Us at the Beach

by Stephanie Street

  “Yay!” she called out when the song ended. “You guys did such an excellent job.”

  “Not, Walker, Bly,” Joy tattled, pointing an accusing finger in my direction. “He just stood there and didn’t even dance at all.”

  “Uh-,” I shot Joy a look.

  Sheesh.

  I just got thrown under the bus by a six-year-old. I looked back to Blythe to see her standing with her hands on her hips and The Look on her face. “I told you I wasn’t any good at this,” I defended myself.

  Blythe just shook her head.

  “Nice one, squirt. You got me in trouble.” I lifted Joy under her arms and tossed her over my shoulder.

  “Walker, put me down,” the little narc screamed as her tiny fists beat against my back.

  “No way.” I twirled around in a circle until I was dizzy before I stopped and set her on her feet.

  “Whoa,” she said, stumbling around until she fell over, landing in a pile of couch pillows.

  “Nice,” Blythe said, rolling her eyes toward her little sister.

  “She had it coming.”

  “Whatever.” She shook her head then clapped her hands again. “Okay, who’s ready for hide and seek?”

  “Yay!” the kids cheered.

  “Alright, here are the rules. Everyone stays IN the house. Absolutely no hiding outside.” She glared pointedly at Faith and Hope, who smiled a little sheepishly. “You cannot give away someone’s position. Once you are found, you return to home base which is the kitchen island. Once the seeker has found everyone, the last one found is the winner of the round and the first one found is the new seeker. Got it?” She glanced from face to face. When she got to me she paused. “Anything you want to add?”

  I shook my head. “I think you covered it.”

  “Okay, I’ll be the first seeker. I’ll count to one hundred and then call out when I’m on my way. Ready, set, hide!” The kids took off in a mad scramble and Blythe pulled out her phone.

  “Aren’t you going to count?” I asked when she plopped down on the couch, looking very much like she wasn’t going anywhere.

  “Aren’t you going to hide?” she shot back, still flipping through her phone.

  “Nope,” I replied, dropping into the open space beside her.

  After five whole minutes of waiting, I finally had to ask her what the heck she was doing.

  “I let them hide and then after a while I go look for them. But if I wait long enough, sometimes Joy will fall asleep in her hiding spot and I don’t have to deal with bedtime attitude,” she explained.

  “That’s genius.” I couldn’t help but stare at her in awe.

  “Right?” she laughed. “Okay, I guess it’s time to find them.” She rose from the couch and stretched, lifting her shirt an inch or so above the waistband of her shorts giving me a tantalizing view of her skin. “What are you doing?”

  “Wh-what?” I asked, shaking my head to clear it.

  “You can’t just drop out of the game.”

  The game. Right. Whew. I thought she’d caught me checking her out.

  I shrugged. “I’ll come in at the end for the win.”

  “For goodness sake.” Blythe shook her head and yelled, “Ready or not, here I come!”

  Chapter Seven

  Blythe

  I left Walker sitting on the couch and tried to not think about what was going on with him. I’d been a little hurt by his reassurance to my dad that there couldn’t possibly be something between us. I mean, I knew that already, but hearing him say it out loud had hurt a little more than it should have.

  Moving through the house, I knew exactly where I’d find Joy. She always hid in our parent’s room under the bed. I’d look for her last. Faith and Hope were a little sneakier, but still predictable. I opened a closet door and shuffled the contents around. Nothing. I’d never played hide and seek with Pete and Leo, so they were an unknown quantity at this point. I slipped into Roger and Becky’s room. The room was dark, but I didn’t want to give myself away, so I left the light off. I tiptoed to the closet and pushed the door wide, my hand on the light switch. I flipped the switch and jumped in.

  “Aagh!”

  Haha. I knew it. “Faith. Hope. You are found. Head to the island.”

  It was easy after that. I found Pete and Leo in the pantry and behind the couch respectively. I sent them all to the kitchen and then went to round up Walker, who was still sitting where I’d left him. I’d already deposited a sleeping Joy on Mom and Dad’s bed. She’d be out for the night.

  “Faith, you’re it,” I declared. “Count to one hundred and then start your search.

  I sent Walker a salute and then crawled into the coat closet, the first one I’d opened during my search. It was tucked in an alcove and I was hoping Faith would miss it. I hunkered down and pulled out my phone. May as well be entertained while I wait.

  “Hey!” I whisper shouted. “What are you doing?”

  “Shh, do you want to get caught?” Walker tucked himself behind some jackets in the closet, then slid down to sit beside me.

  “No, I don’t, that’s why you need to get out!” I nudged him with my elbow.

  “Faith was right behind me. Now, be quiet.”

  And so, I was. All I could hear was the sound of our breathing. Suddenly, I became hyper aware of Walker’s presence beside me. I felt the short hairs on his arms tickle against my own. I smelled the spicy scent of his cologne filling the closed air around us.

  Footsteps sounded on the floor outside our door. I could see Walker’s face from the faint glow from my phone screen. He put his finger to his lips. I nodded. The footsteps faded. I released the breath I’d been holding.

  Just as I began to relax, Walker lost his balance on the balls of his feet and toppled into me.

  “Oomph,” I breathed as his weight knocked me into the wall behind me. Walker started laughing.

  “I’m sorry,” he breathed. He scrambled to right himself, his arms looking for leverage.

  “Walker!” I gasped as his hand slipped and he fell into me again.

  “Shit,” he swore under his breath through a laugh. “I give up.” And with that, all his weight settled on my lap before he could turn himself and get his bearings.

  “You are sitting on me!” I cried, pushing at his muscular back.

  “Hang on,” Walker said. He slid off my legs and sat beside me again, but this time we were positioned on the shorter wall and my hips were smashed between his and the wall. How the kids hadn’t found us yet, I will never know. Then before I knew what was happening, Walker lifted me under my arms and pulled me across his lap.

  “What-,” I started to say. But Walker stopped me.

  With his lips.

  Ohhh.

  It wasn’t a long kiss. In fact, it was so fast, I almost wondered if I imagined it. But I hadn’t. I knew, because my mouth still tingled from the touch of his.

  “Shhh.” His breath passed over my lips. I nodded, wondering if I’d ever be able to talk again. Walker pulled me so my back rested against his chest. His arms wrapped around me, his chin resting on my shoulder.

  “What are you playing?” he asked and took my phone from my hands. He clicked the home button and my apps displayed on the screen. He searched through them until he found what he was looking for and for the next few minutes I struggled to calm the erratic beating of my heart while watching Walker play Ninja Jump on my phone.

  Walker

  I’m not sure what possessed me to do it. I just knew I had to. I’d been thinking about it all week and when I’d seen her sneak into that closet, I followed her. Falling over her? Pulling her into my lap? Totally planned. Kissing her? Not so much. And even though it was a pretty sorry excuse for a kiss, as kisses go, it was enough to let me know I wanted more. I was suddenly thankful for our parents leaving us to watch the kids and even more thankful I’d been with it enough to negotiate a freaking date with Blythe out of the deal. Well, a kind of date.

  It wasn’t
long after I kissed her that the kids descended on our quiet closet in the hall. We’d emerged flushed and awkward, but it was worth it. Blythe ordered all the kids to bed. We put the boys in their room, the girls in theirs. I’m pretty sure they were all on their tablets, but I didn’t care. I found Blythe in the kitchen, cleaning up the last of our mess and turning out the lights.

  “Wanna watch a movie?” I asked, taking a pop out of the fridge.

  “Sure. Are the kids asleep?” We made our way into the family room.

  “They’re in bed. Not sure about the sleeping part.” I sprawled on the sectional couch, remote in hand.

  Blythe nodded, her finger trailing the DVD selection on the shelves. “Do you think people just leave these here?”

  I shrugged. The house had all kinds of things like books and games and movies. “Who knows. What looks good?”

  “I don’t know.” Her cute nose crinkled as she read the titles. “What have you seen? What kind of movies do you like?”

  “Anything really. Except horror.” I shuddered. “I hate horror movies.”

  Blythe turned to me, a huge grin on her face. Uh-oh. Nothing good could come of that look.

  “Are you chicken, Walker?”

  “Uh. No. Blythe, I am not a chicken.” Pssht. At. All.

  “You are!” she accused with her finger pointed at me. Dang.

  “Just pick a movie, Blythe.”

  And please, no dolls.

  Or clowns.

  Or babysitters. Isn’t that a thing? The babysitter gets murdered by some dude with a mask?

  I shuddered again.

  “I know just the one.” Blythe plucked a movie from the shelf, using her body to shield the cover from me as she loaded it in the DVD player. The tv screen lit with previews and Blythe made her way back to the sectional.

  Fifteen minutes later, Blythe was practically sitting in my lap as I used her body as a shield between myself and the demons on the screen in front of us.

  “Why, Blythe,” I whispered, tucking a blanket around us for added protection. “If people would just not go into the scary attic, none of this would happen. No little boys would be possessed right now.”

  I couldn’t see it, but I could hear the eye roll in her voice. “There would also not be a movie, Walker.”

  “Exactly! I’m glad you can see my point.” I squeezed my eyes tight when the music became especially intense. No point in seeing some nasty demonic face when I didn’t have to, right? “Tell me when it’s over.”

  The action in the movie paused and Blythe turned to face me, wide-eyed. “You are scared!”

  I pried my eyes open. “No, I’m not.”

  “You are!” She jabbed my chest. “Do you want to pick something else?”

  Yes! How about a nice chick flick? That’s what I wanted to say. Instead, I said, “No. Of course not.”

  “Okay,” she didn’t look convinced. “Well, are you ready, then.

  No!

  “Yes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I glared. “Yes, I’m sure.” And then, before I could chicken out on all levels, I pulled her back into me and readjusted the blanket over us. If I was going to be tortured by a freaky little boy possessed by some demon, I’ll be danged if I’m not going to get anything out of it. And what I plan to get out of it- snuggles with Blythe.

  Blythe sat tense against my chest and glanced over her shoulder at me. I gave her a reassuring smile. “You gonna push play?”

  “Yeah,” she croaked, before clearing her throat and pressing the play button.

  I tried not to think about the movie. I could not handle scary movies since I was a little kid, on vacation with my family. We were all sleeping crammed in a hotel room and my dad thought all us boys were asleep when he turned it to the old movie channel on the tv and watched Psycho. I still sometimes got freaked out in the shower and had to look out the curtain to make sure some nut job wasn’t out there with a knife waiting to stab me a thousand times. It made me shudder just thinking about it.

  Blythe must have noticed because she reached out and grabbed my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Huh. Maybe it’s worth it, acting like a first-class wuss. I laced my fingers through hers and let my mind review this last week with Blythe and her family.

  Like I said, I was glad my parents decided to move back to Indiana. I hadn’t really considered Blythe as part of that equation, but she quickly became the most interesting variable that first night at the barbeque in her backyard. I couldn’t get over how instant the attraction I felt for her took over every other thought or emotion. It was like I couldn’t think straight when she was in the room and when she wasn’t in the room, I found myself wondering when she would cross my path next and hoping it was soon.

  I was more than a little excited about getting to hang out with her tomorrow after our parents returned from their overnight stay. As adorable as I thought she was and as much as I thought about her runner’s body close to mine, I realized this week hanging out with Blythe, that she is fun. And smart. And game to try anything. Everything I’d ever looked for in a potential girlfriend. And I was really beginning to think that’s what I wanted. For Blythe to be my girl.

  Chapter Eight

  Blythe

  I could hardly breathe. First, the kiss in the closet earlier and now, snuggling on the couch in front of a scary movie. What in the heck is going on with Walker? Last night, he couldn’t reassure my dad enough that there was nothing going on between us. Yet, today he’s pretty much done nothing but act like we are a couple. Even now, he is about to squeeze the life out of me, his eyes tucked behind my shoulder. I can hardly concentrate on the movie, the sensations his closeness has provoked are so intense.

  “I’m gonna hear this music in my dreams tonight,” he whispered in my ear, his warm breath stirring the wispy hairs that have fallen out of my ponytail. My body shivered in response.

  “We can watch something else before we go to bed.” I turned my head so I could see into his eyes, our faces only inches apart. “I’m sorry. I was just trying to tease you, picking this one. I didn’t realize how much you really don’t like scary movies.”

  “It’s okay,” he leaned forward until his forehead touched mine. “I’m not sure I would have convinced you to snuggle with me if we turned on an action flick.”

  “I’m not sure you convinced me as much as you commandeered me,” I teased him.

  “You aren’t really big enough to be a good human shield but desperate times call for desperate measures.” Walker’s hands played with the ends of my hair at my back and I struggled to calm my breathing as my eyes met his blue gaze. I was struck anew with how handsome he was- Walker Thomas is just straight gorgeous and I had to wonder what he was doing flirting with me.

  “I see how it is, you’re hanging out with me out of desperations.” Deny it. Please, deny it!

  Walker breathed out a laugh, his breath tickling my face. “I’m desperate for something, Bly.”

  I was vaguely aware of the movie ending and the credits rolling across the screen. I knew I should get up and turn off the tv. I knew I should escape this moment with Walker. He wasn’t really interested in me. I was just here. Available. As soon as we got back to the real world- school- he would realize what a nobody I am, he will turn his attention to some cheerleader. A popular girl. There is no way someone like Walker could like me for anything more than a casual flirtation.

  But I couldn’t do it. I’d never admit it to him, but that peck in the closet? That was my first kiss- ever. And right now, he’s looking at me like he would like to give kissing me another try. Who was I to deny myself of the mind-blowing experience of kissing Walker? Ha. As. If.

  Walker reached up with one hand to cup my face with his palm. I watched as his eyes roved over my face before landing on my lips. “Thanks for protecting me from the scary movie.” His voice was low and smooth and made me tingle deep in my chest.

  “You’re welcome.” I don’t know how
I was able to speak, I was so aware of Walker and his closeness- his touch.

  Walker grinned, his eyes twinkling with amusement a moment before becoming almost pensive. His gaze shifted to my lips again. I held my breath as his head descended toward mine, his lips a breath away from my own-

  “Blythe!”

  Walker and I sprung off the couch. Heart pounding, I turned to see Joy standing just behind the sectional couch, rubbing her tear-filled eyes. Quickly rounding the couch, I pulled her into my arms and gave her a hug.

  “What’s the matter, sweetie?” I asked, brushing her tangled hair from her face, my mind and heart still racing from what I think was about to just happen between Walker and I on the couch.

  “I miss Mommy,” Joy cried. I knew she was just tired and if I went upstairs with her, she would fall right back asleep. I glanced at Walker, who was watching us with an expression I had no idea how to identify.

  “I guess I’ll have to take a rain check on another movie,” I told him, wanting more than anything to send Joy to bed and crawl back onto the couch with him.

  “Yeah,” he nodded. “I guess so.”

  “Goodnight, Walker.” I said and hiked Joy up, settling her on my hip.

  “Night, Bly. Night, Joy.” I’m not sure I was imagining it or not, but it sounded as though Walker was just as disappointed by the interruption as I was.

  Walker

  I scrubbed my palms over my face. As disappointed as I was to not kiss Blythe, I realize it’s probably a good thing we were interrupted by Joy. It had only been a week since we’d been back around each other after not seeing each other in over three years. And really, I had no idea if Blythe was feeling the same attraction toward me as I was toward her. Maybe she didn’t even like me at all! Especially after witnessing my embarrassing inability to be a man about a scary movie.