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Blake shook his head. “I don’t mind; I was just surprised when he told me this afternoon.”
“Shopping went well?”
“Good enough,” Blake said. “Yeah.”
Lauren had always wondered what couples did on a day-to-day basis. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, the beach? Homework and checking up on family members and friends. It had all once felt so boring to her.
Now, sitting with Blake on the beach, on an ordinary Saturday, just talking, it felt like pure perfection to her. She realized life didn’t have to be fireworks and events all the time. It could be slow, and subtle, and relaxing, and still be good.
“I’ve been thinking,” she said quietly. “That I need to call Jess and tell him I’m leaving Texas.”
Blake perked up then, because Lauren never talked about her family. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s probably a good idea.”
She knew it was a good idea, and yet, she hadn’t done it yet. “I don’t know how to talk to him,” she said. She tore her gaze from the couple packing up their belongings. “Would you, I mean…maybe I could meet your family, and then I’ll see how it’s done.”
“Lauren.” Blake shook his head, and Lauren looked away again. He brought her face back to his gently. “You know how it’s done, but I’d love for you to officially meet my momma as my girlfriend, as well as my siblings. Peter and Lindsey are going to love you.”
He touched her lips to hers again, and he might as well have said,Just like I do. Or maybe Lauren was imagining that part.
“I’m alive,” Tommy said, and she looked over to him with a smile. He did spray water everywhere as he bent to get his towel. “Dad, Kathy is here. She’s down about thirty feet that way.” He pointed to the left. “Can I go hang out over there?”
Blake shifted beneath Lauren, almost like he’d get up with her on his lap. “I don’t know,” he said. “I can’t see over there.”
“I’m not five years old,” Tommy said.
“Maybe,” Lauren said as Blake prepped to say something else. “We can meet her and anyone she’s with first.” She looked from Tommy’s surprised and horrified expression to Blake, who seemed quite happy with her suggestion. “Then, we’ll know who you’re with, and you can show your dad—or me—where, so we can come get you if we need to.”
She let her words hang there, waiting for one of them to agree or disagree.
21
Blake wasn’t sure how to answer Lauren. He wasn’t sure he likedhertaking charge of the situation with his kid. He watched Tommy for his reaction, but his kid looked at him to take the lead.
“I’m down with that,” he finally said. The tension in their patch of shade leaked away, and until it did, Blake hadn’t even realized how high it had been.
Tommy blew out his breath. “All right. I’ll go talk to them.”
Lauren vacated his lap as Tommy left, and Blake looked up at her. She pulled her cover-up back into position on her shoulders, buttoned it, and fixed her sun hat before she re-took her seat.
“Have you ever dated someone with kids?” he asked.
She swung her attention to him, a bag of candy in her hands. “No.”
He nodded, his throat somewhat tight.
“You didn’t like me interfering with your parenting.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t like it,” he said. But he hadn’t loved it. “I don’t know how I feel about it.”
“What don’t you like about me talking to Tommy?” she asked. “I told you I didn’t want to be an unknown step-mother. That requires me to talk to him and become someone he learns to trust.”
Blake nodded, because all of that sounded really good on paper. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I need to think more about it.”
“I’m sorry.” She reached over and covered his hand with hers. “Really. If you think I overstepped, I’m sorry.”
“It’s not overstepping,” he said. “It’s just…I think honestly, I’m already a little annoyed with him, because he’s starting school on Tuesday, and our summer is over, and he’s off with his friends?” He shook his head, unable to articulate it.
“You miss him already.”
