LEVI AWOKE IN his bed with Tara cuddled against him, her softness molding perfectly to his hard frame. As he lay listening to the peaceful cadence of her breathing, he thought about what Amelia had put her through. He’d known Tara was strong, but he’d never realized how strong she’d had to be as a young girl. The idea that Amelia had goaded him into having sex as some sort of twisted plan to get one up on Tara made him as angry as it made him sick. He’d always known he was lucky Joey wasn’t like Amelia, but he’d had no idea just how lucky he was.
He looked at the sleeping beauty in his arms who poured her love into his little girl despite Joey being the daughter of the person who spent years torturing her, and his heart overflowed for both Tara and Joey. This was what he wanted, to wake up every morning with Tara in his arms, to see that light in her eyes at the end of a long day and his daughter’s smile, knowing she’d been with the aunt who had adored her since she came into this world. He wanted to hear Tara’s sated sighs as she fell asleep in his arms every night and those whispered sounds she made while she dreamed. It was crazy to feel so much so soon, to be gluttonous for more when they’d only just begun. But those feelings were as real as the twitching of his cock as Tara snuggled deeper into the curve of his hips, making an mm sound. Whoever said guys hit their sexual prime at nineteen was way off base.
He kissed her shoulder. “Careful, blondie. You’ll wake the viper.”
She turned in his arms. “Who are you kidding? That viper never sleeps.”
“He’s not used to having a gorgeous naked woman in his den.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Last night was incredible. I was hard all night just thinking about you riding me.”
Her pink cheeks brought his lips to hers. “I might have dreamed of wild pythons invading my body.”
He feigned a stern expression. “Hopefully you mean one wild python.”
“I’ll never tell.”
He nipped at her neck, and she giggled.
“The way you marked your territory, you know you don’t have to worry about anyone else seeing me naked.”
He looked at the love bites he’d left on her chest and dipped his head, tenderly kissing each one of them. “I’m not sorry about that.” He slicked his tongue over her nipple, and she bowed off the mattress. “Are you sore? We went at it pretty hard.”
“Let’s just say I’m aware of muscles I never knew I had.” Her eyes turned seductive. “But I hear the best way to get over muscle aches is to use them again.”
“I might never let you out of my bed, blondie.” He moved over her, feeling her slickness against his erection.
“Are we riding bareback from now on?” she teased.
“Now that I’ve felt all of you, nothing else will ever do. You’ve made a risk taker out of me.”
“Then we’re even, because you’ve made a sex fiend out of me.”
His mouth covered hers as their bodies came together, and the emotions of the last few days took over. Amelia’s spite made him want to cherish Tara even more, to show her how precious she was so she never doubted it again. He moved slowly and sensually, caressing and kissing, murmuring his adoration against her warm skin, loving her with everything he had.
A long while later, as they lay sated and spent, time ticked away too quickly. Tara had a few hours before she needed to pick up Joey, but he had to leave earlier than usual to stop by one of the job sites where his guys were working before heading to Autumn’s house to work. Tara lay curled up against the confines of his body again, eyes closed, her golden waves draped over her breast. He ran his fingers through her hair, placing feathery kisses along her shoulder. “I am obsessed with your hair, baby. I love the feel of it, the thickness, the way you let me tug on it.”
“I’m obsessed with other parts of you.”
He laughed. “I’ve got to get ready for work.”
“Just one more minute?” She sprawled over his side, her arm draped across his chest, her leg over his.
He kissed her forehead, wishing he could blow off work. “What are you doing today?”
“Since it’s raining, I thought we might go through a few boxes from the shed this morning.”
“I’ll carry some in before I leave so you don’t have to do it.”
“Thanks. We’re meeting Joey’s friends at the movies after lunch, and then we’re going to the grocery store to pick up a few things so we can make you a delicious dinner and yummy dessert tonight. Joey’s super excited.”
“No need to make dessert. I’ll get mine in bed later.” He smacked her ass.
She sat up, glowering at him as he got out of bed. “Don’t smack me, or I’ll smack you.”
“I might like it.”
“We’ll see about that.” She jumped out of bed and chased him, giving his ass a hard crack just outside the bathroom door.
He turned on her, and she squealed and tried to run. “You’re mine now, blondie.” He caught her around the waist and swept her off her feet, carrying her toward the bathroom.
“It stings, doesn’t it?” she said between laughs.
“Feels good. Just like you’re going to feel when I take you against the shower wall.”
Her eyes flamed. “I’m going to have to spank you more often.”
TARA AND JOEY made good use of the rainy morning. As promised, Levi carried a number of boxes into the house before leaving for work. After a few games of tic-tac-toe while eating breakfast, Tara watered the indoor plants, and Joey turned the planters to ensure one side didn’t get more sunlight than the other, and then they went through the boxes. They found pictures and yearbooks from when Levi and Leni were in school. Joey laughed a lot as they went through them, picking out several to frame and put up around the house. Even though Tara had a good memory of what Levi had looked like throughout the years, she saw him differently in those pictures now that she knew those brown eyes didn’t just see what was before them. They saw straight into her heart. And his lips weren’t just kissable. They whispered the sweetest, and the dirtiest, things she’d ever heard.
Tara set aside two pictures she wanted to make copies of. In one, his siblings and a couple of their friends were fishing off the Rock Harbor pier. Tara looked to be about six years old in the picture, which made Levi about eleven. She was holding a fishing rod, looking up at Levi as he showed her how to use it. There was something innocent and intense about the way she was looking at him. Like he had all the answers she might ever need. The other picture was taken when she was nine. She remembered that sunny afternoon. She and Jules, Bellamy, Levi, Leni, Wells, and Keira were sitting on a dock, their toes dangling over the water as they ate ice cream cones. The boys wore only shorts, their slender, sun-drenched bodies covered in drips of ice cream, and the girls were wearing tank tops and shorts, all bony knees and elbows, except for Tara, who was pudgy faced and chubby limbed. The sun was setting behind them, and everyone was smiling at the camera except Levi. He was leaning down with his mouth wide open like he was going to eat Tara’s ice cream. His other arm was tucked protectively around her, which he’d done a lot, even back then. But now that she saw the picture, she wondered if he was just holding her still so he could eat her ice cream.
“Did Daddy always steal bites of your dessert?” Joey said.
“He’s been a pretty consistent dessert stealer.”
Joey studied the picture. “Did you mind that you were bigger than the other girls?” She’d seen pictures of Tara when she was heavier before, but she’d never said much about them.
“I wish I could say no, but the truth is, it made me uncomfortable sometimes.”
“Grandma Shelley is bigger than most of the other grandmas, and she doesn’t care.”
“Grandma Shelley is the smartest, most amazing woman I know, and I wish I’d had her confidence when I was younger. But the truth is, I wasn’t uncomfortable just because I looked different. It’s complicated, but it was more because of the reasons I was eating too much.” Careful not to reveal anything bad about Amelia, she said, “Someone was mean to me, and I didn’t know how to handle it, so I took comfort in food and ate enough for two or three little girls. That’s why I was so heavy. When I got older, I realized why I was eating so much and paid more attention to when I was hungry and when I was eating to avoid something else.”
“Like being sad?”
“Yes. I learned how to eat healthier, and eventually my body settled where I guess it was always meant to be.”
“But you still eat a lot,” Joey pointed out. “Sometimes you eat four pieces of pizza.”
“I do eat a lot,” Tara said with a laugh. “But I’m usually running around and burning off calories. And you know what?”
“What?”
“It wouldn’t make me uncomfortable if I got heavier now, because being heavier wouldn’t change who I am, and I wouldn’t be overeating for the wrong reasons.” Tara set the picture aside. “We should get ready for the movies.”
“Is that person still mean to you?” Joey asked.
“Not really.” But it hurts me when she disappoints you. “Why don’t you grab a sweatshirt in case it’s cold in the theater, and I’ll get my things so we can go meet your friends.”
As Joey ran upstairs, Tara put the box against the wall with the other boxes and went into her bedroom to use the bathroom and get her own sweatshirt. She was surprised to see a note tucked into the bathroom mirror. Blondie was scrawled across the front of the folded paper in Levi’s messy handwriting. Her heart skipped as she snagged it and read what he’d written. How will I ever shower alone again? I can’t wait to get my hands on you. I mean my mouth. I mean I can’t wait to see you tonight. Try not to miss me too much. Levi
Tara couldn’t stop smiling as she pulled out her phone and texted him. Just found your note. Too late. I already miss you too much. She added a smile emoji with three hearts around it, then typed, We could shower at night. She sent it, then sent a second message. Can’t wait to see you. I mean have your hands and mouth on me. But isn’t it my turn to get my mouth on you? She could hardly believe how bold she was with him, but it felt natural, like her heart had finally regulated itself. She sent the message and immediately worried that Joey might see his phone at some point and texted, DELETE THAT MESSAGE so Joey doesn’t see it! Delete the messages from the other night, too!
With a rueful pang, she deleted all the dirty messages from her phone. She used the bathroom, and as she grabbed her sweatshirt, her phone vibrated. She opened Levi’s message, and a GIF of a man yelling Delete. Delete. Delete! popped up.
She sent a sad-face emoji, followed by a heart, and headed out of the bedroom.
JOEY HAD A great time at the movies with her friends, and she invited them to her skateboarding tournament. After a quick stop at the grocery store, they had a short reprieve from the rain. Tara offered to take Joey to the skate park, but once Joey schooled her in all the bad things that can happen if a skateboard gets wet, like bearings deteriorating, grip tape peeling, and the deck losing its pop, they opted to skip the park and went home instead. Joey played on her iPad while Tara returned a couple of messages she’d received about photo sessions. Thinking about what Levi had suggested, she sent an email to Charmaine asking her to check out the rental market for houses and studio space.
About an hour before Levi was expected to come home, they prepared chicken Parmesan, and while the oven preheated, they began making miniature no-bake raspberry cheesecake bites for dessert, as they’d seen on Just Desserts. Joey sat on the counter beside the stove in striped leggings and a long-sleeve green top, helping Tara stir the chocolate as it melted.
“I really want to put my finger in it,” Joey said.
“That’s a great idea if you want to get burned.”
“I’m not doing it. I just want to. Is it almost done?”
“I think so,” Tara said.
Joey peered into the pot. “Are there any lumps?”
“Not that I can see.” Tara scooped chocolate into the mixing spoon, and they watched it pour back into the pot.
“I think it’s ready.”
“Me too.”
Joey climbed off the counter and knelt on a chair at the table in front of one of the ice-cube trays they’d set out, while Tara poured the chocolate into two bowls and carried them to the table. Joey scrolled down on her iPad to the next part of the directions they were following and read them aloud. “Coat the ice-cube tray with chocolate and freeze it for five minutes.” She looked at Tara. “What does coat it mean?”
“I think we’re supposed to put a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of each of the cubes, but not too much. We need room for the raspberries and cheesecake mix.”
“Like this?” Joey filled a small ladle with chocolate and poured a little into one of the cubes.
“Perfect.”
As they coated the bottom of each cube, Joey said, “I hope Daddy likes them. Grandma Shelley says people like to eat things that are made with love, and everything we make for Daddy is made with love.”
“Everything your daddy makes you is made with love, too.”
“Except when he pranks me.”
Levi and his brothers were major pranksters, but Tara didn’t realize he pranked Joey. “Your dad pranks you?”
“He did one time, after me and Grandpa pranked him,” she said as she coated another cube.
“Grandpa Steve taught you to prank your dad?” She laughed. “That sly dog.”
“It was fun! We got up early and moved Dad’s truck way down the street. When he woke up and went outside, he thought someone took it. We pretended we didn’t know anything about it, and he thought someone stole it, which made him say the F word. He was going to call the police, and Grandpa said we had to tell him the truth.”
“That’s a great prank. How did your dad get you back?”
“He got us good. When me and Grandpa were watching a movie, he put water in cups and turned them upside down on plates. Don’t ask me how the water stayed in, because he wouldn’t tell me. Then he put whipped cream all over the tops, which were really the bottoms of the cups, but we didn’t know it. He called us into the kitchen and said he made us hot chocolate, and when we picked up the cups, water went everywhere.”
Tara laughed. “Your dad’s had a lot of practice pranking people, but he only pranks the people he loves.”
“Has he pranked you?”
Thinking of the éclair, she said, “Yeah, he has.” But I think that was out of lust, not love. “I think we should get him back. What do you think about putting an olive inside one very special cheesecake bite instead of a raspberry?”
“Yeah! Let’s do it!”
They finished coating the ice-cube trays, and as they put them in the freezer to chill, the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it!” Joey ran to the door, and Tara followed. Joey peered out the sidelight. “It’s the UPS guy.” She opened the door and said, “Hi.”
“Hi.” The delivery man looked at the package, then looked at Joey and Tara. “I have a package for Tara Osten.”
“That’s me.” Tara took the package and thanked him.
“Who’s it from?” Joey asked before Tara even got the door closed.
Tara looked at the return address, which read J&B and had Bellamy’s address. “It’s from Aunt Jules and Bellamy.”
“Open it!” Joey bounced on her toes as Tara opened the box. “What is it?”
Tara pulled back the box flaps and found a note folded on top of a bundle of tissue paper. She opened it and read it. Hi! Give Joey the yellow gift bag to distract her while you peek in the black bag. We’re rooting for you! Jules and Bellamy. Her heart leapt, and then she remembered they didn’t know she and Levi were together yet.
“What does it say? Can I see what they sent?” Joey reached into the box.
Tara quickly pulled it away. “Hold your horses. They sent you something.” She pulled out the yellow gift bag and handed it to her.
While Joey dug into her bag, shouting in excitement as she found skateboarding stickers, a notebook with skateboards on it, and a set of colorful markers, Tara peeked into her own gift bag, spying something pink and lacy and something else that was silky, along with another note. She stuffed the bag into the box and read Jules’s curly handwriting. Here’s the plan. One night after Joey’s asleep, saunter out of your bedroom wearing the lingerie under the satin robe and let the front of the robe fall open. Oopsie! Levi won’t be able to resist you! Below Jules’s note was Bellamy’s left-leaning script. Remember to use your sexy voice and touch him!
Feeling giddy that her friends had planned a night of seduction for her and Levi, she put the note in the box and closed the top. “I’ll be right back.”
She hurried into her bedroom and shoved the gift bag and notes into a drawer, excited to play out the fantasy one night soon, and texted Jules and Bellamy. I just got the box. I love it, and I know Levi will go wild for it. She sent it and immediately realized her mistake. They didn’t know about her and Levi yet. She began thumbing out a message to cover her tracks, but a video call rang through from Bellamy. Shoot! Tara answered, and Jules’s and Bellamy’s elated faces appeared.
“You know?” Bellamy said.
“Did you and Levi have spaghetti and meatballs?” Jules’s eyes were wide with excitement.
“I definitely smell spaghetti sauce,” Bellamy exclaimed.
Tara’s cheeks burned.
“She did!” Jules did a happy dance.
“I bet Levi devoured her sauce,” Bellamy added. “Did you slurp his spaghetti?”
“Ohmygod, you guys, keep it down.” Tara shut her bedroom door. “Joey doesn’t know, and I don’t want my parents finding out yet, so you can’t tell anyone.”
“We won’t, but I want details. How did you two get together? Was it better than Scooby-Doo?” Bellamy coaxed.
“Of course it was,” Jules said with irritation. “Steeles have all kinds of game.”
“Ew,” Bellamy said. “How do you know that about your brothers?”
Jules’s brows slanted. “I don’t. I just assume they do because Daphne and Indi were teasing each other about who was getting better sex, and—”
“You guys,” Tara whispered sharply. “I can’t talk about this right now. Joey’s going to come looking for me.”
“Just tell us if it’s serious between you two, or if this is just a fling for him,” Bellamy said. “It better not be, because that would just piss me off.”
“It’s not a fling,” Jules chided her. “I know he’s crazy about her. I can feel it in my bones.”
“We’re both pretty crazy about each other,” Tara said quickly, worried she was taking too long. “He wants to tell everyone about us, but I’m worried about my parents, so I really need you to keep this to yourselves.”
“We will,” Bellamy promised.
“Jules?” Tara pressed.
“I swear I won’t say a word.” Jules leaned closer to the screen, speaking quieter. “But I’m so happy I could shout it from the rooftops!”
“Don’t,” Tara and Bellamy both warned.
“Thanks again for the gifts, but I really have to go,” Tara said. “Love you guys.”
“We love you, too,” they said in unison.
“I’ll see you Saturday,” Jules said.
Tara ended the call, thrilled about sharing her happiness with her besties. She took the box outside to the recycling bin in the garage, remembering how exhilarating it was waking up in Levi’s arms and how different sex had been that morning. They’d been totally consumed with each other, but not in the frantic way they’d been the last few nights. It had been even more passionate, slower, deeper, sweeter. She wanted that tenderness as much as she craved the animalistic sex they’d had in the shower afterward.
While Levi was wondering how he’d ever shower alone again, Tara was thinking about how they’d make things work once she went back to the island. She couldn’t give up every weekend to go see them. She had clients booked, and with Joey’s friends in Harborside, she knew they couldn’t come to the island every weekend, either. But she was getting way ahead of herself. They still had ten more days before she had to go back to the island, so she tucked those questions away for now and headed inside.
“I think it’s been five minutes,” Tara said to Joey, who was busy putting stickers on her skateboard by the front door.
“One second,” Joey said.
Tara’s phone vibrated, and she read the text from Levi. Missing my girls. I need to stop at the shop, then I’ll be home.
Tara thumbed out, We miss you too, added a kissing emoji, and sent it, then pocketed her phone. She put the chicken in the oven and turned on the timer. As she set out the rest of the ingredients for dessert, including a jar of olives, Joey ran into the kitchen.
“Ready!”
“Great, because your dad will be here soon, and we need to get his olive treat made.”
“We’re gonna get him so good!” Joey climbed onto a chair at the table, reading the instructions on her iPad as they mixed the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. When it was properly mixed, they added the whipped cream. “Now we’re supposed to put some in each cube.” After they did that, she giggled as she put an olive in one of the corner cubes. “How will we know this one is his?”
“Good question. We’ll have to remember where it is when we freeze them, then we can use the decorating gel we use on cupcakes and write our names on a few of them, like two each, and those are the ones we’ll serve tonight.”
“Okay. Can I write it?”
“Absolutely. Do you think you can add raspberries to the others and fill the cubes with the cream cheese mix while I take a quick bathroom break?”
“Yup.”
Tara went to use the bathroom, and when she came back, Joey had filled almost all of them with the cream cheese mix. “Good job.”
They melted more chocolate and poured it on top. Tara put them in the freezer. “Your dad’s is in the back left of the tray on the left. Think you can remember that?”
“Back left on the left,” Joey said as a video call came through on her iPad. “It’s Amelia!”
Anxiety hit Tara like a gust of icy wind as her sister’s flawless and perfectly made-up face appeared on the screen. Her sky-blue eyes were expertly defined by thick, dark lashes. Not a single cinnamon hair was out of place. She wore something sparkling gold and strappy. Against the backdrop of a deep blue sea, she looked like the picture of elegance, which brought an infuriating feeling of less than to Tara, and that bothered her to no end. But all those old insecurities were shoved to the side by her protective instincts toward Joey, and she listened carefully.
“Hi, Amelia,” Joey exclaimed.
“Hi, Joey. How are you?” Amelia spoke in a measured tone, as if she were doing one of her travel videos instead of seeing her daughter’s adorable face for the first time in months.
“Good! Me and Aunt Tara just made dessert, and we’re going to prank my dad.”
“Oh. Aunt Tara is there?”
The disappointment in Amelia’s voice sent a pang of hurt through Tara. She hated that, too, and tried to ignore it as she stepped behind Joey, putting a protective hand on her shoulder. “Right here.”
“Aunt Tara is staying with me for spring break,” Joey explained.
“How nice. You look good, Tara.”
Amelia smiled, and not for the first time, Tara wondered when her sister had become such a good actress. “Thanks, so do you.”
“We’ve had so much fun! Today we…”
As Joey shared the litany of things they’d already done and what they had planned for next week, Tara watched her sister’s eyes skim off-screen and the barely visible nod Amelia gave to someone who was obviously waiting for her. Tara made a point not to look at her sister’s social accounts, watch her videos, or read her articles, but she went so long between visits, there had been moments when Tara had given in to her curiosity. She’d seen pictures of her sister in Spain, looking regal in a blue-and-white-striped bathing suit, wide-brimmed sun hat, and big sunglasses; in Israel, standing among a field of sunflowers wearing a linen dress and holding a woven purse, her hair braided in a complex updo that probably took hours to achieve, but on her, it looked casual and easy, like she’d woken up that beautiful. Her face was tilted up toward the sun, and she was smiling brightly. In those moments of weakness, Tara had searched those pictures for signs of loneliness or regret, but all she’d seen was the model-perfect sister who had forsaken her daughter to fulfill her own dreams.
“Did you get the message about my skateboard tournament? Can you come watch me?” Joey asked, bringing Tara’s attention back to their conversation.
“That’s why I’m calling.” Amelia set her eyes on Tara, sounding uncharacteristically enthusiastic. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’ll be there early Saturday morning.”
“Really?” Joey beamed at Tara. “She’s coming!”
“It’s a miracle,” Tara bit out, and quickly realized how sarcastic she sounded. “I mean, that you’re able to get away with your busy schedule.”
“It took some rearranging, and it’ll be hard to leave the beauty of the French Riviera, but I’m looking forward to spending time with Joey.”
“Me too! Will you stay overnight? Please?”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Amelia said.
Tara pried her gritted teeth apart long enough to say, “Great.”
LEVI HAD BEEN in a great mood when he’d gotten home, and dinner was phenomenal, made even better by the fact that Joey and Tara had made it. But after learning Amelia was coming, his mood had soured. They were almost done with dinner, and Joey had talked about nothing else since they’d sat down.
“Can I stay up late when Amelia’s here?” Joey asked.
“We’ll see.” He glanced at Tara. She hadn’t eaten much of her dinner, but she was trying her damnedest to feign a pleasant expression. He wanted to give Amelia hell for what she’d done to Tara and take Tara in his arms and promise he’d never let Amelia hurt her again.
“Please?” Joey begged. “I never get to see her.”
That’s on her, not me. “I said we’ll see.”
“You let me stay up late when Tara first got here,” Joey snapped.
“Watch your tone, young lady,” he warned.
Joey slumped in her chair and crossed her arms sullenly. “But Amelia never stays over. I promise I won’t get cranky.”
Levi’s frustration mounted at the idea of Amelia sleeping under his roof, but that wasn’t Joey’s fault, just like it wasn’t her fault that he didn’t trust Amelia not to let her down. “You’re right, sweetheart. She doesn’t come that often. If she’s up for it, then it’s okay with me.”
“Thank you!” Joey got up and threw her arms around his neck. She sat down to finish eating. “Guess what else happened today.”
“You mean there’s more?” He looked curiously at Tara and winked, and she flashed a genuine smile as Joey told him about the gifts Jules and Bellamy had sent her.
“That was nice of them,” he said.
“I’m done eating. Can I get my skateboard to show you the stickers they gave me?”
“Carry your plate to the sink.”
She did as he asked, then bolted out of the room.
“Think we can move before she gets here?” Levi leaned closer to Tara. “I’m sorry, babe. Are you okay with this?”
“She’s Joey’s mother. I have to be. Where does she usually stay?”
“She doesn’t. I’m shocked she’s coming, much less that she wants to stay over.”
“Joey asked her to. I’ll move upstairs to the extra bedroom while Amelia’s here so she has her own bathroom.”
“I’d rather you were in my bedroom.” He kissed her quickly, giving her hand another squeeze, and released it as Joey’s footsteps neared.
“Look. Aren’t they cool?” Joey showed him her stickers.
“The coolest,” Levi said.
“The rain is supposed to stop tonight, and we’re planning on hitting the skate park early tomorrow and staying until Joey’s sick of it.” Tara flashed a sweet smile at his daughter. “Right, cutie? We need to make sure you’re all set for Saturday.”
“Right,” Joey said emphatically.
“Speaking of Saturday,” Levi said. “Jules sent a group text to see who’s coming, and everyone except Sutton, Daphne, and Indi will be here. Unfortunately, they have to work.”
“Aw. Will Hadley be there?” Joey asked.
“Yup.” He tapped Joey’s nose. “She’s coming with Uncle Jock and both sets of grandparents, and both of your great-grandmothers are coming, too. Everyone’s meeting us at the tournament.”
“Maybe everyone can sleep over,” Joey suggested.
Levi and Tara exchanged hell no glances.
“I don’t think that’s an option, peanut,” Levi said. “They all have to get back to the island.”
“I was thinking we could have everyone over for lunch after the tournament,” Tara suggested. “We can get deli meats and sides for a sandwich bar, and make cookies or brownies for dessert.”
“Can we make both?” Joey asked.
Loving that Tara was still willing to go the extra mile for Joey even though her sister would be there, he said, “Sounds great to me. Just let me know what you want me to pick up at the store.”
“You have enough on your plate. Joey and I can do it.”
“Can we have dessert now?” Joey asked. “We made you something really special, Dad.”
“I don’t think Aunt Tara’s done eating yet.”
“I’m done,” Tara said. “I wasn’t that hungry.”
He tapped Joey’s skateboard. “Why don’t you put that away while I clear the table?”
She ran out of the kitchen, and Levi pulled Tara up to her feet and kissed her. “Saturday will probably suck, but we’ll get through it.”
“I know we will.”
“I, on the other hand, have no idea how I’ll keep my lips off you—”
“Ready!” Joey said as she zoomed into the room and looked at them with disappointment. “You didn’t even start clearing the table yet.”
“I was busy tickling Tara.” He grabbed her ribs, making her squeal and back away from him.
Joey laughed. “Da-ad. I’ll get dessert while you guys clear the table.”
He clapped his hands together. “Sounds like a plan.”
While they cleaned up, Joey set out dessert and told him about the box of pictures they’d gone through. “I know you’ll want to steal a bite of Tara’s dessert like you ate her ice cream when you were a kid, but we made you your own mini cheesecakes, so you have to eat them.”
He could tell the news of Amelia’s visit still had Tara on edge and tried to lighten the mood. “Maybe Tara will share her sweets with me later.” The slight flush of her cheeks told him she’d received his message loud and clear.
“Maybe,” Joey said. “But you have to eat yours first.”
He couldn’t help teasing Tara. “What if Tara wants to eat mine?”
Tara’s eyes widened, cheeks flaming.
“She can’t,” Joey insisted. “I made her special ones, too.”
Joey took their hands, tugging them over to the table, in front of napkins with two chocolate squares on each, their names written messily in gel on the tops. “These are yours.” She pointed to the ones that had DAD written on them. “And those are Tara’s, and those are mine.” She went to the other side of the table to stand in front of her own.
“These look amazing. But this feels very official. Like we’re taste testers,” Levi said.
“Joey worked hard on them,” Tara said.
They all picked up chocolates, and Joey looked like she was going to burst, waiting for him and Tara to eat theirs. They put them in their mouths, and the sweet chocolate melted on Levi’s tongue. He bit into it, and a disgusted sound escaped before he could stop it. At the same time, Tara spit hers into a napkin, and Joey doubled over in hysterics.
“You tricked me, you little traitor,” Tara said, giving in to her own fits of laughter.
“What did I just eat?” Levi guzzled water.
“An olive,” they both said, cracking up.
“I pranked you both, Daddy!” Joey said proudly. “I can’t wait to tell Grandpa Steve!”
“And I can’t wait to get you back,” Tara warned.
And just like that, a couple of olives saved the day.