The Parent Trap(42)

She and Jonathan kept up what now felt like a comfortable conversation, and in what seemed no time at all, they’d reached the point. The walkway widened into a small parking lot, now empty for the evening. For several minutes they leaned against the stone wall that formed a half circle between the lot and the rocks below. Petey, panting slightly, sat on the ground next to her feet. The breeze was stronger, whipping the water in the strait into a light chop. In the distance, an Alaska-bound cruise ship, one of the last of the season, glided by, its lights and white hull gleaming against the sunset.

Sarah shivered. “It’s starting to cool off. I should have brought a jacket.”

“I didn’t think to bring one, either, or you could have worn that.”

“Next time I’ll remind you,” she said before she could stop herself. Would he think she was flirting with him? You are flirting with him.

He looped an arm around her shoulders. “Next time you won’t need to.”

His warm breath brushed over her hair and she shivered again for an entirely different reason. This was beyond flirting. Part of her, the part that been alone for a very long time, considered exploring how far this could go. Her sensible side knew it needed to go no further.

He straightened and dropped his arm. “We should go back,” he said, hinting that he knew what she was thinking.

“We should.” The shivers were back, partly from the evening air blowing across her recently warmed shoulders, and partly due to freshly awakened sensations now tumbling around her insides.

They walked back along the seawall at a brisker pace, mostly in silence that was companionable but now emotionally charged as well. Halfway up the hill, a panting Petey stopped and sat down and no amount of coaxing could get him going again. Sarah knelt to pick him up and he eagerly jumped into her arms, trying to lick her face.

“Stop,” she said, but she couldn’t help laughing. “Silly dog. Hold still, we’re almost home.”

“Would you like me to carry him?” Jonathan asked.

“I’m okay. He hardly weighs anything, and he helps to keep me warm.”

Moments later they’d reached the end of their driveway. They’d been gone longer than she’d expected and the sky was nearly dark. Sarah set the dog down and turned to face Jonathan. “Thanks for joining us. I wouldn’t have gone so far on my own.”

“Any time,” he said. “I enjoyed it.”

“Me, too.”

Their gazes locked for a heartbeat. Two...three...four. The only way to break the tension was to kiss him, or get him to kiss her. He leaned in and so did she; their lips met, lingered, and the lightness felt surprisingly intimate for a first kiss. She wasn’t sure who had initiated it and couldn’t say who ended it. Maybe neither, maybe both, but they were suddenly apart, staring at each other again, and Jonathan was smiling.

“I guess that’s good-night.”

“I guess it is.” She was now acutely aware that they were still on the street in plain view of anyone who might be watching, and now that the streetlights were on, anyone could be. “I should go in. We should. Into our own houses, I mean. Before the girls come home.”

“Right.” He checked his watch.

Sarah fished her house key out of her jeans pocket. “Come on, Petey. Let’s get you inside.”

“After that walk, he should sleep well tonight.”

That would make one of them, Sarah thought. “Good night.”

“Good night, Sarah.”

Inside, she leaned against the door and closed her eyes, still shivering from the combination of the cool night air and Jonathan’s bone-melting kiss. She wouldn’t sleep a wink that night, but that was okay. She would still be up early enough to see him leave for his morning run, and this time she wouldn’t feel guilty for watching him.



ACROSS THE STREET, from her friend Henry’s living room window, Casey stood with Kate, both girls watching their parents. The girls laughed and shared a high five.

“Your mom is so going to let you keep that dog,” Kate said.

“And your dad is so not going to be on your case about every little thing.”

It was weird to think of her mom going on dates with Kate’s dad, Casey realized, but she would get used to it. Petey was worth it. After their parents went inside, they sat back on the couch with the boys, who were finishing a video game. Dex grinned at her, and she smiled back. She could definitely get used to this.





CHAPTER NINE

JON SPRAWLED IN his favorite chair in the living room, feet up on an ottoman, laptop on his lap, catching up on sports news in the Vancouver Sun’s online Sunday edition. The house was quiet, even quieter than usual since Kate had announced she was going out with Casey and Henry. That she already referred to them as friends was a huge relief for him. He had reminded her that her homework had to be finished before she went out, and she’d assured him it was. She liked her art class, of course, but after the first week of school she was already behind on writing up a lab report for her science class, and she had received a D on her first English assignment. So yes, he was pleased to see her adapting to a new school, but schoolwork had to come first.