Page 78 of The Shell Collector
“Very hard work, though,” her daughter added.
“You got it, Jesse. There you go.” Paul sat in the sand with Jesse standing in front of him. “You’re rocking it.” Paul reached up and tugged the string, making the kite dip in the sky, then pop up even higher. They shouted hooray so loud that Hailey raced over to be part of the excitement.
While Amanda unpacked lunch, she watched Paul pull in the kite and fold it down.
He and the kids walked over still all abuzz about the kite antics.
“That was so much fun!” Amanda said to Paul. “An amazing time. Thank you.”
“I’m glad I happened to see it in the store window. It was cooler than I remembered.”
“It’s hard to come up with new and different things to do with the kids every day. This is great.”
“I’d like to do it again one afternoon.”
“Sure. They really enjoyed it. They’d love that,” she said.
“What about you?” He sat down next to her on the sheet. “Would you love it?”
The way his eyes were fixed on her made her heart pick up its pace. Joking, she said, “I’d probably like it more if you’d just come fix the toilet that won’t quit running.”
He laughed, then with a straight face asked, “You’re not serious about the toilet?”
“Oh yeah. It runs and runs and runs. But not continually. No, it happens on its own merry timeline so that it wakes me up. Scares me every time.” She picked up some sand and swirled it in her palm. “No big deal. If that’s my biggest problem, I can deal with it.”
“I can fix the toilet.”
“I wasn’t really asking you to fix it.” She shrugged. “I was kidding around.”
“I know that, but it’s usually an easy fix. It could be the twist of a screw or a twenty-dollar part and save you more than that on your water bill. At least let me look at it. If it’s a bigger problem, then you’ll know what you’re facing.”
She hesitated.Why am I making this a big deal? Just say thank you and let him do it.“Fine. Take a look, but don’t do anything.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thankyou,” she said. “I appreciate it. Really.”
“No problem. I’m just that kind of guy, or have you forgotten?”
It was true. Between him and Jack, he’d been the handier one. Whenever there was something to fix, Jack waited until Paul could come over and help with it. “I guess I had kind of forgotten that. Well, then at least let me fix you dinner.”
“I’d love that. You always were a great cook.”
“You remember?”
“How could I forget? Your meat loaf and mashed potatoes are still in my dreams.”
“Comfort food.”
“Yeah. And what was the thing you did with chicken nuggets and sesame seeds? Do you still remember how to make that?”
“Yep. It’s the kids’ favorite, but I don’t make it that often, even though it’s easy.”
“And stuffed wontons. You’d make that dipping sauce for them.” He closed his eyes for a moment. “Okay, now I’m starving.”
She reached in her cooler and handed him a PB&J.
“No.” He pushed it back toward her. “I’m fine. Besides, the kids will be hungry.”
