Page 37 of The Shell Collector
“I suppose it is.”
Shock resonated from Hailey’s lips to her eyebrows. “Mom, I want to have naked toes from now on. Okay?”
“Fine by me. Maybe I’ll try that too. It does look pretty.”
“We can be as pretty as Miss Maeve.” Hailey’s head bobbed up and down.
“That is the nicest compliment anyone has ever given me. You made my day. Thank you, Hailey.”
“It was an accident, but you’re welcome.” Hailey flung herself into Maeve’s arms. “I’m glad I made you happy. I wasn’t even trying.”
11
Thank goodness Amanda had letthe kids pick out a few extra books at the library this week. With the high temperatures and humidity, she’d become accustomed to a daily thunderstorm, and that was no problem. She’d started planning the indoor activities around the weather. Good thing, too, because it ended up being nearly three days straight of rain.
They were all beginning to have cabin fever. She’d done her best to keep them busy. They worked on crafts, colored, and even did a science project that turned out to be more of a magic trick with a balloon, water, and duct tape.
She stood at the screen door, the rain falling so hard that it looked like water boiling on the sidewalk. Thunder rolled across the sky.
An hour later, a stream of sunshine flooded the kitchen.
“Hey, guys, it’s raining with the sun out,” Amanda called to the kids. “I bet we can find a rainbow if we look.”
She heard their feet slapping the wooden floors as they ran toward the windows.
“It’s sunshining!” Jesse ran in circles in the house. “Beach!”
He belted it out with such enthusiasm that at first she wasn’t sure if he was hurt or happy. She raced to catch up to him, but his toothy grin was all she needed to see.
“I know.” She grabbed his hands and danced in a circle with him. “Finally. Hooray!”
“Can we go to the beach? Please?” Hailey ran down the hall. “The sun is back.”
“About time,” Amanda commiserated. “I think we’re overdue for a good beach day.”
“And shells!” Hailey threw her hands in the air.
Jesse ran toward his bedroom. “And fun!”
They changed into their swimwear and loaded up their beach gear. The dune was so much easier to walk over after the rain had packed it down. Amanda wondered how much it would cost to run her hose up the dune to water it down when it got so dry and deep that it was like tilling rather than walking. It was probably farther than it looked, but she’d spring for another hose if it would make a difference.
They made record time getting over the dune. It had helped that she’d figured out the bare minimum to bring and still be comfortable. She’d left her chair behind today, opting to sit right down on the sheet. One less thing to carry.
The turbulent waves churned from the storm, tossing white foam into the air. She wasn’t sure if it was the sunshine or the way the beach seemed to mute the waves when she was lying directly on the damp sand that lulled her body into relaxation.
A seagull swooped over. She heard its cries, like laughter, as it joined up with its colony near the water.
Hailey and Jesse danced in the sand, raising their hands toward the birds.
Amanda spotted Maeve walking down the beach toward them before the kids did.
Maeve waved and altered her path from the water to where Amanda was sitting. “Good to see you.”
“You too. I was beginning to think the sun was never coming back out.”
“Oh, July is like that sometimes.” She put her hand on top of her hat, shifting it back a smidge.
“Miss Maeve!” Hailey and Jesse raced across the beach, skidding to a stop near the sheet.
