Begin Again by Evan Grace Read Free Book Online Page B

her hands on her hips . “Um, a bikini,” she retorted. She turned her back to him to drop her sunscreen back in her bag. She could feel the heat of Dylan’s body against her back before he ever touched her. She felt his lips tickle her ear and couldn’t contain the shiver that wracked her body. Her nipples hardened and she felt herself get wet for him.
    “Smart-ass . I should spank your bottom right here and now. What do you think, baby?” His grip was firm on her hips. How that could turn her on she’d never know, but it wasn’t going to happen here. She broke away from him.
    “You’ll have to catch me first!” Looking over her shoulder as she took off in a run, she saw that he was now chasing her. Her heart beat a rapid staccato in her chest. She made it to the water’s edge when he scooped her up into his arms and ran into the water. Their laughter mingled as they went deeper and deeper into the water.
     
    Journey shook her head and was back in the present. She finished packing up her bag and walked out into the hall. Her phone started ringing as she exited the school. She pulled it out of her purse. Not recognizing the number, she was going to let it go to voicemail, but something told her to answer it.
    “Hello.”
    The voice that came through the phone halted her steps.
    “Hey , Journey, it’s Dylan.”
    Her heart started pounding, she was rendered speechless.
    “Journey, are you there?”
    “Um , yeah, I’m here. What do you need?” She tried to keep her voice even. She didn’t want to give him any indication that him calling meant anything to her.
    “Well, I-I’d like to me et Joey, if that’s okay? You name the time and place and I’ll be there.” She could hear his heavy sigh. “Listen, Journey, I’m really—”
    She interrupted him before he could say anything. “Dylan , if you want to meet Joey, that’s great, but there’s nothing else we need to talk about. Why don’t you meet us tonight at six?”
    “Yeah, sure. Where at?”
    They were definitely going to have to meet on neutral ground the first time. Since Joey was about six months old, Journey had been showing him a picture that she had printed off of her phone of Dylan and her together in Florida. She would tell him every morning and every night that he was his daddy. Now it looked like it was finally going to pay off.
    “How about the park off of Main Street?”
    “Yeah, okay, sounds good. I’ll see you guys later. Bye.”
    “Bye.” She hung up and put her phone back in her purse. Shaking it off, she walked out and got into her car, knowing that this evening was going to be hard for her and Joey.
    “Abby, I’m going to go clean up Joey. Will you put your plate in the sink when you’re done? I have to take Joey somewhere and Nana’s going to come over and sit with you until I get home.”
    She called Nan as soon as she got home. Nan wanted to go to the park to give Dylan a piece of her mind, but Journey had told her no. They needed to do this alone, and she needed Nan to watch Abby since there was no reason he needed to meet her.
    She picked up Joey out of his high chair. “Momma , up up!”
    “Come on , my sweet boy, let’s get you cleaned up. Then we’re going to the park!” He knew that word and immediately started clapping his chubby little hands. She took him into the bathroom and stripped off his dirty shirt and shorts. She wiped him off with a washcloth while he struggled to get away from her. He hated when she wiped him off like she was.
    “Come on , baby, hold still for Mommy.”
    “No, no, no.” Great, he was doing the “no” thing again.
    “Yes, yes, yes. We’re going to go see your daddy.” She picked him up and carried him into his room. Grabbing the picture of Dylan off of Joey’s dresser, she showed it to Joey. “Do you see your daddy?” She sat him down on the floor.
    “Dadadada.” He chortled on while he played with his truck. She picked out a pair of jean shorts and a little red