Page 35 of Forbidden Kisses

Duncan had already finished his, too, and was putting what he’d brought back into the bag as we rose from the table.

"Want me to load the bags you prepared for today?" he asked as I rinsed off the dishes in the outdoor sink we rarely used. I’d just leave them here for now and clean up later.

“Yes, please! I put everything on the front porch. We don't even need to go back inside the house. Let's go."

The three of us walked in step, and Duncan put the two bags in the back of the car as I secured Jeremy in the booster seat. After I closed the door, Duncan looked directly at me, and I sucked in a breath. The intensity in his eyes was mesmerizing.

"Call me if you need anything, okay? Or if he asks for something and you're not sure how to respond."

I nodded. "Sure. Don't worry, Jeremy and I will have fun."

He opened his mouth, then shook his head and said, "I can’t start this now."

"What are you talking about?"

He smiled at me again. God, I loved those dimples at the corners of his mouth. They seemed even deeper than before.

"I’d planned to talk to you over breakfast but forgot Jeremy was going to be there, hanging on every word."

“You forgot?” I teased.

“Yeah. That’s the effect you have on me.”

"Oh!" My cheeks flushed.

"Yeah, oh. I'll think of something soon, though."

"Sure," I said, not really understanding what he meant. But I did several minutes later, while I was driving.

He wanted us to be alone. Heat coursed through me at the thought.

"I'm so excited," Jeremy said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Did you know Ms. Williams doesn’t like roller coasters? She said they make her head hurt."

"Some people do have problems with that."

"Mom doesn't like them either."

A cold shudder went down my spine. I looked at him in the rearview mirror. "She takes you to theme parks a lot?"

"No. Only when she visits."

"Do you talk to her often?"

He nodded. "Almost every night."

That was good. It was important for him to have a good relationship with his mother. I supposed the phone calls happened before he went to bed.

"And before school starts, I’ll be with her in Dublin for two weeks.”

"You looking forward to it?" I asked.

"Yes. I was there last summer, and it was really nice. Mom’s boyfriend is nice too. But she says he’s not her boyfriend anymore.”

That was interesting. So, Jeremy's mom had a boyfriend. I was dying to know more, but it wasn't fair to question Jeremy about it. He was bouncing in the booster seat, smiling when he saw the first sign to the theme park. I’d never seen him so happy. I was glad that I'd offered to bring him here.

We had a blast the entire day. I loved the roller coaster just as much as Jeremy did. I looked ridiculous in a few of them that were clearly meant for kids, but when he’d hesitated, I told him that I secretly wanted to go, too, if he wasn't too embarrassed. He seemed relieved. Clearly, he needed to be able to feel safe with an adult in order to have fun. I was happy I'd caught on to that.

After a round on a particularly nasty roller coaster, we were both feeling a little unwell. "Want to sit down for a bit? I feel like my brain is whirling in my head," I said.