Something About Fireworks Read online

  “But I don’t know how to be patient.”

  Ugh. The whine of a seven-year-old boy. How many times must we have this conversation? “You be quiet and find something to do until it’s time to go.”

  “Fiiiiiiiine-uh.”

  Camden slumps away. Geez, he can be frustrating. I holler after him. “One more hour, Camden.”

  I finish packing a small duffel with a change of clothes for each of us, just in case, and a couple of beach towels. Today is supposed to be a hot one, and I have to admit, a dip in the pool sounds pretty good. All I have to do is get past my awkwardness around people I’ve never met before. Having Camden with me will make it easier. I can focus my attention on him without seeming anti-social.

  Exactly one hour later, Camden comes out of his room and finds me in the living room. He hovers a few feet away behind a chair, looking at me as I sit on the couch reading on my tablet.

  “Hey, bud.”

  “Hey, Daddy.” His voice comes out soft but not upset. He’s doing his best not to ask again, and I can tell he’s worried he’ll get in trouble because he called me daddy instead of dad.

  “You ready to go?”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

  “Okay. Go get your shoes on then.”

  I laugh as he rushes away. Flipping the cover of my tablet closed, I set it on the arm of the couch and push to my feet. Part of my wants to get this day over with, but another part of me kind of hopes I’ll actually have some fun.

  It’s been strange living so far away from the beach again. When Audrey, Camden’s mom, got orders that she was being reassigned to Buckley Air Force Base just outside of Denver, I’d immediately made plans to move and started looking for a job. We may have been divorced, but we were still friends, and though I had primary custody of our son, there was no way I was going to have him that far separated from his mom.

  We moved over spring break from San Diego to Denver. More specifically, Highlands Ranch, yet another recommendation from Zoe, who was my soon-to-be boss at the time. I would have waited for Camden to finish the school year, but Audrey would have been deployed by then and I didn’t want Camden to miss any time with her. I know it’s terrible to think it, but there’s always the possibility that she won’t make it back. I’m not sure what I’ll do if that ever happens.

  The move also put us within driving distance of my parents who live up in Cheyenne, so now Camden gets to see his Nana and Papa on a fairly regularly basis. It will also make it a lot easier to deliver my dad’s birthday gift once the restoration is done.

  So far, win-win for everyone.

  Zoe’s house is only a couple miles from my apartment and takes only a few minutes to get there. I count only about four cars parked in the giant cul-de-sac near her house and park amidst them. Four cars means no more than four families, so there can’t be too many people here. At least, not yet. I recognize a couple from work, so that’s good. People I already know is good.

  Camden’s practically jumping out of his skin when we reach the door.

  “Chill out, bud. And remember your manners.”

  A hand-scribbled note on the security screen door invites us to ‘come on in.’ I’ve always felt awkward doing that, but I follow the instructions anyway. Camden and I find our way to the kitchen, and thankfully, a familiar face.

  “Hey, Zoe.”

  Zoe sets down the knife in her hand and spins away from the cutting board. “Ollie! You made it! Hang on a sec.” She rinses her hands in the sink and dries them with the towel hanging just below. “Just making some more fresh salsa. The guys and kids devoured the first batch. Hi, Camden. Remember me?”

  Camden nods. “Yeah.”

  “Well, come on out and I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

  “Sure.”

  The moment we walk out the sliding glass door behind her, Camden’s eyes are glued to the pool—complete with a natural-looking rock waterfall and slide—and the kids playing in the water. A couple look about his age. One appears a little older. A couple of women sit on the edge of the pool, their feet dangling in the water, chatting as they watch the kids. Alexa from work is one of them.

  Zoe stands on the covered deck and gestures toward various guests, starting with those I know. “Alexa’s over there chatting with Vae—Tyler’s wife. Their son, Carter, is in the pool with my two—Zach and Trevor. Zach’s the older one.” Zoe points toward the large grass lawn. “Tyler’s out there in the yard playing croquet with his daughter, Scarlett, and my oldest, Lily. The two guys tossing the football are Wyatt, Alexa’s boyfriend, and Henry, one of Russ’s friends. Henry’s wife, Emily, is out there on the lounger at the far end under the palm trees, reading.”

  I nod as Zoe pauses. Both Scarlett and Lily look to be in their mid-teens, and of course, Tyler I know. The others I’ve never met before, but so far, they all seem like a fun, easy-going crowd.

  “And then my husband and brother are over there hanging out by the grill.”

  I glance toward the two men. One is holding a beer and cleaning the racks with a wire brush while the other stands with his back to me beside him drinking a bottle of water, both chatting about something.

  “Anyway. Make yourself at home. There’s a cooler with drinks and the fridge inside has more. Eat, drink, play, have fun. I’m gonna finish up that salsa.” Zoe heads back into the kitchen.

  “Thanks, Zoe.”

  “Dad, can I go swimming now?”

  “Sure.”

  “Yessss!”

  I head toward Alexa since she’s near the pool and I know her. I drop my bag in a nearby lounge chair and slide my flip-flops off, leaving them beneath the chair. Camden kicks his off next to mine.

  “Mind if I join you ladies?” I ask as I step up beside Alexa. She glances up at me.

  “Hey, Ollie. Camden. Zoe said you guys would be here. Sit.”

  “Can I go in, Dad?”

  “Yes, you can go in.” I drop down on the pool deck and sit with my feet in the water. Camden quickly descends the steps into the shallow end of the pool and in no time, is talking with the other kids. I lean back on my hands as I watch him play.

  So far so good.

  Chapter 3

  Gray

  I perk up when I hear the name Ollie and start looking around. Russ keeps talking as he scrapes the gunk off the grill, but I’m only half listening. Within seconds, my gaze lands on a new guy sitting by the pool.

  That can’t be the same guy, can it?

  I can’t help but watch him, wanting to hear his voice. I want to hear him laugh to see if it really is the same man I met yesterday. The one still doing funny things to my heart.

  One of the boys in the pool hops and splashes his way toward him. “Dad! Dad!”

  The man laughs at something Vae says as he turns his attention to the boy. “What’s up, bud?”

  The laugh. The voice. Christ, it is him. And he’s a dad?

  “Watch this!” The boy plugs his nose and does a crooked, half-underwater somersault. He pops up, trying to wipe the water off his face. “Did you see?”

  “That was awesome, dude!” The pride on the man’s face is beyond genuine as his son beams. His voice resonates through me like no one’s has in a very long time. Maybe I should go over and talk to him.

  A hand waves in front of my face. “Earth to Gray. Hello-o?”

  “What?”

  “Did you hear anything I just said?”

  “Nope.” I pop the word, blatantly honest about the fact I was ignoring him. My eyes drift back toward Ollie—pretty sure it’s Ollie.

  Russ follows my gaze, glancing over his shoulder. “Who’s that?”

  “I’m guessing one of the guys from Zoe’s work.”

  I continue to watch Ollie, grateful for the distance between us right now and the fact he appears to have no idea that I’m here. Or maybe he does and doesn’t care?

  “So. How long you gonna stare at the guy before you go talk to him?”

  I blink and glance a
t Russ. “I wasn’t staring.”

  “Yeah. You were.”

  I guzzle down what’s left of my water. “I think Zoe’s up to something again.”

  “Why do you say that?” Russ hooks the grill brush on the side of the barbeque and turns to lean against the post. He takes a long pull of his beer.

  “If that’s who I think it is, he came by the shop yesterday needing restoration work done on a 1950 Chevy. Said his boss referred him to me.”

  “Sounds like Zoe’s getting sneakier with her setups. Did he say anything else?”

  “Nope. Just talked about the car.”

  “Hmm.”

  My gaze lingers on Ollie. I should go talk to him, at the very least to say hi.

  “Yes, you should.” Russ shoves my shoulder.

  I snort a laugh. “Did I say that out loud?”

  “At the risk of sounding too much like my wife, I’m going to say this once. There is only one other person I’ve ever seen you look at the way you are looking at this guy now.”

  “Yeah.” My voice catches a little just thinking of Jason, but even then, I can’t seem to tear my eyes away from Ollie. It couldn’t hurt anything to simply talk to the man.

  The glass door slides open. “Hey, hon. Can I get your help?” Zoe calls without stepping outside.

  “Yep.” Russ heads inside, and I’m left wondering if I’ll be able to handle a simple conversation with Ollie.

  I drop my empty water bottle in the cardboard box serving as a temporary recycle bin. Pushing my sunglasses back up my nose, I head toward the pool. “Hey, kids. There’s more chips out.”

  “Uncle Gray, come play with us!” Trevor shouts.

  “In a bit, okay?”

  “Okay!” Trevor goes back to splashing and playing. When I turn back to see in the direction I’m going, Ollie is looking straight at me, and an uncontrolled smile breaks over my lips.

  “Hey, it is you.” I’m still grinning. “Mind if I sit?”

  “Hey, no, not at all.”

  I drop down beside him, letting my feet sink into the cool water. “So, you must work for my sister?”

  “By that question, I take it you’re Zoe’s brother.”

  “Yep.”

  “She’s never mentioned she had a brother. No wonder she so highly recommended your shop.” Ollie smirks, and while the sarcasm is clear, his tone is lighthearted.

  “Hey, I do excellent work. These hands have performed miracles.”

  “I bet they have,” Ollie chuckles, and a tight warmth spreads outward from the center of my chest. It takes me a moment to recover enough to speak again.

  “You’re still gonna bring the car by tomorrow, right?”

  “Yeah. Around eleven, I think. Is that okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  A moment of silence passes between us.

  “How old is your son?”

  “Camden? He’s seven.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking, where’s his mom? Was she just not able to make it?”

  “She’s deployed right now.”

  “Oh? What branch?”

  “Air Force.”

  “Impressive. Must be tough though.”

  “It is a little. Camden misses her a lot. It’s the main reason we moved here, so we can be close by when she is home.”

  “Close by?”

  Ollie gives me a quick glance. “Oh, we’re divorced.”

  “Ah.”

  “Audrey—Camden’s mom—is my best friend. Was before we married and still is.”

  “That’s kind of cool, I suppose. I’ve seen some pretty nasty divorces. People can get so petty and mean. I can’t imagine treating the person you once loved that way.”

  “Yeah. I still love Audrey, but as a friend.”

  “What happened? And if you don’t want to tell me, that’s fine.”

  “No, it’s fine.” Ollie gives me an uncertain smile. “A few years after Camden was born, I finally told her I was gay.”

  Ollie looks away and takes a deep breath, his eyes focused on his son.

  “That must have been hard.”

  He nods, still watching Camden. “Yeah. But it’s definitely been for the best. Though I have to admit, the dating part is a little challenging.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “I’m the old guy with a kid from a straight marriage.” Ollie looks at me. “One guy actually had the audacity to tell me I wasn’t gay. Bi maybe, but not gay.”

  “Bet that was a short date,” I smirk.

  Ollie huffs a quiet laugh. “Yep.”

  “You’re not old, by the way.”

  “I’m older than most.” Ollie leans forward a little, bracketing his hands over the edge of the pool.

  “Have all your dates been younger than you?”

  “Pretty much. There was one older guy, but that didn’t work out either.”

  “Are you seeing someone now?”

  “No.” Ollie gives his head a shake. “With the move and new job, I’ve been too busy to even look. Then, to actually go on a date and explain that I have a kid and hope the guy doesn’t want to bail at that point… I’m not sure I’m ready to dive into that again yet.”

  “What if you didn’t have to do that?”

  “But I do. I can’t not be honest with someone about that. Camden, and even Audrey to some extent, will always be part of my life. We’re a package deal.”

  “Fair enough.” I take in a quiet breath and bite the corner of my bottom lip. My heart rate kicks up a notch and suddenly, my palms are sweaty. “I’d be willing to take a chance on that deal.”

  “You would?”

  “Absolutely. The question is, will you take a chance on me?”

  Ollie’s eyes search mine, as if he’s looking for a reason to say no.

  “Spend the rest of the evening here on a date with me.”

  “What about Camden?”

  “What about him? He seems to be having a good time playing with the other kids. And if he needs you or wants to hang out with you—or us—then that’s okay too.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Completely.” My eyes flicker down to the edge of the pool deck where his hands are braced on either side of him. I bring my gaze up to meet his as I discretely move my hand between us to brush against his. I could swear his breath hitches when our skin touches. There’s just something about this man that gives me a future to hope for again, and I don’t want it to slip away. “So, will you?”

  Chapter 4

  Ollie

  Okay, this is not, at all, what I expected. Gray is not what I expected.

  He’s barely touching my hand and my whole body is tingling. I can’t seem to pull my eyes from his hopeful, contemplating gaze, and I see it. He’s actually worried I’ll decline.

  But how can I? So far, he seems to be a nice guy. Not out to prove anything. A bit older than me. Good looking in a normal sort of way. And is okay with Camden, not to mention my ex-wife. Pretty sure that’s all my starter boxes checked.

  “I think I’d be crazy to say no.”

  A smile teases the corners of Gray’s mouth, as if he’s trying to contain his excitement. No one’s ever looked at me like that before.

  “Good. Wait, that does mean yes, right?”

  I can’t help my spreading smile nor the butterflies kicking up a frenzy in my stomach. “Yes.”

  “Okay, good. Now that that’s out of the way, would you like something to eat or drink?”

  “A cold drink does sound good.”

  “Anything in particular? There’s beer, soda, water, and some wine coolers I think.”

  I twist my lips, thinking. “I’ll take a flavored beer if you’ve got some, otherwise a wine cooler. I’m not too picky.”

  Gray slides back a few inches, pulling his feet out of the water, and kneels on one knee. “Anything to eat?”

  “Maybe later, but I’m good for now. Thanks.”

  “What about Camden?”

  “A lemonade
maybe, if you have it. Otherwise water.”

  “You got it. Be right back.” Gray hops to his feet and heads toward the covered patio.

  I turn my attention back to Camden. He’s still having fun playing. Fortunately, the kids are staying in the shallower end of the pool where Camden’s feet can touch. I watch as the boys dive for neon orange and green octopus toys and pluck them off the bottom of the pool.

  “Wow. Gray must really like you,” Alexa says.

  I sit back a little, knitting my brow. “Why do you say that?”

  “Zoe’s been trying to set him up with someone for years with no success. You spend five minutes with him and he suddenly wants to spend the rest of the day with you.”

  “Yeah,” Vae chimes in, leaning forward to look around Alexa. “Last year’s Christmas party, she invited a guy she’d met at a book convention who it turned out was a firefighter right here in Highlands Ranch. Even introduced them. Gray barely said two words to him. Poor guy.”

  “Gray’s been like that with just about every guy who’s shown the slightest interest in him, until you,” Alexa adds.

  “Hmm.” I shrug my shoulders.

  “Did Zoe set this up?”

  “If she did, I have no clue. She never once mentioned she had a brother, let alone a brother who was single and gay.”

  “Don’t forget handsome,” Vae adds.

  “That too.”

  “And if you need any alone time with him this evening, just let me know. I can keep an eye on Camden for you,” Vae says, her offer sincere.

  “Yeah, you don’t have to worry about if he’s in the pool. Vae was a lifeguard back in the day, and it’s still in her system. She watches the water like a hawk, especially when there are kids around.”

  “I can’t help it. I’m a paramedic now, and I’ve seen far too many children drown due to lack of supervision.”

  “Wow, you’re a paramedic?”

  “Yep.”

  “That’s gotta be a tough job.”

  “It is, but so worth it.”

  “Don’t believe anything they tell you about me,” Gray says from behind me, his tone light.

  I turn and look up at him, finding it more than difficult to stifle the smile trying to break across my face. “They said you were handsome. Should I not believe that?”