Page 26 of Love At The Shore
Lucas checked the digital display on his stopwatch and smiled to himself. They were making progress already.
He looked up when he felt someone give his arm a playful jab.
Kayla smiled at him. “Wow. Are you getting soft in your old age? This helping-kids thing is new for you.”
“He’s just one kid.” Lucas held up a pointer finger. “Just one time.”
He told her about Jenna and the fence at the beach house because he didn’t need her getting any crazy ideas. Lucas wasn’t the official camp swim coach all of a sudden, nor was he getting soft. And he definitely wasn’t going to be spouting off any more dad jokes. Nick’s mom barely tolerated his existence. Helping the kid was truly no big deal.
“That’s what you think, easy-breezy, right?” She arched an eyebrow.
Exactly, Lucas thought.Easy-breezy. He’d help the kid get his time fast enough to make the swim team, and then he’d go back to worrying about no one but himself. Nick would be long gone in a month, anyway.
So would Jenna.
Kayla shook her head. “Let me tell ya, once they go in for the hug it’s all over. Next thing you know, you’re wearing mouse ears at Disneyland because you couldn’t bear to say no.”
He let out a laugh. She couldn’t be more off base. He was coaching Nick, not hugging him. There’d be no Disneyland, anddefinitelyno mouse ears.
“Are you done?” he asked.
“Maybe.” She shrugged, but the sparkle of amusement in her eyes told him she wasn’t finished teasing him about his sudden interest in his temporary neighbors. Not by a long shot.
Someone needed to remember who was the boss around here. He ruffled her hair like he would an annoying little sister.
“Stop it!” She retaliated with a punch to his stomach. “Stop!”
He held up his hands in surrender and she darted around him to catch up with the campers who were headed toward the picnic area for snack time.
He’d figured Kayla would have something to say when she found out he was helping Nick. Considering how reluctant Lucas had always been to get involved with the campers, he’d gotten off pretty easy. But he had a feeling he hadn’t heard the last of it.
Super.
He couldn’t worry about Kayla or her ridiculous mouse ear references now. He needed to check Nick’s freestyle stroke before Jenna showed up, but when he turned back toward the water, there she was.
She was standing on the other side of the pool with her sunglasses in her hand, frozen in place with the strangest look on her face. The second he met her gaze, she looked away.
Relief coursed through Lucas. If she’d realized he was there for Nick, she might be angry about it. Besides, she’d gone too wide-eyed to be mad. If Lucas hadn’t known better, he would have thought she was…jealous.
No.He frowned.Impossible.
Jenna’s gaze flicked toward Kayla and then back at him. The flush in her cheeks deepened a shade and she shoved her sunglasses back in place.
Maybe not so impossible, after all.
Living at the beach full-time for the past five years had taught Lucas a thing or two about island life. Contrary to whatever Jenna Turner liked to believe, not all of those things involved lying around in a hammock or annoying his neighbors. Case in point: he’d become an expert at constructing beach bonfires.
He was kind of famous for it, actually. All the year-round Tybee residents looked forward to his casual campfire nights, which he held once a month or so during the summer. He’d build a big fire, then toss a few blankets, beach chairs and extra logs around, and whoever showed up was welcome. Lucas usually strummed his guitar for a bit. Sometimes, old Sam from the fish joint down at the pier would tell stories about ghost ships and the pirates who roamed the high seas of the Georgia coast. According to Tybee lore, Blackbeard’s treasure was buried somewhere on the island.
Lucas had his doubts. Tank had done enough digging at the beach that he probably would have come across it at one point or another. Of course now that Lucas actuallyneededa three-foot wide hole on the shore, Tank was too busy gnawing on a driftwood stick to contribute.
“You can pitch in any time now,” Lucas said as he heaved another shovelful of fine white sand over his shoulder.
Tank’s tail wagged at the sound of Lucas’s voice, but he didn’t bother looking up from the wedge of driftwood.
“It’s okay, bud. I forgive you.” After all, Tank was his best friend. And besides, Lucas wasn’t the type of man to come between a dog and his stick.
He speared his shovel into the sand again. The secret to a great beach bonfire was digging the perfect pit. It had to be far enough away from the water line to survive high tide, and it had to be deep enough to protect the flames from the wind. Lucas also liked to dig down far enough so that the bottom of his pit was always lined with damp, heavy sand, which prevented the fire from spreading. Safety first.
