Page 32 of The Plus-One Deal
The kids ran into the shallows where they kicked water at each other, shrieking and giggling. Claire shaded her eyes to watch them, laughing as well. I shook out our blanket and set out our hamper, with the picnic I’d packed for us before we struck out. The families laid their blankets farther up the beach, giving us some privacy. I was grateful for that. The kids were cute and all, but they’d for sure start a food fight. I wanted this time with Claire, without crumbs in our hair.
She came over and joined me as I laid out our lunch, nothing too fancy, as I hadn’t known how easy the trail would be. I’d packed neat little sandwiches and crackers and dips, hummus and caviar, pepper cheese, roasted garlic. We had sparkling cider and tarts for dessert, and even some chocolates I’d sneaked from the restaurant.
“Looks delicious,” said Claire, and reached for a butter tart. I smacked her hand, teasing.
“Jumping straight to dessert?”
“I’m on vacation!” Claire pouted, but she took a sandwich instead. She took a bite, licked her lips, and sighed with pleasure. “I don’t know if it’s the exercise or all the fresh air, but this is the best ham and cheese sandwich I’ve ever had.”
I took one of my own and tried a bite. It tasted delicious, the flavors rich on my tongue. “I think there’s capers,” I said.
“I didn’t think I liked capers. Maybe I’m confusing them with something else.”
I poured her some cider, then some for myself. We sat in the shade, watching the kids have their food fight. They were just tossing grapes for now, while their folks weren’t looking, but I guessed it would escalate as lunchtime wore on. Claire turned away from them as a stray grape bounced our way, and turned her attention to the white surf instead.
“I don’t think I’ve done this since I was a kid.”
“What, gone to the beach?”
“Just sat and looked at it. At nature in general.” She flipped the brim of her hat up to get a better view. “It’s so gorgeous here. Like a scene from a postcard. I always thought thosewere Photoshopped, with the perfect blue skies. I didn’t think anywhere looked quite like this.”
I hummed my agreement. I’d thought the same thing. I’d likely spent more time outdoors than Claire had, adventure hiking trips for business partners, fishing and hunting, whatever it took. But I’d mostly been focused on work on those trips, not on enjoying them or enjoying nature.
“Even the bugs here are pretty.” I brushed one off my leg, a jewel-colored green thing with a hard, glossy shell. Claire flicked it off our blanket.
“Pretty, maybe, but I’d rather not eat it.”
“I’m sure it agrees with that.”
We both chuckled. Claire stretched out her legs, smooth, sleek, and freckled. I hadn’t known she had freckles even there. I’d never seen her bare-legged, without stockings or hose. Now, she was in shorts and a long linen beach shirt, the long, flowing draped kind to keep off the sun. When she was standing, it hung to her knees, but now she was sitting, it had pooled in her lap. I resisted the impulse to reach out and touch her. To run a cheeky fingertip from her knee to her thigh.
“Okay, enough of that! No throwing yogurt!” The kids’ food fight had got out of hand. I snickered as their parents confiscated their spoons.
“Go on and play if you’re done eating. Get your pails, huh? Go build a sandcastle.”
The kids grabbed their pails and ran down to the shallows. Claire watched, sipping cider, as they built up their battlements.
“Their base isn’t wide enough. When they build up, it’ll crumble.”
“Want to build a better one?” I asked. “Show them how it’s done?”
She laughed. “That’s mean, showing up little kids!”
We watched them build anyway, a wobbly façade, and then a wave crashed in and swept it away. The kids jumped up, screaming, and ran back up the beach. Then they ran back down, chasing the wave. They kicked their ruined sandcastle and kicked at their pails, then filled them with water and threw it on each other. After a while, they bunched into a huddle, and I noticed them eyeing us over their shoulders. Claire nudged me, suspicious.
“You think they’re planning a prank?”
“They’re planningsomething. Thinking they’re sneaky.”
Jake broke free of the others and trotted up the beach, heading toward us. Claire flinched away.
“If he throws a fish on us…”
“I don’t think he’s going to.” I moved in front of her anyway, just in case. Jake edged up to me, suddenly shy.
“Hey, Jake,” I said.
He smiled at me. “Hi. We were wondering, uh…”