Accidental Shield (Marriage Mistake #6)(44)

He’s so easy to relate to.

I wait until he sees me before I cross the lanai and walk down the steps. Flint leaves the water and steps onto the sand, coming toward me. We meet in the center of the beach.

I should be downright toasty. The sand under my feet, the air billowing through my hair, the sun shining down, they’re all delightfully warm. But I’m just chilled to the core and sad.

“Feeling better?” he asks, looking at me hesitantly.

He probably thinks I’m about to faint, or stop breathing, or just...

I don’t know, need him?

That’s hard to wrap my head around, too. He’s been here for everything I’ve needed so far, without complaint.

Lifting my chin, I try to find some stamina. “Yeah, the nap helped.”

“Hungry yet?”

Shaking my head, I bite my lips together to keep from smiling. “Is that your default answer to everything?”

“No. I get that shit from my ma, she’s always trying to feed people, rain or shine. There’s malasadas inside if you want a snack.”

I nod, even though I don’t know his mother, or my own. Another chill cuts through me.

Is my own mother even alive? Or is she dead, too?

No, she’s alive. I think.

I don’t get the same sense of black hole emptiness and loss when I think of her versus my father.

When I don’t move, Flint takes my hand and nods at the ocean. “Come on, say hello to Bryce. He’s already in love with your cheetah.”

That gets a small smile. What can it hurt?

I walk beside him, letting him guide me, digging my toes deeper into the beach with every step. The sandy warmth feels so good, even if it’s not enough to thaw the ice-cold unease in my bones.

The beach feels normal, comforting like so few things are.

“I’m glad he’s made friends with Savanny,” I say, trying to shift the focus off myself and my inner workings that totally aren’t working.

“They’ve been inseparable since he got home,” Flint says. “The situation was never right up till recently to have our own pet. Kid’s been hounding me over it for years. I just started telling him maybe we’d think about it recently. After he’s had a few days with your boy, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

I glance at him as he grins my way. That warmth isn’t just in the ground anymore.

A heatwave rushes through me like pure sunshine. I swear, the grin on Flint’s face could turn January into mid-July, and it’s not just because he’s so good to his son.

I’m safe with him. That’s what I keep coming back to. Like it’s something I’ve been missing, an easy afternoon walk on the beach with this big slice of muscle who could moonlight as an underwear model. I know I’ve been starving for safety for a long time.

“Bryce, come say hello to Valerie!” Flint shouts.

“Coming, Dad!” Bryce expertly floats the board all the way to shore, where Savanny springs off without getting wet. The cat runs up and curls himself around my ankles, purring as he headbutts my leg. I give the cat’s back a long stroke with one hand.

“Bryce, this is Valerie,” Flint says.

“Aloha, Valerie,” Bryce says, stepping closer, looking me up and down. “Heard some stuff about you.”

“All good things, I hope?”

He nods. I straighten and instantly notice that he has the same striking blue eyes as Flint. His smile mirrors his father’s, too, just a tad more crooked, like he’s still growing into his face.

In fact, I’m sure this is exactly what Flint looked like when he was young. For some reason, that makes me smile. “Aloha, Bryce. Nice to meet you.”

“Good to meet you, too,” he says. “I’m sorry you were hurt in the accident. I hope you get better soon.”

“Every day it gets a little easier.” Needing to give credit where it’s due, I add, “Thanks to your father.”

He grins. Pure devotion shines in his eyes as he looks up at Flint. “He’s a pretty cool dad. I like him.”

“Oh, you like me, do you?” Flint asks him, shooting him a cocky smile. “Glad to hear I’m not out of the running after Grandma spoiled you rotten for a week.”

Bryce shrugs, but his eyes glow even brighter. “Yeah, I mean...you’re cool sometimes.”

Chuckling, Flint moves like lightning, grabbing his son and launching into a flurry of tickles while he flips Bryce upside down. The laughter from them both makes me want to laugh too, but I feel like I shouldn’t.

I’m not part of this. Of them.

I’m a strange woman intruding on this happy family, a burden Flint never wanted. Happiness isn’t something I can add to their lives. I’m threatening to take him away from this.

Sure, I really have a sense of woe-is-me right now. No idea if that’s normal for me or not.

“Scat, boy,” Flint says as he sets Bryce’s feet back on the ground. “Get back on your board.”

Bryce laughs and runs to the water. He floats the board back in, climbs on, and then stands up and starts paddling with fluid strokes.

“He looks like he’s done that a hundred times,” I say.

“At least a thousand,” Flint answers. “Bryce loves the water. That’s the main reason I bought this place. This cove is perfect and pretty safe, no surprise currents or anything. We rarely get any rough waters around here. He can play to his heart’s content.”