Chapter Fourteen

Thomas

 

Her smile and demeanor, along with her aptly named business, led me to call her Sunshine. It’s perfect for her. No woman has ever willingly listened to my issues with Tess without hesitation or judgment until her. We have potential. After I check on Ellie, I fall into my bed.

Early the next morning, my phone is chiming with notifications. Nothing about texts this early in the morning is a good thing. After waking Ellie and a half a cup of coffee, I check my messages.

Frankie: Good morning. I won’t be at Sweet Face. My sister needs help with the kids.

Me: Morning. I’ll miss seeing your gorgeous face. Have a good day.

Frankie: Compliments this early in the morning? I’m flattered.

Me: It’s true.

Frankie: Thank you. Have a good day too.

I smile and continue scrolling. There’s a text from Remi.

Remi: Good luck with mediation today.

Me: Thanks, but it’s on Thursday.

Remi: I’ll message you again then, mate. Ellie would be lucky to have you full time.

Me: Thanks, man. I would love to have Ellie full time.

We hustle out the door, grab a pastry at Sweet Face, and go about our days. The call with my attorney doesn’t allay my fears but doesn’t make me feel worse either. The general gist is it depends on each situation. The only bright spot is Ellie is of an age where if we can’t come to an agreement in mediation, a judge may listen to her opinion.

Right after four, I rush out the door and back home to get Ellie to soccer practice.

“Ellie, are you ready to go?” I call out as I step inside our home.

My daughter turns toward me from the hall ready for practice. “Hi. I’m ready except for some water.” She returns quickly with two bottles of water in her hand.

I turn on my heel and head back to the car with Ellie. The field isn’t far away. Ellie is out of the car and off to practice once I pull into the parking spot.

“I’ll be right—” Her door slams before I can finish. I consider leaving to grab a coffee, but then I see Frankie walking toward me. I hop out of my car and join her and Emilia. “Hi, fancy seeing you here. Hi, Emilia.”

“Hi, Mr. Ellie’s dad. Auntie, can I go swing?”

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll be right there.”

Emilia runs off to the playground, and Frankie starts to follow. I set my hand on her forearm.

“Will you join me?” Her voice is low, and her eyes dart around us, presumably looking for Liam.

I lean closer and hear her inhale sharply. “I want to kiss you right now, but I know it isn’t wise.”

“I want that too,” she mumbles and continues walking to the playground.

Once we reach the edge and Frankie is close enough to her niece, I ask, “Is everything okay with Lily?”

She shakes her head and laughs softly. “Wrong sister. Lina is their mom. She’s fine, but a pipe burst at work, and as the branch manager, she needs to wait for it to be fixed and certify the assets at the bank before she can leave.”

“She’s lucky to have you. My siblings would do the same.”

“Thank you. I’m not the only one who pitches in. Lily is meeting me here to take the night shift or however long it takes. How was your call?”

“Informative but not definitive enough in my opinion. As you can imagine, I’m completely against the plan to relocate, but I was willing to bend for Ellie, except she doesn’t want to go.”

“It makes sense. She has a life here, one she’s known since birth, I assume.”

I nod. Emilia falls from the monkey bars, and Frankie moves in her direction, fast but not urgently. When she reaches Emilia, she checks her out, gives her a pep talk, and lifts her back up where she fell. Glimpses of Frankie as a mom make my chest tighten. She’ll be an amazing mom one day. “Maybe we should have planned our date for last Saturday.”

She laughs. “Maybe we should have. Are you free tomorrow for dinner?”

I turn to face her and barely resist the urge to touch her. “Did you push up our first date and make it an at-home date?” I smirk at her.

“Never mind, forget I said anything.” Redness creeps across her cheeks.

“I’m kidding. I don’t really believe in fate or the universe per se, but since I saw you, our paths keep crossing. Yes, I would like to have dinner with you tomorrow. What is your—”

Emilia drops down from the monkey bars and takes off running.

“Emilia…” Frankie whips around as she passes us.

Frankie visibly relaxes when Emilia throws her arms around a woman who looks strikingly similar to Frankie. She reaches back for my hand but lets hers drop.

“It’s—” I know how she feels. It irks me too. Everything is out in the open and our meeting was innocent.

“No, it isn’t. We haven’t done anything wrong.” She reaches her hand toward me, and this time, I thread my fingers with hers.

“Hi, Lil. Tommy, this is my sister, Lily.”

Lily gives me the once-over before greeting me. She pauses at our intertwined hands. “Hi, pleasure to meet you.”

I watch the sisters talk without words, mostly head nods and eye movements. It takes resolve not to chuckle or ask what they’re saying. I fail miserably. “Would you like me to leave so you can talk about me?”

Frankie’s fingers tighten around mine. I don’t want to leave, and she doesn’t want me to, which I like, a lot. Both women laugh.

“No, don’t mind us. We’ve been doing that since we were kids. What brings you to the park this evening? Frankie mentioned your daughter is older than our niece and nephew. Too old for the playground.”

“Ellie is at practice on field three. Seeing Frankie was sheer luck.” Amazing, fantastic, made my day better, and I’ll take it considering the upheaval everywhere else.

“Oh—”

“Aunt Lily, can we go back to the swings?”

Either Emilia truly wants to swing, or she understands I want to be alone with Frankie. Why isn’t important. I’m grateful because she’s right.

“Of course, Em. Antonio knows we’re switching off?” Lily addresses Frankie.

“Yes, he knows.”

“Nice meeting you, Tommy. Perhaps I’ll see you again.” Lily extends her hand to me.

“You as well. Bye, Emilia.”

“Bye, Mr. Ellie’s dad.” She all but drags Lily to the playground.

I lean into Frankie. “Hi again.”

“Hi.” She turns to look at me.

Everything about her is perfect. Despite her physical job, she has curves. Curves I want to mark with my fingers. Her skin is flawless, her lips are pouty, and I ache to kiss them again.

“Want to sit or walk?”

I glance at my watch. Ellie still has about an hour left of practice. “Let’s walk.”

Hand in hand we stroll down the narrow path between the trees. After a half mile, we’re out of sight of the park. I pull Frankie into my arms and hide behind a huge tree wide enough to obscure us both. I cup her face and drop my lips to hers. A deep moan catches in her throat. Her mouth is a potent combination of passion and longing. Frankie’s hands slide beneath my suit jacket. Her fingernails dig into my back. I pour every ounce of desire I harbor from the last time I was able to taste her into this kiss. Everything about her is more than I imagined when I first saw her through the window.

I travel outward from her lips along her jaw to below her ear. “I wanted to kiss you the moment I saw you.”

Goose bumps rise on her skin from my words. “Me too. I love our impromptu dates.”

I draw back to look at her before responding. “I do too.” The flash of desire in her eyes has my lips pressed to hers again. We alternate exploring the depths of the other’s mouth. Our hands search for an appropriate place to land. I settle my palm on the curve of her ass with my fingers grazing her soft, warm skin. Frankie draws her nails down my back and up the front of my thighs. The strain on my pants increases exponentially when her fingertips graze my length. As much as I would like to continue this, exhibitionism isn’t high on my list of things to do.

“We should… So good… Slow….” She adds some space between us. Her reaction indicates she’s reluctant to do so like me.

“I think we might have gotten a little carried away.”

She shakes her head slightly. “Only because we’re here. I wouldn’t mind losing myself more with you in private.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“Too blunt?”

Surprised but elated we’re both in this. “No, just surprised you’re willing to articulate your feelings so clearly.”

“No reason not to.”

She’s refreshing. After hearing a distant rumble of thunder, I drop my head.

“We need to head back now,” I add as a few raindrops start to fall. I graze my lips across hers once more and take her hand in mine. With each step toward the fields, the rain falls harder and harder. Before we make it back, we’re both soaked. Frankie is gorgeous by almost every standard definition, but there’s something about a wet threadbare tee clinging to a woman’s curves that makes it hard to breathe. My protective and possessive instincts kick in, and I wrap my jacket around her shoulders. I’m not sharing that view if at all possible.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Ellie’s team is wrapping up as we reach the central area of the park. “Apple muffins tomorrow?” I curl our clasped hands around her waist and draw her closer.

“Sure. I’ll see you then. Good night, Tommy.”

I lean forward and kiss her softly. “Good night, Frankie.” As I pull away, Ellie joins us, but I don’t release my hold on Frankie.

“Hi, Frankie.”

“Hi, Ellie. How was practice?”

“Pretty good. Coach was impressed with the moves you taught me. I tested them out during our intra-squad scrimmage before the rain started.”

“Happy to help.”

“Are you free on Saturday morning?” Ellie asks.

My chest tightens. Not only do I like Frankie, but my daughter does as well.

Frankie’s face brightens. “I think so. What time?”

“Her game is at eleven,” I supply.

“I’ll be there.”

“Great, thank you,” Ellie replies.

“We’ll walk you to your truck.”

At her truck, Frankie removes my jacket before settling into the driver’s seat. It’s impossible to miss the outline of her breasts in her sopping wet shirt. I close the door and walk to my car with Ellie.

“I like her, Dad,” Ellie shares after buckling her seat belt.

“I do too.” No reason for me not to be honest with Ellie. She didn’t blanch when she saw me with Frankie, and she was bold enough to invite Frankie to her next game.

Once we arrive home, Ellie cleans up, eats, and then goes to bed. I text Frankie before turning in myself.

Me: I had a nice time on our walk.

Frankie: You mean you had a nice time kissing on the path at the park.

Me: Busted. I’ll see you in the morning.

Frankie: Looking forward to it.

Me: I am too. Sweet dreams, Sunshine.

Frankie: Good night.

I plug in my phone, check on Ellie, and turn in for the night with Frankie on my mind.