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I love having that effect on her.
“Me first!” Robbie yells, tugging my hand.
“You first, buddy,” I say and pick him up while he shrieks and laughs.
The next few minutes are a blur of laughter, splashing, and—yes—throwing children.
I lift them, toss them, let them shriek in delight before they plunge into the water. Robbie comes back again and again, demanding another turn each time.
Annie watches with clear amusement, occasionally stepping in to help, though I quickly learn she’s far too good at this game.
I’m strong, but Annie’s fast. She dodges water attacks like it’s second nature, her agility keeping her just out of reach as the kids attempt to splash her.
At one point, she turns to me, smiling triumphantly. “I think they like you.”
I shake my head, pretending to glare. “I think they’re conspiringagainst me.”
She laughs, flipping wet hair over her shoulder. “Maybe a little.”
The game eventually shifts from throwing to full-on battle, kids forming teams, launching water balloons, wielding squirt guns like warriors.
I don’t know how it happens, but suddenly Annie and I are on opposite teams, and I find myself being targeted.
Hard.
A water balloon slams into my chest.
I turn, eyes narrowing at the culprit.
Annie smirks, standing a few feet away, hands on her hips. “Oops.”
“Oops?” I echo, looking down at the water dripping down my chest.
She lifts a brow, clearly daring me.
I shake my head. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“What are you going to do about it?” she teases, but steps back as I step forward.
She barely has time to react before I lunge, closing the distance between us in seconds.
She shrieks, trying to escape, but I catch her easily, wrapping an arm around herwaist as I haul her toward the pool.
“Cole!” she yelps, laughing as she squirms against me. “Don’t you dare—”
I dare.
I step to the edge and drop us both into the water.
Cool rushes over us, swallowing Annie’s laugh as we plunge beneath the surface. For a second, all I hear is the muffled sounds of water, the distant laughter of kids, the rapid beat of my own pulse. Then we break the surface, Annie gasping for breath, her wet hair sticking to her face.
She blinks at me, stunned.
I smirk. “Oops.”
She gapes at me for a second, then shoves me. “You ass!”
I laugh, ducking away as she splashes me in retaliation. The kids, of course, love this, cheering her on, demanding a rematch.