“Grandma was asking what you want to dress up as for Halloween this year,” I say, grabbing a handful of chips, and Olivia looks at Aria.
“Are you going to go trick-or-treating with us?”
“I am,” she says, then adds, “if that’s okay with you.”
“It’s fine.” She shrugs like it’s not a big deal, then asks, “Do you want to be Elsa or Anna?”
“Umm.” Aria looks at me with confusion clear as day in her eyes.
“Elsa and Anna are characters from Frozen. They’re sisters,” I explain.
“Oh.” Aria shrugs. “Who do you want to be?”
“Either. They are both totally awesome. Haven’t you watched Frozen before?” she asks, and Aria shakes her head. “Really?” Olivia sounds outraged.
“Really.” Aria tips her head to the side, smiling down at her when she falls to her back.
“What about Frozen 2?”
“I haven’t seen either of them.” Aria laughs as Olivia looks at me with her nose scrunched.
“Can we watch both of them tonight, Daddy?”
“Sure,” I agree, and she gets up and climbs into my lap, wrapping her arms around my shoulders for a tight hug before she looks over at Aria.
“Tonight after we watch the movies, you can decide who you want to be.”
“That sounds like a plan.” Aria smiles at her, and she nods before she turns her body so that her face is in mine.
“Do you want to be Kristoff or Olaf, Daddy?”
“I’ll be whoever you want me to be.” I lean in and kiss the tip of her nose, watching as she grins.
“Who are Kristoff and Olaf?” Aria asks, and Olivia spins around to face her.
“Kristoff is Anna’s boyfriend, and Olaf is a snowman that comes to life. He’s super funny. You’re going to love him. My mom does.” She gets up and starts to sing one of his songs as she spins in circles.
As I watch her, laughing, I feel Aria’s eyes on me, and I focus on her. My chest warms at the soft look on her face. “What?” I ask quietly, and she shakes her head.
“Nothing, just thinking you’re a great dad.”
Fuck, hearing her say that with that look on her face, I gotta fight the urge to tackle her to the grass and kiss her senseless. “What do you say we pack up and head to town to get pizza and movie supplies?” I suggest, and when both girls agree, we pack up the picnic.
Aria and I get the canoe loaded up in the back of my truck, then we head into town. We stop at the grocery store to pick up a couple of frozen pizzas and snacks, which include enough junk food for a family of ten. We spend the rest of the night stuffing our faces and laughing our asses off. By the time we tuck Olivia into bed, she’s come to the conclusion that Aria should be Elsa, she should be Anna, and I should be Kristoff, so we make plans for the next morning to go shopping for our costumes. And not surprisingly, Aria is even more excited than Olivia to dress up for Halloween.
Chapter 15
Aria
“MORNING, BABY,” TIDE whispers against my ear as the scent of fresh coffee drifts toward me, and I blink my eyes open, finding him leaning over me.
“Hey.” I accept his kiss, then pout when he leans back enough for me to see that his hair is wet and he’s already dressed. “You showered without me.” I sit up, dragging my duvet with me before accepting the cup of coffee he picks up off my bedside table.
“Sorry, baby.” He grins, I’m sure thinking it’s funny that I’m annoyed he showered alone. But I really like our showers. “I have to hit the road, and you need to get ready. Gia’s gonna be here soon to pick you up.”
“What?” I frown. Gia and I have plans to get ready together for my parents party this evening while Colton’s mom looks after Gino, but that’s not for a few hours still. “It’s early.”
“I know, but the two of you have an appointment in town at Rock Salt this morning.”
“The spa?” I ask, my sleepy brain not really keeping up.
“Yeah.”
“Sorry.” I shake my head. “I don’t understand.”
Smiling, he places his fist in the bed near my hip and leans in close—so close that his breath brushes against my lips. “You and Gia have a spa day today. Colton and I took care of everything so the two of you can relax.”
“Oh.” My heart starts to feel funny. Then again, he tends to have that effect on me.
“You have to be there in thirty minutes. I was going to wake you earlier, but I got caught up on a phone call with my lawyer.”
My stomach bottoms out. “Is everything okay?”
“Everything is fine,” he says, and I scan his face, searching for any sign that things are not as okay as he’s making them out to be. Since Anna dropped Olivia off to him last week, he’s been in talks with his lawyer making sure that things are in place so that he’s protected from Anna attempting to take him to court for custody. To his credit he’s never seemed too concerned about her succeeding, but I have been, because I know without a doubt that he would lose it if he had to miss out on any of his time with Olivia.
“Promise?”
“I promise, baby.” He leans in to kiss me, then pulls back and cups my cheek. “I’ll see you this evening.”
“Okay,” I agree, and he gives me a smile and stands, looking down at me.
“Try to relax today.”
“Sure.” I nod, and he touches his lips to the top of my head before he heads out the door. I stare at the empty space for a long time, not even a little worried about tonight and the fact that we will be spending time with my parents. My concern and nervousness has all shifted to Tide and what Anna is doing, or trying to do. I don’t understand her. I don’t get why she’s mad that he’s in a relationship, when she’s the one who left him. I don’t get the jealousy or resentment. I don’t get why she would think separating Olivia from her dad would be good, when it would be devastating not just for Tide but for her daughter, who she should want to protect. I can see why she would want to be cautious about who’s around Olivia, but Tide was very careful about when I met her, and I know he told Anna that he was going to introduce us.
“Aria, babe, you gotta get a move on.”
Shaking my head, I come out of my thoughts and find Tide standing in the doorway.
“Sorry, I zoned out.” I set down my coffee, then toss back the duvet and place my feet on the ground. “I’m up.” I listen to him laugh, then watch as he prowls toward me. As soon as he’s close, his arm wraps around my waist and he leans back, kissing me deep. “I thought you were leaving,” I say breathlessly.
“I was, but I forgot my hat.” He rubs his nose down mine. “I also wanted to make sure you actually got up. I know it’s early.”
“It’s not that early,” I point out, because it’s almost nine, and most people are up a whole lot earlier than nine. Actually, normally I’m up a whole lot earlier.
“Yeah, but you were up late working. I felt you sneak out of bed around midnight and checked in on you at two, and you were typing away on your computer.”