“Yeah.” He nodded. “I’m sorry about Steve.”
Afterward, I ate my sandwich while Lee read on his tablet. A comfortable quiet grew between us.
While I listened to the hypnotic sound of the waves, I stared at the water, glistening like crystals when caught in the sun’s light. My eyes became heavy and peace filled my soul.
“Papa!” Bridget yelled.
We both jumped up.
“What? What’s wrong?” Lee ran over, looking around Bridget for any sign of danger.
“Look what we made,” she said excitedly.
“It’s a castle.” Tyler pointed.
They had piled on wet sand, molded from the buckets. The sides were crumbling and the front tilted. It looked more like a hill than a sandcastle. Not bad for a couple of four-year-olds.
“That’s awesome, you two.” I picked up Tyler’s paper plate, weighted down with a pile of damp sand. “Ty, are you done with your lunch?” He had eaten everything except the crust, as usual.
“I’m done.”
He was too busy to even look up at me.
“Can I have a cookie like Tyler?” Bridget tugged on Lee’s leg.
“I can go get it.” Taking care of Bridget had become second nature.
Lee gripped my arm before I could take a step. “That’s okay. You stay here. I’ll go get it.”
While Lee treaded back through the sand, I helped the kids with the castle. They didn’t ask me to leave. In fact, they passed me a shovel and a bucket. I took a brief break and texted Abby.
Me: We are in front of the huge gazebo.
Abby: I know. Lee told me.
Lee? She had never called him Lee before. Maybe he’d told her to call him Lee like he had me. A little jealousy pricked at me, but I squashed the ridiculous feeling.
Me: Do you need my help?
Abby: I don’t, but Lee might.
Me: Why?
When I didn’t get a text back, I got back to helping with the sandcastle. A minute later, my phone tinkled like wind chimes. That same familiar invisible hand caressed down my back. And I wasn’t sure if I shivered from the sound or the sudden breeze catching my breath.
Bridget’s head shot up and she gazed at me. Her grin tugged at my heartstrings. I smiled back and checked my phone. A text from Lee had come through and my pulse quickened.
Lee: What are you doing?
I bit my lip. A text shouldn’t make me melt into the sand. Maybe I should cool down by dipping my feet in the water. He had texted me before, but this felt different. And the wind chimes? Strange.
Me: Building a sandcastle
Lee: I want to help.
Me: Come
Lee: I can’t.
Me: Why?
Lee: Help!
He couldn’t be physically in danger, but I wasn’t sure what warranted that Help.
“Tyler. Bridget. Stay right here. I’ll be right back.”
They were perfectly safe. Only our party was here. When I rushed over, parents surrounded Lee. He nodded and smiled at them. He seemed perfectly fine, like he was enjoying himself, but he wanted out and was only being polite.
I marched right through the crowd to Lee. “Bridget is asking for you. Can you come right now?”
“Excuse me.” He gave a polite nod.
His admirers broke the circle. Lee and I headed back together, a cookie wrapped in a napkin in his hand.
“Thank you,” he said, weaving around families sitting under beach umbrellas.
I didn’t understand why he’d needed my help to walk away, but I didn’t ask.
“Sure. Anytime,” I said.
“I didn’t want to be rude. I rarely attend these events. It was the first time meeting most of the parents. They were asking me personal questions and I couldn’t figure out how to deflect any more without hurting feelings.”
“It’s okay, Lee. I understand.”
He halted a few feet away from the kids and the gazebo, so I stopped too.
The sunlight bounced off his sunglasses but I could tell his eyes were pinned on mine.
“Thank you again,” he said. “I didn’t mean to put you in that position, but you’re easy to talk to. I’m glad we got the chance to be friends. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. So ... will you be joining us for the helicopter ride tomorrow?”
The question threw me off. We hadn’t talked about it for a couple of days. But we were friends. He’d clearly stated that, so I didn’t see the harm in it.
I planted my fists on my hips and leaned to one side. “On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“Can you help with the sandcastle? It’s a lot of digging.”
He threw his head back and let out a joyful sound. “Of course. It’s a deal.”
Lee handed Bridget her cookie and we got down on our knees.
Jessica stopped by to chat, but when Tyler accidentally flicked sand on her, she left in a hurry. Lee and I laughed at that.
Others came by to admire our sandcastle and took pictures. The creation wasn’t perfect, but it was perfect in my eyes. And so was everything else about the day.
Chapter Twenty-Four — Tour of Kauai
Phillip picked me up from Abby’s house and took me back to Lee’s. I scooted over for Bridget in the car and belted her in while Lee hopped in the front.
“Good morning, passengers.” Lee twisted his body to face me, grinning. “Phillip is going to drive us to the hangar, and we’ll get on the helicopter from there. Here. Put this on and take this. These will help with the motion sickness.”
He handed me a wristband, a pill, and a bottle of water.
I had already purchased a wristband, but since he’d gone out of his way to get one for me, I didn’t want to refuse. It was sweet of him to remember I got motion sickness.
“Don’t be scared, Kate. Papa is a good helicopter driver.” Bridget patted my knee in a curiously grown-up way.
Bridget was observant for a child her age, and so was Tyler. As if the tragedy in their lives made them mature faster.
Abby had been against me going. Not because she didn’t trust Lee, but because she felt I was getting too attached to both of them. I told her we were friends, but she’d scowled and shook her head.
I wasn’t sure how I’d given her the impression that I couldn’t handle myself. Lee had clearly stated he was glad we were friends. His expectations were clear. Mine were too.
There was the fact that he had never seemed remotely interested in me more than as a friend. Sure, we had the occasional moment, but sometimes sparks fizz out without ever igniting. And the job search hadn’t gone well, so I needed to go back home.
As silence took over the small space in the vehicle, I looked out the window. We passed through the town where locals and tourists were busy at restaurants and shops, and then through the tree tunnels. Outside the tunnel, tall grasses skirted the areas that had not been developed yet.
Before I knew it, we had arrived. Countless helicopters were stationed in their designated parking area. All the helicopters looked alike and I didn’t know which one belonged to Lee.
My door opened just as I tugged at the handle. Lee popped a hand in front of me, and I graciously took it. He also took out my camera bag and carried it for me.