Page 23 of Sea La Vie
“Can you stand?” I ask. “I’ll take you into town for some help.”
“I think so,” he says. He grabs my outstretched hand, and I help him up. I throw his arm around my shoulders and do my best to ignore the fact his bare skin is touching mine, and together, we hobble to my truck.
8
Tate
“So, you play with numbers? All day?” Sam asks. He raises a clammy, dirt-smudged hand to scratch at his copper hair.
I chuckle, envious of his simple world. “Something like that.”
“Gosh, what this town wouldn’t give for a good accountant,” Eden says. “I can’t believe I made the mistake of letting Lucille keep my books the first year we opened. She swore she had a degree though,” she mutters.
“Yeah, well, she also swears she has a nursing degree, but I’m not convinced,” I say and reach down to rub my calf. “She literally rubbed salt in my wound.” I shudder, recalling how Lainey drove me into town after being stung by a jellyfish a few days ago.
Lucille swore a little salt water would do the trick, but all I remember before passing out cold was the feel of fire running through my veins as she literally rubbed my calf with the stuff.
Beside me, Lainey giggles. “Dave truly is a doctor. I know that for a fact. Lucille’s nursing skills though…” she trails off. “Let’s just say I’ve never seen her nursing degree hanging anywhere.”
“How is the same woman the postmaster, vacation rental manager, and the only nurse?” I muse. “This town is something else.”
“Don’t forget hairdresser. She cuts most of the hair here too,” Eden says. “Have you seen Harry from the hardware store recently?”
“No?”
Eden grimaces. “He’s missing most of the hair in the back. I don’t think Lucille told him either, because he’s walking around proud as a peacock.”
I shake my head and laugh in disbelief. “Are you sure you don’t mind taking Sam for the day?” Eden whispers to Lainey. “Sorry, I just need to run out and grab more stock from Morehead City. We’ve been so busy lately.”
“Of course. We’ll find something to do. Won’t we, Sammy?” Lainey says, rustling his hair.
It’s a quiet Sunday afternoon, and most of the town is closed. Lainey is still in her dress from church, and I can’t help but notice the way it flutters around her knees. I’ve only ever seen her in fishing gear and a bikini, and while I’m not complaining about the view of her in either, seeing her dressed up like this is a vision. Her sun-bleached hair is braided down the side, and she’s swiped on some mascara that makes her green eyes even more captivating.
“I’ll see you all around,” I say with a little wave. “I didn’t realize you were closed today, Eden.” After walking around the boardwalk all morning and realizing the diner and the general store were both closed, I wandered over to Eden’s in hope of a hot cup of coffee and maybe a flaky pastry.
I give a small wave and turn to go, then feel a sticky little hand grab mine. “You can come with us!” Sam says. I glance at Lainey who’s looking down at Sam, her face unreadable.
“Oh, that’s okay,” I say, giving Lainey an easy out. She’s helped me just about every day at the cottage and she probably wants a day to herself…no matter how badly I’d love to spend the day with her.
“Lainey would actually love that!” Eden says. “She was just telling me how lonely it gets in this town.”
Lainey looks over at Eden, her brows arched in surprise, and Eden flashes a bright smile in return. “You all have fun. I’ll be back soon!” She plants a kiss on Sam’s head and trots off to her car, throwing a wave over her shoulder.
I glance over at Lainey. “It’s okay, really,” I say.
“What else are you going to do?” She asks. “Your car is still at Sid’s, right? And it’s not like the hardware store is open on Sunday. You can’t really do much more to the cottage until the air conditioning gets fixed, anyway.”
“Let’s go to the treehouse!” Sam suggests, bouncing on the heels of his dirty white sneakers. “Then the garden!”
“Are you okay with a little paddling?” Lainey asks, surveying my outfit. My skin heats under her gaze and I shift a little, hoping she doesn’t notice. I found these shorts in one of the dresser drawers at the cottage, and this t-shirt was wadded up in the back of my car.
“Sure,” I say.
“Let me run to the house and change really quick, and I’ll meet you here in a few minutes. Are you coming with me or staying with Tate, Sammy?”
“Tate, duh,” Sam says and begins climbing up my legs.
“Boys rule, girls drool, right kid?” I ask, bending down to scoop him up.
