Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

SIMON

I didn't see this one coming. One minute, I was running the show, blasting kids in the face with water, and the next, all of them were ganging up on me. Their fearless leader? None other than Rylee herself, laughing like a madwoman as she soaked me with water. I was cornered, with nowhere to run, and everyone unloaded their guns on me until they ran dry. I was drenched, laughing, and completely disheveled when I charged at Rylee, tackling her to the grass.

"Refill your guns, kids!" I shouted, half-joking, half-serious. "We're going to take her down! She's too dry!"

The kids piled on me to save her, like good kids should, I thought, chuckling to myself.

The scene had turned into a wild, chaotic laughter spree with Rylee caught in the middle. She was spluttering with joy, trying to wriggle free from under me. The kids cheered as Matthew and Carmen appeared from the house, both looking taken aback by the commotion.

They stepped back when they saw Connor sprinting toward them with his water gun aimed at them. "Don't you dare," Matthew warned.

"Connor!" Rylee called out as she got to her feet. Grass stuck to her knees and hair. "Get Simon! You're on our team now!"

Connor turned, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He charged at me with all the energy of a bull in a china shop. I tried to dodge him, but he was quick. With Rylee's encouragement, the kid was relentless. Water sprayed from his water gun, soaking my shirt further as laughter echoed around us.

It was pure chaos, but for the first time in a long while, the laughter wasn't at my expense. The resentment and disapproval that usually hung heavy in the air were momentarily forgotten. I couldn't help but join in their infectious laughter. It felt surprisingly good—to be part of something, even if it was just a water gun fight.

"Wait!" I shouted when Rylee started to spray me. "My gun is empty."

"Too bad!" She giggled.

She advanced, brandishing her water gun with a giddiness that was infectious. I laughed in surrender, shielding my face as the cold water sprayed everywhere.

"I thought you were tough, Simon!" one of the kids called out, grinning from ear to ear. I looked around at the wide-eyed kids, their laughter ringing through the yard. The adults watched from the porch, their stern expressions full of judgment. That was nothing new.

"Alright," I said, swiping at my wet hair and striding toward Rylee. "You asked for it!"

Before she could react, I scooped her up into my arms and started spinning her around. She shrieked in surprise, kicking her legs and laughing uncontrollably as I spun us both around. The kids were cheering. Some of them tried to ambush me, spraying water at us, but it did nothing to hinder my attack.

"Simon!" Rylee gasped between fits of laughter. "Put me down!"

"Never!" I retorted with a grin, feigning a stumble to make her shriek again.

Eventually, I set her down, both of us panting and soaked to the skin. Her hair clung to her face in wet tendrils. That was when I realized she was nothing like any of the women I dated in the past. Any other woman would be pissed her makeup was smudged or her hair was soaked. Rylee looked like she was in her element.

Eventually, the kids moved on, having worked up an appetite. They hit the food hard. Rylee and I lay on the trampoline to dry off. I turned my head to her. "Sorry. Connor's mom is about as likely to bring you a towel as she is to thank me for coming."

She watched me as I looked up at the sky. "What did you do to these people to make them hate you so much?"

I didn't answer right away. "Honestly? I couldn't tell you. I built myself up. Made a lot of money. I guess I didn't live up to the expectations they had of me."

Rylee surprised me by holding my hand. "I'm sorry. That sucks."

No one had ever empathized with me about this. It caught me off guard. But then again, everything about her did. Did I expect her to stay for the whole party? No. I sort of figured she'd see my family and the dysfunction and leave without looking back. I wouldn't have blamed her. But she stayed. Not only that, but she also got right down in the muck with me and the kids. And she was still here, by my side, trying to understand me.

Shit.

I had no idea how to navigate this.

I sat up. "Want to get out of here?"

"Will Connor care that you didn't stick around?" she asked.

I frowned. "I don't know."

She sat up too. "Let's have a piece of cake, and then we can go."

Her voice of reason was something I needed. I never even thought about cake or party do's and don'ts. The cake had been rushed inside when the water fight started. My mother waved us over. We were semi-dry but opted to stay on the patio. I didn't dare give Carmen another reason to be pissed at me.

"Thank you," I said and accepted two slices for me and Rylee.

We sat on the grass, not daring to put our damp asses on the precious patio furniture. We ate our slices while hanging out with the kids.

Connor sat beside me. "Thanks for the water guns. Those were awesome."

"You're welcome," I told him.

"Thank you for coming and not being like the other adults."

I pulled him in for a playful one-armed hug. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me, kid."

Connor grinned. "My mom is pretty mad at me. I got grass stains on my good clothes."

"Don't mind her, Connor," I said, giving him a consolatory pat on the back. "You can't be forced to wear your good clothes and then be expected not to play in them."

He seemed to appreciate the sentiment. He nodded and returned his focus to his rapidly vanishing slice of cake. Rylee leaned close, her shoulder brushing against mine. "You're good with them," she said quietly.

"I had to grow up quick," I responded with a shrug. "I'm just trying to make sure they don't have to."

We finished our cake, watching as others started to pack up and leave. It was time to go. I was surprised I lasted as long as I had without getting thrown out.

"Ready to go?" I asked Rylee.

She nodded. "Should we help clean up?"

"We can try, but I have a feeling we're going to get run out of here."

"Well, I'm going to try," she said and got to her feet.

I couldn't help but admire her gutsy determination as she rose up, brushing cake crumbs off her jeans. Her face was set in a determined line as she marched toward the picnic tables littered with half-eaten cupcakes and crumpled napkins. I got up and followed her, but as expected, Carmen intercepted us.

"No need for that," she said, her voice as icy as it had been all day. "I'm sure Rylee has other places to be."

For a moment I saw Rylee's eyebrows pull together, a hint of indignation flaring in her eyes. But she composed herself quickly, forcing a polite smile. "Actually, I have nowhere else to be. And it's no trouble at all. I was always taught to help with the cleanup."

Undeterred, Carmen waved us away dismissively. "Please. We've got it under control."

Rylee glanced at me before stepping forward, her voice steady as she spoke. "I appreciate that, Carmen, but we're part of this gathering and we'd like to help clean up."

Carmen's smile was tight, insincere, and she deliberated for a moment before finally relenting. "Very well," she said. "There are trash bags in the kitchen if you need them."

Without wasting a moment, Rylee headed toward the kitchen to fetch the bags. I looked over at Carmen, her face unreadable. For a moment, I thought about saying something, but I decided against it. Instead, I started to pick up some trash.

We worked in silence for a while, gathering trash and leftover bits of food. The sound of laughter and chatter from the party inside filtered out through the door.

"Thank you," Carmen said, her tone a little softer.

We said our goodbyes to the birthday boy, Marsha, Sandra, Lenny, and Anna. On our way out, Rylee stopped in front of Carmen. Everyone in the room stood still. Rylee was feisty. I had no idea what she was going to say. I considered dragging her out before she could say anything, but then figured fuck it.

"Thank you for hosting such a fun party, Carmen." Rylee smiled. "I could not get enough of those little cheese apps. Really, really good. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun. Connor is a great kid. You're a lucky mom and he's a luckier kid."

I watched as Carmen's tough exterior softened before my eyes. I had no idea Rylee had it in her. She practically had Carmen eating out of her hand.

"Thank you," Carmen said. "Thank you for coming and helping to clean up."

Rylee smiled, gave her a hug. "Of course. Maybe we'll see each other again sometime."

My mother was staring at me like I was crazy. Or Rylee was crazy. We walked to the car without saying a word. I was left to question so much of what I thought I knew about Carmen. She had always been the most uptight family member. Technically, Connor wasn't even my nephew. He was my second cousin, but our family was always close.

I had never seen Carmen soften like that. Rylee had some special powers. I wasn't the only one that had fallen under her spell.

I opened Rylee's door for her. She paused and looked at me. "What are you thinking about?"

I chuckled. "How crazy you are for not hightailing it out of there when you had the chance."

"I thought about it," she admitted.

"I'd worry about your sanity if you hadn't."

She looked me right in the eyes. I felt the earth move. Her lips looked soft and inviting, begging to be kissed. I leaned in, brushing her cheek with my knuckles. She didn't move away. I waited, giving her ample opportunity to pull away.

My lips brushed hers, gently at first. Her lips parted and my tongue swept inside. She tasted like birthday cake. She leaned into me, the moment stretching on. When we broke apart, she dropped her head and looked down, hiding the redness in her cheeks.

I was quite certain I'd never seen anything so beautiful. She got into the car. I closed the door and jogged around to the driver's side.

As I slid into the driver's seat, my heart was pounding. I turned to look at Rylee and found her staring out of her window.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

She turned to look at me, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I'm good," she said softly. "More than good."

She reached over and took my hand, pressing it to her cheek and closing her eyes for a moment. It was an intimate gesture, one that spoke volumes about how she felt about me.

"You have a very strange family dynamic," she said.

I laughed. "You have no idea."

"I'm sorry. I feel bad for you. I can't believe you actually went to that party. Not to be blunt, but I got the impression you weren't really wanted there."

"That obvious?" I chuckled. "It's a lot to explain."

"Well, Connor loves you."

"You handled Carmen very well," I told her. "I don't think that woman has ever been nice to anyone."

She grinned. "Kill ‘em with kindness."