“Right. And yes, we could watch her,” I reply, but deep down, I’m screaming, “NO! I want more make-out time with my woman!”
He gives me a look that says, “We will be talking later about what went down with you and Jocelyn last night.”
I turn back to Jocelyn’s aunt and grandmother. “I’m glad you were able to come over today,” I add, and her grandmother gushes about the house and thanks me profusely for having them for lunch. Cam had made some sort of barbecue chicken with rice and beans. It was delicious.
“Princessa Jocelyn!” Ava yells from where she’s still playing in the pool. She tosses Jocelyn a pool toy. I look over at Jocelyn, and she’s giggling with her cousins.
“Hey, Mom! I speak Spanish!” Ava says, swimming to where Carly has just walked out from the kitchen and sat down on the edge of the pool.
“Oh?” Carly replies.
“Yep. That”—she points to the house—“is a casa.”
“That’s very good,” Carly says.
Jocelyn’s aunt says something to her daughters in Spanish, and they get out of the pool. Jocelyn follows them and dries off before there is a round of goodbyes. I watch Jocelyn tear up a little when her family drives away. I wrap an arm around her shoulder and give her a squeeze.
“We’ll have to come back soon and visit again,” I whisper. She nods, and we walk back inside the house.
It seems like everyone starts leaving after that, until the house is quiet except for Ava, who somehow made her way back into the pool because I’m pretty sure that kid is half shark.
Jocelyn leisurely swims around her as they talk. I made Ava a sandwich to use up some of our food in the house. I had sent Jocelyn’s family home with some because I didn’t want to waste any.
But I have something special in mind for our dinner after we get Ava tucked into bed.
I quickly turn all the clocks forward an hour when they aren’t looking. I need more alone time with Jocelyn, and I need it now.
“Hey, will you look at that. It’s almost eight,” I say with an “I’m sorry” look.
“Mr. Hutch. There’s no way that’s right. It was just six,” Ava says, glaring at me.
I point to the clock on the wall inside, hoping she didn’t notice me fidgeting with it.
“Let me see your watch,” she protests, crossing her little arms and glaring at me. I sigh. Fucking smart kid.
“Fine, it’s not yet. But you do need to have a bath and get ready for bed. If you start now, we can read you a story, a short story,” I state because I know this kid, and she will pull out some thirty-two-chapter-long book.
“How many pages?” she counters.
“Darn, you drive a hard bargain, Princess Mermaid,” Jocelyn teases.
“That’s Princessa Mermaid to you,” Ava counters.
Jocelyn laughs. “Come on, we’ll pick one together.”
I watch as Ava begrudgingly gets out of the pool, thankful that she has no vibrators with her today. Jocelyn helps her dry off, and then we shut down the pool and head inside. We don’t have to leave for the airport until around two thirty tomorrow, but I want the area somewhat clean before we leave.
I hear Jocelyn helping Ava with a bath as I head upstairs. I have ordered food that will be here in thirty minutes.
“Do you like Mr. Hutch?” I hear Ava ask, and I freeze mid-step.
“Yes, he’s very nice,” Jocelyn replies over a splash of water.
“No, do you like like Mr. Hutch?” Ava asks.
It’s quiet for a beat. “Can you keep a secret?” Jocelyn asks, followed by more splashing.
“Yes. I’m the best secret keeper,” Ava says. I press my lips together to keep a laugh from escaping because this kid couldn’t keep a secret if her life depended on it.
