Page 66 of Love At The Shore
“Yeah, but you lookextrahappy today.”
“Well, I finished my draft last night. So…” She did a happy little dance.
Finally. The book was done.
She’d been walking on air after Lucas left, too keyed up to sleep. So she’d stayed up late and finished putting the final touches on the ending. Now she could enjoy their last few days at the beach without worrying about whether or not she’d still have a career when they got back to Savannah.
“I don’t think that’s it,” Nick said bluntly.
She focused intently on the cantaloupe. “No?”
“I think our neighbor—”
“Okay, mister.” Jenna interrupted. “No time for speculation. Eat!”
She wasn’t ready to discuss her feelings for Lucas with her kids. She didn’t even understand them yet herself.
Nick obediently stabbed a strawberry with his fork while outside on the patio, Tank let out three happy yips.
Jenna glanced out the window on her way back to the kitchen. Her heart fluttered when she spotted Lucas heading toward his Jeep, dressed in a finely tailored suit and tie. Not just any tie, butthetie—the silky-smooth burgundy one she’d finally settled on at the beach shop while Maureen tried to talk her into new earrings to go with her pretty blue date dress.
He looked so handsome, sobusinesslike. It was startling.
“I’ll be back soon, buddy.” Lucas waved at Tank, then climbed into the driver’s seat and headed down the gravel drive. Off to the meeting with his investors.
He was going to do great. Jenna just knew it.
“Ally, breakfast!” she yelled before floating to the kitchen.
It’s going to be a good day.
A few hours later, Jenna’s optimism took a serious hit.
She and Ally sat on the bleachers at summer camp, watching eight campers line up by the pool. Two groups of boys had already gone, and now Nick and Grayson were up, along with the other boys their age.
Jenna glanced at the empty space beside Ally, the spot they’d saved for Lucas. She’d expected him to turn up at least half an hour ago when the swim trials first started, but she hadn’t heard a word from him. If he didn’t show up within the next few minutes, he’d miss Nick’s race.
He’s going to be here.
Of course he was. He’d promised, and Lucas wasn’t a parent, but surely he knew better than to make a promise to a child that he couldn’t keep. Especially a child who looked up to him as much as Nick did.
She craned her neck for a better view of the parking lot, but his Jeep was nowhere to be seen. When she swiveled her gaze back toward the action poolside, she spotted Nick sitting on the starting block of his lane. While the other boys stretched and fastened their goggles in place, he slumped with his back turned to the water and his swim goggles propped on his forehead. The dejected look in his eyes just about broke Jenna’s heart.
Lucas, where are you?
Her leg jiggled. She couldn’t sit still and suddenly time was moving too fast. Kayla strode to the pool’s edge with a whistle around her neck and a stopwatch and clipboard in her hands.
“All right, guys. Have fun out there,” she said.
Jenna had to stop herself from jumping out of her seat and asking for a time-out.
Couldn’t she see that Nick wasn’t ready? He’d been so confident this morning at home. So sure of himself. But that had been back when he thought he’d have Lucas there to cheer him on.
Kayla obviously sensed something was wrong, because instead of blowing her whistle and calling for the kids to take their starting positions, she approached Nick’s lane with a smile.
“Nick, you’re up next. Let’s see if you can beat your personal best,” she said.
Only his eyes moved. He didn’t hop to his feet, nor did he bother adjusting his goggles. “Have you seen Lucas?”
