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Andy’s old man had though.
Tim — he and Luke wereTimand Luke now — had let it slip one morning while they were out surfing together that he was keeping tabs on Aldon Wickers.
Apparently, Aldon — having lost his management position at Tech Universe — was now pulling graveyard shifts at a convenience store in Anaheim. This twist of fate Tim claimed to have had no hand in — though his tiny smirk while relaying the intel had suggested otherwise.
Luke’s sights shifted to the shoreline where his father-in-law was standing with his own set of binoculars, gaze trained on his daughter doing her thing.
Not that Andy was doing much but waiting at the moment since the waves had died down. Luke glanced back at the scoreboard above the judge’s panel. Andy had made it through the bracketed tournament to the last heat of the day. She was ranked fourth among the final four out in the water with only five minutes left in the heat.
Truthfully, Luke didn’t care what place Andy finished; he was just so damn proud of her for getting this far. For working so hard on her surfing in between all her shifts at the shop — not to mention all the other stuff they had going on.
Yeah, life had been busy in the past few years.
But the good kind of busy, for sure.
Andy had thanked him once for helping her find her passion. As much as she’d been nervous about surfing in the beginning, she loved it now. And the happiness she drew from the sport was real.
Luke felt it just watching her through the binoculars as she sat on her board, gaze ever-searching for the next big wave. Not just because she wanted to win either. But because there was probably no other sport that touched your soul quite like surfing.
Luke should have thanked her in return that day. He should have thanked his wife for helping him findhispassion. Or, at least, for helping him to discover another one.
He’d sorted out about a year into coaching Andy that he really did enjoy teaching people how to surf, and though he couldn’t do it full-time with his work at the shop, Luke had partnered with Hunter a couple years ago to start a summer session of surf instruction for children with ASD.
Andy had given them guidance, and Kyle and Dylan had also volunteered to help, and the week-long course had been a huge success. The smiles on the faces of all the kids they’d helped out in the water had been so damn rewarding.
Luke smiled at the memories. Ones he probably wouldn’t have had if Andy hadn’t come into his life.
Yeah, he should definitely thank her for helping him find his passion too.
But teaching wasn’t the only gift she’d brought into his life. She’d also blessed him with family. More than what he’d had before. Luke glanced back at Tim, who was now joined by his wife at the shoreline.
Not everyone ended up a fan of their in-laws, but Luke could honestly say he was.
After their first testy encounter that night at Andy’s apartment, Luke and Tim had soon warmed to each other, and though he didn’t yet call the man Dad, Luke sensed that connection growing between them. And, if he were being honest, finally having a positive father figure in his life felt pretty damn good. Especially given the squirmy bundle hanging from the sling stretched over Davis’s tank top.
Luke watched his mother-in-law press a kiss to her husband’s cheek before turning to reveal the tiny tot strapped to her right hip.
Which was, of course,histiny tot.
Though perhaps not so tiny anymore.
Luke’s son was nine months old and fast outgrowing the sling Davis had borrowed from the massive beach bag parked between Luke and Andy’s chairs.
Trudging over, Davis was panting when she lifted his offspring from her hip. “Andy’s not the only one getting a workout today. Geesh.”
Luke chuckled as she handed his son over. Cas wiggled his long chubby limbs during the transfer, and his beach hat was knocked off to reveal a short cap of wispy blonde curls.
“Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba,” Cas rattled off, clearly more concerned about filling his belly than protecting his head from the sun.
“I know, bud. I’ll get you your bottle.”
“I’ve got it,” Davis said, rummaging through the bag.
Cas continued to babble in his lap, flashing Luke a grin that was distinctly Andy’s. As were the eyes. Big and blue, but with perhaps a touch more green. Especially when they were sparkling with excitement as they were now.
Luke kissed his son’s head, heart melting as usual as he inhaled that sweet baby scent and took in that sweet baby smile. As he admired the perfect sweetness of the child he and Andy had created.
Caspian Nicholas MacCallum.
