Page 30 of The Summer Plans

I pocket my phone. I know better than to continue arguing with my sister. She’s stubborn and determined. And incredibly kind and generous.

“Did you know that puffer fish are more poisonous than cyanide?” Logan announces.

Lana wrinkles her nose. “Why would you tell us that before we’re about to jump into an ocean full of them?”

“We get quite a bit of puffers,” Tony shouts over the noise of the engine. “Never seen any that weren’t afraid of humans, though.”

Lana’s shoulders visibly relax.

Tony continues, “Might see some angelfish, parrotfish, rays, maybe even a sea turtle or two. If we’re lucky, we might spot a starfish or sea cucumber.”

“Sea cucumbers!” Logan shouts as he leaps from his seat and jumps up and down. “I knew my book would come in handy!”

I can’t help but laugh. “I’ve never seen anyone that excited about a sea cucumber.” I look at Summer.

She’s got her head in her hands as she groans. I wonder what that’s about?

“I’m gonna touch it!” Lucas says.

“Gonna stop you right there, boys. We only look. No touchin’ the sea life,” Tony says.

“I hope we see a turtle. They’re my favorite,” Lana says.

Logan holds up a finger. “The most common type of sea turtle is the loggerhead.”

Tony nods as he slows the boat. “Yup. And this is peak nesting season for ’em.”

Once Tony goes over the rules, we get our gear on. Summer waves Logan over. He sets his book down and joins us, rolling up his sleeve as if he already knew what Summer wanted.

She’s got a giant bag full of supplies, far more than I ever saw Jessica pack for Sophie when she was little.

“What’s all that?” I ask.

“It’s my Logan bag. I don’t go anywhere without it. It has extra insulin, an EpiPen, a sensor and transmitters, glucose meters, sugary snacks in case he gets too low, charging cables, extra batteries, alcohol swabs, a first aid kit, and bottled water.” She raises an eyebrow. “They don’t teach you about all this at fire school?”

Shit. Why do I keep putting my foot in my mouth with this woman? I rub my jaw as I consider my response. “I’m still learning, honestly. We get basic training, but it’s more emergency-based. Rapid assessment, how to recognize a hypoglycemic episode. I’m working on my EMT certification, but I’ve only been doing this for less than a year, and until Sparky, I’d never known anyone with diabetes.”

Logan smiles. “I’ll teach you!” He lifts up his shirt. “This is my Dexcom. It has a sensor, and a transmitter.” He points to sensor on his arm. “But when we go swimming or in the ocean, we need to cover the sensor, so the water or sunscreen doesn’t mess with the adhesive holding it into place. We use an overpatch.”

“Does any of that hurt?” I ask as Summer applies the patch and sunscreen. Sophie was a nightmare about wearing sunscreen at this age, and I marvel at how easily Logan complies.

“Nope. The finger pricks hurt more, but we don’t have to do those as much with this.”

Once she puts his swim shirt in place, he gives her a big hug. “Thanks for letting us go snorkeling, Mom.”

She rubs his back, and her eyes connect with mine briefly. “It was RJ’s idea,” she says dismissively.

Logan turns and hugs me. The move is unexpected, but I relax into the hug, clapping his back a few times. “Thanks, RJ. We never get to do stuff like this,” he whispers before he runs over to Captain Tony.

My head is a mix of guilt and anger. I’m angry at myself for suggesting this outing in front of the kids, essentially forcing Summer’s hand. She must think I’m a total asshole. I’m about to apologize when she speaks, calming my thoughts.

“I’m not sure the Bluetooth will connect while we’re in the water, so Logan and I will need to come back to the boat and check his levels. They’re okay right now.”

Fuck, now I feel even worse. I didn’t think about how this could be an all-day activity. I just wanted to spend time with her and her kids, be there for them in ways their dad hasn’t been, so I can prove to her that she can depend on me.

She’s still clutching the sunscreen, her thumb fidgeting with the cap.

I lean close to her, swiping it from her hand. “Your turn.” I motion for her to turn around.