Page 7 of Playing With Fire
My buddies have become uncles to Mon’s kids and the laugh that escapes from her mouth tells me she’s only teasing.
“Where are Jake and Dylan?” she asks, inquiring about the fourth and fifth members of our bro-squad.
“Visiting Dylan’s sister, Cassie, in Miami. They should be back tomorrow.”
Phoenix has had the hots for Dylan’s twin sister, Cassie ever since he first laid eyes on her. He asked her to marry him before he even knew her name. The memory still makes me laugh. But Phoe is a playboy through and through and has been since his time on the rodeo circuit. He’s a one-and-done kind of guy.
Knox on the other hand went through a nasty divorce a while back that left him devastated. To make it worse, he lost his dad a year later. He’s grumpy as fuck and tends to push people away so he hasn’t dated anyone since Karen left. But somehow, he tolerates me, Jake, Dylan, and Phoenix.
Jake says we’re his charity case. Fine by me. Knox is the one with the boat…and the beach house that I haven’t gotten the nerve to visit yet.
Once the kids are in their suits, I load all the gear into my truck.
Tent for shade?Check.
Baby safe sunscreen?Check.
Floppy hats?Check.
Buckets and shovel sets?Check.
Sunglasses they won’t keep on?Check
And the list goes on: diapers, snacks, juice, etc…
Finally having the car seats switched to my truck and everyone loaded up, I head to the lake with two of my favorite people.
Phoenix slips another beer can in a koozie, pops the top, and hands it to me. Both kids have been asleep in the tent for about thirty minutes and the three of us adults are soaking up the sun and the quiet after two hours of non-stop interaction with the little balls of energy.
I don’t know how my sister does it. Or any single parent for that matter.
We’re all sitting around shooting the shit when a woman carrying a small baby in a backpack-style-carrier catches my attention.
Shannon.
She’s in a crew-cut white tank top, hot pink workout shorts, and tennis shoes.
I try to move my attention elsewhere, but I can’t helpnoticing the way her toned legs propel her down the beach, or the way the pink, reflective lenses of her aviator sunglasses match her shorts and stand out against her tanned skin, or the way small tendrils of dark hair have escaped from her ponytail.
Silently, I wonder if she ever relaxes. I wonder if she ever has the chance.
I almost jog over to her to say hello, but then I remember that would be weird. She doesn’t know me.
“Wow, that chick’s hot,” Phoenix says beside me.
“What chick?” I ask, pulling my attention off Shannon.
“Uh, the one you’re currently eye-fucking?” His comment makes Knox turn his head in her direction. Evenhegives a low whistle of appreciation before raising his beer can to his lips. “Too bad I can see the kid on her back and I assume that bright pink band on her ring finger is one of those silicone wedding bands.”
I blow out a breath. Lying to Phoenix is pointless. He’s like a fucking drug dog with secrets. He’ll sniff them out regardless of how much shit you pile on top to hide the smell. It’s probably also the reason he’s so damn good at hiding his own.
“She’s on my new route at work. Always has expensive shit she has to sign for.”
“That look in your eyes says you have a different kind of package you’d like to deliver,” Phoenix teases.
“I have sunglasses on, you idiot. You don’t know what I’m looking at,” I mutter, following Knox’s lead and taking a sip of my beer.
“Bro, you’re wearing swim trunks. I may not be able to see where your eyes are pointed, but I can sure as hell tell where everything else is aiming.”
