“Okay.” He took his necklace off and gave it to Sharon, then hugged her so hard he nearly crushed the clover flowers. “Can I make another one?”
“Of course, sweetheart.”
They kept plucking clover and making an inventory of fragile jewelry. “What did you do when you were done being hooligans after school?”
“After?” She pretended to think hard. “We had to buckle down. I always tried to get my homework done before dinner so I could have more gaming time after. It used to drive my sisters crazy. But I was the youngest and my homework was way easier than theirs.”
“That’s not fair!” he accused.
“Maybe not,” she allowed. “But I didn’t think it was fair that they got to stay up later than me. We get more privileges as we prove we can handle them.”
Bryce seemed to ponder this for quite some time. “I still want to help my friend read. Mom lets me read out loud to her, but my friend doesn’t have a mom around to listen to him.”
“Oh, wow. That’s really tough.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Can I see if this fits you?” she asked, holding up her latest clover chain.
He scrambled closer and that sweet smell of little boy mingling with the sunshine, green grass, and ocean breezes made her heart yearn.
Having married so young, she’d expected to be a mother by now a few times over. She liked kids. At every age. That was a big reason she enjoyed her guest classes so much.
“There you go,” she said.
He tucked his chin trying to look at what she’d made. “What is it?”
“A clover bolo tie.” She showed him how to gently adjust the loops.
“Cool!” He threw his arms around her. “Thank you!”
“You’re welcome.”
Sharon stood, suggesting it was time to get going.
“I’ve gotta show Dad!” Bryce made a dash for the workshop, hollering the whole way.
“Thank you for this,” Sharon said. “He rarely stays unhappy for long.”
“He’s such a good kid,” Nat murmured. “If he really wants to read to other kids, you know there are places he can do that. The librarian might even have some suggestions for you.”
“That’s a good thought,” Sharon said.
Nat pulled out her phone. “Let me just get a couple pictures before you go.” They struck a couple goofy poses with their bracelets and necklaces and she texted the collection to Sharon.
“His parents are going to love this.” Her gaze turned thoughtful. “These pictures have sparked some fun ideas.”
“I’m glad for you,” Nat murmured.
“Oh, that’s what brought you here?” Sharon’s voice was loaded with sympathy. “I’ve had plenty of those days myself. Would you mind if I used these photos as inspiration for a couple of paintings?”
Natalie beamed and gave her a hug. “Not at all. I can’t wait to see what you come up with.”
When she was alone again, her creativity started stirring. Bubbling just under the surface, but enough to have her feeling more like herself. Instead of rushing back to the Hideaway, she wandered down the dock toward the water. All of the sailing school boats were secured in a neat line and she paused to enjoy the view from the bench Miles had built just for Sharon.
Brookwell Island really was a unique and lovely place.
She let her mind wander, listening to the rhythm of the bumpers and rigging as the nearby boats rocked in their slips. The soft symphony of sound always soothed her. Her favorite background music for life. Even when she wasn’t searching for anything in particular, the atmosphere always inspired her. Lost in thought, trying not to slide back into pitiful feelings, she reached the end of the dock, her gaze falling on a red kayak tied to the last post. It wasn’t labeled with the sailing school logo and Miles didn’t leave his kayaks here.
