Arlo sighed heavily as Harrison went inside, and sat down on the seat. Jacqueline sat next to him. They weren’t as close as they had been on the rowboat, not hip-to-hip… but close enough, with her hand still folded under his arm.
“Part of me is glad that didn’t work,” Arlo admitted ruefully. “Saved by the screams of a hundred happy children.”
“There can’t have been more than five people in there,” Jacqueline protested.
“And Tally. She counts for at least fifty by herself.” Arlo smiled, then his expression became serious. “My sister owns the ice cream parlor. With the kids, and my parents… maybe it’s best I don’t see her right now.”
“But I thought your parents were going to look after them?”
“I…” Arlo raised his hands and dropped them in defeat. “I need to figure some stuff out.” He frowned.
“Like how you’re the only one who get migraines around the kids?” Jacqueline bit her lip. She still wasn’t sure whether she should mention all these things she was noticing. She was probably reading things wrong, and even if she wasn’t… she was only going to be here for a day. It was none of her business.
Arlo smiled weakly. “That. And some other things.” He hesitated, and then wrapped his hand over hers. “I was wondering…”
Warmth spread across Jacqueline’s skin. “Oh.”
Arlo tensed. “Good oh, or bad oh?”
Jacqueline laughed out loud. Here she’d been, tying herself into knots over missing out on her spring fling, and Arlo was practically throwing himself in her lap. At least, as close to throwing himself as she imagined the quiet, stoic man ever got.
“Good oh,” she reassured him. “Definitely. What were you wondering?”
“That, for a start.” He looked down at their intertwined hands.
“Do you have your answer?” Jacqueline’s skin was humming. God, this was incredible. She was just holding hands and felt like she was flying. She was sure it hadn’t been like this with Derek, even at the start. Why had she waited so long to stop being a sad lump at home and get out and enjoy her new life as a single woman?
“I hope so.” He cleared his throat. “I know you wanted to stay until the kids were settled in. With the Sweets not being here yet…”
“With what not what? Who are we talking about?”
“Dylan!” Kenna’s groan was like a jet engine dying.
Dylan torpedoed around the seat, and Jacqueline had to whip her head back to avoid getting an ice cream cone to the face.
“With, er… is that for me? Thanks.” Jacqueline inspected the ice cream carefully. “Caramel?”
Kenna slouched into view. “Apparently. The lady said she experiments with the flavors.”
“Is that why it’s green?”
Kenna handed Arlo his cone and Arlo gave it a suspicious look. “Tessa,” he sighed, and then: “Cheers.”
He bumped his cone against Jacqueline’s.
It tasted like…
“Sort of caramel-y… seaweed?”
Dylan burst out laughing. “Yes! That’s what it said on the board!”
“Seaweed caramel.” Arlo sh
rugged and took another bite. “I swear, Tessa is wasted in this town.”
“Tessa is your sister?” Jacqueline licked the cone again. It was strange, but it was kind of growing on her.
“Tess, I mean. That’s what she prefers now, anyway, even if I keep forgetting.” Arlo licked his ice cream again and frowned. “She’s my foster parents’ granddaughter. I guess technically that makes her my foster niece, but she says that makes her feel like she should be nine years old, so, sister it is.”