Page 120 of When It's Us
“Unprovoked, too,” I add, keeping my tone light, making sure Jordan knows this is no big deal.
The way Ginger looks at me—eyes soft, but maybe a little unsure—shifts something inside me. The way shetrustsme, even when I’ve given her no real reason to.
She’s vulnerable in those moments, without realizing it, and I can feel myself leaning into it, wanting to protect that trust. But I don’t know how to protect it when I’m not sure I can even protect myself.
I focus on Jordan’s foot. It’s a quick job, a simple sliver. I remove it with ease, feeling almost toogoodabout it. But there’s this quiet ache inside me, a tugging that I can’t ignore.
“You’re all good now, bud,” I say, ruffling Jordan’s hair. “It might be sore for a bit, but you’re good.”
“Thanks,” he says, then looks up at Ginger. “Can I swim now?”
Ginger nods, watching the boys like she’s making sure nothing else happens. But I see the way her attention flickers back to me, just for a moment, and it’s like she’s holding something back. She’sgrateful, but there’s a quiet sadness there, too. Something I don’t fully understand yet.
“You mind keeping an eye on them for a few?” she asks, her voice steady, but there’s something softer in it that I can’t quite place. “I’m gonna clean up a bit.”
“Yeah, sure,” I say, nodding.
I watch as the boys jump off the end of the dock, their life jackets buckled securely around them, and then resurface, laughing.
A little piece of something heavy settles in my chest. I look back at Ginger, who’s busy cleaning up, and I feel it again. That pull. That ache.
I can’t seem to reel it in.
Jordan tries to get up on the same floatie as his brother, and they both wobble a bit, shrieking with laughter.
I smile to myself and let my eyes drift for a second back to Ginger. I’ve been pretending like I’ve got it all figured out. Like I’m just here for the fun, the sex, and nothing more. But watching her with the kids, watching how shetrustsme, I’m starting to feel like I might be in over my head.
I’m not supposed to feel this way.
But I do.
“You okay, little man?” I hear myself ask Tate when he scrapes his knee on the dock getting back out to jump in again. The words come out so naturally, like I’ve been doing this for years, and that scares the hell out of me.
“Yeah,” he says, buffing a hand over his knee.
I glance at Ginger again. She’s still cleaning up, her back to me, but I catch a glimpse of something in her shoulders.
I tell myself that I can’t let it happen. That I can’t fall for her, it’s not fair to them. But as my eyes take in the boys, I feel it again.
This isstarting to feeltooreal. And I’m afraid I’m already in way too fucking deep.
Ginger
It’sabeautifuldayand I’m ready for a little retail therapy. Granted, Timber Forge isn’t exactly a fashion mecca, but they’ve got some cute shops downtown, and I’m hoping I can find something for my sister Lexie’s baby while I’m here.
When I step out onto the porch, I’m met by a very sexy, very sweaty, shirtless Hutch chucking three rustic two-by-fours into the enormous dumpster sitting in the driveway next door. That dimpled grin I can’t seem to get enough of lights up his face, as he reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a faded navy bandana and dragging it over his face.
His words from early this morning before he snuck out of my bed, come floating back.
You think I’m gonna let you out of this bed with only a kiss? Nah, you’re gonna come on my cock first.
Did I mention he’s sexy?
“Morning, sunshine.”
“Hey,” I greet him, butterflies erupting in my belly as I cross the porch and head in his direction.
He drags his gaze down my body and those big dimples deepen. “You look nice,” he says.
