Page 29 of The Opposite of Romance
Like most days, Liv is in her room. I knock on her door, hoping to get her to absorb some fresh air and sunshine.
“Liv, hun. I have an idea.” She looks up at me from her books, slumped in her reading chair. “How about we take our books and go lounge outside? We can sit side by side in silence and enjoy the weather.”
My heart beats faster, awaiting her response.
“Ok.” She shrugs, placing a bookmark carefully into her book.
Yes!I celebrate my parental victory internally, trying to look cool on the outside. “I’ll get the picnic blankets and meet you outside.”
She nods and follows behind. I grab the blankets from the hallway closet and head to the patio doors when Asher runs into me.
“Mom, Logan’s from Seattle, too.” He beams at me.
“Really? You’ve been talking to him?”
“I’ve been keeping him company.” Asher shrugs. “He’s here all the time, on his own. He must be bored out of his mind.”
I chuckle at the simplicity of his thoughts. “You must be right. But don’t bother him too much.” He shoots me a confused look. “Your stories are too interesting. He might get caught up in them and forget to finish our deck.”
“You’re right.” He nods with conviction, making me chuckle again.
“Here, I’ll bring us some lemonade.” Liv catches the blankets I throw her, and I get back inside.
I pour an ice-cold glass of lemonade for Logan to apologize for the tornado of thoughts and words that is Asher.
“I thought you might be thirsty,” I say, handing him the glass but feeling like I’m the thirsty one.
It’s a warm day today and Logan must be feeling it because long gone is his flannel. He stands in front of me in a sweaty tank top, looking like a less cut Channing Tatum. No, his muscles aren’t gym-made. They are the result of hard work and pure power.
“Thanks,” he says before downing the lemonade, and I’m mesmerized by the bob of his Adam’s apple.
He’s all man.
His gaze lands on me, and I struggle to remember why I came.
“Umm, sorry about Asher. I know he can be a lot. Let me know if he bothers you again, I’ll distract him with something else.”
“No need. We were just chatting. He’s a cool kid.”
“He is.” My face breaks into a smile. After ten years of parenting, I still flutter when I get to talk about my kids.
“He’s been telling me about you guys living in Seattle. And the house you had there.”
“Yeah…” A pang of guilt hits me, like any other time I remember the divorce.
“He told me he likes this one better.” My shoulders relax athis words. “Though he also said I might screw it all up with the deck.” A cackle escapes me.
“Yeah, no pressure.”
“No pressure.” He shoots me a smirk that hits me right in the chest.
“So, he tells me you’re from the city as well?”
“I actually grew up right here, in Ocean’s Harbor. But I live in Seattle, yes.”
“Really? You’re from here?”
“Yeah. And people here obviously can’t get enough of me since I do most of my work around this place.”
