Beautiful Ties (25 page)

“Nope,” she replied. “I’m seven now. My gym teacher at my new school taught me how to swim. They have a big pool, too.”

“Okay,” I said. “Jason or I will still keep an eye on you.”

“All right. Are you guys going to swim with me, too?” she questioned, glancing back and forth between Jason and me.

We both replied, “Sure,” at the same time.

She ran over to the patio table, and she pulled her sundress over her head, revealing her new bathing suit. After undressing, she went back over to the pool, splashing into the water, before I had even taken off my sandals. I poked my head around, waiting for her to surface. When she did, I found myself letting out a whoosh of air. She gracefully swam to the deepest end and climbed out before making her way to the diving board. She wasted no time in cannonballing back into the pool.

“You can relax now. I think she’s definitely gotten some swim lessons under her belt.” Jason chortled at my side, stripping his white tee off.

My eyes briefly lingered on his bare chest before rising to his face. “I guess so.” I laughed, slipping out of my dress and adjusting the straps of my swimsuit.

Jason shucked off his shorts and shoes. Together, we started strolling toward the edge of the pool. I watched Pearl climb the ladder to the slide and squeal as she plunged into the water. I smiled at seeing her so happy. My own shriek left my lungs as I was suddenly scooped up into Jason’s arms. I threw my arms around his neck, holding on tightly.

“No!” I yelled, half-laughing.

Jason grinned, his eyes mischievous and dark. “Oh, yes,” he countered. “I believe I owe you a dunking. If I recall correctly, you picked out the ugliest damn swim trunks I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Shit.
“I was teasing!” I said between snickering.

I uselessly flailed my legs in the air as he stepped to the edge of the pool.

“Come on, you can dunk me later! How about after I get used to the water?” I asked, knowing that would never pass by him.

He shook his head, looking down at me. “That would defeat the purpose. I want you to have the full effect.”

“Throw her in!” Kyle yelled from the window.

Jason’s chest vibrated with amusement as he looked to his left. I followed his gaze to see Pearl approaching.

“Should I toss her in?” Jason asked her.

“Tell him he can’t, Pearl!” I said in my defense.

She looked between the two of us before stopping at Jason. Then, she nodded her head up and down, smiling.

“Traitor!” I laughed good-naturedly, making her giggle.

He dipped his head down toward me and gave me a quick lip-smacking kiss. “Sorry, baby. Gotta follow through on my end of the bargain.”

And just like that, he leaped into the pool with me in his arms. I tightened my hands around his neck, closed my eyes, and braced for the impact of the cool water. Jason and I emerged to the top after a few seconds. He swam toward me and wrapped me in his arms, hauling me into his hard wall of muscle. A huge boyish grin was plastered on his face.

“You’re evil,” I said jokingly, attempting to push him away.

“Don’t lie,” he said, unleashing a sexy smirk. “You know you like my playful side.”

“Sometimes.” I snorted, seeing Pearl swimming straight for us from the corner of my eye.

Jason let me go as we both spun around to face her. She swam right into Jason’s arms.

“My turn!” she exclaimed, putting her hands up on his shoulders. “Can you pick me up and toss me into the water?”

“I think I can manage that,” he replied, smiling down at her. He gathered his hands around her tiny waist and lifted her out of the water. “Ready?” he asked.

“Yes!” She beamed at him.

Jason bent his arms forward and then extended them, throwing her. Pearl’s laughter filled the air before she plunged beneath the water. She came about, already asking him to do it again and again. I watched the two of them play with one another, constantly chuckling and smiling at each other.

When she was ready to move on, the three of us took turns jumping off the diving board at the other end of pool. A few minutes in, she asked Jason how to dive, saying she had never braved that in her class before. He brought her to the edge of the pool, demonstrating how to overlap her hands and tuck her chin as she bent at the waist. After a brief hesitation, she let herself fall forward in slow motion, diving in hands and head first, just like he had told her. Jason and I clapped, telling her what a great job she had done. Pearl hugged us both before going back to her former spot along the side where she continued to practice the new technique.

I glanced over at Jason, seeing the same emotions flitting across his features that I felt inside. It was a simple act to teach someone how to dive, yet the sense of pride it had given him to be a part of such a treasured moment in this child’s life had a way of leaving a permanent mark on his heart.

Once finished eating dinner outside on the patio, all of the men congregated to the right side of the table. I heard Kyle and Jason discussing business plans with Ryan and Dad over a few beers. All of the women were gathered at the left side of the patio table, chatting with one another, while Pearl drew pictures in a notebook Mom had given her. Other than the pool, my parents didn’t have any kid toys. I assumed that was about to change with Kate and Ryan’s baby due any day now. Lily was updating Kate and me on all of her honeymoon details as Mom returned with a bottle of wine and three glasses in hand.

“Well, while the guys are all huddled up over there”—Mom pointed to the men and then raised the items in her hands—“I thought we could all enjoy an excellent bottle of cabernet—except for you, dear Kate, because you’re carrying my little grandbaby,” she teased.

“No worries,” Kate replied. “Me and an
entire
bottle of wine have a date all to ourselves in about a week or two.”

I chuckled out loud at Kate’s joke. She was such a character to be around, and she could always make anyone laugh.

“Oh, dear, after you push that baby out, wine will be the last thing on your mind, especially if you nurse,” Mom replied, setting down the glasses and uncorking the bottle of wine. She poured each of us a glass.

“Hey now, don’t be raining on my parade. I plan to continue dreaming of my wishful thinking for the remainder of my pregnancy,” Kate said, snorting at the end. “And no talks of labor. I specifically ordered my doctor to give me every drug he has,” she joked.

I would have laughed along with Mom, but my eyes were glued on Lily and her flushed skin. She was frowning at the wine glass Mom had set in front of her. Biting her lip, she had an alarmed look on her face.

Interesting…

Then, Lily looked over at Kyle. I followed her gaze to see Kyle deep in conversation with Jason. It didn’t look like he could save her at the moment. I chuckled inwardly as I lifted my wine glass and took a sip. The berry flavor tasted sweet and oh-so good. My mom always kept great wine in stock.

Lily made eye contact with me. Her eyes widened, staring at me with that deer-caught-in-the-headlights look. I couldn’t resist the impulse to ask the question running wild in my mind, considering Lily hadn’t drunk a drop of wine on the night she’d spent at my condo, her bachelorette party, or on her wedding night. My gut told me I was right on target.

I listened to Kyle, waiting for him to pause in his conversation. When he did, I spoke loud enough, so he could hear since he was sitting closest to me, “So, Lily, how’s that glass of cabernet treating you?”

Just as I’d suspected, a metal chair skidded across the tiled patio. I turned to see Kyle on his feet.

“Cabernet?” His tone rose, laced with nervousness. “Lily can’t have any wine!” he added, coming to stand at his wife’s side.

Bingo.

Lily was now as red as my Camaro sitting out front, and her eyes were pinned on me, slightly glaring. Everyone was dead silent, all heads bouncing between Kyle, Lily, and me.

“Oh, and why is that?” I asked Kyle, stifling my smile.

The look in his eyes told me my answer.

I am going to be an aunt! Again!

Kyle gave me an amused smirk at calling him out. He rested his hand on Lily’s shoulder. The tenderness of his touch was evident in his caress. He smiled. “Because Lily and I are going to have a baby.” His voice was full of love and pride and happiness.

The air erupted into a bunch of, “Congratulations,” and hugs all around.

Jason congratulated Lily when she approached him. He wrapped her in his arms, hugging her tightly in another bear hug. After Kyle finished embracing our parents, he came over to where I was standing on the other side of Jason.

“You know, Lily and I were going to wait a few more weeks before we told everyone.” Kyle cocked a brow at me. His brownish-green eyes danced with mirth. “I should have known I’d never be able to keep a secret from you for that long,” he said playfully as Lily positioned herself alongside him. He wrapped his hand around hers.

I mirrored Kyle’s expression. “You’re lucky I waited this long,” I said teasingly, my voice filled with love for my brother and his new wife. I shifted my attention to Lily. “I’ve had my suspicions for a while now.” I winked.

“I thought you might.” Lily chortled softly.

Jason stepped forward, putting his arm around Kyle’s shoulder. Lily and I stepped aside, rotating to face the men.

“I don’t know whether to congratulate you or kick your ass for getting my cousin pregnant,” Jason said jokingly.

Kyle’s deep laughter filled the backyard, and then he glanced back at Jason. “Considering you’re dating my sister and I haven’t beaten your ass yet, I’d say you better thank me, fucker.”

“I love you, too.” Jason chortled mockingly. He patted Kyle’s back in a manly hug and backed up. “Congrats, man. I’m so happy for you both.”

Lily and I shook our heads at their banter, and she leaned in closer to me. “Men.” She laughed, so only I could hear.

I tilted my head at her, keeping my eyes on Kyle and Jason. “Yep.” I chortled, shaking my head. “Enough said.”

After everyone hung out on the patio for a while longer, we all decided to get our pool volleyball game started. The first match was guys against girls. Needless to say, the girls got our butts kicked. The second round, we paired as couples. Kyle and Lily teamed up with my parents on one side while Jason and I joined Ryan and Kate. Pearl even played, too, riding on Jason’s shoulders for the first half. Then, she left to go practice more dives. The couples’ volleyball match went into overtime until Jason served the winning point. By the end of the second game, we were all wiped, and it was starting to get dark. Jason, Pearl, and I said our good-byes to everyone before heading home.

Once we made the short drive back to my condo, Jason and I walked Pearl to her door. I was hoping we were not walking up to an empty house, and I was relieved to see Diane was already there. When Pearl hugged me good night, she told me how much fun she’d had. Her eyes nearly glowed brighter than the stars. I found myself feeling an overwhelming amount of sadness in my heart from saying good-bye to her even though I would be seeing her again soon.

Over the course of the next week, Jason started moving boxes over to my place. Most of the items were his clothing, which easily fit into the armoire I never used and my large walk-in closet. I was over the moon to see all of his personal belongings around my house, and it made me feel as though we were making the right decision for us by living together.