Page 43 of Whispers of Redemption

CHAPTER 17

Seagulls wheeled on air currents in the cloudless blue sky overhead, and warm sunshine glittered on the white-capped cerulean waves as the three of them approached the game.

“Yay! You guys made it!” Ani cried out. “Cassie, you join my side. It’s girls against the guys! Let’s let Cassie serve,” she added with a wide grin.

Cassie left Angel in the care of a group of kids watching the game from the sidelines. She tossed her bathing suit cover-up to the side and took her position. Digging her feet into the warm sand, she jumped up to deliver a powerful overarm serve, zipping the ball across the net.

Wade was clearly distracted by Cassie in her lavender bikini, and he hesitated a second too long. The ball spit up sand at his feet as it hit the ground.

While Cassie and her teammates laughed and high-fived, Hugo smacked Wade on the side of the head, “C’mon, man! Focus!”

Wade shook his head. Game on!

The ball rallied back and forth as both teams dove, jumped, and spiked the ball over the net. As the game progressed, Wade found that he and Cassie were evenly matched.

Cassie spiked the brightly colored ball, sending it into an unstoppable downward trajectory in an undefended spot. But suddenly, Wade was there, popping it up for a teammate to send over. Later, he dinked the ball softly over the net, but Cassie raced forward from her middle position to successfully bounce it into the air and another player grounded it on the other side.

“Out of bounds!” Wade called when one of Cassie’s formidable serves caused the ball to dance across the boundary line.

“Foul!” she called back when one of Wade’s balls skimmed the net.

Hugo had everyone on both teams laughing at his creative antics. Even though he carried that bit of extra girth, he was as agile and quick as a man half his age. At times, he goofed around by heading the ball, or he’d turn his back to the net and hit it backward over his head. At one point, he fell onto his backside and leaned back in time to pop the ball up over the net with both his feet. “Soccer!” he said as he jumped back up, and everyone doubled up with laughter.

They played the best of three sets, and the girls were declared the winners. By the end of the third game, a breathless Hugo declared himself done. “Besides, I’m starved.”

Everyone headed back to the picnic area and dove into the food, gathering onto blankets and around picnic tables to eat. Wade’s contribution was ooohed and aaaahed over by the teens.

Afterward, Wade watched as everyone broke off into smaller groups and wandered off to lounge on the beach, swim, or play frisbee among the waves. Hugo and Ani sat together at a picnic table, deep in conversation.

Wade noticed Cassie pour water into someone’s leftover plastic container for Angel, who lapped it up greedily. Then she spread out her blanket on the sand near the dog and stretched out. She leaned back on her elbows and closed her eyes, face tipped toward the sun.

He stood there a moment, just looking at her, and he felt his heart race as he watched her bask in the sunlight. He admired the soft, gentle curves of her body and noticed how her fair skin was already turning rosy gold from their day in the sun. As frustrating as she could be at times, he couldn't help but feel a pull toward her, drawn to her beauty and her bold confidence. He thought back to that moment in the hallway, when he’d almost kissed her, and wondered if her feelings toward him were changing as his were.

Without thinking, Wade made his way toward Cassie, his heart pounding in his chest. “May I join you?”

She blinked her eyes open in surprise.

“I...uh, forgot to bring a towel,” he said.

“How do you come to the beach without a towel?” she said.

“Somehow I forgot to put it on my checklist,” he said, holding up his phone.

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