Chapter 3
"My momma yelled at my daddy this mourning" Kate said as she poured chocolate chips in the cookie dough.
Phoebe smiled. "Oh yeah, well sometimes moms do that" She said laughing to herself.
"Yeah, my daddy said she had something up her bottom" Kate added
Phoebe laughed out loud.
Phoebe and the girls brought out the cookies and coffee. Phoebe looked at Cole. He had his shirt off and the sun was beating on his tan sweaty skin. She got butterflies in her stomach.
"Well, we was wondering what happened to you guys" Michael said as Phoebe walked up to them.
"Daddy we made cookies!" Kate said
"You did?" Cole said taking a cookie off the plate and smiling at Phoebe.
Phoebe walked over to the table and put the coffee and cookies down.
"So, we just have to put all of this stuff away now?" Phoebe said. Looking at all the boxes on the ground.
"Yep" Michael said sitting in a chair.
Cole sat down in the other chair.
"Sure is hot out here" Cole said wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Daddy can we swim?" Kate said
"Maybe later" Cole said
"Screw it, lets go" Michael said
"Go where?" Phoebe said looking at him.
"Swimming, at the pond" He said
Cole laughed "Lets go!"
"Phoebe, come on you'll love it" Cole said nodding to her
"Yeah Phoebe! Come with us!" Kate yelled
Phoebe looked down at the two girls smiling up at her.
"I don't know where my suit is, nothing is unpacked" she said
"So…you don't need one" Michael said
Phoebe felt her cheeks get red and Cole gave her a little shy smile.
"Ok" She said.
When they got to the pond, Cole slipped off his shoes and ran to the rope swing and swung off it and made a huge splash.
"Whew! It's cold!" He said with a big grin on his face. His teeth were so white.
Michael and Phoebe took off their shoes and the girls were already undressed down to their panties. The girls ran to the end of the small dock, and jumped in to Cole.
Michael jumped off the rope swing and threw it to Phoebe. Phoebe caught it and closed her eyes as she swung out over the water and let go.
"Aaaah!" She screamed before she hit the water, and then she came up laughing.
She was very close to Cole and the girls in the water. Anna swam over to her and wrapped around her neck. Kate stayed with Cole.
"You've made a friend for life you know" Cole said to Phoebe.
Phoebe looked at him and smiled. For the first time she was able to hold eye contact and not look away.
Michael got out and laid on the dock. He laid flat on his back and took a deep breath. His jeans were heavy with water. Phoebe and Anna and swam to the edge and got out. Cole watched as Phoebe's wet t-shirt formed to her body along with her shorts.
Phoebe and Anna laid on the dock with Michael.
"I'm hungry" Michael said.
"Are you ready for lunch?" Phoebe asked
"Yeah" Michael raised his head and yelled to Cole, "You hungry?"
"Starved" Cole yelled back.
That night, they all sat around the fire and roasted marsh mellows. They laughed and talked. Cole and Phoebe would catch each other looking across the fire.
Later, Cole and the girls said good-night and left. Michael and Phoebe sat around the fire. Phoebe sat in his arms.
"I am happy here" Phoebe said
"Me too, I am happy with you wherever we are" Michael said and kissed her head.
Phoebe looked up at him and kissed his lips.
A week later things were still about the same. Cole and Phoebe played the awkward game when ever Cole and the girls stopped in.
Phoebe had things mostly put away, just a few boxes left. Michael worked on fences and the barn.
"Some of the guys are going to the auction this weekend" Michael said at the dinner table.
"Oh, yeah" Phoebe said sipping her coffee.
"Yeah, I think I'll go. We need a tractor to finish the fences. I might find a good deal"
"The woman down the road is selling that mare I've been looking at. " Phoebe said
"Put some money down on her, and I'll finish the fences"
"Really?" Phoebe said excited.
"Why not?" he said smiling at her.
"Now I am really excited!" Phoebe said sitting on his lap.
"Oh really?" He said suggestively . Phoebe laughed and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Later that night they were laying in bed.
"Michael, who is all going?" She asked
"Doug, Aaron, Russ, and Jay. I think that's all?" He said
"Cole's not going?" Phoebe said with a lump in her throat.
"No, Debbie and the girls are visiting her mother, so he is going to work around their place." Michael said and kissed Phoebe on the cheek, then he turned the light out.
Phoebe felt herself starting to sweat, and she thought Michael could surly hear her heart beating out of her chest.
Her thoughts were flying. She took a deep breath. "Oh" Phoebe said and rolled over.