The Sister Between Them

Chapter 17

Dani was feeling nervous Saturday afternoon, but she was excited to get out and have some fun. She opted for her favorite faded blue jeans and a fitted lavender tank top with some lacy detailing. It wasn't supposed to be very hot out, and Rocco told her it could get cool later, so she grabbed a light jacket just in case. She left her hair down and straight, and her makeup was natural. Since they'd be on the beach, she wore her black flip-flops.

She grabbed her purse and sunglasses and headed upstairs. Rocco was stirring up her pasta salad at the counter. He was dressed was wearing a pair of long brown shorts and a white tee shirt that was fitted enough to show his muscles under it. She gulped; how was this even hotter than those suits he'd wear to work?

Not hot, brother-in-law, not hot, she internally scolded herself.

"How is it?" she asked nervously as he took a taste.

"Perfect." 

"It's tuna salad," she rolled her eyes.

"A damn good tuna salad," he retorted.

"Yeah, damn good!" Gavin repeated.

"Uh oh, now look what you did," she teased, giving him a 'look' as she tried to bite back a laugh.

"Oops, uh, Gavi, don't say damn, okay?" Rocco said sheepishly.

"Why?"

"Cause it's a bad word."

"Daddy was bad?" Gavin asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

Dani couldn't hold back anymore; she burst out laughing.

"Gee, thanks, partner," he drawled.

"Daddy said a bad word," Gavin said, and then he giggled with her. She managed to calm herself down as Rocco got control of Gavin.

"Okay, okay, are we ready or what?" He grabbed his keys and twirled them around.

"Let's go!" Gavin cheered.

As Dani settled into the front seat of the car Rocco's comment about her being his partner suddenly resonated with her. That was kind of a strange thing to call her, wasn't it? Where Gavin was concerned, she supposed it had kind of been a partnership. They'd been sharing the responsibilities, but she wasn't going above and beyond what any other nanny would do. At least, she didn't think she was. Considering the mother was out of town anyway.

She opted on not reading much into it; it could have meant nothing at all; maybe he didn't even realize he used that word; they were just playing around.

"I can't wait to see my Uncle Dante and Lexi." Gavin said from his car seat in the backseat.

"Uncle Dante is so excited to see you too, Bud; he missed you," Rocco called back with a grin.

Rocco flipped on the radio and started flipping through the stations.

"I suppose Dani wants to listen to country?" Rocco teased, "You can check my CD collection, but I don't think you'll find any Achy Breaky Heart there."

"Watch it, buddy," she gave him a mock glare, "I may just have a young hot female artists' CD in my purse that I'm not afraid to make you listen to."

"You carry CD's around with you in your purse?"

"Just this one," she giggled, pulling out Taylor Swift's Fearless CD. 

He groaned, "You weren't joking."

 "First thing I grabbed when I packed my apartment, can we listen, please?" 

"Alright, fine, if you like her that much, we'll listen to it," Rocco agreed begrudgingly, "but you owe me."