CHAPTER 15
“That was so cool!” Trevor shouted as he rode back to the B&B on Austin’s shoulders.
“Yeah, it was, bud.” Sara shifted her arms to better support Charlotte, who was fast asleep and resting her head on her mom’s shoulder.
The four of them had had quite a day. There was the summer program that Sara had volunteered to help out with the night before at the softball game and once Austin knew that she had, he’d followed suit. Then, they’d finally gone out on the paddle boats. Spent time at the festival and ended the night watching fireworks from the pier. Charlotte hadn’t been able to stay awake for the spectacular display. She’d fallen asleep while the four of them waited on a bench to see them. Sara had been sure the explosive sounds would’ve woken her little sleeping beauty, but they hadn’t.
“Austin, can you read my story tonight?” Trevor asked as they walked past the Drawbridge Diner.
Sara looked up to see Austin’s reaction. He’d made it clear the night before that he wanted to spend as much time with her and the kids as he could. But he’d also said he didn’t know how much longer he could go without kissing her… That had been almost twenty-four hours ago, and she had yet to be kissed. Of course, they hadn’t had a minute alone.
Austin raised his brow in a silent question. She nodded to indicate he could if he wanted to. He smiled as he answered, “Sure.”
Trevor cheered.
It continued to amaze her how in tune they were. Over the years, she’d witnessed couples that seemed to have their own private language. Couples who could communicate without saying a word. But those were people who’d been together for years, or sometimes decades. Not people who hadn’t even known each other a full week. Sara didn’t know how or why, but somehow she and Austin just understood one another. In one glance, they could communicate so much, which was handy when you had two little people around.
Although, starting tomorrow morning, the kids wouldn’t be around for a couple of days. Jack had called earlier and told her he’d be coming to pick them up the next morning, and that he’d bring them back on Friday evening. She’d have forty-eight kid-free hours.
Trevor was talking so fast she could only catch about every third word as he went over the pros and cons of each of his favorite books to decide which one Austin would read tonight.
She was only half listening as she ran through her mental list of everything that she needed to send with Jack when he picked Charlotte and Trevor up. This afternoon, before the fireworks, she’d packed their overnight bags. She’d made sure Charlotte’s favorite dress and Trevor’s favorite hat were in there. Her mind was racing, trying to come up with every possible scenario and what they might need.
Sara had no doubt Jack would take care of the kids and get them anything she forgot. He was a good father. But that didn’t change the fact she’d never been away from her kids before, and her nerves were popping like hot grease in a pan. The last few nights had been spent tossing and turning because of the sexy Marine sniper that was walking next to her, but tonight she predicted her sleepless night would be credited to her overprotective mom gene.
When they turned the corner onto Lakeview Lane the B&B came into sight, Sara heard her son call out just as her eyes registered what they were seeing.
“Look, that’s dad!”
Sure enough, leaning against a Jeep stood Jack and a stunning woman who Sara recognized as his fiancée, Valentina. She’d seen her in social media posts she’d tagged Jack in. The woman was taller than she’d expected, and the exact opposite of Sara in just about every way.
Sara stood five-foot-four and had dark hair and light blue eyes. Valentina had to be pushing five-ten, with short blonde hair and dark brown eyes. Where Sara was curvy, Valentina was thin and sleek. Sara was wearing cutoff jeans and a striped shirt. Valentina was dressed in black slacks and a silk halter top.
It had never crossed Sara’s mind that meeting Valentina would make her feel inferior or less than, and it actually shocked her that her first instinct was to kick herself for not dressing nicer to go to the fireworks.
“Hey.” Jack lifted his hand as he saw them approaching. “I got an early flight and wanted to surprise you.”
Mission accomplished.
“Great,” Sara replied perhaps a little too enthusiastically.
Austin lifted Trevor off his shoulders, and before her son’s feet even hit the ground, he asked, “Can you come back after Austin reads me my story?”
Jack lifted his left brow and gave Sara a questioning glare at the same moment Charlotte started stirring awake.
“He can read it when you guys get back,” she answered and patted her baby girl’s back.
“But, Mom,” Trevor protested as Charlotte started whining that she had to go to the bathroom.
“Sorry,” Sara apologized to Jack. “We were watching the fireworks and they’re tired.”
“No problem,” her ex responded.
Sara couldn’t tell if he was upset or uncomfortable or what. That had always been their problem. She didn’t know how to read him, and he really didn’t know how to read her.
“Hi, I’m Sara.” Sara reached out to shake hands with Valentina.
Jack shook his head and blinked. “Oh, sorry, Valentina, this is Sara, Charlotte, Trevor and…”