“T-times … u-up.” She swims to the edge and we get out. “B-b-brrr…” Avery hugs herself as I grab our towels, wrapping her up first.

“Your lips are blue like the water.” I fist the towel by her chin, keeping it wrapped tightly around her.

“E-evil. Y-you’re p-pure e-evil.”

I envelop her in my arms and kiss the cold from her lips, sucking on them until they’re warm again. “I’ll warm you up.”

“H-hypothermia …”

“Nah.” I squat down and slip her flip-flops on her feet.

When I stand again, her eyes shoot to mine, a bit wide.

“Were you checking me out?” I cock my head to the side.

She shakes her head.

“I think you were. You’ve seen me naked.”

“I w-wasn’t. And e-even if I w-was … s-so what.”

I think she has an actual smile on her face, but it might just be a residual grimace.

“Let’s go dry out in the sun. I’ll grab something to make for lunch. We can eat over at the park.”

I clasp my index finger with hers and guide her to the truck just as another vehicle pulls in next to us. As the couple gets out, I stop, tugging on Avery to stop too. She glances back at me with confusion wrinkling her brow.

“Let’s go over to the shop,” I mumble, turning back the other way.

“What? No. I-I’m cold.”

“Jake?” A gratingly familiar voice says my name.

I stop and close my eyes, releasing a long sigh. How the fuck did this happen?

“Son?”

I turn slowly. “Call me that again and it will be the last word you speak in this lifetime.”

He shuts the door to his black SUV, slipping a baseball cap on over his black and gray hair. Pulling the toothpick from his mouth, he lets his gaze sweep over Avery, a slight grin tugging his lips. I want to kill him.

“Ave, get in the truck, please.”

“Ave is it? Is that short for something?” he asks, his fucking smirk doubling.

Avery’s wide-eyed gaze bounces between us. “Um, Avery.”

“Jake, nice to see you.”

Grinding my teeth, I ignore the woman rounding the vehicle.

“It’s been too long,” the sperm donor says.

“Funny …” I take my towel and wrap it around Avery’s waist because I’m not going to stand here and watch this man stare at her. “I was just thinking it hasn’t been long enough.”

“You still baking?” He enjoys this, mocking my profession. “How does one go from a fighter to a baker?”

“He’s a chef.”

“Ave …” I grab her hand and tug it toward the truck. “Don’t correct him. He’s too fucking stupid to remember anything.”

“I’m Francine … Frannie.” She holds out her hand to Avery. I still don’t look at her. “Are you Jake’s wife?”