Tequila And Tingles: Turtle Pine, Book 2 (7 page)

“Morning will be fine. Around ten.” By eleven thirty, Kent would be cranky for lunch and a past due for a nap.

Chapter Eight

Jason wasn’t sure what he’d gotten himself into. He tucked a bottle of water in an ice chest and took the two offered juice boxes from his sister. His sister who had a ridiculous grin slapped on her face. “You can stop smiling anytime now. It’s just a couple of hours at the park.”

“Not happening. You’re off to the park with a woman you like and her two kids.” She handed over another pair of juice boxes. “Take these too. Some kids are picky and I forgot to ask their aunt at the bakery what their favorite drinks are.”

“Thank you.” He tucked them in the basket under the ice pack with the other drinks Meredith had already packed. They were nestled in next to the sandwiches and chips and cookies that could feed fifteen. Even cookies from the bakery that, according to their aunt, were Katie and Kent’s favorite snacks. Because nothing about that sounded in any way like he was a stalker or creepy. He’d asked for a playdate and was showing up with a picnic lunch full of all their favorite foods, and his smile was the best explanation to offer for how. Rumored golden boy or not, it all looked creepy to him.

“Go get ’em, Tiger.” Meredith slapped him on the rear on his way by. He turned and gave his best brotherly stare that at least earned him a wince. “Too much?”

He messed up her hair. “Just don’t ever do that in public.”

She laughed. “I promise. Have fun. All you have to do is ask the kids what they want to do and then do that. You’ll be fine. Don’t try to distract them with something else or they’ll side-eye you. Kids are smart. Don’t forget it.”

“We went over this last night.” For about two hours, until he’d finally escaped to his room and put on headphones.

“All right.” She fake sniffed. “My baby brother is just growing up so fast.”

He shook his head and left before she got any worse than she already was. It was a pretty day for now, but by this afternoon rain would be moving in. Thank goodness Beth had picked a morning time, or they would have canceled. He drove a couple of blocks over, turned on a street, and there all at once was the park.

Bright, primary-colored playground equipment filled the grassy area, and a large, open field was next to it. Signs were posted about no pets off their leashes, and only a handful of kids were running around. A small pavilion bumped against the playground equipment, and he found Beth there, sitting backward at a picnic table as she watched Katie and a little guy, whom he guessed to be Kent, running back and forth.

His footsteps echoed on the concrete and Beth turned and faced him. It wasn’t a frown she gave him, but he wouldn’t call it a smile. She straightened and readjusted in her seat. Like she was preparing for something. Like he might prepare before jumping off the block to dive into a pool. At least she wasn’t frowning.

Except, as he got closer, she frowned. That frown deepened as her gaze dropped to the basket he carried. “What is that?”

“Meredith said since we’re meeting at the park at this hour, I have to bring lunch because the kids will be starving.” Sister effectively thrown under the bus.

There went Beth’s tongue. A quick swipe of her upper lip. “That was very thoughtful.”

“I told her no because it wasn’t what we agreed on, but she insisted.” Which was true. He had no problem bringing a handful of cookies for snacks. Some Little Debbie from the Quik Stop in a paper bag or something.

The stiff hold of her shoulders softened a little at that. “Thank you. I know the kids will be glad. They’ve been running up an appetite.”

Katie ran under the shade of the pavilion. Sweat trickled down her temple, and her hair was a sweaty mess. She looked at him, or more precisely down her nose at him. Which was pretty impressive for someone three feet tall. “What’s Coach Jason doing here?”

Beth patted her daughter’s back. “He stopped by to play with you and Kent today. And he brought lunch. Isn’t that nice?”

Katie gave a little shrug.

Beth tugged slightly at the girl’s short ponytail. “Say thank you.”

Katie looked to him with squinted eyes. “Thank you, Coach.”

“Sure thing.” He put the basket with Beth, and even though he would probably never tell Meredith, he thought of everything she’d said. “This is my first time here. Do you think you can show me around? I’ll push you on the swings.”

Her chin lifted. “I can swing myself. Kent can’t.”

Of course she could. And he would bet that if she couldn’t swing herself, she would figure it out the moment she sat on the swing while he stood nearby. “Sounds like a plan.”

Without a look back at Beth, as hard as it was, he followed Katie across the playground to the bottom of a bright orange slide, where she introduced Kent. Katie’s hands were on her hips. She was a shy little thing in class, but she made no bones about standing between him and her little brother. She stuck out her hip to the side as she stared up at him. “If you push him too high, he cries.”

“I got it. I hope you’ll stay right next to us though, just to make sure I don’t push him too high.”

“I will.” She looked to the little boy. “He’s going to push you on the swings.”

“Swings!” Kent jumped from his spot and waddled his way across the playground in a beeline for the swings.

Katie chased after him and, with a chuckle, Jason followed too. He could do this. Easy. Katie got on a swing that was low to the ground, and Kent pulled at one of those car-seat-looking kinds. He wasn’t tall enough to manage it on his own, which was probably a good thing, because balance didn’t look to be his strong suit.

“You’ll have to pick him up.” Katie pushed herself into swinging.

He got Kent settled in the bulky seat, and the moment Jason pushed, Kent let out an excited squeal.

“Swings are his favorite,” Katie said as she got her swing going faster.

“What’s your favorite?”

“Slides. Kent’s afraid of them.”

“He’s a little guy. I bet those tall slides are scary for him.”

“That’s what Momma says.”

Jason couldn’t blame the kid too much. He hated heights. Just watching diving competitions was enough to send his stomach for a loop. Katie kept swinging and Kent kept cheering, so he kept pushing. The silence was getting awkward. At least for him. Maybe they didn’t notice.

He thought back through his sister’s ideas. “What’s your favorite TV show?”

“I like the one with the really big robots.”

“Fox Hound,” Kent yelled.

“
The Fox and the Hound
,” Katie was quick to correct. She slowed her swinging. As she returned forward, she tucked her arms in and let go of the swing. He started to tell her no, but before he could get it out, she flew off the seat and landed on the ground. His gut pinched in a knot and released as she landed on her feet. “I’m going to slide.”

He leaned around the chains. “Do you want to go slide?”

“No! Swings!”

So swing they did. He didn’t forget Meredith had told him kids were easily jealous of one another, so maybe if he just stuck right here with Kent, Katie would come back. The breeze was steady. Kent laughed. Katie, a few playground sets over, squealed as she went down the slide, ran to the ladder and slid back down. He shook his head. He couldn’t remember just playing like this. Not unless it was recess at school. Every moment he remembered of his free time had been spent in the pool. That couldn’t exactly be considered free time either, since he’d been swimming laps, perfecting strokes and racing his own time with steady determination to beat himself over and over again, like Katie probably hoped the next slide trip would be faster.

Not that he regretted any of that. Every lap had led to every race eventually taking him to standing on that Olympic podium three years ago. A dream come true he wouldn’t trade for anything. But being here and seeing what regular kids did was pretty nice.

“You’re concentrating awfully hard to just be pushing a swing.”

He blinked and turned to find Beth had come up behind him. “Lost in thought, I guess. What’s your favorite playground activity?”

She eased onto the swing Katie had jumped off moments ago. “I like them all.” She made a face. “Except the monkey bars. I’ve never liked those.”

“Couldn’t make it across?”

She shook her head and set her swing into motion. “I don’t have the grip for them and let go before I ever get halfway through.”

Katie ran across the playground toward them with big smile splitting her face. “Butterfly, Momma!”

Jason looked for a bug, but Katie wasn’t pointing and Beth wasn’t asking where. Katie climbed in her mother’s lap and Beth settled her so that the girl straddled her. Each with a grip on the swing, Beth set them off with a kick. As Beth leaned back to plunge them, Katie sat forward. Then they swung past, hitting the high arch. Katie was now so far back she could no doubt see the whole playground upside down. A squeal came out of her as the swing reached its peak and flew backward and they came again. Back and forth they went, alternating leaning directions.

He gave Kent a few more pushes, and as he did, the boy’s head tilted to the side. His shoulders slumped. The firm grip he’d once kept on the chains loosened until his hand made tiny loops around them.

Katie giggled as she and Beth slowed. “Kent fell asleep.”

They untangled themselves from each other and Beth stood. “I don’t think he’s quite there.”

Jason stilled the swings. “I hope not. I heard his favorite kind of cookies are no-bake and I brought some for him.”

Katie’s eyes widened as she stared up, looking between him and her mother, who was now resting a limp and eye-rubbing boy against her chest. “Can we have a snack?”

“Not until after lunch.”

Katie’s lower lip puckered and brows slashed down. It got Jason right on his funny bone, but he resisted laughing. She was just so adorable with her pouting.

As cute as she looked with her lip out, he put her out of her misery. “I also heard you two like peanut butter sandwiches.”

Just like that, the lip tucked in, eyes narrowed. Full of distrust, she looked him square in the eye. He pointed to the basket on the table. “It’s all right over there.”

The four of them made their way across the park toward lunch while the humidity skyrocketed. Dark clouds sank in on the horizon, and it looked like the rain was going to be in town faster than the weatherman had predicted. He opened the basket and set the blanket aside. “With the rain looking that close, I think we better eat right here.”

“I agree.” Beth gave Kent a little bounce and a shake. “Hey, little man. You hungry?”

The boy buried his face against Beth’s neck. She patted his bottom. Hair swished against her cheek and softness eased through her mothering eyes. “All right,” Beth said. She winked at Katie. “I guess Katie gets to eat your share of the cookies.”

Giggles came from the boy. Beth patted him on the bottom again and bounced him. “Katie, can you help Coach Jason? Spread the blanket on the table so I can put Kent down for his nap. Maybe I’ll eat his cookies.”

There were more giggles and now squirming. Jason was tempted to go over and tickle the kid, but he resisted. He barely knew the boy, and Katie was on edge with him. Beth was on edge. Hell, he was on edge. Kent, the youngest and probably without all his teeth, was the most relaxed one. And the kid was getting hugged and wiggled until he was gasping between belly laughs.

Beth bounced with him and kept him firmly to her chest. “Shh, sleeping boys don’t laugh.”

While Beth teased Kent, Katie got the blanket spread out. She pressed the wrinkles and tugged at the ends until it was flat. “No wrinkles or you spill drinks.”

He unpacked food over the top. “I take it you’ve done this before?”

“I help Nana set the table.”

“It looks like you’re the expert. What do we do next?”

“Plates.” She stood on the bench and dug through the basket. She came out with four paper plates and handed them over. “Set them out. Two on each side.” She pointed at each spot.

“Yes, ma’am.” He did as told and, before he could finish, she handed him napkins to place down with instructions to put them over the plates.

The wind picked up, and Katie quickly went through the basket and handed over drinks. “Red juice for me. Purple for Kent. Set them on the napkin to hold the plate down.” She turned her head to the side, eyes serious. A little index finger came up and wagged. “Else we have to chase them down!”

Her words sounded like they were echoed from someone else. “You’re right.” He held the juice boxes up. “Where do you want to sit?”

“Next to my mom.”

Beth eased by, still patting Kent on the bottom. “I might have Kent in my lap. You can sit by Coach Jason.”

Katie eyed her brother. “Kent, if you sit by Coach Jason at lunch, he’ll push you on the swings.”

Beth’s eyes narrowed. “Katherine.”

But the damage was done. A short little boy stretched his fingers out and wiggled them. Jason looked to Beth, trying to find a cue. He was here to get to know Katie, and Beth had made it clear she was uncomfortable with her kids being close to strangers. Heat pooled on the back of his neck with anxious energy, and if he could not screw this all to pieces, that would be great. Beth just nodded.

He put the drinks around the table accordingly and grabbed the kid. Kent came willing and he held the boy against his side. He could do this. Hopefully.

“What now?”

She leaned over the basket and tapped on the sides. “What do you want to drink?”

“I’ll take a water, please.”

She handed over a bottle. “That’s what my mom likes too.”

Katie pulled food out next. Meredith had packed the sandwiches in one big container, and there were crackers in the bottom he hadn’t known about.

He sat and the kid reached for the juice. That was Jason’s opening to set him on the bench. All good so far.

Beth pulled the lid off the sandwiches. “You two did a good job setting the table.”

Jason pointed at Katie. “It was all her. I followed her instructions.”

To that, he finally got a smile out of her. It wasn’t much, but he’d take the grin that reached him—tiny as it was as she looked up shyly through her lashes. His sister had had the thought to cut the sandwiches into cowboy hats, trophies and four-leaf clovers, earning him even more bonus points.