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“Can I live in your hot tub?” Elise jokes. “That thing’s bigger than my bathroom.”
“No peeing in the pool!” Carsen declares somberly before grinning. “But sure!”
I assume my place at the grill to get the chicken going, Sarah having already made her chipotle rub. “Hope you like things hot and spicy.”
Elise smirks and glances over at Sarah. “Does he know what he’s doing?”
Sarah laughs, nodding. “With the grill? Yes, he’s a total pro. With teasing you? Well, I’m just going to pretend he’s innocent.”
They laugh, and I’m glad to see they are starting to bridge the gap between them. Carsen brings me the chicken, and I pat her on the back before letting her get to know Elise.
“Elise?”
“Yeah, Carsen?”
“So you love my dad?”
I’m surprised and glad I haven’t had a drink yet or else I’d choke. I know I should jump in to save Elise, but I’m kinda curious what she’ll say. Instead, I just lay out another chicken breast and adjust the fire to the right level.
Obviously, she doesn’t love me, despite her earlier slip of tongue. It’s too soon for that, but we’ve definitely got something here, I think. Whatever the original reason we met, whatever the excuses we’ve used to start talking, we’ve left the idea of it being just an ‘interview expose’ long behind. So I’m interested to see what she’ll say.
I can feel Elise’s eyes on my back, but I’m not letting on for a second that I’m eavesdropping and instead pretend to mess around with one of the chicken breasts. Still, I’m holding my breath for her answer.
“We haven’t known each other that long, but I definitely like him,” Elise says with frank and open honesty that warms my stomach. “I want to get to know him better. You too, if that’s okay?”
I hear Carsen hum, and the smile in her voice is evident when she replies. “I’d like that too. I asked him the same question.”
“Oh, and what did he say?”
Carsen laughs. “I can’t tell,” she replies sassily. “I can keep a secret.”
Elise laughs back, obviously ‘served.’ “You got me. I can keep a secret too, though. I promise, Carsen.”
The last bit is solemn, truth in her every word. I hear it, and Carsen must too. She lowers her voice some, but she’s like me, she’s got a terrible whisper than tends to carry. “He said he likes you too . . . a lot.”
I can’t help it. I have to know Elise’s reaction, so I look over my shoulder, ignoring the grill temporarily. My tongs clatter, and Elise hears me, so I see her looking at me like I just caught the moon, a wide smile on her face and her eyes glittering.
“Is that so?” she says. “Well . . . let’s see how he cooks before I say anything else. I’m a liberated woman. I want a man who can at least cook for me once in awhile.”
Conversation continues, with me mostly butting out to let the ladies get to know each other. Maybe, just maybe, I put a little extra attention into the chicken so that by the time we sit down at the big table, dinner looks scrumptious.
“Well, what’s the verdict?” I ask after two minutes of silence.
Elise looks up, wiping the corner of her mouth. “I’d say . . . I like it a lot.”
Carsen giggles and forks some sliced and grilled corn. “Just wait until Dad makes s’mores. He does them just right, browned and not flamethrowers.”
“What if I like flamethrowers?”
“Everyone likes a good flamethrower,” Sarah jokes, inserting herself. “Useful for . . . difficult ex-boyfriends.”
“Oh, I’d love to hear that story sometime,” Elise says with a wink. “Just in case.”
I swallow, getting up. “I think I’ll go get the marshmallows and stuff.”
The only regret I have as the four of us toast and prepare our s’mores is that I’m not using a real wood fire. Maybe another time, I could take Elise out camping, do it right.
Nobody complains about the lack of smoky hints though, and I notice after she’s finished that Elise has just a little smear of chocolate and marshmallow on the corner of her mouth.
“Hold still,” I growl, leaning in close. Elise smiles as I kiss her, licking the sticky mess before tasting her even more delicious mouth.
Carsen groans, pretending not to gag. “Ugh, LD moment.”
Elise laughs, pulling back a little. “Uh, what’s a LD moment?”
“Lovey-dovey,” Carsen explains in that adults are so ignorant voice. “It means get a room. Some of us are innocent. Like Aunt Sarah.”
We all burst out, but I have to know something. “Carsen, do you know what ‘get a room’ means?”
She smirks, nodding. “Yep, it means you’re grossing everyone out with your kissy faces, so go kiss somewhere else. I have watched Netflix, you know.”
“Yep, that’s exactly what it means, little daughter of mine. And yes, your aunt is totally innocent.”
