“It’s not that simple.”
She nudged me in the ribs. “I’ll make you look good. Don’t worry.”
Grateful for her unwavering loyalty, I gave her a squeeze. I loved being an uncle. It was one of the best jobs in the world. For eleven years, it had just been Merry. My sassy, hilarious niece. And now we had baby Thor. Shit, I’d have such a good time with him when he was older.
For a long time, kids had been a foregone conclusion for me. I assumed I’d have a bunch. I was one of six, after all, and up here, people had big families.
I also thought I’d be the CEO of Hebert Timber by now too, so none of my plans had worked out.
Over time, the assumption, the obligation, had been replaced by a genuine desire to have a child. To be a dad. To raise tiny humans and share the people, places, and things I loved with them.
Year by year, that dream slipped farther away, yet the desire only deepened.
But I’d finally been given a chance. The circumstances were a little messy, sure, and I had some work to do to build Chloe’s trust, but I wouldn’t take a second of it for granted.
Twenty years ago, I’d had everything I’d ever wanted, and I’d let it slip through my hands. Since then, nothing had come close.
Maybe it was because we were young and stupid, but I truly believed that what Chloe and I had shared was a once-in-a-lifetime connection.
Thus, my reason for being here now, plying Merry with junk food and cruising the lake on this glorious Sunday afternoon. That ache to be near Chloe, to make her smile and hear her laugh, was still there, and it was stronger than ever.
I wanted to hear all about every single thing she had done in the last twenty years. I wanted to know what her favorite flavor of ice cream was and whether she slept on the right side of the bed or the left.
As I slowed the boat and took it around a heavily wooded bend, Merry came and stood next to me.
“Is that the cove?” she asked, shielding her eyes and pointing ahead.
I nodded. “Johnson’s Cove. Best swimming spot on the lake.”
As we got closer, she elbowed me. “Would you look at that? There’s a boat over there. And is that a red-headed woman on the bow?”
I shot her a wink, then quickly focused on the water ahead as I slowed the boat.
“What a coincidence,” she snarked. With that, she wandered to her bag at the stern. “Don’t worry, Uncle Gus. I got your back.”
As we pulled into the cove, Chloe’s jaw dropped in shock. She wore a black sundress and a hat and was applying sunblock to a little boy with blond hair.
Fuck, what I’d give to jump in the water, swim over to her, and kiss her right on the mouth. Instead, I focused on maneuvering the boat toward one of the moorings. It took Merry and me a few tries, but we eventually tied down and got ourselves situated. I really owed this kid.
Our boats faced the shore and were about ten feet away from one another.
Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, glowering. “What are you doing here?”
I put my arm around Merry and jostled her a little. “Enjoying a beautiful day with my niece. Merry, this is Ms. LeBlanc.”
Merry gave her a friendly wave. “Nice to meet you. You’re even prettier than Uncle Gus said you were.”
I bit back a snort. This kid was already laying it on thick and I loved her for it.
“He’s my funcle—you know, fun uncle—and I begged him to take me out today. School starts in three weeks, and I need to get in my lake time.” She tilted her chin and beamed up at me. “He spoils me.”
Chloe smiled at her, the look genuine, thank fuck. And then Merry was off, telling her about starting seventh grade and her new baby brother, while I got the boat set, aired up the float Merry had conned me into buying, and waved to Celine, who was supervising her kids in the water.
Within minutes, Merry was in the water and had Chloe’s nieces riding the unicorn float with her, giggling and splashing and shrieking.
Behind the dark lenses of my sunglasses, I surreptitiously drank Chloe in. Her hair was pulled back, and she was wearing a baseball cap. Eventually, she stripped off her dress to reveal a black one-piece bathing suit.
She was all creamy skin and freckles and full hips. Damn. I could barely keep my tongue in my mouth. She was a goddess. As she climbed down the ladder into the water, I was hit with a flash of what she’d look like in a few months, with my child inside her.
Instantly, I was hard. Jesus. Sporting a hard-on in swim trunks in the vicinity of children was so fucking wrong. I stared at the horizon for a while, willing my body to calm, but the image was burned into my brain as the single sexiest thing I could ever imagine.
After I got a hold of myself, I grabbed a pool noodle and stripped off my shirt. As I was digging out my sunblock, a flash of color caught my attention. Chloe had floated over to the side of my boat. Fuck yeah. There was no doubt in my mind that she was watching me. So I took an extra moment to rub sunblock on my shoulders, just for her benefit.
She pretended to ignore me, reclining in her donut and stretching out those creamy thighs in a way that had me reciting timber industry facts to keep my dick under control.
“I’d get out of the splash zone if I were you,” I said, climbing up over the rail.
“Uncle Gus,” Merry shouted. “Do a cannonball.”
Wide-eyed, Chloe dipped her hands in the water and paddled away.
I blew her a kiss and then jumped.
As I surfaced, the kids were cheering and Chloe was shaking her head.
I swam over to where I’d thrown my noodle, pushing my hair behind my ears. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
