Page 59 of In the Works

Shrugging, I chuckled. “I tried not to think about it too much.” I reached across the picnic blanket to the bottle ofprosecco just past her legs. Just a few inches apart, I could feel the heat of our bodies begging to collide.

But I swallowed my desire and popped the top off the bubbly. I grabbed her cup and poured some in, giving myself a smaller serving.

“Thanks.” She smiled as she took a sip, peeking at me over the rim of the cup. After a minute, Sarah tapped her finger against the plastic. “Do you remember picking berries at my house?”

Before she even finished the question, I was giggling as the memories came rushing back. “Of course I do. Your mom used to be so mad because we never had room left for dinner.”

“Dorothy hates when someone spoils dinner.” Sarah bit her lip.

I looked out over the valley. “How is Dorothy? I feel like I haven’t seen her in ages.”

Shaking her head, Sarah shrugged. “She’s… good. Getting older, which is weird to watch. But she loves the kids and has been very supportive of us since the divorce.”

It was the question I’d been wanting to ask but avoiding like the plague. I genuinely liked Sarah. And even though this was supposed to be casual, I knew I wanted to build something longterm with her.

So I took a sip of liquid courage and asked, “How does the whole dating people thing work with the kids?”

Sarah sucked her teeth and wiggled her eyebrows. “Great question.” Taking a long moment, Sarah let out a sigh. “Well, when Jason first started seeing someone seriously, we had a coffee and talked about her. Like brutally honest. He told me the nitty gritty of how they met, how long they’d been seeing each other, how serious it was. The whole nine yards.”

“How did that feel?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Sarah was surprised for a second before shrugging. “It was more weird than anything else. Our romantic relationship was dead long before we actually separated.”

I turned toward her, ignoring the view. “Then what?”

“Then I talked to the kids and asked them when they would be comfortable meeting her. They set their own boundaries and Jason and I respected that. When they were ready, we all hung out together.” Sarah took another drink and met my eyes.

Unable to hide my surprise, I wiped my hands on a napkin and leaned closer. “Together?”

“Yep.”

“Why?” I chuckled.

Sarah broke our eye contact and watched the leaves rustle in the valley. “Neither of us wanted the kids to feel like this new person was an invader. Like they couldn’t have their dad without her or have me with her.”

“Right.” Nodding, I reached out to grab Sarah’s hand. It was a little sweaty, maybe from the hike or from the nerves. “How do you feel about…?”

Sarah smiled as she intertwined her fingers with mine. “Olivia. She’s sweet. She cares about my babies and she loves Jay. I was surprised by how willing she was to follow our lead. But she fits in perfectly. Even if it’s a little odd sometimes.”

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. It was everything Sarah deserved: something simple and supportive. The wind blew over the cliffside, the tree branches swaying in the breeze. I felt the sweat on the back of my neck cooling as the air came through.

Biting the inside of my cheek, there was one more thing I wanted to ask. But I wasn't sure now was the time.

Like she could read my mind, Sarah rolled her eyes. “What do you want to ask, Bri?”

I clenched my jaw before getting the words out. “Is that something you want for yourself?”

Her face flushed pink as she thought about the question. She tilted her head toward the sky, which felt like it was just an arms reach away.

“You’re such a troublemaker.” Sarah licked her lips as a smirk took over her face.

Letting my fingers find her chin, I tilted her face toward mine. “So, that’s a yes?” I grinned looking into her blue eyes.

Sarah shrugged. “For the right person.”

“Enough said.” I pulled her lips to mine, pressing them together as I took in a deep breath. After a few seconds of light pecks, our lips started to move around each other. I let my tongue tease hers.

Sarah pulled back, meeting my eyes for a second before going back to kissing me. She tried to calm her smile enough to makeout with me. Her hands lifted toward my stomach, resting on the toned ab that were covered by a thin layer of sweaty fabric.

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