Collide (Collide, #1)(32)

“It’s very nice to meet you, Mrs. Blake.” Emily offered to shake her hand but felt pleasantly surprised when the woman leaned in to hug her.

“Call me Lillian, kiddo,” she exclaimed, her large green eyes twinkling when she released her hold on Emily. “Mrs. Blake makes me feel old, and I’m far from it.”

“Alright, it’s very nice to meet you, Lillian,” she laughed.

“Atta girl.”

Emily smiled and studied her striking features. She would’ve never guessed she had two older children or that she was ever sick with cancer no less. Her chestnut hair, twisted up in a flattering way, glistened against the sun. Her sweeping cheekbones and flawlessly golden skin had not a hint of age touching it.

“My sister-in-law, Melanie, is around here somewhere,” Gavin stated as his gaze roamed over the backyard. Before he could ask his mother where she was, from out of nowhere, his niece and nephew jumped on his back.

Playfully rolling to the ground with them, Gavin looked up to Emily and laughed. “Well, here are her offspring.”

“Uncle Gaffin! Stop tickling me!” The little girl squealed, her golden locks of blonde hair spilling over her face as she thrashed her head from side to side under his comical assault.

“I help you, Teesa!” The little boy cried out like a certified hero saving a damsel in distress, beginning his own tickling attack on Gavin.

Emily and Lillian laughed and watched the three of them roll around in the grass. Ultimately, the two children won the tickling battle, ganging up on their uncle. Gavin succumbed to the fact that he was outnumbered and pleaded for help as he laughed in hysterics.

Standing up from the ground, Gavin wiped tiny blades of grass from his swimming trunks and looked at Emily. “These two little nuts are my niece and nephew, Theresa and Timothy.” He then quickly dodged at them as though he was going to restart the tickling match.

They both jumped back and laughed.

Gavin hunched over and slung an arm over each of their shoulders. “This is Molly…I mean, Emily.” Emily shook her head and laughed. “You two better be nice to her. I don’t think she feels like getting attacked today from either one of you.”

The little girl looked up to Emily and tugged on her sundress. “I like your dress, Emm-mi-me.”

Emily kneeled down and smiled at the little freckled-faced beauty. “Well, I really like your dress, too, Theresa.”

“Did you haf a dress like dis when you was three?”

“Not as pretty as the one you’re wearing.”

Theresa threw her arms around Emily’s neck, almost knocking her off balance. Emily laughed and hugged the child back.

Like a mini-gentleman, Timothy offered his hand to shake Emily’s. “Are you Uncle Gaffin’s girfend?”

Emily smiled up to Gavin and then looked at the little boy as she shook his hand. “No, but I’m his friend’s girlfriend.”

“We’re twins,” Timothy said with a proud smile on his face.

“I thought you were.” Emily smiled. “Well, you two are the cutest little twins I’ve ever met.”

“Will you come swimmy with us, Emm-mi-me?” Timothy asked, his hazel eyes sparkling as he wiped a sweaty strand of blonde hair away from his forehead.

“Hmm.” The little boy smiled and eagerly awaited her answer. She gave his nose a quick gentle pinch. “I think I will. Just let me go inside to put on my bathing suit, and I’ll be right back.”

Both children jumped up and down, clapping their hands in obvious delight.

Emily made her way through the throng of workers and headed upstairs to slip into her bathing suit. Taking careful measure not to piss off Dillon, she threw on a scarlet-and-gray Ohio State University T-shirt over her bikini. After removing the makeup from her face, she breezed back outside.

The two children—already in the pool with Gavin—gleefully splashed at him as he made a fine attempt at acting like a shark. Submerging himself under the water, he tented his hands over his head as he plunged toward them.

“Emm-mi-me is here!” Theresa hooted out.

Gavin looked to Emily and laughed. “Like my Jaws impersonation?”

“It was decent,” she replied as she got into the water. She smiled. “But I’m pretty sure I could do a better one.”

He smirked and cocked an incredulous brow. “Oh, you think so?”

“No,” she smiled. “Just kidding.”

He laughed and reached for a large multicolored beach ball. “Okay, so how’s about a friendly game of pool volleyball?” He flashed a smile. “Girls against boys, of course.”

Emily raised her chin in playful defiance. “Bring it, Blake.”

With both teams positioned on either side of the net, the game began. The kids screeched into a loud burst of laughter when Emily jumped up, spiked the ball onto Gavin’s head, and knocked his sunglasses clear off his face. After Gavin resurfaced from retrieving the sunken shades, his eyes trained on Emily as he smiled with a guaranteed promise of retaliation. She gave a quick high-five to Theresa and shot Gavin a smirk—quite pleased with herself by the point gained for the girls.

Tossing his arm around Timothy’s shoulder, Gavin whispered something into his ear. He chucked his sunglasses onto a beach chair and eyed Emily with a devious smile. She knew he was up to no good. She shook her head and laughed. Before she could warn Theresa of her uncle’s mischievous intentions, a tidal wave of water splashed into her face—courtesy of Gavin.