Page 27 of Impossible

Chapter Eleven

Liam

I can’t believe that just happened, I almost kissed Riley. If it weren’t for Harper interrupting us, I would have done it. I was so caught up in the moment, in what she is making me feel, that I forgot who it was for a minute. I almost kissed my widowed wife’s best friend in my kitchen, only four months after she has passed. That must make me the scum of the earth.

When I walk upstairs to go to bed, I look around at my bedroom now void of any of Becca’s belongings. What the hell am I doing? In my selfish attempt to rid myself of this pain, I tried to push Becca out of my life. I packed away her things and started to look at another woman. When I lay down in my bed, I look over at Becca’s empty side of the bed. It has been empty for months. I have been sleeping alone for over a hundred days. Never having a comforting hand to tell me everything is going to be alright. Never feeling the warmth of a woman to lull me to sleep. Never touching the body of someone, losing myself in the moment while I slide into her.

What is the appropriate amount of time before you can move on? Do I feel guilty because it’s too soon or is it the fact that it’s Riley? And why didn’t I ever feel this way about her before? What is so different now that I’m so tempted to cross that line with her? I fall asleep with no answers to these questions.

I’mdiggingthroughHarper’scloset, trying to find where Becca put her bathing suit and beach items that she purchased when she was pregnant. When Riley called me yesterday to tell me she was going to take Harper to the beach today, I decided I didn’t want to miss it and took a day off of work. Now, Riley will be here any minute, and I can’t find Harper’s beach bag. I hear the door open and Riley calls my name.

“I’m up here in Harper’s room,” I shout from the ground, still opening bins and boxes.

This is insane, Harper has way too many things for such a little human. Who got us all of this stuff? There is no way Becca went that crazy with shopping. I would have noticed it from the lack of funds in our bank account.

“What’s going on up here?” Riley walks in the room seeing Harper playing on the floor while I sit just outside of her closet.

“Ugh, I’m trying to find Harper’s beach bag that Becca put together with her bathing suit in it. I know, I should have looked earlier.” I am so flustered at not feeling prepared that I hardly notice Riley standing there in a small black see through coverup. I do a double take, and my eyes look her up an down. Noticing her toned legs, flat stomach, and curvy figure. I try to swallow but my mouth feels like sandpaper. I want to crawl my way over to her and lick my way up between her legs. I know, completely unacceptable thoughts, but apparently that’s who I am now.

“Oh, I remember that bag. I was helping Becca organize the closet, I think she put it up here.” She leans over me and reaches up to the top shelve.

I get a whiff of her flowery perfume. Her scent is enough to make my dick twitch. That’s it, tonight I need to make sure I take care of myself because getting hard by just her scent is a little ridiculous. In a matter of seconds, Riley pulls down the bag I have spent twenty minutes looking for.

“Here it is,” she exclaims.

“Thanks,” I stand up, towering over her, and grab the bag from her hand. The touch sends a bolt of energy through my body. Riley slows and I swear I hear her gasp at the connection. Could she be feeling this too? If she is, I wonder what she thinks about it.

“Okay, peanut.” Riley walks over to Harper and picks her up. “Are you ready for a fun beach day?”

We pack up the car like we are going on a week long vacation instead of a couple hours at the lake, and head over to Forest Park beach. It’s only a five minute drive so we are there and setting up in the sand within ten minutes. Once I get the umbrella up, I lay down the beach blanket and put Harper in the shade. I put on a water diaper and her bathing suit and lather her in sunscreen. Once I’m finished, I turn to Riley who is rubbing sunscreen on her chest and outwardly groan at the image. It puts me in a bit of a sour mood, having these reactions.

“You ready?” I bark out, not meaning for it to come out so aggressively.

She looks up at me quickly, seeming a bit caught off guard by my tone. I grab Harper and start towards the water, stopping right where the water meets the sand. I sit her down in the sand and lower myself next to her as we wait for the water to hit us. When the wave breaks and the water runs up to Harper’s legs, she smiles and begins waving her arms. I smile at her reaction, the tension from earlier melting away. I feel bad for how I just snapped at Riley. Just as I’m wallowing in my guilt, she slowly walks up to us, looking a bit timid to join.

“Hey,” I motion towards the other side of Harper. “Join us, please.” I hope she picks up on my regretful voice.

She nods her head and smiles before sitting down next to Harper. When the water comes up again, Harper kicks her feet, this time in rhythm with her arms. Riley throws her head back as she laughs at Harper’s reaction. I look over at her and can’t help but stare at the beautiful woman sitting beside me. A grin spreads across my face as I watch on, seeing her enjoy this time with my daughter.

“Look at you, little one. Is this fun?” she says as she takes some water in her hands and pours it on Harper’s stomach. “I think she likes it.”

“I think she loves it.” I play with the sand, letting it run through my hands. That has always been such a calming habit of mine when I’m at the beach.

“I’m glad you got to come out with us.” Riley looks genuinely happy to spend this time with me.

“Me too.” I lean back on my elbows, keeping my hand behind Harper, who can’t quite sit up on her own yet.

Riley follows my lead and leans back, our heads now a foot away from each other. I take another peek at her body in the red two piece, hoping my sunglasses hide the evidence of my wandering eye. An image of Riley rolling in the sand before she gets on her hands and knees as she crawls my way floods my mind. I picture her crawling until she reaches me where she sits on her feet, waiting for my instructions. I give her a nod to continue and she pulls my dick out of my swim trunks giving it a nice long stroke, before she puts me in her mouth.

“What do you think?” I jump at Riley’s question.

I look over at her face which seems closer to me now. “I’m sorry, what did you just say?”

“I said I think it looks like there may be some rain coming later.” She points to a darker patch of clouds off in the distance.

“Yeah, I think you may be right. Ugh, I miss going for runs in the rain. I’m going to need to get that gym going soon before I get a dad bod.” I pat my stomach.

She looks over at me, I can visibly see her head move from my stomach up my chest. “Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.”

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