Page 10 of The Beach Hut on Plum Island
“I want to be a princess,” Maggie turned to her brother. “See? I am a normal eleven-year-old.”
“Sure!” Tucker nodded, pouring ketchup on his fries. “When are you going to try surfing again, Mags?”
“I’m not sure I want to,” Maggie admitted, slicing into her burger.
“Honey, you used to love surfing.” Finn poured some apple juice into a glass.
“I know.” Maggie nodded, taking the ketchup from Finn. “But now, I’m just not sure I want to surf anymore.”
“Is it because of what happened last summer?” Finn asked, cutting his mushroom burger into slices, trying to sound matter-of-fact so as not to push Maggie or belittle what had happened to her.
“Kind of,” Maggie admitted. “But I wasn’t really enjoying it before that.” She shrugged. “I think the accident happened because I was losing interest in the sport.” She took a bite of the burger and chewed.
“That’s perfectly alright, princess,” Finn assured her. “Tuck and I support you.”
“You know Dad is trying that stuff he read in a modern parenting book, right?” Tucker leaned over and told his sister.
“Yup!” Maggie nodded. “I read the book, so I realized that.”
“Hey!” Finn took a sip of juice. “You’re not supposed to be reading the parenting manuals.”
“Dad, why have you started reading that stuff?” Tucker asked him. “No two kids are the same, and trying to lump us all in categories doesn’t work.”
“No, it’s like trying to hold water in your hands,” Maggie told Finn. “We like our Dad just like he is.” She smiled sweetly at Finn, making his heart swell once again. “Cool, handsome, and the best dad in the world.”
“I agree.” Tucker raised his glass of juice. “To the best dad in the world.”
Finn smelled a rat, and his eyes narrowed at his two kids. “You two don’t have to butter me up. I already told you that you could go with Connor and Jules to the Hamptons.”
“We know,” Tucker told him.
“We just wanted you to know how much we appreciate you and support you.” Maggie reached over and patted Finn’s hand.
“Ah, I see what you’re doing.” Finn snorted. “You’re using the parenting book techniques on me.”
“See, I told you he was as bright as we are.” Tucker ducked as Finn threw a fry at him. “You’re going to pick that up. Not me.”
“No. You are,” Finn corrected him. “And don’t let…” His voice trailed off as the large two-year-old Cane Corso bolted into the room and ate the fry. “Kurt, get it.”
“Dad, you know by now that if it lands on the floor, either Kurt or Ritz is going to get it,” Maggie reminded him.
She giggled as the large dog wedged his way in between Maggie and Tucker’s chairs, waiting for more food to be dropped.
“Where is Ritz?” Finn asked, looking around the kitchen. “She’s usually here in a flash when I’m making salad.”
“Up there.” Maggie pointed to a high closet. “She’s been watching you since you started cooking.”
“Which reminds me—I have to renew our permit for her,” Finn said, pulling his diary toward him and jotting it down. “That’s all we need, for animal control to descend on us for having an unlicensed exotic pet.”
“She was a rescue,” Maggie said.
“Ritz is also an iguana, so it doesn’t matter if we rescued her, sweetheart,” Finn told her. “She still needs to be licensed.”
“Did you get her chipped last year?” Tucker asked, finishing off his lunch.
“I did.” Finn nodded and grinned, remembering the vet’s face when he took the lizard into the surgery. “It was worth it just to see the look on snooty Vet Vanessa’s face.”
“I don’t know why you don’t like Vet Vanessa,” Maggie said, pouring more juice. “She’s always nice to Kurt.”
