Match Me If You Can (Chicago Stars #6)(65)

Pippi patted Heath’s calf with a sandy hand. “Pwinz. He don’t have his phone.”

Annabelle gazed up at him. “I understand about the phone part, but what’s that other thing she’s saying?”

Heath gritted his teeth. “Prince. That’s me.”

Annabelle grinned and hugged the little troublemaker, who launched into a monologue about how Daphne the Bunny used to come into her bedroom and play but wouldn’t come anymore because Pippi was too big. As Annabelle tilted her head to listen, her hair brushed his thigh, and he nearly jumped out of his chair.

Pippi finally ran off to join her father and demand he go in the water with her. He was agreeable, although they had a small dispute about the boots, which he eventually won.

“I love that kid.” Annabelle’s expression held a trace of longing. “She’s got a lot of spirit.”

“Which is bound to get her into trouble when she’s incarcerated.”

“Will you stop it?”

Her hair brushed his thigh again. He could only handle so much stimulation, and he shot up. “I’m going swimming. Want to join me?”

She sent a longing glance toward the lake. “I think I’ll stay here.”

“Come on, girly-girl.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to her feet. “Unless you’re afraid to get your hair wet?”

Quick as a flash, she jerked free and raced for the water. “Last one to the raft is an obsessive-compulsive fathead.” She plunged in and set off. He was right after her. Although she was a good swimmer, he had her on endurance. Still, he made himself back off when they got close so she could win.

As she touched the ladder, she rewarded him with one of those Annabelle grins that took over her whole face. “Sissy boy got beat.”

That was too much, and he dunked her.

They horsed around like that for a while, climbing up on the raft, diving in, and attacking each other. Growing up with older brothers had taught her more than a few dirty tricks, and her expression of glee when she got the best of him was priceless. Once again, she tried to make him tell her what the D in his middle name stood for. He refused and got a face full of water. The horseplay gave him a good excuse to get his hands on her, but he finally lingered too long, and she pulled back.

“I’ve had enough. I’m going back to the cottage to rest up before dinner.”

“I understand. You’re not as young as you used to be.”

But he couldn’t bait her, and she swam away. He watched as she waded toward the beach. Her bathing suit rode up, revealing two round, water-slicked cheeks. She reached around and slipped her finger under the leg openings to tug it back into place. He groaned and dove under, but the water wasn’t nearly cold enough, and it took awhile before he settled down.

When he got back to the beach, he spent some time shooting the bull with Charmaine and Darnell, but all the while he was conscious of Phoebe lazing on a chaise a few yards away. She wore a big straw hat, a low-cut one-piece black suit with a tropical print sarong wrapped around her waist, and an invisible DO NOT DISTURB sign. He decided it was time to make his move and excused himself from the Pruitts to wander over. “Mind if I pull up some sand so we can talk?”

Her lids dropped behind a pair of sunglasses with pink lenses. “And my day was going so well until now.”

“All good things have to come to an end.” Instead of taking the empty chaise next to her, he gave her the advantage of the superior position and sat on an abandoned towel in the sand. “I’ve been curious about something ever since that party for the kids.”

“Oh?”

“How did a dragon lady like you end up with a sweetheart like Hannah?”

For once, she laughed. “Dan’s gene pool.”

“Did you hear Hannah talking to the girls about the balloons?”

She finally looked at him. “I guess I missed that conversation.”

“She said that if their balloons broke, they could cry if they really wanted to, but all it meant was that a grumpy fairy had stuck a pin in them. Where does she come up with stuff like that?”

She smiled. “Hannah has quite an imagination.”

“I’ll say. She’s a special kid.”

Even the toughest moguls were pushovers when it came to their children, and the ice cracked a little more. “We worry about her more than the others. She’s so sensitive.”

“Considering who her parents are, I’m guessing she’s a lot tougher than you think.” He should have been ashamed of himself for laying it on so thick, but Hannah really was a great kid, and he didn’t feel too bad about it.

“I don’t know. She feels things pretty deeply.”

“What you call sensitive, I call having people smarts. Once she graduates from ninth grade, send her to me and I’ll give her a job. I need somebody to put me in touch with my feminine side.”

Phoebe laughed, a sound of genuine amusement. “I’ll think about it. Might be useful to have a spy in the enemy camp.”

“Come on, Phoebe. I was a cocky kid trying to show everybody how tough I was. I blew it, and we both know it. But I haven’t screwed you over once since then.”

A shadow fell over her face. “Now, you’ve moved on to Annabelle.”

Just like that, their fragile camaraderie evaporated. He spoke carefully. “Is that what you think I’m doing?”