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Sydney looked back over her shoulder. “Think he’s still teaching Josiah how to swim.”
“I might be able to manage if you hold Theo.”
“Gladly.”
Turning up the cuteness, Theo set his head on Sydney’s shoulder, pepper juice staining his lips and chin. Sydney nuzzled him again, placed her head on top of his, and rocked him, humming Roberta Flack like a lullaby.
Ayesha looked out at the water just as Joel and Josiah emerged, playfully shoving at one another, and she knew if Joel walked up and saw Sydney rocking and singing to Theo, he’d propose all over again.
“Actually, there’s something else,” Sydney said. “I was wondering if I could talk to you about something. Privately.”
Ayesha nodded. “Of course.”
Sydney looked back again.
Joel was now headed their way.
“Ayesha, this can’t get back to Joel.”
“Confidentiality is what I do for a living, Sydney. But, if you’d like, I can send you the waiver I use at my practice.”
“No, that won’t be necessary. I trust you. I’m just…” Sydney took a third glance at Joel. “How did you feel when you first found out you were pregnant?”
Ayesha found herself also now checking for Joel, who’d reached the bottom of the deck steps.
“Like, emotionally?” she whispered.
Sydney’s voice matched hers. “Symptomatically. It’s not like it was the last—”
“Hello, ladies.” Joel walked directly over to where Sydney stood, strides long and purposeful, and blew a raspberry against Theo’s cheek. “Hey, baby boy. I miss you down on the beach.”
“Mitt youbeash,”Theo echoed.
He blew another raspberry and then faced the table, his eyes indistinguishable from the water behind him.
“Sorry I’m late, Ayesha.”
She looked down at the assortment of glass and foil containers. “It’s no biggie. How’d Josiah do?”
“The boy’s a fish. Are you sure Curtis didn’t teach him?”
“He could have, but Josiah told me himself he didn’t know how to swim and wanted you to teach him.” She raised her head but didn’t meet his gaze head-on. “Looks like he’s having fun. Thanks for doing this for him.”
Before she could point out what to carry, he grabbed as many dishes as he could hold, his large hands and long arms swallowing twice what she would have been able to transport in one go. Behind him, Theo groaned as he tried to wiggle out of Sydney’s arms, reaching for Joel.
“Lattimore,” she tipped her chin at Theo, “looks like you’ll need one of your arms.”
“Hey, buddy.” Joel set down a few of the containers, took Theo using only one arm, and kissed the soft curls on top of Theo’s head.
Considering the level of Joel’s desire to be a father, seeing Sydney with Theo should have brought him to his knees. Yet, he hadn’t taken as little as a second to stare at her while she’d cradled a tiny toddler in her arms with a look that could have been misconstrued as her wanting a child of her own.
“Jo!” Theo wrapped his arms around Joel’s neck, then shoved his pepper toward Joel’s mouth. “Jo,puppa.”
“Don’t eat that,” Ayesha warned. “I’m one hundred percent sure it’s covered in…particles.”
Joel laughed. “You eat your pepper, buddy. Want ‘Jo’ to teach you how to swim too? Hey, Ayesha, have you noticed that he doesn’t call me ‘uncle’ like everyone else?”
“Maybe he doesn’t see you as an uncle,” she said.
