Page 5 of Love Unexpected
She shook her head. “Not Alex. He’s enjoying baby Nora. Some ginger ale would be good, though. Then I’ll just sit and distract myself from how terrible I feel by admiring the incredible retro vibe of Rosie’s swimsuit.”
I glanced back toward the water. Rosie was in the pool now, pulling Max around like a tugboat while he laughed and kicked his legs. I grabbed a ginger ale from the cooler for Dani, then dropped into a chair beside her. “She really seems to like hanging out with Max,” I said.
The last few times we’d all been together outside of work, it seemed like wherever Max was, that’s where Rosie was, too.
“She’s good with him,” Dani said. “But it could also be that she’s the only one who doesn’t have a significant other, so hanging out with Max feels easier than dealing with all the happy couples.” She shot me a pointed look. “Or not so happy couples.”
I ignored Dani’s jab, instead focusing on the interesting part of the conversation. “Rosie’s not dating anybody?”
Dani shrugged. “I mean, I guess she could be. But she’s never brought anyone to any of our get-togethers. So, probably not.”
“Should we set her up with somebody? She’s still pretty new in town, right?”
“I think so. It’s been less than a year, for sure.”
“She seems cool.” I watched as Max turned and wrapped his arms around Rosie’s neck, eliciting a grin from Rosie that unexpectedly tugged at something deep in my gut. She had a really gorgeous smile. “Maybe she’d get along with Tyler.”
Dani sipped her ginger ale. “Maybe. I don’t think I know her well enough to judge. She does seem really nice though. And her fashion sense is spot on.”
“Isaac!” Max called from the water in his little boy voice. “Come swim with me. I want you to throw me in the air.”
I glanced toward Bridget, who looked as though she had no intention of moving anytime soon. Would it be weird if it was only me and Rosie in the water with Max? We’d only spoken a couple of times, and it had almost all been work-related.
“Please, Isaac?” Max called. “Please, please?”
Jade walked up to the table and put down a big bowl of tossed salad. “Don’t you disappoint that child, Isaac. His mamas have been buried under new baby stress. He needs all the attention he can get.”
“Fine, I’m getting in,” I said, knowing better than to disappoint Jade. I stood up and yelled across the pool. “Hey, Vinnie. Are you getting in?”
He held up his drink as if that was justification enough for him to stay exactly where he was. I rolled my eyes and peeled off my shirt, tossing it back on the chair.
“You better watch out, Max!” I yelled before running toward the pool and landing a cannon ball in the deep end that I realized a minute too late was going to splash Bridget even more than it would splash Max.
I came up out of the water to a laughing Max and a spluttering Bridget. She stood on the deck now, her hair wet and her mascara running down her face.
I looked at Max and winced. “Oops,” I said playfully, which only made Max laugh harder.
“Seriously, Isaac?” Bridget said, her arms folded across her toned and tan stomach. “Oops?”
“It’s a pool party, Bridget, and you’re wearing a swimsuit next to the pool. How was I supposed to know you didn’t want to get wet?”
She grumbled something unintelligible as she stomped toward the house. It wasn’t the last I’d hear about it, but with the bright spring sun warm on my shoulders and a giggling four-year-old looking for my attention, I couldn’t bring myself to care.
I lowered my shoulders into the water and made my way over to where Max bobbed in the shallow end, a pair of arm floaties keeping his head above the water. A few feet from where he floated, I dropped into the water and swam after his ankles, grabbing them before popping up right in front of him. Max erupted into another round of full-bellied laughter, making an annoyed Bridget well worth it.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Rosie moving toward the stairs. I hadn’t meant to scare her away. Also, her swimsuit really was stellar. Black and retro in a twenties pin-up kind of way.
“Should we go get Rosie?” I whispered to Max, not knowing exactly what I wanted to accomplish, only that I didn’t want her to get out of the water.
“Yeah, let’s be sharks,” Max said.
I grabbed Max by the waist and propelled him toward Rosie, even as he raised his hands to his head to make a shark fin and started humming the theme song to Jaws.
Rosie’s eyes widened as she saw us approach, and she smiled as she scrambled a little faster toward the stairs.
“I’m getting you, Rosie!” Max called.
She was on the top step by the time we reached her.
