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Still, sitting there I felt like I needed to be so much more for the two of them. But I was getting ahead of myself. It was one day at the beach. I needed to slow my emotions and just enjoy the moment because Sicily was actually opening up to me.
I looked down at Harper who was excitedly watching, waiting for the fireworks. Her neck was back and craned, and I had an idea, but I wasn’t quite sure how it would go. I set my drink in the holder and got down on the blanket next to her. “You know, the fireworks are going to be above us, so if you lay back you won’t be so uncomfortable.”
I laid down, tilting my head back at Sicily as Harper laid down next to me. I smiled and reached my hand up. “Would we be able to entice you to lay down on this lumpy sand blanket?”
She grinned and put her things to the side, laying down next to me. Just then, the fireworks began, one at a time at first, drawing out the evening. I hoped they had a ship load of fireworks because it was becoming the perfect moment. We laid with our hands to our sides, oohing and awing dramatically at each and every firework that went off. The back of my hand brushed against Sicily’s, and I seized the moment, pulling her hand into mine. She didn’t pull back, and wrapped her fingers around mine. I put my other arm out and Harper used it as a pillow, pointing excitedly at the fireworks.
We laid there, in the perfect moment, and my mind was engrossed in the feeling of Sicily’s palm in mine. It was so small and so soft, and memories of those hands on me threatened to return. Of course the boisterous toddler bouncing up and down next to me kept them instantly at bay. By the time the fireworks show was over, I wanted to pull Sicily into my arms and kiss her, but I couldn’t. Instead, I helped her by picking the yawning child up as she collected all their things.
When she turned around, she chuckled, nodding to Harper. “You’ve got a drooling kid on your shoulder. She’s yours now. See ya.”
I laughed, following her to the car. I held the sleeping Harper to me until Sicily was ready to put her in her seat. She buckled her in and shut the door, turning to me. “Thank you for everything. It was a really awesome day.”
Reaching up, I pushed a piece of hair out of her eyes. As soon as my fingers touched her skin, I couldn’t stop. I cupped her cheek and slowly moved forward, watching for any sign I should retreat. Her eyes stayed locked on mine as I leaned in and gently pressed my lips to hers. She stayed still for several moments before I could feel her lean in. My hands gripped her shoulders as I pressed my lips to hers, feeling like the fireworks were exploding all over again.
When I finally pulled back, she took a deep breath and chuckled nervously. “Um, it’s late for the kid, but not too late for coffee in a beach bungalow if you’d like to come by for a few.”
I smiled and nodded dramatically. “Absolutely.”
She laughed and looked around. “Is your car here?”
I shook my head. “I take the bus. They hate my surf board but its easier than fighting traffic.”
“Oh,” she replied, glancing around. “Do you want to strap your board to the top of the car? I have bungee cords, and you can ride with me?”
I looked at the rack on top of her car and shrugged. “Sure. You might wanna drive slow cause the thing is long but sure.”
She chuckled. “Cool.”
I grabbed my board and situated it gently on top of the car as she went into the trunk, grabbing the cords. I did my best to secure it tightly and then jumped into the passenger seat. When she got in, she looked over, red cheeked, and smiled, starting the car. We drove with the windows down, quiet, feeling the effects of a long day in the sun, and an incredible energy flowing between us. Out of all the nights I had spent in that area of Cali, that was definitely climbing the charts for the best one.
I loved being around Sicily’s daughter, but I was definitely looking forward to some more adult time. I wasn’t sure where it would lead, but it was going to take a lot of effort for me to keep my hands to myself, I knew that already. Just watching her hair blowing, her top pressing to her chest, her lips glistening in the moonlight as we drove was making me crazy.
When we pulled up in front of her house, I was a bit surprised that it truly was a beach bungalow. I didn’t care that it was small, and in fact, I was kind of jealous with how cool the place was. It was what I imagined I would live in when I was in college, thinking about moving to San Diego. Of course, I seemed to have somehow skipped that part and went right to the huge house on the water, forgetting the whole beach bungalow dream.
I carried the bags and the cooler while Sicily carefully took Harper from the carseat and carried her inside. As she put Harper to bed, I set the bags down and unpacked the cooler, stepping outside to dump the ice from the cooler. When I came back inside, Sicily was putting the drinks in the fridge. She turned and looked at me, a nervous happy on her face.
“So, coffee, or I have a few beers in the fridge.”
“Beer sounds amazing,” I replied.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
She grabbed two beers from the fridge, popped the caps and walked around the kitchen island, handing me one and tapping her bottle to mine.
“What are we toasting to?”
She pursed her lips and tilted her head, thinking. “To my new job and a nice start for me and Harper here in San Diego.”
I nodded, tapping my bottle to hers. “And I hear your boss is pretty hot too.”
She swallowed hard, giggling. “Are we talking the one that dances on bar tables, the one that carries his motorcycle helmet like it’s a baby, or the one with the vicious wipe out skills.”
“I was thinking more the awesome surfer guy with the amazing tan, good body, perfect smile…”
She took a sip of her beer. “Huh. I haven’t met that one yet. You’ll have to introduce me.”
I sneered at her as I followed her over to the couch, plopping down next to her. She took a deep breath and chuckled. “You know, when I see friends back home after four years and I ask what they’ve been up to, the answer is pretty much nothing new. I feel like if you or I ask each other that, its going to be a seriously loaded question.”
