Page 62 of Summer Fling
I didn't mind. I loved that he was insatiable for me. I'd enjoy this time with him because I wasn't sure how much longer we'd have together.
There were so many variables: Oakley, the custody case, and my career. I didn't have answers for any of it. But I knew I felt good when I was with Dalton.
Chapter Seventeen
Dalton
I was in the process of laying out the maze at the senior center. My brothers took turns helping me measure and place stakes where I wanted everything to go.
"This is a big project," Hudson said the day he was helping me.
I tried not to think too much about that. I'd done my research, drawn my design, and now it was time to make it become reality. "It's going to be great when it's done. Everyone's going to love coming here. The view from the balcony will be amazing."
He nodded. "It will be a fancy garden; that's for sure. You have someone to maintain it?"
"Willow put me in touch with a guy who does this kind of thing, usually on Captiva and in a few of the other affluent areas in Florida."
"He trims bushes?” Hudson asked, his tone dubious.
"It’s a bit more than that. But yeah, I've seen his work. It's good."
"Do you think the path is wide enough like this?" I asked him after I staked out a row of three long bushes. The participants would run down one aisle, realize it was a dead end, and then check each one until they found the path at the end of the third one that would eventually lead to the first clue.
We took turns walking down the aisles, testing the paths out. I tried to imagine the eight-foot-tall hedges that would block my view.
"It works."
"I don't want it to be too wide. I would think you'd want two or three people to be able to run around together." That's how I imagined it; there'd be a group of people running around together. In other cases, groups would split up. But I could see allowing for a bit of space in case certain groups walked side-by-side.
"How are things going with Blake?" Hudson asked as we staked off the corner of the maze. This is where I'd set up the first clue. I had visions of greenery in the background with the clue large enough that the participants would want to snap a picture of it to remember.
"Things are great." Evenings were my favorite part of the day. One of us cooked, usually me, and then we worked together to get Lilliana into her bath and then bed. Then it was our time together.
Every physical touch drew us closer. It was harder to see this ending anytime soon. For me, our time together stretched out indefinitely. I couldn't imagine her leaving, but the idea caused dread to form in my stomach.
"How's Oakley taking it?"
"We had a few issues when she dropped off Lilliana on her week and then wanted her during mine. But she reluctantly went along with the plan."
Hudson took the end of the measuring tape, moving it to the other side of the path. "Nothing's set in writing yet, right?"
I noted the distance, making sure it matched my design specifications. "Ashton is hopeful that we can work things out in mediation. Oakley's working within the parameters I set better than she ever was before."
"To be fair, you were working with her. You didn't make any demands. So this must have been a shock for her."
I checked the measurements of the corner against my design drawing. Satisfied it was correct, I set the stakes in the ground. "That's true."
"I hope she doesn't mess things up for you," Hudson said.
"You mean Oakley?" I said, moving around him to place another stake where he was marking the place.
"Yeah."
I paused, considering him. "She's always going to be a wild card, but if we set the boundaries, then she'll have to live within them one way or the other."
Respect shown in his eyes. "You're confident about this."
"I'm sticking to the plan and trusting it will work out. It has to. I can't imagine not seeing Lilliana as often as I've been. It sucks not to have her for those in-between weeks, but it's better than it was before."
