Free Playing for Keeps by Jamie Hill

Saturday we should finish the pool and build the partial deck and gate. Then we can fill it, and it should be ready to go Monday night for Sophie's party."
    Maddie smiled. "What kind of a party?"
    He laughed. "A very eclectic kind. I promised the guys a keg, some hamburgers and fireworks. Of course we'll have presents and cake for Soph. Anybody who wants to swim will be able to."
    " Wow," Maddie said again. "That is a major amount of thinking you did today. Your brain must still be sizzling."
    His face glowed with excitement . "What do you think?"
    She shrugged and nodded. "It sounds great, I guess. I'm sure you'll enjoy your pool."
    He looked at her. "It's our pool."
    " Right." Maddie nodded.
    Rob set his beer down and leaned forward. "Sweetheart, I'm not sure what you expect from me, but right now I'm giving you all I have to give. I'm sorry if you want more."
    " I never said I wanted more. I'm just trying to absorb everything you've thrown at me. You're talking about a party with all of your friends, and since it's a birthday party for Soph, there's the potential for her mother to be there. I'm wondering if I should even be around."
    " You can sure as hell go home if that's what you want," he muttered.
    " Funny, I was starting to think of this place as home."
    He simply stared at her.
    " Don't tell me it was all one sided. 'Come into our room.' 'It'll be our pool.' You said those things to me."
    " I did," he agreed.
    " So let's try and sort this out. Are you prepared for me to meet your friends, the guys you work with?"
    " Absolutely! I talk about you all the time. I never tried to hide our relationship. I'm excited for you to meet them."
    " And what about Dionne? Are you excited for me to meet her?"
    " That's different. What happens between you and me is one thing. Where Sophie's involved, I feel the need to tread lightly. I'm not sure you need to meet Dee at this point."
    " Okay." She shrugged. "Just so we're both on the same page here."
    He reached for her hand and swung it. "It's going to be great. It'll be a hell of a busy weekend, but if it goes the way I've planned, we should be able to carve out a little you-and-me time by Monday."
    Maddie stood and moved to his lap, facing him. Sliding her legs through the arm holes of the chair one at a time, she straddled him.
    " Ooh, I like this." He jiggled his legs up and down. "If I could be sure the Little Mermaid in there would keep swimming for a few more minutes, we might have to strip naked and get adventurous."
    Maddie smiled and kissed him gently. "We'll have time. I'm not going anywhere, you're not going anywhere. There'll be plenty of time."
    " I like the sounds of that," he murmured, and kissed her again.
     
    Maddie went to work as usual on Friday, and returned to Rob's house in the evening to a bustle of activity. As Rob had predicted, the pool was mostly assembled. There was a bulldozer off to the side, and Maddie could see they had moved a lot of dirt to level the ground before putting up the pool.
    She slipped inside and took a quick shower to cool off , then changed into jean shorts and a tank top, her summer staples. She opened a bottle of beer and wandered out to the construction zone.
    " Look, it's like one of them beer commercials!" someone said. "Beautiful woman strolling toward you with a bottle of beer in hand."
    " Don't come out here with only one beer!" someone else called.
    " Uh oh." Maddie smiled and hid the bottle behind her back. "Am I going to get attacked for my beer?" She looked around and didn't see Rob.
    " You might get attacked for something, but it ain't gonna be beer!" someone else said.
    " That's enough, you animals." Rob stood up from behind the back of the pool. "Hello, gorgeous."
    Maddie smiled and approached him. "Are you talking to me or the beer?"
    He gave her a quick kiss and wrangled the bottle from her hand. "Both of you." He took a long draw from the bottle, and handed it back. "We're winding down here. Think you could find six