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“Wealready live together,” Ali reminded him. “What do you think they think we do? Play Scrabble and sleep in separate bedrooms?”
Cornell smirked. “I’m old-fashioned. I told you that.”
They had been living together for two months, and the move had been his idea. Even though Ali had been hesitant at first, Cornell knew in his bones it was right. So, he teased her about throwing away rent considering the amount of time she spent at his place. He playfully threatened to refuse to stay at her apartment, claiming that her television was too small and her queen-size bed was too cramped for the both of them. Ali reminded him anything was small compared to his cinema-size screen that took four men to mount to the living room wall and that even in a king-size bed, Cornell still slept with half his body atop of hers.
But Ali conceded under the agreement that the living room futon would go to his colleague, Jasper, and Cornell promised a hammock for the backyard. Cornell’s rental needed new counter tops and updated bedrooms, but there was something charming about the small, ranch home. For Ali, it was the open kitchen and the French doors leading to the patio.
For Cornell, it was Ali in it.
He shook his head when Ali’s teeth nipped at the skin of his neck, winding her fingers in his short, brown curls. “Not going to happen.”
“Haven’t you missed me?” Ali asked, kissing along his jaw. “Because I’ve missed you.”
Cornell had been on the road for nearly two weeks on a recruiting trip, hitting most stops in Southern Texas, searching for last lick options for Hopperville’s roster. Since it was the Fourth of July weekend, Cornell didn’t return home when his trip wrapped up. Instead, he drove to Galveston, where he waited with Ali’s family for Tara, Benton, her, and their oversized and under-trained dog—Mowgli—to arrive.
“You have no idea.” He chomped on his lip as her mouth glided across his skin.
She pressed a small kiss under his ear lobe. “Then let’s go back to the house so you can show me how much you missed me.”
Cornell shook his head as his fingers traced the skin of the back of her thigh beneath her cut-off shorts, inching upward. “Still no.”
Ali pulled back quickly when one of his fingers curled at her inner thigh. “So, you’d rather feel me up on a public beach and risk going to jail than in a bedroom with a locked door?”
“I don’t think you get how much your mom scares me.”
Throwing her head back in laughter, Ali cupped his face and kissed him. “Was it so bad with her while I wasn’t here? It was only one night.”
“No.” He shook his head and smirked. “I had my wingman. Nana taught me to play bridge.”
Ali motioned over his shoulder at the shoreline. “Let’s go then before someone comes looking.”
Cornell pursed his lips together.
“What?” Ali asked.
“I need to cool off first,” he said with a slight grimace. He watched Ali knit her brow together in confusion and then lowered her slightly.
“Oh,” she giggled before kissing him again. “I guess you did miss me.”
“You’re not lying,” Cornell said. “But since it’s your fault… ” He took two big steps backward into the deeper water, taking Ali with him beneath the surface.
* * *
“You’re batting a little low today, huh?” Benton laughed as Ali accepted the stuffed animal from the vendor before glancing over her shoulder to wink at Cornell.
“This one’s broken,” Cornell muttered, swatting at the water gun.
Ali flashed him a sympathetic look. “You can have it if it makes you feel better,” she said, motioning to the mountain of lime green fur.
“Don’t mess with Texas.” Tara pointed a finger at him. “You’ve been here long enough to know that.”
Cornell stood, stretching his arms. “Whatever. My finger barely fits in the trigger.” He watched Ali make eye contact with a small boy sitting in his father’s lap, waiting for another round of water shooting. She slipped past, offering the toy with a smile that the toddler matched.
“I’ll buy you another funnel cake.” Ali slipped her arm around his waist.
“You’re going to have to do better than that. You just bruised my ego in front of a three-year-old.”
“How about a souvenir too?” Ali offered, pulling his hand over to a stall, spinning display full of magnets. “We should have something to commemorate our first vacation.”
