Page 47 of Seal of Approval

“He was locked in the garage two houses down. He must have been there all afternoon. The people said they got home and parked a little after lunch.”

“Oh, poor Timmy,” Rose cooed. “You must be hungry.” She carried him into the house and straight to his food bowl in the laundry.

“Thank you for your help,” I said to Ethan.

“No problem.”

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to go out in the boat this afternoon.”

“I can go tomorrow.”

Bailey spun to face us. “We can still go. There’s time before dinner.” He moved from foot to foot, raising his eyebrows in invitation.

Ethan laughed. “Don’t you have homework to do?”

“Nah, school’s nearly finished. We don’t get homework anymore.”

Ethan turned his attention to me and lifted his shoulder. I sighed. I wasn’t going to win this one. “Rose,” I called out. “Do you want to go for a swim with the sea lions?”

She appeared in the laundry doorway almost instantly. “What about Timmy?”

“I think he’s had enough adventure for one day,” I said.

* * *

I anchored the boat, and the kids made their way to the stairs. The water was calm, lapping softly against the hull. Clouds flitted across the sky, casting shadows in the water.

“Stay close, this won’t be a long swim,” I said.

They nodded and jumped into the water. Rose squealed. The sea lions on shore perked up.

Ethan peeled his t-shirt off. His golden, tanned skin glowed. How did someone who did no exercise except when he was out here and ate like a king look like that? Why couldn’t he have a dad bod?

My eyes raked over his chest, lower still, to the small trail of hair just above his shorts. I swallowed, nearly choking. I corrected my gaze to Ethan’s eyes which were watching me.

Fuck. Just act normal.

If blushing like a red sunset was normal, I was nailing it.

“Aren’t you going to work?” I managed to ask. As if it wasn’t already obvious. I mean everyone took their shirt off to work, didn’t they?

“No. I thought a swim would be a good way to end the day.”

I nodded. “Good plan.”

“Are you coming in?”

“Sure.”

It would be a good way to cool off. And keep myself distracted. From him. I pulled my dress off and followed him down the stairs in my swim shorts and crop top. Before I could swim away to get some distance, Ethan pointed to the children. “Look, the injured sea lion is playing with them.”

Sure enough, the sea lion was swimming circles around them and then darting off for them to follow.

“At least there are two humans in the world he likes,” I said.

“And you,” Ethan said. “He’s never as wary with you as he is me.”

A sea lion darted between us, pushing us apart. Ethan chuckled and dove down to the sand after it. I swam in the opposite direction, smiling to myself. Ethan was right. This was a good end to the day. Spending time with the people you loved, or liked in Ethan’s case, was never a bad thing.

---