Page 75 of Love At The Shore
And despite all the very conflicting feelings she had about him at the moment, his presence beside her filled her with relief.
Behind Lucas, Jenna spotted Ally climbing out of the Jeep.
“Stay here, sweetie,” Jenna said.
She could only worry about one child at a time right now. She needed to know Ally was somewhere where she couldn’t get hurt or wander into the water while they were searching for Nick.
“Okay,” Ally called. The poor thing sounded terrified.
When all of this was over, Jenna would make things up to her somehow. Chocolate. Pancakes. A movie day snuggled under soft blankets. Just the three of them.
She’d been such a fool to think they needed someone else, least of all Lucas. If only he’d stayed on his side of the fence, they wouldn’t be here right now.
At the thought of her little protective barrier, Lucas’s words from the night before came drifting back to her, like a kite on the wind.
You literally built a barrier in your backyard because you’re too afraid to let people in. Well, you cannot write people off like that.
She shook her head, as if she could forcibly rattle them from her memory while she and Lucas raced toward the surf. In the distance, she could see three small figures in the water, making their way to the beach from the lighthouse just offshore.
“He’ll be okay. He’s a strong swimmer,” Lucas said, running beside her.
Just the sound of his voice took the edge off of her panic. As she and Lucas drew closer, the three swimmers stood upright in the shallows and waded onto the beach. Foamy waves crashed around their ankles, and Jenna recognized her son’s slender frame at once.
Thank God.
Thank God, thank God, thank God.
“Nick!Nick!” She ran faster, her flip-flops filling with sand.
She was close enough to hear his conversation with the kids on either side of him now—a boy and girl she recognized from summer camp.
“That was not as easy as it looked,” one of them said.
The little girl pushed wet hair from her face. “I think I drank like half the ocean. And maybe a fish.”
“Who cares, we did it!” Nick grinned. Then he looked up and his gaze collided with hers. “Oh no.”
“Who’s that?” The other boy paused.
“That’s my mom.” Nick stood still while his mother closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him.
He was soaked, covered in sand and goosebumps. Jenna didn’t care—she needed to touch him and inspect every inch of his wet little body to make sure he wasn’t hurt.
“Nick! Honey, are you okay?” She pulled back so she could search him for any signs of injury.
“Yeah.” He nodded as she ran her hands over his head.
Finally convinced her son was still in one piece, Jenna cupped his face and locked her gaze with his. “What were you thinking?”
“I thought I’d get home before you noticed.” The crisp morning breeze made him shiver, but his voice was even. Determined.
Jenna planted her hands on his shoulders, wishing she could somehow keep him there—just an arm’s length away. Always. “Do you have any idea how many things are wrong with that statement?”
He looked past her, toward Lucas, standing alone by the dunes.
Then he shook his head. “You don’t get it.”
He was right. She didn’t get it, nor did she want to. She just wanted her son to promise he’d never try anything this crazy and foolish again.
