What Friends Are For(21)

Mischa laughed. “Or give him a big ole smooch for being the one to give you that push.”

“Yeah,” Jacey agreed with a laugh. “I might just have to do that instead.”

They took long sips of their drinks and moaned with pleasure.

“Nothing better than sun, fun, food and a clear blue pool to kick off the summer,” Mischa said.

“Yeah, this cookout was a great idea,” Jacey said. “Good thing none of you already had plans.”

“We would have changed them if we did,” Dee responded with a shrug.

“Looks like the guys need another round of beers,” Jacey said. “I’ll just run them out and give that man of yours a big smooch.”

Mischa laughed. “Go for it! Warm him up for me.”

Dee laughed, reaching for the fruit-and-cheese tray to take out to the table, her drink in the other hand. Mischa grabbed the veggies. Chips and salsa were already on the table.

“Here’s one for you,” Jacey said, handing a cold beer off to her brother and giving him a smooch on the cheek.

“Ahhh, just what I wanted,” he sighed, taking a long pull.

“I thought I was what you wanted,” Dee said and Jack turned to take the tray from her and set it down before pulling her close for a scorching kiss.

“Every day in every way,” he murmured.

“One for you.” Jacey laughed and handed a beer to Jonas before moving on to Clint.

“And one for you,” she said with a grin. Reaching up, she took his face in her hands and placed a loud kiss full on his mouth before hugging him close. “Thanks, Clint,” she whispered for his ears alone.

“You’re welcome, little sister,” he murmured, softly hugging her back.

“So how come I’m the only one who didn’t get a kiss?” Jonas asked as she stepped away from Clint.

“It’s because my man is so sexy, he makes the rest of you pale in comparison,” Mischa said as she dropped her tray onto the table.

“Only for you, baby,” Clint told her, coming up to wrap his arms around her and pull her back against his chest. He nuzzled her neck and shoulder until she turned her head up for his kiss.

Jacey walked back to Jonas. She took his beer from him and set it down before stepping into him and running her arms up his sides to his shoulders. “Maybe I just wanted to save the best for last,” she said.

Wasn’t that just what she’d done? Sure, there had been plenty of men before Jonas, but looking into his eyes, she knew that there would never be another like Jonas. He was the best in so many ways. And she hoped, prayed, that he would be her last.

She leaned up and kissed him softly on the mouth, gradually letting him turn the kiss into something deeper. When she pulled back, the words just tumbled out. “I love you, Jonas.”

He grinned and hugged her tighter. “I love you too, Jacey.”

“So who’s ready for the pool?” Mischa asked and pulled off her cover-up, tossing it aside.

“I definitely need a cool dip with you in that, honey,” Clint said.

“Man, I’m going to look so pale next you,” Dee sighed as she removed her cover-up too. “You make me want to tan.”

Mischa laughed. “All the tanning in the world won’t give you my gorgeous skin tone, baby.”

“I like you just the way you are,” Jack told Dee just before he pushed her into the pool.

She came up sputtering. “I’m going to kill you slowly, Jack,” she swore, shaking her soaked hair out of her face.

“I’ll help,” Mischa said and gave him a shove in after his girlfriend.

They were all laughing when he surfaced and wrapped his arms around Dee.

“You going to let your wife push me around like that?” he asked Clint with a grin.

“You know, everything changes when you get married,” Clint said with a sigh.

“And I know you mean that in an ‘Oh, my god, I’m the luckiest man alive’ kinda way,” Mischa said with her hands on her hips.

Clint gave an exaggerated sigh and scooped her up in his arms. Mischa squealed and wiggled but he held her firm.

“When you’re married, you jump in together,” he said and plunged feet first into the deep end.

They both came up laughing and Mischa wrapped around her husband. “Togetherness is important.”

Jonas opened the grill and flipped the steaks, moved the tin-foil potatoes around a bit. When he shut the lid again, Jacey was there waiting. She’d tossed her cover-up aside and now had on her little red bikini. He automatically reached out and put his arm around her, pulling her into his side.

“I’m glad we decided to cook out,” she said.

“Me too,” he told her.