The Coast is Clear (Breakaway Shores #1)

Zander

Green

The boys were scarfing down the dinosaur cupcakes, ignoring the rest of the food I’d put on their plates. I tried to remember if Dee had done things like that, but I hadn’t seen her that much when she was their age. She was older than Christian when I started taking care of her. I’d wanted to say something to Izzy, trying to diffuse some of the tension I felt between us. I sat on the grass across from the boys, both silently shoving sugar in their mouths.

I should have stayed the other day when she’d asked me to lunch, but I’d panicked. I wasn’t sure if she was asking out of politeness or if she wanted me to stay. I hated that I felt so insecure .

I hadn’t struggled with that before everything with Natalie and watching Natalie move on so quickly.

I’d always felt so sure of myself. Not anymore. Even if I was sure, I’d wanted to stay and eat lunch with Izzy. I wasn’t entirely confident about what she hoped would come from it.

But she seemed like she was having a good time. She’d pulled part of her hair back from her face, and I loved how it brought out the softness of her. Izzy was attractive, beautiful, if not gorgeous. She was in her mom era, with a t-shirt matching the boys and a pair of jeans with holes that gave me a tiny peek at her skin underneath.

Stop it.

I was being weird.

I needed a distraction. Dee would be here soon, so that would help. I was excited to see her and hear about how school had been.

Kingston set his paper cup down on the grass. “I have another cupcake?”

A smile spread on my face, and I seriously glanced at him. “Hmm, what would your mom say?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but Christian said, “She would tell him to have some real food first.”

Kingston rolled his eyes and picked up a piece of fruit, grumpily taking a bite. Why was everything that kids did so funny? Christian licked his fingers. “Did you like those cupcakes?” I asked him.

“So good. They taste like sugar.”

“Sugar is delicious.” Christian smiled at me, taking a big bite from a baby carrot.

“Did you know we are going to do fireworks later?” he said, Kingston’s eyes widening.

“Fireworks!”

I leaned forward onto the table. “What kind of fireworks?”

Christian tilted his head to the side like he was thinking. “Probably just little ones. Mom doesn’t like the fire, but it’ll still be fun.”

“Maybe Uncle Luke help us,” Kingston said, almost to himself.

“Good idea. I’ll ask him,” Christian answered and then met my gaze. “Do you wanna come?”

The thought of watching their little faces fill with wonder and excitement over the fireworks made my decision for me. But I’d need to make sure Izzy was okay with it first. “I’ll ask your mom, okay?”

He nodded and went back to eating. I glanced at Izzy, resting against the deck's railing, but she wasn’t alone. My neighbor, Beau, was talking to her.

My stomach soured, and I hated admitting how much it bothered me to see him talking to her. He wasn’t quite as bad as Luke, but he was a serial dater.

I did not want her to be just another conquest on his list. But instead of intervening, I decided to sit with her kids and ensure they had everything they needed.