Derek fell to the back of the group, watching as Annie took hold of both Kat’s and Jo’s hands and jumped, allowing herself to be lifted off the ground in giant leaps that left her cheeks rosy and laugh breathless. In less than thirty-six hours, Jo had already become a safe space for his daughter and a welcome addition to their dysfunctional Midnight Storm family. To his own imperfect family.
At the door to their cottage, Annie planted her hands on her hips and widened her stance. Derek knew that posture all too well. It was her ‘I have an idea and you won’t dissuade me’ stance.
“I think we need to have a girls’ night,” Annie declared. With a pointed look at Derek, she added, “No boys allowed.”
“Peanut, it’s getting late,” Derek said.
“I thought we were going to go to bed early,” Jo said, pretending to yawn. “If we want to build a life-size mermaid out of sand tomorrow, we’re going to need our rest.”
“I’m already rested,” Annie said, karate chopping the air and spinning in a circle. “See? I have tons of energy.”
“That’s the caramel brownie talking,” Derek said.
Annie caught Jo’s hands and spun her around with her. Jo tilted her face up to the sky, a wide smile breaking across her face. As they spun, Jo’s hair flew out around her, silver strands sparkling in the moonlight. He wanted to memorize it, thelaughter in her eyes, the way the light kissed her cheekbones and the tip of her nose.
“Girls’ night, girls’ night, girls’ night!” Annie chanted.
“But what about our mermaid plan?” Jo asked.
“I'm on vacation! I want a girls’ nightanda mermaid,” Annie said.
But Derek was only partially paying attention to Annie’s bargaining. His attention was still fixated on Jo’s hair, the way it moved like water, the streak of blue behind her ear.
Wait.
Streak of blue?
There hadn’t been a blue streak in her hair the other night. He was certain he would have noticed. He’d gathered that hair in his fist, raked his fingers through it, buried his nose in it when it fanned across her pillow while she slept. He would have noticed a blue streak.
Annie pouted. “I have a plan and it doesn’t include going to bed early. We’ll watch a movie and paint each other’s nails and find a star to make a wish on. Star wishes are very important."
“The most important,” Jo agreed solemnly.
“What will you wish for?” Kat asked.
“I can’t tell you that,” Annie said, rolling her eyes. “Don’t you know the rules of wishes? If you tell someone what you wished for, then the wish can’t come true. You gotta follow the rules.”
“You know, there’s a wishing fountain somewhere at the hotel. I read about it in the brochure,” Kat said.
“We have to go! Can we go?” Annie asked.
“We’ll go tomorrow,” Jo said. “Tonight you need to rest.”
“I don’t need to rest!”
“Well,Ineed to rest.” Jo moved to stand next to Derek, as though they were a united front against Annie’s demands. Partners.
Annie calmed, studying Jo, then pinching the bridge of her nose. “Maybe you had too much ice cream. Are you feeling okay? Does your belly hurt?”
Jo nudged him with her elbow and whispered, “She gets that from you.” As if Jo knew them well enough to notice that his daughter had inherited his penchant for worrying about everyone else. As though she were a part of their family in truth and not the nanny he’d hired a day and a half ago. Then, to Annie, “My belly feels fine, but thank you for asking.”
And there was that flash of blue behind her ear again.
Derek caught the lock of Jo’s hair between his thumb and forefinger, rubbing the strands between the pads of his fingers. Beneath a layer of her platinum strands, the electric blue streak colored a section of hair behind her ear. “What's this?”
She turned her face towards him. “Hair chalk. There was a stand on the beach.”
He hummed, the low rumble moving through him, deepening when her pupils darkened in response. He wanted her. There was no denying how badly he wanted her, and from the quirk of her lips he was positive she knew it.