Hot Single Dad(20)

Holly’s face is a picture when she dips a toe into the water. “Jeez! That’s cold.”

“Last one in is a rotten egg,” Jack says. “So we all hold Daddy’s hand and go in together so no one is the egg.”

“I’ll have to hold yours then, Jack,” Holly says. “I don’t want to be the rotten egg either.”

I glance across at her and grin. My eyes stray down to her bikini top where her nipples are displaying the effects of freezing cold water, even though she only has a toe in it. She looks at where my eyes have strayed and gives me a warning look, and we both laugh.

“Right, one two three, here goes, kids!” We all run into the water, making a big splash, and fall over, laughing. It’s only about eighteen inches deep, but the twins only have to go a little farther to have enough water to swim.

Holly and I wade out with them until we are about waist high, making sure they are safe, dipping our shoulders under the surface so we’re not caught by the breeze as they swim about.

“Not too cold?” I ask, the sun on our faces in sharp contrast to the temperature of the water.

“It’s okay once you’re used to it,” she says. “But check on me in a few minutes. I suspect I won’t be able to feel my legs by then.”

“I’ll feel your legs for you anytime, and any other part of you that you want me to check out.”

She laughs.

The kids don’t notice the cold at all. They are splashing about, doing no stroke anyone would recognize, but enjoying the water.

By the time we come out, tough, they’re shivering, and we wrap them up in big soft towels and get them dried quickly so they can run about on the sand. Then I wrap Holly in a big, soft, dry towel too, and whisper in her ear from behind. “I’d like to get you out of that wet swimsuit and I know just how to warm you up.”

She giggles and turns around to face me and goes up on her tiptoes to kiss me. “You can warm me up later,” she says.

We wander back for lunch and eat a selection of what’s left in the fridge from yesterday. I brought enough to feed an army, as usual. The kids are happy, and Holly smiles and chats with them. It’s usually just me and the kids here on our own.

I’m just thinking about what we’ll do in the afternoon, maybe a spot of rock pool exploring or a bike ride—I think there’s a spare one here Holly can use—when I get the text that puts a downer on everything.





CHAPTER 21


Holly




“It’s Mercia,” he says. “Her dad is in the hospital and wants to see the children.”

“Oh my god. Is it serious?”

“I don’t know. I’ll text her back, but could you help me get them ready in case we need to go?”

I get the excess sand off the kids as gently as I can and get them back into their normal clothes while Reid gets changed. I’m still in the shorts and T-shirt I slung on for lunch, my hair hanging in rat tails from the salt in the water.

“Is Granddad very sick?” Jack asks me.

“I expect the doctors and nurses are working very hard to make him well again. Seeing you two will make him happy.”

“I don’t want Granddad to be sick,” Katie says.

Reid catches the tail end of that and I see him shrugging, concern written all over his face. The children can’t see him from where they are, and it’s obvious he doesn’t know what to say to them to set their minds at rest.

“Do you want me to get ready to go with you?” I ask, not sure if I want to go or not. I’ve met Mercia’s parents a few times at the twins’ birthday parties, but I’m not sure how they’d react to me turning up with their daughter’s ex-husband.

“It may be better if you don’t come,” he says. “Why not enjoy the house and the beach and we’ll be right back as soon as we can?”

He looks up the hospital directions on his phone. “It’s only forty-six minutes away according to Google, so we should be back by six or so if we leave now. I can’t imagine they will want the children running around for too long.”

He looks at his phone again. There’s been no beep with a text back from Mercia giving more details.

“No message?” I ask.

“I’ll give her a call.” He tries her number. “Nothing. She’s probably switched off her phone in the hospital. I think we’d better just go.”

We bundle the kids into the car, and he kisses me. “So sorry about this spoiling our day.”

“It can’t be helped. I hope the kids’ granddad is okay and they don’t get upset seeing him in the hospital.”