when Aubrey's little legs began to kick with delight.
"In, in, in!" Aubrey demanded.
"Honey, I didn't bring my bathing suit." But she eased out a little
more, until the water lapped at her knees, so she could let Aubrey
splash.
"Grace! Grace! Watch this!"
Obliging, Grace squinted against the sun and watched Seth take a running
leap off the dock, tucking knees, wrapping arms, and hitting the water
like a bomb so that it shot it up in a glittering fountain. And all over
her.
"Cannonball," he announced proudly when he surfaced. Then he grinned.
"Gee, you got all wet."
"Seth, take me." Straining, Aubrey held out her arms. "Take me."
"Can't, Aub. Got bombs to blow." When he swam off to join the other
boys, Aubrey began to sniffle.
"He'll come back and play later," Grace assured her.
"Now!"
"Soon." To ward off what Grace knew could turn into a fine temper, she
tossed Aubrey up, catching her as she hit the water. She let her paddle
and splash, then let her go, biting her lip as Aubrey reveled in the
freedom.
"Swimming, Mama."
"I see that, baby. You're a good swimmer. But you stay close."
As Grace expected, the sun and water and excitement combined to tire the
child out. When Aubrey blinked and widened her eyes as she did when she
fought sleep, Grace drew her in. "Let's get a drink, Aubrey."
"Swimming."
"We'll swim some more. I'm thirsty." Grace lifted her, braced for the
minor battle that was bound to come.
"What you got there, Grace, a mermaid?"
Mother and daughter looked up onto the wet slope and saw Ethan.
"She sure is pretty," he said, smiling into Aubrey's mutinous face. "Can
I have her?"
"I don't know. Maybe." She leaned close to Aubrey's ear. "He thinks
you're a mermaid."
Aubrey's lip trembled, but she'd nearly forgotten why she'd wanted to
cry. "Like Ariel?"
"Yes, like Ariel in the movie." She started to climb out, then Ethan's
hand was there, clasping hers firmly. And when she gained her balance,
he plucked Aubrey out of her arms.
"Swimming," she told him, rather pitifully, then buried her face in the
curve of his throat.
"I saw you swimming." She was cool and wet and curled against him. He
reached out, took Grace's hand again and pulled her to level ground.
This time, his fingers twined with hers and held. "Looks like I've got
two mermaids now."
"She's tired," Grace said quietly. "It makes her cross sometimes. She's
wet," she added and started to take Aubrey from him.
"She's fine." He released her hand only because he wanted to skim his
over Grace's damp and shining hair. "You're wet, too." Then he slipped