Page 65 of Seal of Approval

Jack had strung some Christmas lights out on poles around a long table and benches. He’d brought the tree down from the shop, and Christmas music played softly from a speaker. Bailey unloaded the gifts onto the sand. Everyone was chatty and cheerful as they handed food and drinks around. There was no need to sit close to the fire. The summer air warmed us enough.

“Different from a San Francisco Christmas?” I asked Ethan as we sat.

He nodded. “It’s not cold, for starters.”

We chatted away with everyone. Rose sat next to Jay talking about the dogs he’d looked after in the last week for people visiting the National Park. Sara and Lily brought down a cold ham and some salads. The love and laughter surrounding us warmed my heart. This was home. This was perfect.

When we finished eating, Rose stood up and declared, “Ethan and I are going to sing the Little Drummer Boy.”

Ethan and Rose stood next to the tree and sang. Lucky Rose knew the words, which meant Ethan only had to sing the pa rum pum pum pum. My heart nearly burst watching them smile at each other and sing together. When they finished, everyone gave them a huge round of applause.

Ethan returned to the seat beside me, and we held hands while listening to the others sing as darkness fell.

“OK. Gift time,” Jack called out. “Bailey and Rose, you can be Santa’s little helpers.”

They handed the gifts out one by one and then sat down so we could all open them. When the kids grabbed Ethan’s presents, they perked up, their faces glowing as they shook the boxes near their ears and ripped the paper. Rose squealed in delight when she found a pair of mermaid summer pyjamas. I was surprised she didn’t put them on straight away. Then, when she saw she had a huge thesaurus as well, she grinned. She ran to Ethan and gave him a hug. When she sat back down, she opened it up and searched for a word.

“This is an unparalleled gift,” she said.

Ethan’s smile was unparalleled. It stretched across his face as his eyes sparkled.

Bailey opened his next, his eyes glued to what was inside. It looked like a magazine of some sort, and he flipped through the pages. He looked up at Ethan and said a quiet “thank you”. Then his eyes went straight back to the magazine.

“What did you get?” I asked.

He held up the magazine and a certificate. “A National Geographic subscription.” His voice was in awe. He would be lost to us for the rest of the evening.

I sighed as I lay a hand over my heart. The gifts Ethan had chosen for each of the children showed exactly how well he knew them, the depth of their connection.

Ethan unwrapped his gift from me. It was a small carving of the injured sea lion we’d called Angelo, complete with his fin tag and old injury. I held my breath as I waited for his reaction.

He turned it over in his hands and then gave me a kiss. “I love it.”

“Now you can always remember us,” Rose said.

“I’ll never forget,” Ethan replied.

I unwrapped a small box and looked inside. It was a large snow globe. Inside was the perfect scene of Haven Bay. The kids were there with Timmy on a board and Ethan and I were sitting together watching them. When I shook it, gold glitter floated around. Tears formed in my eyes. Ethan was the king of thoughtful gifts.

I let the tears fall as I leant over to kiss him gently. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

My joy was interrupted by car lights lighting up the night as a car turned into the car park near the jetty. The door opened, and the figure of a man stepped out. Even though I couldn’t see much detail, I recognized him immediately: Max.

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

Ethan

My heart beat hard in my chest as Jasmine and I strode over to the car park. Silence replaced the cheerfulness behind us. If I knew one thing about people like Max, it was that they didn’t like being the bad guy in front of an audience. That could be a saving grace.

“Max, what are you doing here?” Jasmine asked without any niceties.

“I’m here to see my children.”

His voice, normally smooth, was edged with agitation. I stood closer to Jasmine, trying to block his view of the beach. His glassy eyes settled on me. “They’re my children and I want to fucking see them.”

Adrenalin raced through my body. I stood firm, trying to show I was calm and unaffected by him. “Max, you know that can’t happen. Not until the court says so.”

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