“Guess he changed his mind.” Matt glanced at Annie. “You sure you want to ride? I can take you down. It’s no problem.”
Annie fingered the ends of her hair as they eased up another step. Poor thing. Like a kid at the end of the high dive, heart racing but wanting so badly to jump.
“Don’t be such a scary cat, Annie,” Jack said.
Matt thumped Jack’s head lightly. “Scaredy-cat. And don’t call people names.”
“I’ll ride with you,” Gracie said cheerfully unafraid, which probably only made Annie feel worse.
He laid a hand on Annie’s head, her brown hair restrained in tight braids, and for the first time all week she moved toward him instead of away. Success. “It’s okay to be afraid.”
Annie looked up at him, hazel eyes blinking under worried brows. She slid her small hand tentatively into his and his heart clenched. He gave her hand a squeeze, imagining Abby at this age, with no hand to hold. He held Annie’s a little tighter.
They all moved up another step. When it was their turn, Jack jumped into the raft the park worker held in the pulsing water. Annie eased closer to Matt’s side.
The college kid working the slide gave them a bored look. “Step in.”
Jack looked back at his sister. “Annie, come on!”
Matt was just about to tell Jack to get out and wait while he walked Annie down. There was no reason for her to do something she obviously didn’t want to do.
“Let’s go,” said an impatient preteen behind them.
“Go already,” his friend added in a snotty voice, then something more under his breath.
Still holding Annie’s hand, Matt rounded on him. “Simmer down, punk. She’ll go when she’s good and ready.”
Annie pulled on his hand, her voice so small he almost didn’t hear her. “Can I ride with you?”
“You bet,” he answered, shocked and proud that she was willing to face her fears, and more that she trusted him.
It took skillful coaxing and convincing to get Gracie to ride with Jack, but off they went. Matt stepped into the next raft and settled Annie between his legs.
When they splashed down at the bottom he lifted Annie over the side. “How was it?”
“Fine.”
“Do you want to go again?”
“No.”
He laughed at her emphatic answer and carried her out of the pool.
—
Abby’s friends arrived in time for lunch, and Angie couldn’t get Abby alone fast enough.
“You picked up a man on the beach?”
“Shh. Keep your voice down. I didn’t pick up a man. He’s a friend.”
Angie rolled her eyes. “Honey, I am so sorry for you if I have to point this out. But that”—she pointed toward the guys standing in the food line—“is most definitely a man. I might even say a man and a half.”
“Would you stop?” Abby reached into her bag for the hand sanitizer.
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but…how in the world did you do—”
“I didn’t do anything. Would you keep your voice down? He plays with the kids. We talk. Don’t make it something it’s not.”
“I talked to you every night this week and you didn’t once think to mention that?” She loudly whispered the last word.
“There was nothing to mention.” They scoured the food court area for an empty table. “Then Charlie fell and we went to the hospital and—”
“What?”
Abby shushed her again and gave a quick rundown of events before they reached the men.
“Here ya go.” Joe handed Angie a tray with piles of french fries in white paper pouches. “We’re still waiting on the rest.”
Matt held Charlie perched on one muscled arm, causing his navy T-shirt to stretch around his biceps. His other hand rested on Jack’s shoulder.
Yeah, he was a man. And, yeah, she’d noticed. “Come on, guys. Let’s go find a table.”
Jack eased back against Matt’s legs, beaming up at him like the sun. “I’ll stay with Matt.”
“I stay Matt,” Charlie mimicked.
Big surprise. She and Angie took the girls and found a table. Angie’s older kids were squeezing in a few more runs on the slides. Abby slid onto the plastic seat and finished the story of Charlie and his stitches.
Gracie happily filled Angie in on any details she left out. “Matt had pizza wiff us, watched a movie wiff us.”
“Really?” Angie cocked her head, one eyebrow raised. “Interesting.”
“Annie, sweetie, could you and Emily run and get us some napkins?”
“Sure.” Gracie and Angie’s daughter spun off their seats.