by Pamela Stone
“Pictures.” Hanna pulled her camera out of her purse.
The young college-age guide took the camera from her and motioned for her to join Vince and the kids. “You don’t want to be left out.”
Hanna eased in behind Ashton and smiled. The guide assumed they were a family, but then why shouldn’t he?
The guide handed her back the camera and covered the rules for the group of about fifteen, then they were set. Each group stayed together to some extent.
Vince zipped Hanna’s camera into the waterproof bag along with Ashton’s inhaler and his T-shirt. They had a fifth tube tied to Vince’s with water bottles, towels and a few supplies sealed up for the trip. Vince called out, “Kids, stay together and don’t drift off. It’s not deep in most places, but grab the tube if you flip.”
Hanna sucked in her breath and diverted her gaze, but she kept sneaking peeks at Vince’s long, muscled torso. Sandy hair covered his chest, then narrowed to a thin line, running down his stomach and disappearing beneath his dark swim trunks. Not that her ex was bad on the eyes, but Vince had at least a half foot on Richard’s five foot nine inches and from her vantage point, all those inches were in his chest. Okay, so maybe a couple were exhibited in those long legs. Where Richard’s legs were shorter and thicker, Vince had runner’s legs.
She and the kids started out with T-shirts over their swimsuits. The water was like ice cubes when Hanna waded in. River rocks poked into her bare feet as she awkwardly plopped into the tube, but as soon as her body adjusted, the water felt invigorating.
Mackenzie shed her T-shirt before they got started. Following her lead, Ashton tossed his to Mackenzie, and she piled them on the extra tube. They both jammed their caps on their heads backwards.
Hanna scrubbed her hands over the chill bumps, but kept her wet T-shirt on. It’d warm up as soon as they floated out from beneath the trees and into the center of the river.
She’d enjoyed rafting on her high school senior trip, but she’d only had to worry about herself, not her son. She’d assumed she’d be more nervous with Ashton along. Maybe it had to do with the way Vince, in his laid-back way, always gave the impression that he was in control.
A couple of groups floated past, but there was no rush to get anywhere. The day was theirs and she loved the kids’ laughter. Water had soaked through her T-shirt and in spite of the sun, goose bumps speckled her arms. The other three river rats in her party looked perfectly comfortable as both kids decided to kick water on Vince. He returned the challenge, and Hanna gave up on the T-shirt. She wasn’t entirely comfortable with Vince seeing her in a bathing suit, even if she had worn her conservative navy-blue one-piece. But it was insane to ruin the day by freezing.
She eased the dripping T-shirt over her head and Vince paddled over and took it from her, then tossed it on top of the others. His perusal warmed her body even more than shedding the icy cotton shirt had.
“Having fun?”
She glanced up at the tree canopy overhanging the river. “I’d forgotten how beautiful the river is.”
“Yeah, we try to come once in the spring and once in the fall when school is in session. Fewer crowds.”
She returned his grin. “Good plan. The one time I came was mid-July and you couldn’t see the water for the tubes.”
His warm chuckle engulfed her. “Kids are having fun.”
The giggles validated his remark. Hanna dipped her hands in the water and let the drops trickle through her fingers.
Ashton’s scream and a splash brought her straight up, almost tipping her own inner tube over. Mackenzie’s head was visible between the two tubes, but if Ashton was above water, he was hidden by the tubes. She caught a glimpse of Vince and stopped herself before she bolted into the water. Vince’s body was tense and his eyes glued to the scene, but he hadn’t made a move toward them.
Hanna turned just as Ashton’s head popped up, then both kids stood. The water barely reached their waists, but even though he’d flipped in a shallow spot in the river, Ashton could have hit his head on a rock. He shoved the hair out of his face, and she thought he was crying before she realized he was actually laughing.
“That was cool. I flipped twice.”
Mackenzie bent double, guffawing. “All I could see were flying arms and legs.”
“Happy to give you something to laugh at there, Kenzie.” Ashton dumped the water out of his Keegan’s Docks cap and tugged it over his curls.
Still laughing, both hoisted themselves back into the tubes. “You looked like an octopus.”
Releasing her breath, Hanna glanced at Vince.
He winked. “Resilient little critters, kids.”
“Ash, grab hold of my rope.” Mackenzie paddled closer and tossed him her tow rope. “This way we don’t have to work so hard to stay together.”
The tension eased out of Hanna’s body and she just drifted with the water. Everyone who floated past seemed happy and the kids were never out of Vince’s sight. She needed this escape as much as Ashton did.
It probably took them an extra half hour to reach the park area where they were to have a picnic, but Hanna didn’t care. She wrapped her towel around her waist and quickly discarded the idea of putting on her wet T-shirt.
Exhausted from the float, they wolfed down hot dogs cooked on a rusty outdoor grill provided by the tour company. They tasted better than dinner at the Mansion on Turtle Creek. Orange Cheeto dust stuck to Hanna’s fingertips as her napkin blew away. Ashton caught it and tossed it in the trash can, so Hanna settled for licking the orange dust off her fingertips.
Vince laughed. “Want another hot dog?”
She popped her pinky finger out of her mouth and hoped she wasn’t blushing. “No, I filled up on cheese chips.”
Vince’s cell phone chimed, and Hanna turned away to give him privacy.
“Vince.” There was a slight pause. “Hey, Grayson. Okay, let me see if they can spare Gutierrez on the Barkley dock for the day. I’ll send him your way.”
Grayson? Had to be Grayson Maguire, Belinda’s twin brother. Not exactly an everyday name.
Vince hung up, made another brief call and called Grayson back. “Gray, he’s on his way.” She could hear rambling over the phone, but Vince didn’t seem too interested. “Everything else okay? Listen, I’m kind of busy. I’ll talk to you Monday.” He laughed. “Yeah, or see you at the folks’ tomorrow. Thanks again. I owe you.”
The folks? The Maguires?
“Mom, can we swim before the van leaves?” Ashton begged. “Please. I finished two hot dogs.”
Tossing her paper plate into the trash can, Hanna nodded. “Sure, I’ll come down there and watch.”
Ashton raced after Kenzie. “Wait up. I’m right behind you.”
“Last one in is a dead fish,” Vince said, yanking his T-shirt off, tossing it and his cell phone on the riverbank and charging ahead of them and into the water.
Hanna sat on the cool grass and watched Vince hoist Mackenzie up on his shoulders then toss her unceremoniously into the water. He repeated the act for Ashton, who raised his arms and pointed them over his head as Vince bent and dumped him into the river. Just hearing Ashton squeal and laugh, seeing him energized, warmed Hanna’s soul. She didn’t remember him ever laughing so much. She snapped a few pictures as both kids piled on Vince and tried to push him under. They did finally succeed, but he took them both with him.
After fifteen minutes of frolicking, Vince dropped down on the riverbank beside Hanna. “You could have joined us.”
“I’m too full.”
“Yeah, cheese chips. You were just afraid I’d get the best of you.”
“Right. That was it.” She refused to stare at the droplets of water dripping off his hair and onto his chest. The guy did have a certain irresistible, Southern charm. “Did you and Belinda bring the kids here?”
He skimmed water off his arms and pulled on the T-shirt. “No. They weren’t old enough. We did Sea World and the circus. Made a trip to South Pad
re Island. Belinda always enjoyed the beach.”
“Richard isn’t the outdoors type. We took Ashton to New York summer before last. Caught a play and a couple of museums.”
“Man, I loved New York. Spent a summer studying there between my junior and senior years. Incredible energy.”
“New York?” Now that was something she wouldn’t have guessed. “What was your major?”
He stretched out on his back. “Engineering. Actually I was taking classes across the Hudson in Jersey. I had landed an internship with a company in Austin that designs bridges and they worked with the college and arranged the summer in New York. We studied some of the city’s bridge designs.”
And now he was designing boat docks and decks. “Did you finish your master’s?”
“Bachelor’s, but never got a chance to go beyond that. Best-laid plans.”
The damp cotton stretched across his wide chest and pulled tight with each breath. And those legs poking out from the long black swim trunks were equally impressive.
“What happened?” Norma had mentioned that he and Belinda had met at the University of Texas.
Vince closed his eyes against the bright sun, or against more questions and rubbed the stubble on his chin. “Life.”
Which was more interesting, the sun glistening off the water as the kids splashed or watching Vince’s chest rise and fall? He bent one knee and adjusted his position, but his breathing remained even.
Ashton struggled to dunk Mackenzie, but it didn’t appear there was much danger of that. If she were a regular girl, Hanna would’ve put a stop to it, but Mackenzie had already pushed him under before Hanna could react.
Hanna’s gaze drifted from the kids back to Vince. He had promised to keep an eye on Ashton, yet he was napping? Leaning forward, she frowned, then noticed that his eyes were half-open.
“They’re fine, Hanna.”
Insane. How the heck did he know what she was thinking?
The tour vans were packing up to haul everyone back to Gruene, and Hanna motioned for the kids to come to shore. “You two need to get out and dry off.”
“Mom,” Ashton wailed. “Just five more minutes?”
Propping up on his elbows, Vince appeared as reluctant as the kids to leave. Yet he didn’t override her command. “Come on, Kenzie. Out.”
To Hanna’s amazement, Mackenzie didn’t even put up a fuss, just hopped out of the river and snuggled into the towel her father wrapped around her dripping shoulders. Ashton looked as bemused as Hanna, but followed his friend’s lead. It seemed that the trick to getting her son to mind was simply getting Kenzie to mind.
AFTER SHOWERS AT THE BATH HUT and changing into shorts, they piled their wet paraphernalia into Vince’s pickup and set out to explore the historic riverside community of Gruene. The small town looked like a postcard with antique stores and restaurants lining the main street. Hanna snapped pictures of the kids with the water tower in the background and one of Vince and the kids eating ice cream in front of the old dance hall.
“Hey, kids. I want a few pictures in the bluebonnets over there.”
“Geesh.” Ashton groaned. “More pictures?”
“Come on, Ash. They won’t stop pestering us until we cooperate.”
After a few shots of the kids, Vince grabbed her camera. “Get in the shot with them.”
Hanna waded into the small patch of bluebonnets behind the children and put a hand on each kid’s shoulder. Ashton let him take a picture, then picked his way out of the flowers and reached for the camera. “My turn to take pictures. You get in the shot.”
Hanna sucked in a breath as Vince squatted down between her and Kenzie, his knee bumping against Hanna’s. Kenzie perched on his knee and Vince put his hand on Hanna’s shoulder.
“Smile, Mom.”
Both she and Vince had been seeing that the kids had a good time, but the sun was beginning to set and Hanna’s one hot dog was no longer enough. “Anybody up for dinner?”
“Grist Mill!” Mackenzie yelled. “It’s my favorite and we can eat outside.”
“Grist Mill!” Ashton mimicked although he’d never been to Gruene before today and couldn’t have any idea if he even liked the food.
Vince swept one arm elaborately and led them all across the street. “Grist Mill, it is.”
Mackenzie didn’t give anyone else a chance to answer when the hostess asked whether they wanted outside or in. “Outside, where we can see the river.”
As the hostess led the way, the kids trooped along behind her. Hanna’s breath caught at the feel of Vince’s hand on the small of her back, ushering her toward the table. Just a gentlemanly gesture. A very intimate, masculine, gentlemanly gesture.
Hanna hadn’t been to Gruene since high school and she’d never eaten in the old mill converted into an open-air restaurant. Rustic and quaint, it sprawled down the hillside toward the river with small decks and tables nestled into the trees.
Mackenzie raced over to a corner table, one of the few that actually offered a view through the trees to the river. A group of late-afternoon tubers floated by, laughing and waving.
Ashton leaned over the wooden rail and waved back. “This is sooo cool.”
Hanna slid along the bench on one side, but Ashton took his seat beside Mackenzie on the other bench. Vince joined Hanna and leaned back against the rail as the waitress placed the menus in front of them.
With all the spring pollen, Ashton was beginning to wheeze. Unsure whether she’d embarrass him or not, Hanna used a hand gesture to simulate the inhaler.
Reluctantly Ashton pulled it out and took a quick breath, then shoved it back into his pocket.
Kenzie just grinned like it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Hanna hoped that was a sign that he’d used it in front of her before when he’d needed it.
The sun set as they were finishing their meals, and the kids raced over into the trees where there were more picnic tables. Ashton stopped to rub a black-and-white cat that was more intent on bathing his paws than on the horde of restaurant patrons watching him.
Hanna turned to Vince. His skin was a shade darker from today’s adventure and his hair a shade lighter. The whole effect with the sunset colors made those blue eyes twinkle. “Amazing what one day away can do.”
Vince twirled the saltshaker on the table. “Yeah, getting away from the rat race is good for the soul.”
“So, will you get angry if I ask you a personal question?”
He shrugged. “Shoot.”
The waitress refilled their iced-tea glasses and cleared away the dishes.
“How do you do it? I’m scared to death every time Ashton is out of my sight. Part of that is because of his asthma, but also something might happen that I could have prevented. How do you stand giving Mackenzie all that freedom? How do you resist locking her up so she won’t get hurt?”
He grinned. “First off, if she’s doing something she shouldn’t and I don’t catch her, somebody else will and let me know.”
Hanna shook her head and sighed. “Ahh, the notorious small-town grapevine.”
Vince raised an eyebrow then he ran one hand through his hair. “After Belinda and Matt were killed, I wanted to. God, I wanted to. My parents smothered us. We were at their house every weekend and some evenings for dinner. They’re workaholics and their answer was to hire a nanny to watch Kenzie while I worked sixty-hour weeks. I tried to make Austin work, for a few months.”
Hanna studied his profile as he watched the kids.
“But my in-laws loved Kenzie, too, and me. They’d lost their only daughter and my three-year-old little girl had lost her mother. She and her grandparents needed one another to fill that void. I wanted to be a bigger part of my daughter’s life and Corporate America didn’t allow time for that. So moving to Marble Falls and starting a business made sense on a lot of levels. I figured the best way to give Kenzie a happy life and at the same time to keep her safe was to spend time with her and to teach her to think for herself. Mayb
e if I’d done more of that in my marriage, my wife and son would still be alive.”
“I’m sorry about your loss.” Hanna felt tears well up at the back of her eyes. “You love the Maguires very much.”
“I do.” Vince took a long drink of iced tea and forced a smile. “They’re family. Good folks.”
Good folks. They’d filled the void from the loss of their daughter not only with Mackenzie, but also with Vince. And it appeared to be mutual.
“Vince, just so you understand, I’m still struggling with how to be a single parent. I’ve worried since Ashton was a toddler and we almost lost him to a serious asthma attack, but now I’m solely responsible for his safety. Richard loves Ashton, too, but he believes he’d be better off in Dallas. I can’t give him fuel for that argument. Your tactics won’t work in my favor.”
Ashton wove his way through the picnic tables toward them, the black-and-white cat cradled in his arms. “Look, Mom. Isn’t he beautiful? Touch him, feel how soft.”
Cats and asthma, not a good mix. Yet she didn’t want to ruin the day for Ashton. She ran one hand down the cat’s tail. It wrapped around her hand and slid through as the cat purred like a Weed Eater. “Yes, he is. Now go put him back in the trees before you start wheezing.”
That earned her a glare from Mackenzie, but Ashton turned and eased his way back into the more open area of the rambling restaurant, carrying the cat like a precious bundle.
She felt Vince’s stare. “Don’t tell me. He needs a pet.”
“There are breeds of dogs that are supposed to be safe for asthma sufferers.”
“He has allergies.” Hanna set her jaw and crumpled her napkin. “I realize he’s lonely and a pet might be a good idea, but we’re living in my mom’s house and no way am I going to add one more stress factor to the mix.”
Vince leaned around and she thought for a second he might touch her, but instead he picked up his glass. “He can stop by and play with Boo anytime. Maybe that’ll help.”