by Mia Ford
I showered and changed into some shorts that would work as a suit and a t-shirt, packing some extra clothes in a bag that I added to the back seat of the car. I checked with Isabelle that it was okay for me to come by and she told me to hurry. I started the engine and pulled out to the road to head to the freeway, turning on the news as I drove. I liked to keep up on the things going on even if most of it was depressing. I merged into the lane and pressed the gas to speed ahead, wanting to be with Isabelle as soon as I could.
I pulled into the driveway and parked off to the side, hopping out and walking to the front door. I heard laughter inside and stood for a moment to listen before ringing the doorbell. I didn’t want to interrupt them but I sensed last night that Isabelle’s mom welcomed people with open arms. I pushed the button and the sound of a chime broke through the chatter and I heard someone walking towards the door. Isabelle threw it open and smiled, looking gorgeous in a light dress with a cardigan. “Hi.” She greeted me, opening the door and ushering me in as her father stood up from his seat at the table.
“Mason. I hear that you’re going to join us today,” he said as he shook my hand firmly.
“I was hoping to. Isabelle mentioned the beach.” I replied as he nodded and looked warmly at Kendra.
“That girl loves the beach. She could spend the entire day there. We might come back and grill for dinner or go out, depending on what we feel like. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Perfect day,” I agreed as I turned to see Melanie walking towards me. She wrapped me in a tight hug, asking if I wanted some coffee. “I’d love it.”
She poured me a cup, and we sat down in the cozy living room to talk about the afternoon. Kendra wanted to go to her favorite beach and Melanie decided to pack a cooler with some food. Isabelle went into the kitchen to help her and I watched her walk by, longing to kiss her. Kendra walked over to me and sat down with a ball in her hand a few feet away, asking if I’d play with her. I nodded, and we began rolling it back and forth between us, getting more aggressive by the moment. We were laughing when Isabelle poked her head out to look at us and I winked at her. I asked Kendra if she’d ever played air hockey and she told me that she was the best at it. I challenged her to a game as soon as we found a table and we shook on it.
Isabelle got Kendra dressed and slathered in sunscreen before we went out to the large SUV parked beside me in the driveway. Kendra sat in the very back in a small car seat that Isabelle buckled her into before sitting beside me in the second row. I buckled in and grabbed her hand as she smiled at me, glancing back as we moved out of the long driveway.
We went to a large beach with a lot of rocks and places for kids to play and Kendra hurried towards the steps as Isabelle called out for her to slow down. I watched as she chased after her daughter, chuckling along with her parents. “That will be the whole weekend,” Melanie told me as I nodded. She looked at me and I knew that she was going to say something with regard to last night. “Did I do the right thing last night? It looked as though you care for Isabelle and she needs that.”
“I do. I care for her a lot but I am willing to give her the space that she needs where Kendra is concerned. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.” I looked at Melanie as she smiled.
“If you ask me, it is time for her to move on. What happened with Kendra’s father was bad but she gave her soul to that baby. Kendra is old enough to handle Belle dating, and she seems to like you. I would swear that she picked up on her mom’s fear or whatever you would call it of men. This is a good sign.” Melanie smiled at me. “Push it a bit with her. It’s not an issue at the job, is it?”
“I know the owner. It will be fine and if it is, I’ll find something for her. I’d be willing to take care of both of them if need be,” I frowned at my words, knowing how fast this was going. “I’m sorry. I like her a lot.”
“I know. I think the feelings between you came into the airport before you did.” We made our way down the path to where Isabelle was spreading out a blanket and telling Kendra to hold on as she asked for her sand toys. She set the beach bag down and dug inside, handing her daughter the bucket and shovel as Kendra ran to a spot in the rocks where the water swirled in.
“She has been playing there since she could walk. Always that spot, at least until the tide comes back up.” Isabelle told me, watching Kendra dig into the damp sand.
“Why did you move to Seattle?” I asked her as Isabelle smiled at me.
“I was looking for jobs in my field and the one with you stood out. I did the math and figured it wasn’t that far away and just went with it. I think that I was meant to live there. It was somewhere new where there weren’t so many memories.” She shrugged. “I think it was a good choice, especially if you can visit home with us sometimes.”
“I’d like that.” We smiled at each other and she slipped her sweater off and went to play with Kendra as I looked up and down the beach. It was speckled with families enjoying the weather and I smiled as I glanced back at the girls. We took Kendra down to the water and watched her as she ran into the waves, laughing and screaming with excitement. I couldn’t help but feel like it was my first time at the ocean as I watched her run down the wet sand as Isabelle opened her mouth to speak. “She’s okay. We’re both watching her.”
“Can you have a kid in your life?” Isabelle asked me, glancing from Kendra to me. We walked towards her as I reached for her hand, brushing it with mine.
“If you would have asked me that a few years ago, I would have told you no. I like Kendra though and I would enjoy being a part of her life. I want to be a part of your lives.” I glanced at her as Kendra paused and reached down for something.
“I would,” she said as she started to walk towards Kendra. It seemed like slow motion as a wave came over the beach, over Kendra as Isabelle screamed. I looked forward and started to run as she went out with the water, tumbling with the current. I jumped into the water and swam to Kendra, grabbing her and moving out of the current as I held her in my arms. Melanie and Frank rushed forward as I swam to the shore with Kendra and Isabelle walked right into the water to take her from me. Kendra was breathing raggedly and Isabelle placed her on the beach and checked her breathing. She watched as her daughter coughed up water, turning her head as she blinked. “You saved her.” Isabelle said as she looked at me for a moment. “Thank you so much.” Frank carried her to the blanket once Kendra was alert, laying her down as Isabelle sat behind her to hold her daughter.
Kendra stayed there for about an hour before she asked to play again. Isabelle sighed and stood up, walking with her back to the bucket as Melanie let a tear slide down her cheek. “Thank you, Mason. I don’t know what we’d have done if that ended differently.”
“I would do anything to save her. She is important to all of you and me,” Mason said as I glanced over. I was ready to start sobbing, but I held it together for Kendra. She didn’t seem to be scared anymore though I’d see if she asked to go the water again.
We had lunch in another hour, eating quietly around the blanket as Kendra sipped some juice. She wanted to go back to the water and Isabelle stood to go with her, her legs shaking. I watched them, feeling like they needed some time alone as I took a deep breath.
We left the beach in the late afternoon with a weight over our shoulders. Kendra was the only one chatting in the back, seemingly not scared by what happened to her. I thought that it was one of the scariest moments of my life and Kendra was new to my life. How would I feel if it was Isabelle in danger or one of our children in the future? I felt someone take my hand and looked over at Isabelle as she stared at me in the dim light. “Are you okay?”
“That was so real,” I told her, squeezing her.
“I know. If you weren’t there, I don’t know what would have happened.” Isabelle spoke softly as we listened to Kendra ask if we were going to grill for dinner.
“Is that what you want to do?” Melanie asked from the front as Isabelle waited.
&n
bsp; “I want one of those hot dogs with cheese and some chicken,” Kendra replied as we all let out sighs of relief.
“We’ll stop at the store, Ken.” Frank assured her as I smiled for the first time in hours. Something awful happened but everything was going to be fine. Frank stopped by the store and Melanie and Isabelle went in to shop as I looked at Kendra, sound asleep in the back. She fell asleep ten minutes after asking for dinner, probably exhausted for the day. “You did a good thing back there, son. You didn’t even think about it before you were in that water. Her own father never did that and I doubt that he ever would. He was wrong for Belle but you’re right for her, for both of them.”
CHAPTER 17
Isabelle
We piled the cart with all of Kendra’s favorite foods as we went down every aisle. Mom was quiet as we walked and I just grabbed stuff automatically. “That was the scariest moment of my life, apart from when you were in that car accident in college. Remember that?”
I nodded. A car had run a red light and sent me spinning into a pole, leaving some slight pain. It wasn’t serious but it could have been and Kendra would have been left without a mother. The accident affected all of us. “I remember it like it was yesterday. I was so scared.”
“I was watching you talk to Mason just a few feet away from Kendra. She’s been in the water so many times before but that wave came and just took her. I was frozen and your father was frozen. I don’t know if you were, but I heard you scream. Then Mason just jumped right in like it was nothing and brought her to us.” Mom looked at me. “I want you to give him a real chance. Mason is a good man, and he saved your daughter.”
“I am going to give him a chance, Mom. I am. I think I’m falling for him,” I told her as she stopped and stared at me. “It’s been a month since we met but he means more to me than even… Jackson did.” I looked around, relieved to be alone in the aisle.
“I never thought I would hear you say that, Belle. You were so scared about everything once you found out about the baby. Don’t worry about your job or anything enough to let him go. Everything will work out just the way it is meant to.” I frowned at her as she stared at me. “Don’t get scared, Isabelle.”
“I am going to try not to, Mom. It is so new and intense and… I get overwhelmed.” I shrugged as we started walking again.
“You do know that I married your father in six months, don’t you? Sometimes it just happens that way.” I laughed as we went to get the meat and check out, loading up the back of the car as we chatted together. We took our seats in the SUV and Dad drove to their house, parking back in the driveway as we got out. I carried Kendra in and tucked her into bed while we unpacked the food and got ready for a feast. Mom marinated the chicken in the fridge while I worked on some salads and cut up Kendra’s favorite fruits. Dad and Mason warmed up the grill outside in the backyard as I smiled at them through the window.
Kendra walked out rubbing her eyes, and I looked over at her. “Hi, baby girl. We are making so much food right now that we’ll be eating it all weekend.” I picked her up and hugged her tightly as Mom looked on.
“Should I be scared of the water, Mommy? That wave tried to take me today.” Her voice was soft, and I froze.
“No. Sometimes things happen at places you love, like the beach. We were lucky that Mason went in to get you but you have been there so many times in the past. We’ll go there so many more times.” I hugged her tighter and smiled.
“Is Mason your boyfriend, Mommy?” Kendra asked as I stared at Mom. “Chase at school has a girlfriend.”
“I don’t know yet, Kendra. I like him a lot and we’re working towards that. Do you like him?” I asked as she pulled back and looked at me with sincere eyes.
“I do. He’s fun, Mommy. He knows how to swim so good and I would like him at the beach with me again.” Kendra looked serious as she spoke and I laughed.
“That sounds like a plan,” I told her as she looked to the window.
“I am going to go tell him that he needs to be at the beach with me when we go,” Kendra stated as she slid down my body and walked towards the screen door. I looked at Mom and we both laughed.
“Okay, then.” I said and returned to the kitchen as I watched through the window. Kendra tapped Mason on his leg and he looked down at her with a smile on his face. He knelt in front of her and she spoke as he listened intently. Mason nodded at her and she gave him a hug as I pressed my hand to my mouth. “Oh, my God. Look at that.”
“My heart is melted,” Mom said as the men looked at each other and Kendra went to play in the yard. We brought out the meat and Dad placed it on the grill as Mom set a cold beer down beside him. I glanced around to see that it was beautiful outside and asked Mom if we should bring the food outside. She kissed my dad and told me that we’d do it buffet style inside and bring the plates out to the table. I nodded and leaned over the deck to watch Kendra play in the garden, feeling a sense of hope for the future.
We sat down to eat in forty-five minutes and talked about what to do the following day. Mason suggested that he take us out to lunch and Mom and Dad started arguing that it should be them doing that for him. I just watched as they went back and forth while Kendra butted in to tell them that she wanted to go for fish and chips at her favorite place.
I laughed as Mason assured her that he wanted to try them as well and I took another bite of chicken. I’d never been with a man that was good with Kendra. There were some along the way that wanted to date me but I wasn’t ready, I fought this thing with Mason until I couldn’t any longer, making me feel weak at moments.
I tucked Kendra in after she fell asleep on the couch again and went back out to see Mason standing out back. I smiled at Mom and walked out to join him, feeling him pull me against him. “So, Kendra asked if you were my boyfriend earlier.”
“Did she? What did you tell her?” Mason asked as I laughed.
“I said that we are working towards it. That was right before she went out to tell you that she always wants you at the beach with her. Are you sure that you can handle the lightning speed at which this is happening?” I looked at him as he gazed at me with a smile.
“I think so.” Mason leaned in to kiss me as I giggled, knowing that we were out of sight of my parents. Mom told him that he was welcome to stay here tonight and offered up the guest room as she gave me a knowing smile. “Should I stay?”
“You have that option. I will go in there with you until I need to sneak to my room to wake up with Kendra. Welcome to dating a woman with a child.” I laughed weakly as I felt doubt fill my brain. Was this right for him? Was it right for me?
“The time that we do have together will be great,” Mason assured me as he stole a kiss. It heated up, and I groaned softly as I felt need washing through me.
“It won’t be nearly enough,” I murmured as I kissed him again. We made our way inside and sat with my parents, sipping beers and watching a movie.
“Are you staying here?” Mom asked him as Mason smiled. “It’s fine. We’re all adults here.”
“Oh my God. I won’t spend the night in the guest room with him. Kendra is here,” I told her as she giggled.
“She won’t notice until the morning.” Dad told me as I rested my face in my hand. “I can get you something to sleep in, Mason. Your clothes are at the hotel?”
“They are. I’ll have to get them tomorrow before we fly out,” he said as I looked at him. “Maybe we can all go to breakfast and drop by in the morning.”
“That sounds great,” Mom agreed, frowning as he told her that it was his treat. She stretched and gave my dad a long look as she announced that it was getting late. They told us good night and headed to their bedroom as I shook my head.
“It’s not late and they aren’t tired,” I muttered as Mason chuckled. He slipped his arm around me, pulling me closer as he kissed my head.
“They obviously want you happy,” he told me softly as I gazed at him. “Are you?”
“Happy and
scared,” I admitted as he nodded and kissed me.
“I know. We’re just going to take this slow and see where it goes.” Mason stared into my eyes for a long moment as I got lost in the depth of his gaze.
We fell asleep cuddled together on the couch and I woke up a few hours later to infomercials playing on the TV. I looked around and saw that I was lying on Mason’s chest with his arms wrapped around me, taking a moment to enjoy the view. This man, this gorgeous man… he wanted me. I smiled and breathed him in as I felt love filling my heart and fear filling my mind. I looked around to find a clock, seeing that it was three in the morning. I considered my options and just rested against him and closed my eyes for just a little longer.
Mason woke me up a bit later and told me that I should go and join Kendra. It was getting late or early, depending on how I was looking at it. I stretched and kissed him for a moment before pushing myself up. I offered to wash his clothes if he wanted to change into the stuff in the guest bedroom and Mason assured me that he would be fine. He could change at the hotel. I nodded and walked to my old room, changing into leggings and an over-sized shirt to sleep in before I crawled under the covers with Kendra. We stayed there for about three hours before she woke me up, telling me that she wanted some juice.
CHAPTER 18
Mason
I walked into the guest room and dropped to the bed slowly, missing Isabelle’s warmth. I liked sleeping with her in my arms even if it was on a couch.
I knew that we were going home in a few hours and wondered how to make that happen there. I could stay at her house and they could come to mine. I had a guest room that could work for Kendra, but what if she didn’t want to sleep over there?
I was getting ahead of myself. I didn’t even know if Isabelle wanted that from me though she seemed happy with me. I kicked off my shorts and dropped them to the floor, sliding under the light quilt to try to get comfortable.