Page 124 of What Happens at Nightfall

Jess watched as they politely made room for Petunia, sizing up her frilly LoveShackFancy skirt and top, and coming to entirely the wrong conclusion.

Petunia was going to crush them.

Adam dropped down on the blanket, a few damp patches on his chest where Davy had dripped on him.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Petunia just challenged the boys to a chess tournament,” said Jess with satisfaction.

An anguished “Dude! How did you not see that?” floated by on the air.

Adam craned his neck to try to get a better look without looking like he was looking. “I think Petunia just took Ben’s queen.”

Jess smiled up at him. “I have a good feeling about this.”

“Speaking of good feelings . . .” Adam began, when Kimmy appeared, hauling a rather damp Davy.

“Apparently all that water made this one decide he needs to pee. I told you you should have gone before we left!”

“I didn’t need to go then,” said Davy, with impeccable preschool logic.

Kimmy let out a gusty sigh. “Where’s the best bathroom?”

“By the front entrance.” Adam gallantly jumped up. “Want me to show you? Or take him for you?”

“No, it’s fine. You sit. Help yourself to anything you like in the picnic basket. We’ll be back.” Kimmy belatedly remembered the existence of her oldest. “Where’s Petunia?”

“Chess,” said Jess.

“Okay, phew. All right, Davy, we’re going.”

“I remember those days,” said Adam nostalgically. “It feels like only yesterday I was hauling Ben out of the Crescent Water.”

Jess couldn’t help laughing. “It was only yesterday. He went in after that Frisbee.”

Adam shook his head. “Part boy, part golden retriever.” He squinted across the water. “Looks like they should be ready to start soon.”

On the opposite bank, posed in front of Niblo’s stone lions, the musicians were tuning their instruments and the acrobats were limbering up. According to Adam, once the sun was fully set, a million twinkling lights would glow against the darkness, and light-dotted boats would launch onto the lake, carrying water-borne performers.

All these years in the city, and she’d never known this was here. She looked up at Adam. “It’s pretty magical,” she said huskily.

“You’re pretty magical.” He touched a finger to her cheek. “Jess—”

“Hey. Jess.” Ben slouched over. “Can you set up a chess date for me and Petunia? Like after school one day?”

Two blankets over, Petunia was calmly trouncing one of Ben’s friends. Both boys were regarding her with slack-jawed expressions of adolescent adoration. Meanwhile, Ben was trying to look like he wasn’t trying to outmaneuver his peers.

“I think that can be arranged,” said Jess, straight-faced.

“Cool,” said Ben, and wandered back to the chess group.

Adam turned to watch his son go. “When he says ‘chess date’ . . . do you think he means chess or date?”

“A little from column A, a little from column B,” said Jess. “Although I think more from column A.”

“Is column A the chess column?”

“Does it matter?” Better girls than demons. Jess didn’t say it, but she knew they were both thinking it. “On the plus side, I think my stock just went up with him.”