Page 47 of Tied Over

“I’m watchin’,” I assured her, moving an Adirondack chair close to the edge so I could see her underwater.

Pretty soon all the kids were calling my name, and then they were throwing the beach balls out of the pool and I had to run and get them and throw them back in. They all squealed when I told them they had better look out for sharks.

“There are no sharks in a pool,” explained Thomas, very worldly and wise at six—he told me how old he was right off the bat.

“What if the bottom breaks open and a shark gets in?”

He shook his head like I was stupid. “Sharks can’t be in chlorine or fresh water. Everybody knows that.”

“Chlorine, I’ll give you, but you’re wrong about fresh water. Bull sharks can live in rivers and lakes. Look it up.”

He got out of the water and consulted his tablet; eight other kids were hanging on to the side of the pool, waiting for whatever he was going to say.

“What’s happening?” Angela asked as she joined me.

“Shhh,” I hushed her. “Thomas is looking something up.”

She sighed deeply and took hold of my bicep. “Thank you again, Jed, for checking on everyone. I promise that tomorrow you can relax and be off kid duty.”

I shrugged. “They’re all right. Which ones are yours, Angela?”

“Call me Angie, and Thomas is mine,” she replied, chuckling. “He was well named, as he doubts everything and never takes a word I say as gospel. Brandon, right there, who’s five, and my baby, Margo, who’s four.”

“No shit? Four?”

She nodded quickly.

“Man, she swims amazing for only being four.”

“Yes,” she agreed, dissolving into tears and leaning into me.

I put an arm around her and pulled her close. “Listen, he’s gone, and let’s face it, you were out here, watching, I saw you. And you weren’t doing it because you thought some piece of filth like Luke Stoker was here and you had to protect your kids from him, but just because pool, water, lakefront, stupid stone benches they could run into and—”

“I know,” she gasped, lifting her head, her gaze locking on mine. “The hell is with all the stone shit?”

I grinned at her. “Plus, I figure you like them, even though Thomas is really annoying,” I said, raising my voice on purpose so her son could hear.

He growled at me, which was adorable, and then groaned as he lifted his head.

“Well?” I baited him.

“Yeah, okay, fine. You’re right. They can live in fresh water, and they’ve even found some in the Mississippi River.”

“Told you.”

“But the pool won’t crack,” he said arrogantly.

“You’re a construction engineer, are you?”

He crossed his little arms and scowled at me.

“I would check for any fissures, because we don’t know what’s in that lake.”

They all turned and looked at the water.

“Oh my God, you’re so bad.” Angela laughed, stepping free but taking hold of my hand. “I can’t wait until my husband gets here tonight so he can meet you.”

“I look forward to meeting him as well.”