When he finally stands upright again, I see something that I'm not going to forget easily, even though I'm going to try like hell.
Seth has a wickedly cute grin.
Ten
Seth is still laughingat me when his phone rings again. It's Renata this time, calling to make sure we know the storm is letting up already. The risk of a tornado has passed and so has the thunder, lightning and hail. There's only light rain falling now, nothing to keep us shacked up any longer. I hadn't noticed the quiet outside because of all the activity going on in the barn.
He hangs up the phone and slips it into his pocket, reminding me how we were pressed against each other so closely that I felt the phone vibrate.
I jump to my feet and brush hay from the seat of my shorts. "I'm glad I could provide you with some entertainment for the evening."
The air in the barn is thick with humidity, and I pluck my damp shirt away from my chest. What I need most right now, besides my dignity, is a shower.
"Andie..."
There's a gentleness in Seth's eyes that's as new to me as his smile, and I'm thrown by it. If I let this door open with Seth, I'm giving up on bringing my father back to New York. My focus will be on a relationship that can't go anywhere, not on keeping my family intact. How can I maintain that this is the wrong place for Dad when I'm running around having flings and good times?
I try to keep my voice light and breezy. "Let's agree that we will never speak of this again."
"What are we not speaking of, the fact that you got lost or..." Seth lets his voice trail off, but I know exactly what he means.
"Both," I say, assuming this is what he wants. "Let's pretend none of this ever happened."
He processes what I've said, and I'm surprised to catch a flicker of disappointment on his face. He quickly covers it with his usual mask of imperturbability.
"Fine by me." He strides to the barn door and throws it open. "After you."
I head toward him. "Perfect."
He holds the door for me, and I swear I can feel the heat emanating from his chest as I slide by him. It takes all my resolve not to burrow my nose into his torso and inhale deeply like some kind of demented addict.
After taking a few steps into the mist, I look behind me to see that Seth is already headed off in the direction of his cabin. I did the right thing, telling him to forget about the kiss. I can't lie, it was a panty-melting make-out session, the hottest one I've ever experienced. But what good could come from us discussing it? We're too different, we don't like each other and we live hundreds of miles apart.
I continue watching him, wondering if he'll turn around and look at me, but he doesn't. I run my fingers over my neck where he kissed me, the delicious shock and surprise of it still present on my skin.
* * *
Even though Itold Seth to pretend the kiss never happened, it's all I can think about the following morning. I find distraction in helping Renata entertain Harmony. After we paint shells, turn them into bracelets, and cook up a pan of muffins, Harmony starts using the couch cushions to construct a fort.
The effort of caring for her granddaughter full time is finally starting to show on Renata's face. "I thought it would be relaxing to spend a day at home, but I'm running out of activities, and it's not even lunchtime yet. I wish it wasn't so hot, otherwise we could do something outside."
"What about setting up a sprinkler for her to run through?" I suggest.
Harmony loves this idea, and I agree to get in my bathing suit and play with her. It seems I've also run out of things to do with my time. There's only so much reading and internet surfing one can do in a day. If I ruminate any more about Dad's impending marriage, Hugh's potential move and Dan's obsession with me, I'll lose my mind. Not to mention the number of times I've replayed what happened last night with Seth. Jumping around with a six-year-old sounds like a great way to forget my worries and obsessions for a little while.
Dad sets up the sprinkler in the grassy area behind the house while we change into our suits. I brought my favorite black bikini with me, and this is my first chance all summer to wear it. I also smear on sunscreen because instead of getting my Italian father's olive complexion, I got my Scandinavian mother's pale skin. If I'm in the yard in full sun without protection, I'll be roasted within thirty minutes.
"I don't need to put this on," Harmony complains when Renata insists she wear sunscreen, too. "My skin is brown, not white like hers. I'm not going to get burned."
"Everyone gets sunburns." Renata rubs the lotion onto Harmony's squirming body. "It doesn't matter what color you are."
When we're suited and sun-screened up, Harmony and I run through the back porch and out of the door, racing to be the first one in the water. She beats me out and leaps gracefully over the sprinkler, screaming when the cold spray hits her body. I follow behind her, leaping much more awkwardly and screaming even louder. The cold water feels amazing in this ninety-eight degree weather, and I don't try very hard to avoid the sprinkler as it rotates around the yard. Being with Harmony turns me into a kid again, and I have to admit that I love feeling like the fun aunt. Step aunt? Whatever.
Dad brings out some old balloons he finds in the house and we fill them with water from the hose. This leads to a water balloon fight, of course, and within minutes Harmony and I are both drenched. I love that she can take a hit from a water balloon without whining and has good enough aim to give back what she gets.
When there are only four balloons left, we declare a truce and decide that we'll save some ammunition for later. As we dry ourselves with towels, I spot Seth and Mutt walking across the lawn toward their cabin. Harmony sees them, too, and we look at each other and smile maliciously. Without a word, we grab two balloons each and prepare to launch them. When Seth and Mutt are within about thirty feet, it's on like Donkey Kong.
Being aware that Seth was in the military, I don't want to traumatize him completely, so right before we launch our attack, I yell, "Hey, Seth!"
