“I worry I’m messing it all up. Without Dolores we’d be eating box macaroni and cheese and smashed broccoli every night.”
I place a hand on Bennett’s back, not tall enough to reach his shoulder. “He’s happy and looks at you like you rule the world. Plus he cares about the food problem in China.” I laugh along with Bennett. “I think that’s pretty much it.”
“I hope that’s all there is this parenting thing. I keep thinking maybe I should buy a book.”
Liam reaches the lighthouse first, but keeps on running until he reaches the shore. The massive building is a backdrop to a sweet summer moment.
When I get to the last few nibbles of my cone, I rip off the paper and shove it in my pocket. With two last bites and a few chews I finish it off wishing I’d also picked up a blueberry slushy.
“Finally,” Bennett says not pausing to give me time to ask what before he leans down and uses one hand to raise my chin to his.
His lips meet mine slowly, a few small touches passing between us. He wordlessly asks for permission and without any more thought I give it, deepening the kiss. His tongue runs across my bottom lip tasting and teasing until I open, giving him access. My heart beats out an uneven rhythm against my chest as I stand on my tippy toes to bring us closer.
“Daddy!”
Bennett pulls back. Fast.
So fast I scramble not to fall when I lose his body I’d been using for balance. He grabs on to my arms helping to steady my wobble on the sand. With his eyes wide, he mouths a quick sorry before Liam reaches our spot. My breath is heavy as I smooth out my tank top and try to look casual.
“What’s wrong?” Bennett asks, leaning down at Liam’s level when he comes to a stop, sand sliding across his sneakers.
“I finished my cone,” he answers cheerfully and excitedly but now ready to go back for another one.
Bennett laughs. “That’s great, Buddy. But don’t scare me next time.” He gives Liam a hug even though his child is covered in chocolate.
“How will we clean him up?” I ask.
Chocolate runs in the rivets down Liam’s chin gathering all over the front of his neck and shirt. But it doesn’t stop there. In what looks like an attempt to snort the ice cream from cone his nose is also covered in sugary stickiness. And from the way a few strands of his hair stick together I’m willing to bet there’s some there as well.
Bennett shrugs and checks the area as if someone will stop by and hand us a barrel full of baby wipes. “The water?”
“The water?” What about all the dead fish? Hasn’t he ever thought about what lives in that water?
His phone rings and, before making a decision on the chocolate situation, he sticks his finger in the air and says, “Hang on.”
Bennett talks for a few seconds but it’s impossible to figure out who he’s talking to or what about. His side of the conversation consists of a few grunts and head nods even though no one can see those but Liam and me.
A good two minutes pass before I take matters my own hands. “Come on, Liam. Let’s get you cleaned up.”
Much to my horror and his excitement, I lead him to the edge of the water and instruct him on how to wash his hands in the surf. I will never bypass a napkin container again. I don’t know what I was thinking. Not that the thin, flimsy pieces of one-ply paper would’ve been much help, but my mental well-being would be better off. Maybe I’ll stick a pack of wet wipes in my pocket from now on.
When Liam loses interest with playing in the water and I’m able to get him as clean as I can given the situation, we head back to Bennett as he hangs up the phone.
“Okay, time to go home.” He slips the phone into his back pocket and waits until Liam runs out in front of us again. “Ridge was able to negotiate a drop point and time with Frankie on the condition he won’t be back to the bakery. So it looks like you can go back to work in the morning.”
I smile, excitement lifting my spirits. Finally. We start walking and with each foot step I add another item to my mental to-do lists.
Buy fresh blueberries.
Cut the bran muffin recipe in half.
Clean out the coffee machine.
Wipe down…everything.
But before any of that can happen I have to mop the floors and get the rest of the bakery one hundred percent clean. Bennett promised they would bring in a team to clean up the scene and I’d never even notice something happened there. He’s strongly underestimating my memory…or my ability to forget about blood. Even if I go back to work tomorrow, it will be Wednesday before I’ll be able to open my doors again. Better late than never, I guess.
We stop to cross the road and I’m jarred out of my list making by Bennett when he reaches down and grabs my hand. Our fingers twist together and the three of us cross the road like a lopsided chain. Liam leads the way but stays close, constrained by the length of Bennett’s arm.
