Page 91 of The Perfect Distraction

They pulled apart at the same time, both breathing hard.

“My God. I can’t remember the last time I felt like this,” Colton said, shoving his hands through his hair.

“Me either,” she admitted, although neither of them had named what the feeling was.

“How are we going to make it through the week?”

She laughed at the exaggerated expression on his face. “By spending time together and sneaking kisses whenever we can.”

“You forgot about the cold showers.”

“Does that really help?”

“Not really. When I’m in the shower, it just makes me wish you were in there with me.”

“Mmmm. That’ll be something we can do over the weekend.”

“Among other things.”

“We have to stop talking about this,” she said. “It’s only making things harder.”

He glanced down at the front of his shorts and said, “You got that right.”

Going up on her tiptoes, she gave him one last kiss. “Go home and be with Joey.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”

“For being so understanding and patient.”

“I’m a teacher. Those qualities are built in.”

“Lucky for me,” he said softly.

“Lucky for us,” she corrected.

“Dinner at my place tomorrow?”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Dinner here. I’ll cook for the three of us.”

“You cook?”

She giggled. “Not as well as Brooke, but I manage.”

“Okay, then. We’ll see you tomorrow night.”

They didn’t just have dinner together the next day, but all the days leading up to the July Fourth weekend. The transition happened quickly and naturally with the three of them spending every evening together after Colton and Joey returned from the shop. On the nights that she cooked, Joey would sit at the kitchen counter and read a chapter to her out of the book she’d bought for him, and she and Colton would listen as he helped her prepare dinner.

On the nights that Colton cooked, she’d sit with Joey in his living room and teach whatever lesson she’d planned for that day. Of course, whenever she or Colton brought up other ideas like going to get ice cream or walking down to the harbor, Joey was more than willing to set down his book and go. He might never be a true book lover like her, but at least he didn’t seem to dread reading anymore.

At the end of a wonderful, relaxing week, she began to feel anxious again, and naturally, Colton picked up on it.

They were sitting in her sunroom, watching Joey kick the soccer ball around her backyard, when Colton said, “You seem really quiet tonight. Everything okay?”