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“I will.” He took her hand.
“If you don’t have a suit, you can’t go in the water.”
“You can still go in.”
“Tell me now if you don’t like the beach, and we’ll go to the park.”
“I’m not saying I don’t like the beach. I do want to go there with you. Does this have to do with your ex?” he guessed.
“Yeah,” she sighed, realizing he was right. It did. “We used to go to the beach and on trips when we were dating and early in our marriage. Then I had the girls. His work got busy, and he’d spend half the vacation on the phone or computer and be grumpy that he was working. It got worse when he started his own company. While we liked the idea of travel, it became too stressful for me because he wanted me to do all the planning. I’d research locations, things to do, places to stay, and then he’d say he couldn’t go because work was too unpredictable.”
“That would be frustrating, and I can’t promise I won’t have to cancel plans at times either.”
“I understand that. But there’s more.” The part that had her thinking about a separation even before Phil was charged with driving while impaired. “Going to the same beach all the time may not sound exciting, but it was familiar, easy, fun. Until Phil started bringing a cooler full of beers down with him. He’d sit under the umbrella and make business calls—getting louder and louder as he got more impaired.” Ruining the relaxed vibe not only for her but for the people around them. “I went from envisioning us as an old gray-haired couple walking hand-in-hand on the beach and writing our initials in the sand to wishing he wasn’t there. I named our daughters after the mermaid in the movieSplashand the Sandpipers I love to watch. Instead of the beach being my happy place, I didn’t want to go anymore.” Her marriage had been crumbling, and Phil sucked the joy from another thing she loved.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. You’ve brought so much joy back into my life. You can do that again today. Hold my hand as we take a walk. Play in the waves. Watch the Sandpipers scurry along the shoreline. If you can have a Black Hawk fly over, you get bonus points.” She tried to lighten the mood.
“You know I have no sway over aviation to make that happen, don’t you?” he grinned at her.
“Never hurts to ask. You have friends in high places.” She leaned over to kiss him.
“I can follow your orders on the other things.”
She threw a swimsuit and towels in a beach bag, then packed a cooler with ice, water, and some snacks. Graham made coffee and texted Megan.
“Megan said she’d swing by the house and feed the cats. Which beach are we going to? Kiawah’s too far, and you’ll be there soon.”
“Oak Island is one of the closest to here, and I’ve wanted to check it out.”
“Do you want to eat here or on the way?” Graham handed her a thermal mug of coffee.
“I’m not that hungry. Why don’t you grab a protein bar? We can find a place for an early lunch on the beach. And we’re stopping somewhere to get you a swimsuit.”
“Yes, we are. And we’re going to write our names in the sand. Even though it’s Sunday, maybe the Coast Guard will fly over and get you excited.” He winked at her.
“You know I’ll wave to them.”
“I do.” Graham’s hearty chuckle helped dispel the gloom lingering from Noelle’s disclosure last night.
* * *
Rather than sleep,Erin kept him engaged in conversation as he drove. She mentioned some ideas for the series, asked him about Italy for the trip over the holiday, and changed to a new topic whenever there was a lull in conversation. They talked about anything but the ball and what happened last night.
She sat up straighter and cracked the car window as they crossed the bridge over the intercoastal waterway. Their nearness to the ocean was already working its magic based on her smile and the way she drew in a deep breath of the salt air.
When she met his gaze, a light in her eyes lifted the weight in his chest.
They stopped at one of the beach stores where he shopped for swim trunks and a pair of flip-flops. Erin picked up beach chairs and visors embroidered with Oak Island.
They ate lunch at a coffee shop near the pier. The view of the water captured Erin’s attention over and over.
He made eye contact with their server after she delivered food to a nearby table. “Can I get the bill? She might dissolve like a washed-up jellyfish if I don’t get her to the beach soon.”
“He’s not wrong,” Erin laughed and finished her sandwich.
“Sure thing,” the server said.
