Hopeless Romantics

Chapter Three

It's now June and it's summer time so Charles goes over to Tom's a lot more frequently which means Katie can have her best friend. It's a Friday and we all decide to go swimming with James. All of us. James, his husband; Kade, Tom, Charles, Katie, and I. When James pulls up to the house and opens the door, his dog Bailey runs out and tackles Katie and starts licking her face. Katie is in a laughing fit and trying to push Bailey off of her. "Bailey, heel." She stops licking Katie and sits. I pat her head, "Good girl."

Bailey is a border collie but James and Kade are training her to protect their future kids so she needs to know when to attack and when to stop. The reason she listens to me as well is because I have Katie and even though she's 6, she's still fragile and Bailey could unintentionally hurt her so they trained me to train her as well.

Tom is amazed. Bailey stands in between my legs. I smile, "You haven't seen anything yet." Kade gets the protected glove they use to train her and throws it to me. I hand it to Tom, "Put it on and try to touch me." "She won't bite me, will she?" I smirk, "Yea. If you try to hurt me, she will bite but that's why you have this glove. She can't bite through this." He obliges and tries to hit me but Bailey bites the glove and lets go. He walks around behind me. Bailey is still in between my legs and is quick to watch his every move. "Wow. She's good." Kade speaks up, "Yup. She's still got a way to go but she's very good." He whistles and tells Bailey to load up. She does. I get my beach bag and put it in the car.

Charles and Katie sit in between and I on the way to the beach. When we get there, they run off towards the beach. I wait to gather up the stuff and sit it at the spot to tell Katie to put on sunscreen. She runs toward me and I put sunscreen on her and trap her into my arms. She giggles, "Mommy, let me go!" I kiss her face, "Never!" "Mommy, I want to go swim." "What are you missing?" She thinks and then gasps, "My floaties." She puts them on and runs back into the water. Luckily Tom is there with Charles so he watches over them both.

"Cute neighbor." Kade smirks earning a slap on the arm from James. "I meant for Meghan. Not me. I already have my pie." He winks at James and they kiss. I roll my eyes, "Get a room." They laugh, "But serious, when did you two bang?" I raise my eyebrow, "One, never. Two, he's my neighbor. Three, we're just friends. Four, he lets Charles play with Katie all the time." "Where are the 'playdates'?" "My house." Kade looks at James and they laugh. I roll my eyes again, "We're just friends. Plus, he's an actor. I'm just a foster parent that does boring work." James hugs my neck from behind, "Girl, have you not seen your body?"

I nod, "Every time I get into the shower. Scars everywhere." "Scars doesn't make your body ugly. You have a smokin' body, girl. Matter of fact..." He takes off my long shirt that covers my Pineapple bikini. "Just as I thought. Now go swim." I try to take my shirt back but James has two feet over me so there's no use. "I didn't come here to swim. I came her to tan." He glares at me then picks me up and throws me over his shoulder and starts towards the water. "James put me down! Why does everyone pick me up like a child." "Because you're so light." "Let me go!" "Yay! Mommy is going swimming." "James, don't you dare throw me into the water. I have my hair u-" I'm caught off by the water. I immediately bob my head up, "James Adam Young!" "Meghan Lovella Riley!" I glare at him while taking my hair down. "Are you swimming now mommy?" Katie comes up to me, "Would you like that?" I say holding her chin. She nods. I huff, "I guess so."

An hour later, I'm laying on the bank getting tanned while music plays from the speaker. Everyone else is in the water. Even Bailey. I hear footsteps approaching. I feel a little body lay beside me. "Are you asleep, mommy?" "No baby. Just tanning." "Oh. Okay." I turn to face her, "Why aren't you playing with Charles?" "Because I didn't want you to be alone."

Bailey takes a sit beside her and Katie just pets her. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm fine." There's silence. "Tom and Charles was wondering why you're not swimming." She moves hair out of her face. Her beautiful blonde curls. I smile. If my family didn't know she was adopted, they would've believed she was my flesh and blood. "I'm tanning baby. Go play, okay?" She looks at me with worried eyes, "Sure?" I nod, "Go have fun." She gives me a kiss and runs back.