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The sand is fine and soft underfoot, hot, sure, but I keep moving so my toes don’t get burned.
The warm shallow water is crystal clear and I swim out far enough to get my whole body under, glad the water gets cooler as it gets deeper.
Either they discussed it on the ride down, or the kids just know not to go past a certain point in the water. They stay close to the shore and swim, splashing each other and showing off. The Trinity kids stay clustered together at first, but someone brings out water toys—beach balls, boogie boards, goggles, snorkels—and the cool act drops. Everyone just wants to have fun.
I dip under the water and swim out until my feet can’t touch. I do a few laps back and forth along our small stretch of beach, only stopping when my muscles start to ache. I come up for air and bob in the water, treading and swimming as I look back toward the beach. Noah’s still up near our loungers, setting up the coolers, laying out towels for the kids. I feel bad for not thinking to help. I make a mental note to make sure I’m the one who does most of the cleanup effort before we leave.
I watch as Noah takes a bottle of water out of one of the coolers and nearly drains it dry in one long swallow.
He drops it onto a lounger, reaches back for the collar of his t-shirt, and pulls it off over his head in one fell swoop. My lips part as I suck in a breath. This is only my second time seeing him shirtless. It’s not like there’s been a lot of opportunity for that sort of thing. Lindale has a dress code, after all.
My first instinct is to look away, give him a modicum of privacy. But I don’t. I take in every detail like it might be my last opportunity. I memorize the slight curve of his shoulders, his strong arms, toned stomach, tapered waist. He’s tan everywhere. Fit like he works out every day twice a day.
He heads toward the water and looks out to find me watching him.
I dip my head back under and go right back to swimming laps, trying to exhaust myself and kill the butterflies in my stomach.
When I’ve had enough, I head back up onto the beach, peeling my wet cover-up away from my body and trying to get it to do its job again. It’s pointless, but I don’t give in to the urge to just tug it off and be done with the damn thing. Gabriella and Ashley are both wearing one-pieces without cover-ups, but they’ve got less butt and less boobs than me, so it doesn’t seem as in-your-face. Besides, it’s not so bad now that I’ve had a chance to cool off in the water. If I get too hot again, I’ll just take another dip.
I check on the kids, bring them water and force them to drink it, spray a few of them with sunscreen when they stop moving for long enough, and then plop myself down under a lounger.
My top half is under the umbrella while my legs stick out into the sun. Since the kids are all in the water, I decide to be adventurous and hike up my cover-up until it’s around my waist so I’ll get an even tan on my bottom half.
For a few minutes, I close my eyes and listen to the waves crash against the shore. Before I accidentally fall asleep like that, I rifle through my bag for my book of crossword puzzles. I go for a medium difficult. Call me crazy.
Life is good for a while, and then Noah’s shadow falls over me, blocking the sun on my legs.
“You mind?” I ask, not looking up.
“You’re avoiding me.”
“So? That’s nothing new.”
I reread the clue for five down, underlining it so he gets the hint that I’m a little busy.
“You’ve really deluded yourself, haven’t you? We’re attached at the hip, you and me. Thick as thieves. You feel rudderless without me.”
I laugh like he’s completely off base. “Not even close. The last two days have been like a nice little vacation.”
“Liar. You’ve cried you miss me so much.”
There’s no way he doesn’t notice the blush creep up my cheeks. He’s only joking, but I have cried over him, so what am I supposed to say to that?
I settle for a subject change.
“Uh-huh. Right. Unless you’ve come over here to help me with my crossword—”
He drops a tube of sunscreen onto my lap.
“I can’t get my back.”
I shield my eyes from the sun and finally, finally look up at him. All my internal prep does nothing. His body up close would bring anybody to their knees.
“I don’t see what that has to do with me.”
