Page 12 of Hibiscus Heights

She’d seen that before, too.

She could sure pick them. Her picker had been broken for a long time, but that no longer mattered.

Have fun and leave at the first hint of trouble. That was her motto now.

Mason smiled up at her, stealing her heart. “The mint chocolate chip looks good.”

Deb nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll have that. What flavors are calling you?”

“A lot of them. I want to try some new ones.” Mason spoke with the confidence of someone making major decisions. “Banana on the top and cherry on the bottom.”

The boy pulled out the crumpled bill and placed it on the counter. Looking up at Wren, he asked, “Will that cover it?”

Deb mouthed to Wren, Put the rest on my tab.

“That’s perfect,” Wren said to Mason. “And here’s an iced puppy cup for Duke. He’s a VIP around here. Or rather, a very important dog.”

They strolled out with their ice cream, made their way toward the beach, and sat on a low wall near the bike concession.

Deb opened the iced puppy cup for Duke, who steadied the paper cup between his paws and began to lick the cool treat.

“He loves that,” Mason said, watching Duke.

“That’s his special summer treat,” Deb said. “Do you have any pets?”

“Dad promised, but…” Mason shrugged.

She sighed. Poor kids. Was there anything good about their father?

Deb pointed to a spot where small waves broke on the beach. “I learned to surf right out there. I still ride my bike around town, too.”

“Could you teach us to surf?” Teddy asked, grinning with chocolate smears on his chin.

“I’d like that,” Deb replied, surprised by how much she meant it. “But I know some real pros who are great teachers. How long will you be here?”

“Aunt Jen wants to stay longer,” Teddy replied. “Maybe two weeks.”

“We can probably fit that in if she approves. I have a friend who teaches surfing here at the hotel, but you would need your aunt’s permission. And you must know how to swim. Or you could rent bikes right over there.”

Mason’s eyes brightened. “We know how to swim.”

“And we got new bikes for Christmas,” Teddy added.

As they enjoyed their ice cream, Teddy chattered about shells he’d found on the beach while Mason observed everything around them. Then, without warning, the little boy’s voice dropped.

“I wish Mom were here....” His voice trailed off as if he was suddenly aware of what he’d said.

Deb’s chest tightened, but she let the moment pass without questions. Some wounds were too deep to probe.

No wonder these boys seemed to carry such weight on their narrow shoulders. All they wanted was to see their mother. Their father must be keeping them from her.

“Thanks for the ice cream,” Deb said, shifting the conversation. “I need to give Duke his supper, so we should probably leave soon. I hope you’ll be hungry for dinner after all that ice cream.”

Mason fished a room key from his pocket and grinned. “Aunt Jen’s new husband likes to eat later than we usually do, so we’ll be hungry. But we should go back to the room.”

“Bye, Duke,” Teddy said, hugging the dog. “Thanks for letting us play with him.”

She smiled and squeezed their shoulders. “I’ll see you both around.”

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