If I Didn't Know Better (The Callaways #9)(51)

Jeremy waved Ashlyn over, and Mia joined them at the water's edge, while Colin and his family started digging next to them.

For the next hour, he dug holes, built walls, molded sand together and encouraged Ashlyn and Mia in their efforts. While there was a part of him that still wanted to win, because he could never turn off his instinct to be the best, he did try to make sure that Ashlyn and Mia were having fun.

And clearly they were, because Mia played like a kid in the sand, splashing water on her and Ashlyn, getting mud in her hair and on her face and not caring one little bit about her appearance.

When the whistle blew at the end of an hour, they all sat down on the sand, tired and dirty, but with a pretty good-looking castle. It wasn't the best he'd ever built, and looking down the beach, he had a feeling they'd be lucky to get a ribbon, but he felt more satisfied than he ever had in the past, because he'd seen actual smiles on his daughter's face, and even the occasional word had tumbled out of her mouth when she forgot to be silent and sad. That was the best prize he could have asked for.

"Not bad," Colin said, coming over to them. "But you didn't have a 15-month-old trying to smash everything down as soon as you put it up."

"Very true," he said with a laugh as he watched Kara hold her toddler back from making another destructive pass through the castle.

Colin went over, grabbed the little girl and swung her high up in his arms. "We're going to look for some seashells," he said as they headed down the beach.

"Mommy, I have to go to the bathroom," Faith told Kara.

"Okay." She looked at Jeremy. "Can you guys watch Melody and Jeanette for a few minutes?"

"Sure," Jeremy said. "They're having a great time with Ashlyn."

Since the contest had ended, the girls were jumping in and out of the water, squealing every time it hit their calves. Fortunately, this part of the beach was very protected, so the waves were quite far away.

"I wonder if Ashlyn knows how to swim," he murmured. "There's so much I don't know about her."

"You'll figure it out," Mia said. "And you could always ask her. She's starting to talk more."

"Mostly to you or the other kids, but I know that's a start, and I shouldn't complain."

"She'll get to you, Jeremy."

He wanted to believe that. He stood up as the judges made their way down the beach. They paused by Colin's castle, made some notes, and then moved on to their masterpiece. He thought their castle got a few approving nods, but it was difficult to say.

When they left, he sat back down next to Kara. "I don't think I'll continue my winning streak."

"Ashlyn and I held you back."

"No, you didn't do that," he said, giving her a warm smile. "You made sand castle building the most fun I've had in a long time."

"It was fun." She pushed the strands of hair escaping from her ponytail behind her ears.

He smiled at the muddy streak going across her cheek. "You do know you have mud on your face."

"I think I have mud everywhere. I'm going to rinse off in the ocean." She pulled her tank top over her head, revealing a sexy red polka-dot bikini top.

His mouth began to water at the sight of her beautiful breasts filling those cups. Mia then stood up and slid her short shorts off her hips, and his heart started pounding against his chest.

She flung him a look. "Are you coming with me?"

She didn't wait for an answer, but started walking down to the water's edge.

He quickly followed, because he had no thought whatsoever of refusing. In fact, he was probably going anywhere she wanted to go.

He caught up with her when the water hit her waist and she jumped a little at the cold. The weather might be warm, but on this part of the coast, the ocean was always chilly.

"It will get better if you just dunk," he told her as she jumped up every time the ripples raised the water higher on her chest.

"Or it will get colder."

"You're not one of those girls who can't get her hair wet, are you?"

"Do I look like one of those girls?"

He laughed. "I guess not. Let's do it together." He held out his hand. "On the count of three, we both go under."

"We're supposed to be watching the girls," she said, looking back over her shoulder.

"They're sitting on the blanket now, raiding the cooler. They'll be fine for one dunk."

She put her hand into his. "Okay, one-two—"

He pulled her under before she could get the last number out. She came back up, spluttering and wiping the water out of her eyes. "I didn't say three."

"I was afraid you'd chicken out."

"If I say I'm going to do something, I don't chicken out."

"My mistake."

"You have to trust me, Jeremy."

"I do trust you," he said, answering in a more serious tone than her playful comment required, but he wanted her to know that he meant it.

Her gaze changed as it clung to his—many mixed and turbulent emotions moving between them and around them.

Why hadn't he met her at another time, another place? Why did it have to be now when everything else was up in the air, when he was a father with a kid who needed to be his first priority, when he didn't have the job that he loved and wasn't sure what the hell he would do with the rest of his life?