Sometimes It Lasts(Sea Breeze #5)(25)

I knew what the hell she drank with her breakfast. We’d been living together for eight months up until two weeks ago. He didn’t need to tell me what she drank. “I know,” I snapped taking a glass and pouring her some orange juice. “Go sit.”

“Stop fussing over her. She’ll kick both your asses if you keep that up,” Wilson said in a loud booming voice as he entered the kitchen. I was glad to hear him sound like he always did. He didn’t sound sick. I turned to look at Eva’s father. He was thinner and the dark circles under his eyes were worse.

“Thank you, Daddy. You want a biscuit?” she asked, hurrying over to get a biscuit and put it on a napkin.

Wilson didn’t look like he wanted a biscuit but he took it from her and smiled. “Thanks, I’ll take it and my coffee outside. Not sure I can stomach these two acting like mother hens.”

I was positive he wasn’t going to eat that biscuit. He was going outside to hide that fact from Eva. She only nodded and handed him a thermos of coffee that I’d watched her prepare for him.

“Don’t take too long boy, we got a calf gonna come today.” Wilson barked at Jeremy who just nodded his head.

When the screen door closed behind him, Eva walked over and sank down into a chair. “At least he took a biscuit. That’s good,” she said forcing a smile.

I fixed her a plate and buttered her biscuit before I put gravy over it just the way she liked it then set it in front of her. She frowned up at me. “Eat it or I’ll set you in my lap and feed your cute little mouth myself.”

Jeremy chuckled and Eva tried to frown but a small smile curved on her lips instead.

“Fine. I’ll eat it but only because I missed you.”

“Good,” I replied sitting back down in my chair and taking a bite of my bacon. I didn’t take my eyes off her. I watched as she cut up her biscuit and gravy with a fork before taking a bite. She glanced up at me as she began to chew.

I leaned back and relaxed. I could watch her all day long.

“Listen, if you two are gonna eye-f*ck each other during breakfast, I’m not gonna be able to sit here and eat,” Jeremy said.

“Good. Go on,” I said without looking away from Eva. Her cheeks turned a bright pink and she ducked her head.

“Jeremy, ignore him and eat your breakfast,” Eva said in a soft voice lifting her eyes to look at me again. I winked at her and she bit down on her bottom lip. I’d have to suck on that bottom lip as soon as Jeremy got his ass out of here and make it feel better.

“I’m done anyway. I need to get out there and help Wilson. He’ll be trying to do all the prep by himself. Stubborn man,” Jeremy said as he stood up and headed for the door.

“Please call me if you need me down there,” Eva told him as he left the kitchen.

Once the door closed behind him I pushed my chair back and patted my knee. “Come here,” I told her. She looked down at my lap and up a the door. Then she stood up and walked over to sit in my lap.

“What are you doing?” she asked in an excited voice.

“I’m feeding you. I can’t watch you eat so far away. I need to be able to touch you. Been too long,” I explained.

She beamed down at me and my world was right.

* * *

I didn’t want to waste time with people when I could have Eva all to myself. But Amanda had called Eva and invited us to go to the beach with the gang and Eva had said yes. Damn friends.

The summer crowd was covering the beach in Sea Breeze. Amanda already had chairs and umbrellas rented for everyone and placed in a semi circle facing the water. Eva had worn a red bikini that I didn’t like the idea of her wearing but I was trying to remind myself that she needed this distraction. She needed to have fun. Her life right now was stressful enough. If she wanted to wear a tiny little bikini on the beach I would let her. I’d just be her f**king shadow and scowl at anyone who looked her way.

“Hey, y’all!” Amanda beamed when she turned to see us approaching. Low jumped up out of her chair and ran over to hug Eva then me.

“Didn’t know I could miss you so bad,” Low whispered in my ear and I smiled.

“Sit down and get a beer then tell me all about the baseball set up at Hill State. I bet it’s bitchin’.” Preston said leaning back and pulling Amanda to sit between his legs. Preston had turned down a baseball scholarship to Florida. He’d decided to take one closer to home at South Alabama. I wish I’d had the same choice. I’d have chosen home too.

“It’s nice. Team seems cool. Haven’t spent much time with them other than working out. The summer season is busier than I was expecting it to be. I wish I could stay home more.”

Preston’s eyes shifted to Eva then back to me. He got it. He was probably the only person here who didn’t understand why I left Eva. Would he have left Amanda?

“I need to come up and check things out. Make sure they’re ready for the badass that is Cage York,” Preston said then took a drink of his beer before nibbling on Amanda’s neck and making her giggle.

“You need sunblock,” Marcus informed Low as he walked up to the group with a bottle of sunscreen in his hand. I grinned because once it was me that had to remind Low to wear her damn sunscreen before she burned.

“Then put it on me,” she chirped back.