After dinner, Ethan drags us both into the pool, which is cold enough now to make Olivia gasp when she steps in.
"You said it would warm up," she hisses, wrapping her arms around herself. Though she has a bra on under that T-shirt, it does nothing to hide those tight nipples that make me wish we were alone.
"It did warm up. You're just sensitive." No chance in hell this warmed up a single degree yet.
"I'm not sensitive. This is freezing."
"It's refreshing," I say, laughing.
"It's freezing, Caleb." She splashes me across the chest, but I don’t even flinch. "Of course you don't react. You probably showered in ice water for thirteen years."
"We didn't shower in ice water." I'm laughing now, so tempted to splash her back that I almost do, but I restrain myself.
"I don't believe you."
Ethan launches himself at my legs and wraps around them, trying to knock me over. I grab him and lift him up, shrieking and kicking water everywhere, soaking Olivia—who throws her hands up and yells at both of us. I set Ethan on my shoulders and he grabs my head for balance.
"Dunk her!" he yells, pointing at his mother.
"We're not dunking your mother." I hold his ankles so he doesn't slide off. "The pool's too shallow. There's nowhere to dunk."
"Then splash her!"
"That I can do." I kick a wave of water at Olivia, and she screams and splashes back. Ethan laughs so hard, he nearly falls off backward. I catch him and set him down, and he immediatelystarts a game of war, running circles around the pool while Olivia chases him, splashing the whole time.
It's basically the best night we've had since I got here, and I don't mind if it never ends.
After another half hour of splashing and chasing each other around the pool, Ethan starts shivering, his lips turning a little blue. Olivia notices right away.
“Alright, buddy, time to get out,” she says firmly, taking him by the hand. “You’re freezing. Inside for a hot shower and pajamas.” I notice she's shivering a little too, and I'd love to wrap my arms around her and warm her up, but that pool just about froze me.
Ethan groans but doesn’t argue much. I lift him out of the pool and wrap him in a big towel. Olivia walks him to the back door, giving him instructions about not leaving the water running too long. When she comes back outside, the yard is quiet and the sun is setting.
We start cleaning up together. I gather the wet towels while she picks up the paper plates and leftover food. The sun has gone down, leaving everything in that soft twilight glow and setting the atmosphere for the moment I've been hoping for.
“You were good with him tonight,” she says quietly, tossing the plates into the bin. “Really good.”
I glance over at her. “He’s a fun kid. It's easy to be good with him.”
She smiles a little, but there’s something heavier behind it. I think tonight was perfect, and we've really connected.
“Olivia,” I start, setting the towels on a chair. “I need to say something.” She stops and looks at me, waiting. “I like this,” I tell her, gesturing between us and toward the house. “Being here with you and Ethan. It feels right. I like coming home to you two. I like being part of your days.”
Her cheeks flush slightly. She tucks a strand of wet hair behind her ear. “I like it too, Caleb. After everything with Derek… I wasn’t sure I could trust this kind of thing again. But you make it feel safe. You make me feel safe.”
I step closer and take her hand in mine, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I’m not going anywhere. I want to be here with both of you. Not just for now—for as long as you’ll have me.”
What I see in her eyes is a mix of fear and longing. “I want that too. I like having you around. It’s been a long time since I felt like I could lean on someone without worrying it would all fall apart.”
I reach out and brush my thumb across her cheek. “We don’t have to rush anything, okay, but I need you to know I’m falling for you."
Olivia leans into my touch for a second, whispering, "Me too…"
27
OLIVIA
Ethan loads his paper plate with a second hot dog and a pile of chips that spills over the edge while I look around, hoping I'll see Caleb. So far, this evening has gone well, though I haven't seen the one neighbor I've been hoping to spend time with this evening. But the tables of food that stretch the entire block are enticing enough to have distracted me this long. I pop a chip in my mouth and bump shoulders with Ethan, who sits beside me scarfing his food like a starving child.
