Page 30 of Lowering His Guard

“Made you smile. I win!”

“Not a contest.”

“Because you’re losing. Loser.” I form an L with my thumb and index finger and place them on my forehead.

He shakes his head as he opens the door and sets me in the passenger seat. “You’re crazy, pint-sized.”

I beam at him. I love how he has a nickname for me. “Thank you.”

“Not a compliment.”

“But it was.”

“Ugh.” Jace groans from the backseat. “Get a room already.”

Brock’s head flies back and – whack! – hits the doorframe. He mutters a curse under his breath before growling. “Jace.”

“What? You’re flirting. You obviously like each other. I’m not a kid.”

“Sorry,” Brock rumbles to me.

Why is he sorry? Is he sorry to be lumped together with me as a potential partner? Is he sorry his kid is hilarious? What exactly is he sorry for?

“I know a good optometrist. I can get him an appointment in the morning to get his eyes checked,” I joke.

He chuckles before shutting the door and walking around to the driver’s seat. He switches on the engine and reverses out of the parking spot.

I glance at the restaurant, and sure enough, my parents are peeking out of the window at us. Mom appears happy. Shit. She’s going to be disappointed when she realizes Brock and I aren’t a thing.

“Who wants ice cream?” I ask when we arrive at the resort.

“I’m good,” Jace says. “I’m going to bed.”

“Bed?” My brow wrinkles. “It’s still light out.”

“By bed he means he’s going to play on his phone until I yell at him to go to sleep.”

“Dude.” I shake my head as I slide out of my seat. This time Brock isn’t quick enough to catch me. When I land on the ground, I raise my arms in the air. “Nailed it!”

Jace snorts. “See you tomorrow.”

I salute. “Until tomorrow, my future surfing champion.”

“I’ll be right there,” Brock hollers after Jace.

“Why? I can make it to our room by myself. Ghesh. Get some ice cream. Be normal for once.”

Brock scowls. “I am normal.”

My hand shoots in the air. “Not normal sized. We already established you’re a giant in human clothes. And you have an alien in your stomach.”

He pats his stomach. Is it weird I’m jealous of his hand? Yep, weird. Shutting those thoughts down.

“Not anymore. The alien is subdued.”

“I guess I’m getting ice cream by myself then. Too bad for you. The mermaid meltdown sundae is to die for.”

“What’s in a mermaid meltdown sundae?”