Page 10 of Deep Waters
“The flowers make me think of Daddy,” she said softly.
“Why fl—oh.” Right. From the funeral.
I slipped my hand around hers, squeezing gently. I had no words. I couldn’t imagine that kind of loss so young. I’d been quite a bit older when my parents divorced, my mother moving to the mainland.
Back at the house, I encouraged the kids to change into pajamas, and we popped popcorn before settling in with a movie in the living room. Zach and I sandwiched the kids between us, Hana snuggled up to my side.
By the time the movie finished, Hana’s eyes were drooping, and Zach hoisted her over his shoulder. The little girl wilted, her eyes closed. She looked utterly relaxed, safe and secure in his strong arms.
For a moment, it was easy to forget Zach and I were just babysitting. He looked the part of the strong, capable father.
I could picture him with a couple kids of his own, all adorable dimples and sassy grins as they bantered with their dad. He’d be nothing like my father. Zach made faux fatherhood look easy, but he didn’t strike me as ready to settle down with just one woman. Not yet.
Still, the thought of Zach Fenwick’s deep brown eyes locked on mine, all that charm pouring over me like a summer storm, warm and fierce, left me breathless.
Like he sensed my turmoil, he glanced at me over Hana’s back, a twinkle in his eyes that teased the dad role he was playing… but all he really did was leave me hot and bothered, reminded of how badly I wanted him in a different one.
Tae grumbled next to me, checking his phone. “Did my mom text you yet?”
“Not yet.”
“She’s probably just stuck in traffic. I’m sure we’ll hear from her soon.”
“Yeah.” His sigh held the weight of the world, and my heart hurt for the little boy.
“We’ll do our best to have a fun summer,” I promised. “You’ll have day camp while I work, and I’ll plan some adventures for the weekends.”
Tae perked up. “Can we go out sailing on your boat? Explore some of the other islands?”
“You bet,” I said easily. “C’mon. Brush your teeth. We can talk about more ideas after camp tomorrow.”
I checked the doors and windows before following him upstairs. Tae brushed his teeth and slipped into his room in record time, the sliver of light filtering from beneath his door the only sign that he was still up. I knocked gently before poking my head in.
Tae scowled at his phone.
“She’ll text soon,” I reassured.
He tossed his phone aside, folding his arms across his chest. “Doesn’t matter. With the parental controls, I won’t see it until morning.”
I retrieved his phone from the navy sheets, tapping in the parent code and extending it to him. “Your mom left me prepared. Just don’t stay up too late, okay?”
He nodded, summoning a smile. “Thanks, Aunt Rae.”
“You’re welcome. I just don’t want you grumpy when I have to wake you up for camp.”
He lifted one shoulder, expression sheepish. “Yeah, that’s gonna happen no matter how much I sleep. I hate waking up.”
I threw my hands in the air. “Now you tell me.” I said it in a teasing tone, adding a smile. My heart lightened when Tae grinned back.
“Night, Aunt Rae.”
“Good night.”
I peeked into Hana’s room, careful to be quiet. She was snuggled up against Zach’s shoulder, listening intently to his deep voice as he read to her. She spotted me and patted the bed next to her.
“C’mon, Aunt Rae. Zach is reading me a story, and he does the voices just like Daddy used to.”
She was impossibly cute, her gaze pleading. But her bed was too narrow for three.
