“Okay. Why don’t we dry your feet off and then go get that ice cream?” To Wesley, she explained, “I promised her ice cream later today. You don’t mind, do you?”
He shook his head, lips pinched together. “I could go for a scoop myself.”
They strolled back to her car, where Bex dried Izzy’s legs and then laced her shoes.
“Michael showed me the ice cream place here,” Wesley said conversationally. “It looks nice.”
“It is,” Bex agreed. “Faith is a genius.”
“I like hokey pokey best,” Izzy chimed in, and they both stared at her. It was the first time she’d acknowledged Wesley at all.
“Y-you do?” he asked, voice uncharacteristically shaky. “Hokey pokey is my favorite, too.”
A pressure lowered onto Bex’s chest. She’d forgotten that. How could she have forgotten? She wondered what other traits and preferences they shared. Did she even want to know? Perhaps she hadn’t erased Wesley from Izzy’s life as much as she’d liked to think.
“What about chocolate dip?” Izzy asked, finally lifting her eyes to her father.
He exhaled and tucked his hands into his pockets, but not before Bex saw them tremble. “Chocolate dip is pretty good, but hokey pokey is my favorite even without chocolate.”
“Me, too!” With that, Izzy grabbed at one of the hands he’d just put away and led him toward The Shack. Carefully, as though afraid he’d break her, Wesley wrapped his hand around hers and gave a heart-stoppingly sweet smile. The pressure on Bex’s chest intensified. Judging from his expression, he was enamored with their daughter. She shouldn’t be surprised. Most people were. But what would that mean for her?
In The Shack, Faith greeted them with a broad smile. “How’s my favorite mother-daughter duo today?”
“We’re getting ice cream!” Izzy declared.
Bex grinned. “We’re good. How’re things here?”
Faith’s attention snagged on Wesley. “Good God,” she muttered. “Wesley Briggston. It’s like Chris Pine and Michael Weatherly had a genetically-blessed baby.”
Wesley gave Faith the “aww shucks” look that Bex had seen a million times before—the man knew how to appeal to the opposite sex—and then glanced at Bex as if to confirm how much he was allowed to say.
“Wesley is an old friend of mine,” she told Faith.
Faith licked her lips. “I have to say, I’m getting jealous of all your ‘old friends.’ I don’t suppose you’re open to sharing?”
Wesley barked a laugh of surprise. “I’m flattered, but even if she were, I’m not one to share.”
Bex glared at him, silently reminding him that they weren’t together and never would be.
“You might have met my brother, Michael?” he continued, unperturbed. “He recently moved to town.”
Faith gave Bex a sly smile and waggled her artificially darkened brows. “If you mean Principal Hottie, AKA James Marsden, AKA Bex’s other man friend, then yes, I have.”
“It’s a small town,” Bex told Wesley. “She probably knew you were here before you even walked through the door.”
Faith shrugged but didn’t deny it. “So, what’ll it be?”
“Hokey pokey,” Izzy said, bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Dipped in chocolate.”
“Sure thing, toots.” Faith looked up. “What about you two?”
“I’ll have the same,” Wesley replied.
Bex scanned the selection. “Coconut and lime for me, thanks.”
“No problemo.” She rolled balls of ice cream onto cones, dipped two of them in chocolate, and handed them over. “Say, Megan is planning another cupcakes and cocktails night soon. You should come, Bex.”
Bex accepted her cone and stepped up to pay the bill before Wesley could get there first. She had her pride to maintain. “I’d like that.” Izzy danced over to the cupcake rack and browsed the choices. Bex lowered her voice. “Let me know when and I’ll see if I can find a sitter. Shane owes me a favor.”