Page 41 of Love At The Shore
He swallowed hard and took the collar, holding it close to his chest. “You know what, he’s going to love this.”
Ally beamed at him and took off skipping back toward the other campers.
“Thank you,” he called after her.
It looked like the campers would be busy on the beach for another hour or two, so Lucas went home to present Tank with his new collar. The dog accepted the gift with a wary sniff, but once Lucas fastened it around his neck, he changed his tune. His tail wagged, and he even seemed to have a little extra spring in his step. Either that, or Lucas was losing it.
Probably the latter. The surf report called for ideal conditions today, and he hadn’t gone anywhere near his board. Even more mystifying, he wasn’t at all tempted to skip swim practice at the summer camp to catch a few waves. Nick was relying on him, and watching him race on the beach had given Lucas a few ideas.
Back at camp, he watched Nick make another half-hearted attempt to swim a lap. Just like the day before, he ran out of steam midway across the pool. When at last he popped his head out of the water and grabbed onto the concrete lip of the pool deck, Lucas knelt down to greet him.
“You can’t tell me you’re not competitive. I saw you running around out there.” He nodded toward the beach where the orange cones had been set up for the field events.
Nick brushed water from his eyes. “It’s not the same thing. We always race.”
“You should want to push yourself the same way here.” Lucas tapped a finger on the deck.
“I do,” Nick countered.
Lucas shrugged. “Then I’m going to need to see it.”
“I thought we were done.” Nick glanced toward the other campers climbing out of the pool and toweling off.
“Do you want to improve your time or what?” Lucas pointed to the other side of the pool. “Go!”
Nick took a deep breath and launched himself back into a freestyle stroke in the opposite direction.
“Go, go, go!” Lucas slapped the water for extra encouragement, then he stood so he could get a good look at Nick’s form.
He was definitely going a little faster this time. Lucas gripped his stopwatch tighter, as if he could will the kid to make 1:18. Right as he neared the halfway point, Kayla walked past Lucas.
He looked up from the stopwatch just in time to catch her smirk, paired with a meaningful glance. “What?”
“Nothing.” Her smirk intensified. “I’m just saying…”
She made little mouse ears with her hands—another Disneyland reference.
“Cute. Really cute.” It was never going to happen. “Andno.”
She laughed and kept walking while Lucas turned his attention back to Nick’s stroke. He finished just shy of his goal time, but instead of climbing out of the pool, he took off again without prompting from Lucas.
Back and forth he went. Every time Nick glanced at Lucas, he would stretch his arms overhead, demonstrating long, reaching strokes.
“Come on, reach for it. One more time.” He pushed the button on the stopwatch again.
Nick’s form was getting better and better. His slender arms were now stretched to their maximum length, and he was reaching farther out, extending his stroke from his shoulders. Instead of staying flat, facing the bottom of the pool, his body pivoted slightly with each flip of his arms, weaving through the water with greater ease. Even his kick was looking more efficient.
Something in Lucas’s chest blossomed and swelled. He couldn’t stand still, so instead he began pacing up and down the length of the pool alongside Nick. “You got it. Good form. Come on.”
The moment Nick’s hand touched the pool wall, Lucas pushed the button on the stopwatch and grinned.
Not bad. At last, we’re getting somewhere.
Nick shot him a hopeful look from behind his swim goggles. “Did I get it? What’s my time?”
Lucas took a backward step, giving the kid room to climb out of the water. After all that effort, he’d earned a break. He’d just swum his best time yet, but before Lucas could give him the good news, he collided with something behind him.
Except it wasn’t a something. It was a someone.
