What A Kiss Is

Chapter Thirteen

Thirteen

 

I step out onto the deck to feel the warmth from the sun. The light stabs at my eyes, and I stumble until I find a seat next to the table. I grab a cereal box, not paying attention to what I’m pouring in my bowl.

“Morning,” Amber calls.

I jerk my head up to see Lynn and Amber standing on the front of the bow. My jaw drops. Drops. Amber’s in a teeny turquoise bikini. On a boat, in the winter, in a bikini. I mean, it’s sunny, and not freezing or anything, but it’s not exactly warm either.

“You coming in?” Lynn asks.

“No way.” I shake my head. Besides, I’d rather watch your daughter.

“Sun coast. The water’s warm.” Amber smiles.

Keep your eyes on her face, on her face, on her face. But as soon as she turns away from me, I stare at her toned body. She’s strong. Her arms are toned from handling the sails and her body’s muscled from running. Not as skinny as New York girls try to be. She’s healthy, smooth. I shift in my seat, keeping my lap under the table. No point in embarrassing myself in pajama shorts.

Dad kicks my foot. I jerk my eyes to catch his. An eyebrow rises.

I shrug. Who in their right mind wouldn’t look at that?

I turn just in time to watch her take a leaping dive off the front of the boat into the water. Both Amber and her mom come up sputtering and laughing.

Dad and I step up to the side to watch. The water’s clear. I can see the rocks way down at the bottom, small flecks of silver fish, and Amber’s body, almost every inch of it.

“She’s a pretty girl,” Dad whispers.

“So’s her mom.” My eyes catch his.

“That she is.” He breathes out.

I want to press it further, ask him about her, but I don’t. Here we are, two guys, staring at our girls in the water. Knowing he’s probably feeling the same thing as me in this moment helps. Gives us something in common. Something he can relate to in a way that a mom never could.

“Still cold, ain’t it, babe?” Dad’s laughing.

“Join us and find out!” Lynn hollers back.

“It’s freezing, but worth it!” Amber’s smile fills her face as she rolls onto her back, exposing her stomach.

And I die a little with wanting to touch her.

Her eyes close as she lays her head back and floats.

“I really think we should join them,” Dad whispers.

And I never thought I’d ever jump off Dad’s boat into the ocean, but it’s suddenly sounding like a perfect idea.

I’m in pajama shorts. Good enough. I strip off my shirt and stand as tall as I can. I mean, seriously, it may make me sound like a jerk, but I look pretty good with my shirt off. Until coming here, I’ve always worked out pretty hard. I stand on the end of the boat and try not to think about how freezing the water’s going to be when I hit. I glance to my right and Amber’s staring, just like I wanted her to. I take a strong dive off the front, headfirst into the water.

The cold slices through me like daggers, and I come up sputtering just like they did.

Amber laughs. The freeness of it fills me up. Mom would love this, and just like that, the lead’s back in my chest. Because Mom’s not here to share this.