, soaking up the stillness of the moment. They were rare and cherished.

Sometime later, a soft finger brushed my cheek. “Wake up, sleeping beauty.” Mac’s voice was low and for my ears only.

Earlier that morning, we’d decided we’d have to come clean to our daughter about the change in our relationship. We’d argued over the best way to handle it. Mac wanted to come right out and admit that we’d slept together, but I preferred to approach things a little more conservatively. That didn’t go over as well and added to whatever had been haunting his gaze when he’d finally come to bed. I would’ve thought he’d been right behind me after I took Buster out. Instead, he went out to the porch with the excuse that Buster needed some “front porch time.” As best I could tell, he’d just sat on the front porch rocking for a while. And when he’d come to bed, he’d been so focused on me, I let it go.

I opened my eyes to find a thoughtful Mac gazing down at me. I couldn’t tell if he was mad at me for having reservations or if there was something else on his mind.

I didn’t know if I wanted to kiss away whatever was bothering him or demand that he spill. Guess we had some more trust issues to deal with.

Giving him grace, I rose on an elbow. Maybe if I showed him I was here, now, with him, he’d open up. “Where is she?” I whispered.

“I sent her to the shop to wash her hands.”

“What about yours?”

A wicked gleam lit his eyes, and the corner of his mouth tilted up. “I washed at the spigot by the dock.”

“Why didn’t she?”

“Because I didn’t tell her about it so I could have a minute to do this…” His hand slid along my jaw, his thumb brushing my cheek before he pulled me closer and laid the hottest, deepest, most soul-cleansing kiss on me that I’d ever experienced.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for hours,” he growled against my lips, then went back for more.

Helpless to do anything else, I draped my arm over his shoulder and pulled him closer. He deepened the kiss, exploring my mouth like we’d never kissed before. Like he couldn’t get enough. I couldn’t get enough.

“Uh, you guys know I can see you, right?” Rosie called from a few feet away.

My eyes popped open, and Mac and I both froze, lips still pressed together. “Jeez, Buster, give them two seconds alone and they are eating each other’s faces. You’re not a very good chaperone.”

Mac kissed me once more, a punctuation on the situation. Making his statement that he and I were… something more than we’d been. He shifted onto a hip beside me, braced on an arm, with one knee raised. The ultimate cool.

I, however, was embarrassed and fidgety while trying to find the words I needed to explain to my impressionable teenager that I was starting a relationship with him.

“Okay, squirt, here’s the deal. I like your mom, she likes me. It’s a thing, and it’s happening.”

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