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But until then he’d enjoy her. Show her that not all men were assholes, and maybe, just maybe, make a few amazing memories to hold him over.
The bark of a dog made him turn.
Immediately Lo crouched and took the full frontal assault from their friend from this morning. Bert took her out and she landed in a giggling heap with the wet dog splattering her shirt and pants.
No fear.
That was his Lauren.
Not his.
Just his for now.
It was getting harder and harder to remind himself of that.
Had it really only been a few days with her? Bert bounded away from her and out to the surf then back with a stick the side of his damn head. She didn’t even pause. She immediately took it from him and hurled it back toward the water.
“He’s adorable.” She fell on her butt, her arms coming up to hug her knees.
He grinned down at her. “You know he’s still a strange dog right?”
“If you act afraid of dogs, they’ll mirror everything you do. Show joy and happiness and they’ll give it back to you.” She drew a heart in the sand before smoothing it away.
The happy and wet dog came back four more times before he scampered away to another pack of dogs at the far edge of the beach.
She held her hands up to him. “So, are you going to tell me?”
“Figures you wouldn’t let it go.” He hauled her up.
“I’ll respect your privacy if you really want me to, but I’d like to understand. I’d like to help if I can.” She brushed her hands off, then the film clinging to the tops of his thighs.
“You distract me like that there’s no way I’ll tell you.”
She hooked her forefingers into his belt loops. “You’ll feel better if you tell me.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do.” She pressed her lips together and rocked back on her heels. “It can’t be that bad.”
“I take no pride in it.”
“Did it have something to do with the little girl you were talking to?”
He nodded. “She reminded me of someone.”
“Sister?”
“Daughter.” He watched her face.
Surprise dissolved into confusion. “You’ve never mentioned a daughter.”
He shifted her outside the surf line and up to the packed sand along the craggy cove. “I don’t talk about her. My high school girlfriend got pregnant. I was a wild kid without a care in the world. I lived for my surfboard and my skateboard. Steph hung out with my crowd and we clicked—at least for a little while.”
“What happened?”
“She was slumming.”
Lo’s eyebrows snapped down. “I can’t believe that’s why she was with you.”
