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Iwas irritated after the tiff with Katie so I stayed up and had a nightcap, or three, resulting in a headache when I woke up the next morning.
Alice had brought Colin in to me early because she had a sore throat. “I don’t want to give it to the little one,” she said. “I’m sorry, Adam.” He was bouncing around on the bed and my headache took a hit each time he jumped up and down.
“It’s no problem,” I assured her, slipping her a hundred dollar bill as a tip for keeping Colin overnight. I took Colin in my arms. He immediately wriggled himself out of my embrace and went back to jumping on the bed while I drank my coffee and stared at him, inwardly groaning.
“I’m supposed to go golfing today, kiddo, but something tells me I won’t make it,” I murmured. I was looking forward to it, too, not because Toby would be there, but because all three of my uncles would be, and I loved being around them. They’d been like surrogate fathers to me and Toby after our father died, and I wanted to spend more time with them.
“I could go golfing,” Colin said matter-of-factly, and I laughed, shaking my head.
“You’re too young yet, buddy. It’s more boring than mini-golf,” I warned him.
Katie walked out of her bedroom, wearing what appeared to be a cover over a swimsuit, and I did my best not to look her up and down. I think I failed, though, due to the blush on her cheeks.
“I could keep him while you golf,” Katie offered, and Colin looked at her curiously, as if he wouldn’t mind that.
I looked from Katie to Colin and decided on the spot that it would be more fun trying to win the Katie challenge than it would be to go golfing with a bunch of my uncles. I tilted my head.
“Why don’t we all go to the pool?” I suggested, and Colin squealed, tugging off his shirt and running to the bathroom to put on his swim trunks.
Katie watched him, chuckling. “If you’re taking him to the pool, I’ll stay here so you can spend some time with him,” she offered.
“Absolutely not,” I said firmly, standing up. “If I’m going anywhere, you’re coming with me. You’re my girlfriend, remember?”
Katie looked at me for a long moment, her chin tilted up as if in defiance. “I don’t have to do what you say.”
“Oh, sweetheart,” I murmured, looking down at her. “But you want to.”
She looked away, blushing and biting her lip. I wished she’d let me bite it, instead.
“Fine. I’ll go with you to the pool, but only because I like Colin better than you.”
I broke out into a laugh. “Okay. Fair enough.”
Colin came running out of the bathroom and jumped into my arms. I made an exaggerated grunt sound and stumbled backwards.
“You’re getting too big for this, kid,” I told him breathlessly, and he just giggled. I finished my coffee then stepped into the bathroom to change into my own swim trunks.
Katie, Colin and I made our way out to the heated infinity pool overlooking the lake. My aunts were sitting around in the cushy lawn chairs, sunbathing, but as of yet, no one was in the pool.
As I tugged off my shirt at the edge of the pool, I caught Katie staring. I smirked at her, and she looked away, taking off her own cover.
She was, as I had hoped, wearing a bikini, one that left little to the imagination, and I couldn’t help the low whistle that came from me.
“Stop it,” Katie said, blushing and hitting me with the heel of her hand, but I could tell that she liked being complimented.
“You look amazing in blue,” I told her, and she scoffed.
“This is turquoise.”
“Whatever, I could eat you up,” I teased, but Katie’s face remained stoic. She was a hard nut to crack, that was for sure.
Colin put on his floaties and did a cannonball into the pool. I knew my aunts would watch him, so I wasn’t too worried. I turned to Katie as we sat at the edge of the pool.
“You never did tell me the story about Colin’s mother,” she blurted out, and I looked at her.
“Do you really want to know that story?”
“Is it sad?” she asked, and I shrugged.
