Page 17 of Riding the Waves

“Are you having dinner with us?” Marty asked Amy.

“No. I’m going home now.”

“Aren’t you having dinner?”

“I am,” she said, rubbing Marty to warm him up. “But I’ll have it at my house.”

“Can you have dinner at Dad’s house instead? Then we can show you the toys Dad bought us.”

“Maybe another day.”

“Please come today,” Marty said.

Damian came and scooped him up. “Mum’s got to go now, but we’ll see her soon.”

After struggling to get his arms free of his towel, Marty lurched in Amy’s direction, just like he used to do when he was a toddler. Now that he was bigger, Damian almost dropped him. Between the two of them, they kept him from crashing to the ground.

“Careful,” Amy chastised him gently.

“Can I sleep at your house?” Marty asked, pushing his bottom lip out.

“No. You’re staying with Daddy for the holidays. You get to stay with me the rest of the time.”

“But I want to stay with you today.”

Amy looked at Damian. “He’s tired. I think he just needs an early night. It’s been a busy day for them.”

“Why don’t you come up and have dinner with us?” Damian suggested.

She smiled gratefully. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Why not?”

“Can you stay until I go to sleep?” Marty asked.

Amy gave him a reassuring smile. “Let’s get some dinner and go from there.”

In his usual style, Billy led the way for the five-minute walk to Damian’s house. Marty walked between Damian and Amy, holding each of their hands.

“You seem to have the business running well,” Amy remarked to Damian as they left the beach. “If you can leave before the place closes.”

“I have good staff. Sara and Jared have both been working for me for the past couple of summers and I trust them completely. I’ve given them both a lot more hours this summer so I have time for the boys.”

“That’s great.” She was pleased that he was doing so well for himself.

Marty squeezed Amy’s hand. “Why do you have to stay in a different house? Can’t you stay at Daddy’s house too?”

“No, sweetheart. There isn’t enough room.”

“You could sleep in Daddy’s bed,” Marty suggested.

While her cheeks heated, Billy shouted over his shoulder. “Men and women can’t sleep in a bed together unless they’re married. Don’t you even know that?”

Amy was panicking over how to respond to that little nugget when Damian leaned close. “What’s this nonsense you’ve been teaching Billy?” he asked in her ear.

At the sight of his flirty grin, she broke into a smile and automatically gave his bicep a playful shove, noticing as she did so how firm his muscles were.

“Can’t you and Daddy sleep in a bed together?” Marty asked innocently.

---