When they finally both sat in the raft trying to fish for the fake fish, Sal loved how Grace concentrated. He didn’t even try. He just watched her and how hard she tried to get the fish. “I got it!”
His eyes were on her the entire time she pulled up the plastic fish, then kissed him in the excitement.
“You hungry, Gracie?” he asked, barely able to take his lips away.
“Yes!”
They got out and Sal walked over to the picnic basket after drying off to get the toleras for the tortas.
“I can make them,” Grace offered.
“Nope. I’m making them. You just get comfortable.”
Sal had made plenty of cold tortas in his time. He put everything together and walked out with a platter to where Grace was lounging by the tent. She smirked. “I peeked in. It looks comfortable. That’s not what we used when I went camping.”
Sal had to laugh. “Okay, so I can’t sleep on the ground and the inflatable mattress almost rivals the mattress in my room, but still, we’ll be in a tent, outside. Lets not get too nitpicky.”
Gracie laughed. “Oh no, you didn’t just say that with a straight face.”
Sal laughed and set the tray down. They ate in silence and he watched Gracie, enjoying his food for once, instead of the other way around. “This is good,” she said, covering her mouth.
“That’s just the water talking. Everything is delicious when you’ve been swimming.”
“No! This is really good.” She leaned in and kissed him. “You’re making this day so perfect… I love you, babe.”
That was the first time she’d called him that, and it felt damn good. “I love you, too. And I wanted this to be perfect for you… for us.”
After they ate, they laid on the oversized lounge chair again, making out. “So what are your plans once you graduate?” Sal knew she was graduating in a few weeks and her mother was no doubt doing nothing for her. He had a few plans up his sleeve.
Grace ran her fingers up and down his bare chest. “I have it all mapped out. Save up for two years, I’m hoping by then I’ll have enough to lease my own restaurant. Nothing nearly as fancy as Moreno’s but my own little place that I can build on, little by little. And certainly not in La Jolla. I’d be lucky if I could afford a place in Chula Vista, maybe Calexico.”
Sal lifted his head to face her. “So you’re planning on leaving Moreno’s high and dry?”
She made a pouty face and shrugged. “Having my own restaurant has always been my dream. Joey and Taylor are already looking for a place to open up a bakery. Joey will do all the baking and Taylor, who’s majoring in business management, like you did, is handling the business end. They’re living their dream. It’s inspiring.” She smiled. “And now working for you and your family is even more inspiring, especially knowing how it all started. When you told me your dad started with a taco truck, it really gave me hope that I can do it someday. Maybe I can start with a taco stand or something. Anything is possible, right?”
Sal caressed her hair. He had bigger plans for her, but he wouldn’t lay them on her just yet. “Yep, anything is possible.” He kissed her forehead. “Ready for some more swimming?”
Grace sat up. “Yes, I’m getting good.”
“I told you. There’s nothing to it. When the weather heats up we’ll go camping for real. Maybe even take a drive to Elephant Butte.”
Her eyes lit up. “Rose would love that.”
“Yeah, we’ll take her. Maybe even make a group thing out of it. I’ll talk to my brothers. We haven’t done something like that in years. I doubt Alex will want to this summer with the babies being so young, but I’ll talk to Angel and my sister, even Romero.”
Sal was going to have to keep coming up with ways to excite her, because he couldn’t get enough of those bright eyes.
They stood up and jumped in the pool.
~*~
Roasting marshmallows using metal prongs over Sal’s expensive fire pit wasn’t quite the same as roasting them over a makeshift fire pit made out of rocks using actual twigs but it still brought back the memories. Sal had thought of everything, even bought salmon steaks to barbecue, and Grace whipped up some roasted potatoes and a salad.
The entire day had been one thing after another that proved to Grace how wonderfully thoughtful Sal was. He’d done all this for her. She glanced around his backyard, wondering how this could be. How did she end up here, with him?
“What are you thinking?” Sal pulled his marshmallow away from the fire and blew out the small flame that had started on the tip.
Grace held hers in the fire a little longer and stared at it. She liked hers crispy. “How lucky I am.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing all day. How lucky I am.”
Grace smiled, feeling like this couldn’t get any better, but she knew they’d be in the tent soon and her stomach was already doing that thing it did, every time she thought about Sal making love to her.
They ate their marshmallows and roasted a few more before Sal walked to the small refrigerator in the outdoor kitchen and pulled out a bottle of wine. “We’ll have one glass each,” he said, as he walked back toward her with the bottle, two empty wine glasses, and a corkscrew opener. “I want you fully aware of everything that happens once we get in that tent. I want you to remember this night forever.”
“I’ll remember this entire day forever.”