They have the crowd’s attention now. An audience is gathering. Cinderella watches on from the edge of the yard where she’s lighting up a fresh cigarette.
“Penny, are you just gonna take that?” Lexi teases from over by the DJ stand.
Little instigator, she is. A grinning Cannon locks an arm around his wife’s waist and slaps a hand over her big mouth.
My cousin’s narrowed eyes tell me she’s out for blood. She scoops a handful of shaved ice out of the cooler and shapes it into a snowball. Walker holds up a hand defensively. “Don’t you—”
Before he can even finish, Penny launches the ice. It smacks him in the center of the chest.
A cumulative gasp rings out around the yard. The kids find it hilarious. Their chirps of laughter fill the air.
The towering farmer lifts a brow, a small smile playing on the edges of his mouth. “Oh, it’s on, Penelope!”
He snatches up the garden hose.
The crowd hoots and whistles with amusement.
“No, you wouldn’t…” Penny dares him.
Walker’s finger glides over the trigger on the sprayer nozzle. He grins threateningly. “Maybe I would…”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like this. He’s usually the quiet, growly Kingston in the corner but now as he’s sparring with his best friend, there’s something playful in his demeanor.
“No, you wouldn’t…” Penny insists.
Walker tilts his head to the side. He offers up a half-smirk and a shrug.
The kids cheer him on. “Spray the water, Uncle Walker!” Callie yells.
Walker aims the nozzle. Penny lifts her arms for cover and charges in his direction. The hose gets trapped between them as they wrestle, arms tangled around each other. They half-laugh, half-fight. And I half-think they’re about to rip each other’s clothes off and go at it on my back lawn. The children jump and cheer as the adults look on, laughing.
And then my automatic sprinkler system turns on…
Ice cold water shoots from the sprinklers, launching across the yard in arcs. People start shrieking as water rains down on the backyard.
Panic splits my chest open. Dammit, I forgot to reset the timer. And now, my guests are getting drenched on my back lawn.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
As I’m dashing across the yard to get to the control panel, I feel a thick, wet arm loop around my waist. I glance over my shoulder and find Jude grinning down at me.
The contact of our bodies is like plunging a thousand wet fingertips into an electric socket. The power supply to fuel an entire city moves between us when his hard, damp torso presses to my back.
“Lemme go turn off the water.” I’m barely able to get the words out with the way my brain is fritzing right now.
His wet hair is plastered to his forehead. Water clings to his tempting, smiling lips. “No way!” His eyes drop and linger on my mouth, my neck, my breasts before sliding back up to my face. He gives me the slowest, sexiest smile. “Come join the fun!”
Everything below my belly button quivers and heats…despite the fact that we’re surrounded by his parents and a herd of shrieking pre-schoolers and some chain-smoking fairytale princess wannabes who are getting paid by the hour. That’s the effect this man has on me.
His fingers intertwine with mine and he gives me a small tug. “Come on, Iris. Get in here.” He juts his chin in the direction of the party.
When the water started blasting, I’d expected everyone to go scampering out of the spray radius for safety. Instead, they did the opposite.
The kids are shrieking and jumping under the deluge. Penny’s got her face buried in Walker’s chest as she laughs. He has one arm around her waist and he makes a chivalrous attempt to protect her from the downpour, their argument long forgotten. Jessa grabs Callie. They’re holding hands and hopping through the spray. The birthday girl drags in Mr. Kingston. Diana clings to her husband’s arm and, together, they join the festivities.
Foxxy witnesses the scene from the kitchen window, head down, tail up, watching the humans with alarm.
“I can’t go over there!” I lower my voice and hiss.
Jude glances my way and tugs on my arm again. “Come on!” His massive smile expands across his face. And his dimples are being extra dimple-y right now.
When Diana’s eyes meet mine, she grins face-wide. “Get in here, Iris! Get in!”
I hesitate. The idea of my wet clothes clinging to my curves and exposing my lady lumps in front of Jude’s family is almost enough to make me hyperventilate.
But I look at Jude again. And I’m so focused on that smile…So focused on that smile…
The next thing I know, I’m under the water, surrounded by riotous laughter and good vibes and Jude’s strong arms. And the mess I must look like is the last thing on my mind. I’m just focused on having fun.
Moments later, Lexi shows up with fluffy bath towels for everyone. She and Cannon hand them out to the shivering guests.
“Look at you, letting loose!” My bestie grins at me as she hands me a towel.
“How come you weren’t in the middle of all that, Lex?” I motion to the melee on the lawn as it starts to wind down. Lexi is the biggest trouble maker of all. She’d usually be the first one to jump into that mess.
She throws a glance at her husband across the yard and grins. Then, she speaks in a dramatic, biblical tone. “Because I am with child,” she announces.
My eyes bulge. “You’re pregnant?! You’re having a baby?!”
She drops the pile of bath towels on a table and drags me away from the crowd. “Shh! We haven’t told Diana yet. We’re waiting till after the party.”
I pull my bestie into a wet monster hug. “Oh my god oh my god!” I whisper into her face. “I’m so excited for you. Oh my god!”
Lexi’s beaming. “Thank you, boo. But you’re dripping water all over me.” She takes a step back and hops from
