Page 82 of Too Far To Sea
“Ah, you make sure you do that!”
The pirate spoke to Jen for a moment before moving on. “Did you ever meet a pirate, Uncle Mac?”
“I can’t say that I have,” McKay replied, though his mind flashed to some questionable characters he’d encountered in various ports.
“So, what’s next on your list?” Mac asked.
Jen consulted her phone. “Looks like our tickets are next for the racecourse.”
The attraction queues were perfectly timed to eliminate lines and put only one or two families on a ride at once.
“Do you think Uncle Mac can beat me at driving?” Gracie giggled as they crossed over to where the race cars awaited their next adventure.
Two hours later, they occupied a booth tucked into a corner of the castle—one marked with Gracie’s name. All her meals would be served at this particular table, one of the countless careful precautions that made Robyn’s Place unique.
“Can we go see Fairyland next?” Gracie’s eager voice pulled him from his thoughts.
“I’m sure it’s a great place,” Mac said.
Jen consulted her app. “We have a half-hour, but we haven’t seen the animals yet. They are supposed to have penguins.”
“Penguins?” Gracie gasped, launching herself from her seat before either adult could react. She darted ahead, her excitement overriding caution.
“Oh no, her shoelace!” Jen’s warning came too late.
Gracie took a tumble.
McKay reached her first, finding her clutching her bleeding elbow through tears.
A crew member materialized instantly. “The infirmary is just this way. I’ll show you.”
McKay scooped Gracie up, noting the efficiency of the staff’s response even as he hurried after their guide. The way everything operated with such precise coordination spoke of careful planning. If only his mother could be here.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman who looked so much like Dana that he nearly dropped his niece. Impossible. He refocused on getting Gracie help.
“Oh, that’s cold. Why does everything that’s supposed to be good for you have to hurt?” Dana winced as Chris placed a cold pack from the cooler on her ankle. How stupid had she been to walk into the gate. But that man carrying the little girl looked so much like McKay. It was her imagination. She’d seen the daily guest list. There wasn’t a family surnamed Worth. McKay couldn’t be here. If he was, she would have traded with someone else on the team.
Chris interrupted her thoughts. “The ice doesn’t hurt.”
“Bet?”
“Your nerves are extra sensitive because of the damage you did.” Having completed his Advanced EMT training last week, Chris was ready to dispense his newly acquired knowledge. “You’re lucky I happened to be on shift today.”
Dana rolled her eyes. “It feels like we just did this.”
“That was last month on a soccer field. Completely different.”
“Aren’t you going to get that golfer?” asked Peter. His three-year-old voice still held the adorable toddler lisp that made even his grumpiest moments endearing.
“Not golfer, gopher, st—-” Porter stopped the word he was going to call his youngest sibling mid-syllable. Dana may not be able to chase anything down at the moment, but she’d mastered the look that told any child they were venturing into dangerous territory. The seven-year-old quickly changed his statement. “St—Um, I mean, gopher and golfer do sound the same.”
“A gopher hole is made by an animal, not a person playing golf.” As always, the middle child and self-appointed expert on all things, Polly, was quick to offer an explanation to her younger brother.
Peter crossed his arms and glared at Chris. “So, are you going to get the gopher?”
“It wasn’t a gopher hole this time that tripped up Dana.” Chris locked eyes with her. “Was it Dana?”
“No gophers this time. Just me not watching where I was walking.” Dana barely heard the children’s banter. Her mind kept replaying the moment she’d stumbled—not because of any hole or loose shoelace, but because she’d seen a man who looked exactly like McKay. A distraction she couldn’t afford on the job.
