Page 23 of Wanting Happily Ever After

“I’ll tell you what,” Brody said to Rory. “Why don’t I go talk to your mom? I’m not making any promises,” he added. “But maybe I can figure out what she’s thinking.”

Rory nodded in agreement when Logan chimed in. “Can you show me the sandcastle you’ve been building with my little sister? Did you know that Katie and I used to make sandcastles together when we were your age? She got all her best building techniques from me.”

Rory looked amazed to think that Logan or Katie could have ever been as young as she was. And she happily led Logan away to show him her handiwork.

Brody watched them for a minute before picking himself up off the blanket, dusting off the sand and going in search of Sarah.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Sarah said the moment Brody got close enough. She was sitting with Faith in the shade of an umbrella, and up until a few minutes ago, when Rory came to beg her to go swimming, she would have said that their beach day had been a success. But a pouting child was never a success. Especially when she couldn’t explain to herwhyshe didn’t want her to go swimming. “And I don’t want to hear it.”

“And what do you think I’m going to say?” Brody stood in front of them.

Despite herself, Sarah couldn’t help but trail her eyes up the length of him. He looked damn good in his swim shorts. His too pale chest glistened in the sun from the layer of sunscreen she’d helped him apply earlier. No way did she want him to put a T-shirt on to cover those muscles. She had no idea he was in such good shape. He looked as though he spent his days in the gym. But she’d never once heard of him actually working out or could imagine when he’d ever have time to do it.

She swallowed hard and focused on what he was asking. “You’re going to tell me that I should let Rory go swimming.”

Next to her, Faith cleared her throat loudly and stood. “I don’t think this is any of my business.” She smiled. “Besides that, it really is hot and I’m going to cool off.” She shot Sarah an apologetic glance as she took off in her tiny bikini down the beach.

Reflexively, Sarah sucked in her stomach and adjusted her position on the blanket. She hadn’t been comfortable in her body in a long time, and sitting in front of the man she was ridiculously attracted to, wearing a bathing suit while surrounded by the perfect bodies of all her friends, wasn’t doing much for her self-esteem.

But she had bigger problems than her body image for the moment.

“I am going to tell you that.” Brody knelt on the sand in front of her. “It’s a beautiful day and we are at the beach, after all.”

She shook her head. “I can’t.” Since arriving at the lake, Sarah had done her best to avoid the spot just to the left of where the rope was tied off to mark the swim area. The place where they’d pulled out Josh’s body and performed CPR. The spot she’d last seen him. But now, with Brody there, her eyes naturally moved along the shoreline to the very place it had all happened.

Brody turned and followed her gaze.

Of course, there was nothing to see, but Sarah could see it as if it were happening all over again right in front of her. The useless efforts of the first responders when they all knew he was already gone.

Brody moved until he sat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her tight to him.

The warmth of his skin on hers felt good and it warmed her through, despite the fact that she hadn’t been cold; his embrace filled a spot deep inside her.

“It was there,” he said quietly. It wasn’t a question, but she nodded. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She did. But at the same time, she really didn’t.

Sarah swallowed hard. “I know I should let her go swimming,” she said after a moment. “She doesn’t understand and she never should have to. She’s a kid.” She took a deep breath and sat a little straighter. Brody still didn’t move his arm, a gesture she was grateful for. “But I don’t know if I can do it, Brody. I don’t know if I’m…” Her words trailed away.

Brody turned so he faced her and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. He smelled of a mixture of coconut sun lotion and the salty sun-drenched scent that came from spending the day outside. It was sexy and refreshing and comforting all at the same time. “You’re very strong,” he said softly, finishing her thought. “You’re the strongest woman I know. But you don’t have to do all the things, Sarah. You can let others help. You can letmehelp.”

She looked straight into his eyes and something in her chest loosened. A knot that had been held so tight for too long.

“Do you trust me?”

Without hesitation, she responded. “Absolutely.”

A small smile crossed his face. “Let me take her. I’ll make her wear her floaty and we’ll only go as deep as my waist. I won’t leave her alone for a second. Not one. And I’ll stay right where you can watch, okay?”

Her breath caught in her chest, but still she nodded. It was the right thing to do. “Chest-deep?”

“Chest-deep.” He nodded solemnly.

“You won’t leave her?”

“Never.”

“You won’t take your eyes off her?”

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