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“Tell me you didn’t like that breakfast roll at Madam Croque,” she challenged.
He laughed again. “I liked it fine.”
“Mm hm,” she said knowingly.
“I mean,life-changingis a little bit of a stretch,” he teased. “As is saying one dish is going to change how someone thinks about potatoes. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I hear what you’re saying, Mister Holt. You’re just wrong.” She giggled, and Luke liked this easier conversation. She was really good at flirting, and Luke fell into the rhythm of it naturally too.
As his chuckle faded, he glanced out into the water and didn’t see the kids. “Do you see Connor or Missy?” He released her hand and got to his feet, shading his eyes with one hand and setting Petunia on the sand with the other.
Just then, a scream filled the air, and Luke jerked toward it. Missy ran toward him, and he took off at a sprint toward her. “Where’s Connor?” he demanded.
She sobbed and pointed toward the water. “He went under,” she said in halting words.
Horror gripped Luke’s throat and squeezed. He couldn’t see Connor or even where he might have been. Just waves and waves and waves.
“Luke,” Hannah called behind him.
“Stay with Missy,” he said over his shoulder. “Call an ambulance.” He bent down and took Missy by the shoulders. “Missy,” he said calmly—freaky calm. “Where? Can you show me where?”
She quieted and turned toward the gulf. “Straight up from where I ran. We were there, and then he just went under.”
Straight out.
Hannah arrived, and Luke passed Missy to her. He met her eyes for one moment in time, noted she had her phone to her ear, and took off at a sprint for the water.
