Like That

Chapter 19 - Trying to Avoid the Issue

In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play. - Friedrich Nietzsche

Chapter 19 - Trying to Avoid the Issue

Emily's POV:

"Are you avoiding me?" Cooper startles me because I did not even hear him walk up. I've been working in the garden at Foster's house while Addy, Mason, Peyton, and Chandler swim.

"No, I've just been busy." I hope that my lie is not showing on my face. I've been trying to avoid him ever since my first date with Gavin. It was incredible how wonderful my night was until Cooper showed up. I was enjoying thinking of my friend as something more than friends, and then Cooper touched me. It took a lot of work on my part to remove him from my thoughts.

"Is this what it's going to be like? You start dating and you don't have time for your friends?" I've only seen him a few times in the last two weeks and each time short...on purpose, but I miss him.

"No, that's not how it is. I'm sorry."

With a quick smile he says, "Forgiven. Now how about going to dinner with me tonight."

I look away toward the children; I don't want to see his eyes. "I have plans already."

"With him?"

"Yes." This will be the fourth date with Gavin. Tonight will be the first time we are alone. Our first date was a double with Linda and Garrett. That ended with the softest sweetest goodnight kiss. It started as a chaste kiss on my lips, then as soft kiss to my upper lip then my lower lip, and then a lingering kiss that held promise for more.

We hiked Pinnacle Mountain on our second date with Mason, Edward, and my nephew Holden. We ended our day by playing Frisbee in the park. Somewhere along the way Mason decided to make it tackle Frisbee. Actually, just tackle mom Frisbee. Before I left Gavin gave me a small sweet kiss on the lips. Not quite as romantic as our first kisses because this time we had an audience, but I smiled all the way home.

Our third date was coffee as I waited for Peyton's doctor's appointment. Gavin works in emergency medicine at children's hospital, and he took a break to meet us. Peyton was certainly the center of attention for us. He was asking a million questions without a breath in between. Gavin remarked on how articulate he was, and how he has blossomed from the boy he met less than a year ago.

When he walked me to my car, he held open my door and reached up to touch my face. That one simple gesture sent a shiver through my body. He pulled me close and our mouths touched gently at first. The kiss was full of promise and longing. He pulled away from me, and watched my reaction. He must have liked what he saw because he came back for more, and then, he took charge of the kiss. His tongue swept my lips begging for entrance, which I freely gave. The kiss became passionate before I pulled away and rested my forehead to his. "Wow, that was nice." And my only response was "mmmm."

The worst part of our last date was that when I closed my eyes later and thought of our kiss, it wasn't Gavin's face I saw. It was Cooper's.

Cooper moves beside me as I pull the weeds from around the zucchini plants. So much for avoiding him. "Then let me help you so I can at least spend a little time with you." He kneels down beside me helping me weed.

"So, what is keeping you so busy?" He smiles at me in a way that makes me wish he wasn't just a friend. I shake the thought of my head and move on to staking tomato plants.

"Since school is out, I've been taking the kids to my parent's house to swim in the lake. Mason had soccer camp this past week, and I finally decided to tackle the last of the boxes in the garage." I try not to look at him, because it's hard not to want him. "How have you been?"