Trent’s gaze sought me out before he punched the air with an enthusiastic, “Yes!”
The conversation Carly had tabled ate at me as I drove to Bellevue.Your guess is as good as mine?What the fuck did that mean? Were her parents dead? Were they missing? She was like a walking, breathing mystery, and the more I got to know her, the more questions I had. She clearly didn’t like to share personal information, though, so I’d have to figure her out carefully, so she didn’t spook and bolt like some sort of wild animal.
Once we were in Bellevue, I parked in front of Greer Family Kayaking. Ian Greer was a repeat customer at the bike shop. Balding, in his mid-fifties, he was still in excellent shape. We entered his shop to find him standing behind the front counter, talking to a woman about the different types of kayaks he had to offer. His gaze met mine and his face lit up. Excusing himself from the conversation, he headed right over.
“Wasp! You came.” We shook hands and his gaze took in Carly and Trent. “And you brought your family. I had no idea there was a missus and a child. Beautiful family. It’s so nice to meet you.”
Carly’s eyes were wide as she looked from Trent to me. I could almost see the gears spinning in Trent’s head as his brain processed all the shit Ian was saying. I needed to set him straight before the kid got the wrong idea.
“This is myfriend, Carly, and her son, Trent. You’ve been blabbing about these kayaks so long, and Carly and Trent have never been kayaking either. Thought we’d stop in and try it… see if I can’t shut you up about them.”
Laughing, he slapped his hands together. “Good. Good. I have the perfect thing all ready to go.” He walked back to the counter and grabbed three sheets of paper, handing them over. “Here, read over these waivers and sign them while I finish up with this customer, and then we’ll get you going.”
We completed the liability waivers and started looking around at the different shit Ian sold. The man had quite the budding business going on here. No wonder he could afford badass customizations to his bike. “You have sunscreen for Trent?” I asked, picking up a bottle. If she didn’t I’d buy him some. Those sun rays beat down hard on the water and my little cousins had come off the fishing boat looking like lobsters more than once. I was trying to make Trent’s day better, not leave him in pain.
Again, Carly gave me that confused look, like she was trying to figure me out. “Yeah, I have some on me. I should get him changed first.” She took Trent to the restroom and when they reemerged, he was wearing his swim trunks and nothing else. She slathered sunblock all over him before rubbing it on her arms and neck.
There was something so fucking seductive about watching her hands slide over her skin that my jeans were suddenly so uncomfortable I had to adjust myself. Needing to feel her skin beneath my hands, I asked, “Want me to get your back?”
“Uh… no. I don’t think that’s a good idea. Trent? You wanna put sunblock on mommy’s back?” She tugged a big clip from her purse and whipped her long dark hair around until it was in a messy bun.
“Sure.”
She kneeled and squeezed the tube into his little hand. He circled around her and got started, smearing the stuff unevenly.
“All done,” he announced, almost instantly.
I eyed his job, seeing glaring spots he missed. “You sure you don’t want me to help?”
“No, we do this all the time, don’t we, kiddo?”
He high-fived her and she stood.
She’d bested me this time, but I had another trick up my sleeve. “Well, can you get my back?” I asked.
She stiffened, eyes wide, expression terrified, like a deer in the goddamn headlights who couldn’t decide which way to bolt. “Uh… Trent can…”
“Nope. I’ve seen his work. I want you to do it,” I said. “Come on, Carly. You scared to touch me? Scared you might like it?”
“Don’t touch those, Trent,” she said. He was rocking from his toes to his heels as he studied a handful of tiny kayak replicas on a shelf.
“Babe?”
Turning her attention back to me, she folded her arms and stared me down. “I’m not afraid of you, Wasp.”
Maybe not afraid, but I’d bet my left nut she was terrified. I hid a laugh and pulled my shirt over my head. Carly’s gaze went right to my chest. Her eyes widened, and her gaze drifted down my body before she made a visible effort to focus at my face.
“See something you like?” I asked.
Her cheeks reddened. “You wish.”
I chuckled. “Play your cards right, and you might get lucky.”
“We’re playing cards?” Trent asked, his face twisting up in disgust as he turned to stare at us. “I want to go in a canoe like an Indian.”
I mussed up his hair. “We are definitely going kayaking, T-man. Maybe we’ll play cards later. If your mom wants to.”
The look she gave me promised no cards—sexual in nature or otherwise—would be played, but I was confident I could change her mind. She’d called me for help, and I had every intention of showing her all my services.
