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“Okay, you won that one,” he said, wincing as she started to splash him with salt water. “But I bet you can’t catch me now.” He launched himself into the water, his impact with the ocean almost taking his breath away. It was ball-shrinklingly cold.
“Wait for me,” Isla called, laughing loudly as he dipped beneath the water, then reemerged, shaking his head like an old dog toward her. She grabbed onto his back and he started to swim again, pulling her behind him like a horse and carriage.
“Still think I got the better side of the deal?” Meghan asked him, as she dried Isla’s hair and braided it to stop it from getting matted. They’d finished eating the picnic Meghan had made, and were sitting on the blanket, looking out at the ocean.
“Maybe it’s more even than I thought.” He gave her a crooked grin, and she tried really hard not to sigh. He looked good with his wet hair slicked back from his pretty face. She’d been perving on him all evening. Watching him play in the water with Isla had made her stomach feel all weird inside, like it was on a rollercoaster without her, rising and dipping and turning over.
“Can I gather some shells?” Isla asked. She had a special collection in her bedroom. Only the prettiest and shiniest shells were taken home, but they made her happy.
“Sure.” Meghan smiled at her. “But don’t go too close to the ocean. And we need to go home in twenty minutes. You have school tomorrow.”
Isla ran across the sand. Meghan smiled at her exuberance. Beside her, Rich leaned back, resting his elbows on the blanket, a grin playing at his lips as he watched her run.
“She’s a good kid.”
Meghan nodded. “Yeah, she is. I’ve been so lucky with her.”
“No luck involved. You’re a good mom.” He turned his head to look at her. The sun was dipping in the sky, giving his skin a warm orange glow. “You’re lucky to have each other.”
“I guess we are.”
“She reminds me of Belle when she was a kid.”
Meghan blinked, because he so rarely mentioned his past. “I bet she was a cute kid.” She was beautiful now. With the same dark coloring as Rich.
“She was. She loved swimming, too. She still goes at the local pool, but it’s… different. They have a hoist and she has a helper, but it’s not the same as running into the ocean.” He pulled his lip between his teeth, a faraway look in his eyes. It made her stomach contract to see him so pensive.
“I guess it isn’t. But she strikes me as the kind of woman who takes stuff like this in stride. And that’s thanks to you.”
Rich tipped his head to the side, looking at her for a moment. A wave of warmth crashed over her, despite the cool evening air. She wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to how handsome he was.
But right now, having him by her side was enough to keep her going.
“When I used to come to the ocean, I didn’t swim,” she said, changing the subject to something lighter. “I was too busy wolfing down ice cream to want to go in the water.”
Rich laughed, as though pleased she’d changed the subject. “You don’t strike me as someone who wolfs down anything.”
“Oh, I was.” She shrugged. “It was my grandma who used to take me to the beach. She knew how much I loved ice cream, and we so rarely had it at home.”
“Why not?”
“I guess my parents weren’t ones for treats. We ate well but carefully. Meat, vegetables, fruit for dessert. Ice cream was for special occasions like birthdays and secret trips out with my grandma.”
“So you’re making up for lost time now?”
She smiled. “I guess I am. When my grandma left me money in trust, I always knew what I wanted to do with it. It took some time to learn the business and find the right place to invest in. But I’m so glad I did it and we ended up here.”
“I’m glad, too.” His voice was low. It sent a shiver down her spine.
“How about you?” she asked. “Did you always dream of being a doctor?”
“I was a science geek at school,” he admitted, his eyes softening when she gave a little chuckle. “I loved it all, especially biology. And my folks were pretty keen on having a doctor in the family, so they gave me a lot of support.”
“It’s nice to have supportive parents.” Her voice was soft.
“Yeah.” His eyes caught hers. “It’s one of the things I hate for Belle. I had all that support growing up and she had none.”
“She has you.”
