by Lois Richer
“We’ve tried before,” Rick explained for her ears only as he bent over to take the single ski she’d used. “Without success.”
“We have their skis with us. It’s a gorgeous day. Why don’t we let them try to get up?” Eva’s gentle voice softened as she gazed at her now cheering grandchildren.
Rick hesitated but it was really no contest. He couldn’t deny Gillian’s kids anything.
“Okay, but you two have to promise something.” His solemn tone caught their attention.
“What?” Katie eyed him with suspicion.
“That you won’t start crying and make a big fuss if you can’t get up on the skis,” Rick said. He glanced from her to Kyle, trying to make his warning clear.
“It takes a lot of practice to ski, you know.” Penny added her cautioning words. “Not everyone can learn right away. Some people try for years and never manage to do it. The thing is to have fun trying.”
“I want to learn.” Kyle’s jaw jutted out in a way that said he wouldn’t be deterred.
“Me, too.” Katie wore the same determined face only she added firmly crossed arms. “I know Penny could teach us.”
Meaning he couldn’t. Rick grimaced until Penny’s glance met his in a question. But she said nothing, clearly leaving the decision to him. If anyone could teach the twins to ski it would be patient Penny, and he knew that she would handle whatever happened with her usual flair with kids. For confirmation he looked at his dad, who gave an imperceptible nod.
“Okay, you can try,” Rick agreed with an inward sigh. “But when Penny says that’s enough, we stop. I don’t want to hear a word of arguing from you two. Agreed?”
Both kids eagerly nodded.
“Me, first,” Kyle proclaimed and jumped over the edge of the boat before anyone could stop him. Thankfully the water was shallow and Penny was right there.
“I’ll stay with them.” Rick saw his mother glance at his father with a knowing look right before he swung his legs over the side of the boat and slid into the water, too. So what was that about? he wondered. “In case Penny needs help,” he told them and pretended not to see Penny’s frown.
“Let’s go,” Kyle urged.
“First we need to talk about when you fall.” Penny’s voice was serious.
“I’m not going to fall,” Kyle said in a cocky tone.
“Yes, you are,” Penny assured him.
“Why? Aren’t you a very good teacher?” Kyle demanded.
Rick struggled to keep his face straight.
“Actually, I’m very good at teaching people to ski.” That was his always unflappable Penny. Wait a minute—his Penny?
“Everyone falls at some time or other, Kyle, and it’s important to fall into the water properly so you don’t get hurt.” Penny frowned. “Are you listening?”
“Yes.”
So was Rick. He couldn’t help it. Penny’s teaching voice commanded attention, made you want to hear what she was going to say next.
“So here’s what you do. When you fall, lean back on the skis and kind of slide into the water. Let the life jacket hold you up. And most important, when you’re in the water you stay right where you are so the boat can pick you up. You don’t try to swim to shore,” she emphasized. “Understand?”
“Stay where I am.” He nodded.
“Good, because that’s very important. Second, don’t flail around when you’re getting up. It’s much easier to ski when you let the boat do all the work. Don’t try to pull yourself up. Instead you hang on to the rope and keep your legs bent, crouching in the water. Then slowly rise to standing as the boat pulls you. Okay? Show me how you’ll do it.”
Rick stood beside her, listening to everything she said, admiring her patience as she went over the details three times to make sure Kyle understood exactly what to do and did it. Each time his attention wandered she drew him back with a gentle hand or a soft word. When she was finished she glanced at him.
“Anything to add, Uncle Rick?”
For a minute he got lost in her wide-open gaze. Until she cleared her throat.
“Nope,” he managed to say. “Sounds like you’ve got it covered.”
“Okay, then let’s see you try it for real.” She helped Kyle put on his skis, got the rope in position then stood behind him, her hands holding his waist. “Crouch and slowly rise,” she reminded. “And don’t lean forward.”
His face taut with tension, the little boy held the tow bar with whitened fingers.
“This is going to be fun, Kyle. Relax and enjoy it.” Then Penny gave Rick’s father a nod and he throttled the engine. “Lean back, Kyle. Good. Now let the boat pull—oh.”
Rick caught his breath as Kyle went face-first into the lake. Without a thought he began swimming toward the boy. To his astonishment Kyle was grinning.
“I got up, Uncle Rick. Only for a minute but I got up. Did you see?”
“I sure did, buddy.” Rick high-fived him. “Awesome. Want to try again?”
“Yes.” Kyle basked under Rick’s praise. “I leaned forward,” he admitted after a few moments.
“Yes, you did. But you won’t do it this time, right?” Penny grinned at Rick. “Okay, here we go.” She handed Kyle the rope. “Remember how to crouch?”
“I’ll try.” Determination was written all over his nephew’s face.
“You can do it, Kyle. You’re good at this.” Penny’s repeated encouragement seemed to straighten Kyle’s shoulders. As he waited for the boat to line up he looked more confident. “Remember now. The boat does the work. You’re going to rise up like a whale and skim across that water.”
At Penny’s nod, David accelerated.
“You can do this, Kyle,” she said just before she let go.
And sure enough the boy rose out of the water and skimmed across its surface.
“I did it,” he screamed and looked back toward them. A moment later he was down.
Rick took off in a fast front crawl, heart pounding until he saw the dark brown head bobbing straight in front of him.
“I did it, Uncle Rick! I really did it.” Kyle threw his arms around Rick’s neck, which ended up dunking both of them.
When they surfaced Penny was there, eyes dancing with laughter as Rick choked and sputtered out the lake water.
“Good job, Kyle. But why did you turn around?” she asked. “You have to keep your attention on the job.”
“Want to take a rest and let Katie go?” Rick suggested, thinking he could use a break. By contrast Penny looked perfectly comfortable floating in the water.
“Not yet. I want to try one more time. I want to ski longer this time.” Seconds later Kyle had hold of the bar and was crouching in the position Penny had shown him, apparently unaware or uncaring that she wasn’t behind to support him.
“Very good, Kyle. This time keep your focus on the water. Don’t worry about us. We’ll be watching.” Penny ruffled his wet hair. “Now, have a great run. That’s what we skiers say to each other,” she added with a wink.
His pride obvious, Kyle’s little chest swelled as he called out, “Ready, Grampa.”
Rick caught his breath at Kyle’s wobbly rise and glanced at Penny, who had her gaze riveted on the boy. He glanced back and exhaled as Kyle regained his balance and went sailing over the water as if he’d done it for most of his life.
“I can’t believe you did that.” Rick studied Penny with admiration. “I’ve been trying to teach them for ages and yet in just one lesson you’ve got him up and skiing like an old hand.” He shaded his eyes, following Kyle’s progress with a grin. “Look at him go.”
“He’s a natural.” Penny smiled as the boy crossed the boat’s wake with just a little bobbling. “Sometimes it’s hard for parents to teach kids. I think their worry transfers or something.
”
“Who taught you to ski?” Knowing Kyle was safe with his grandparents watching every move, Rick floated on his back as he waited for an answer.
“One of my foster parents. He was a famous skier in his day and he loved sharing his sport.” Penny floated beside him but her eyes were fixed on something far beyond the azure sky. “When I lived with Chad and his wife, I began to ski competitively.”
“You gave it up?” Every nugget of knowledge he gained about Penny made Rick more curious about her past. “Why?”
“Chad and his wife were killed in a car accident. I was moved to another family. They didn’t ski.” Penny’s face altered. “I’m going to swim to that buoy.” She took off as if she was trying to outrace a sad memory.
Rick followed at a more leisurely pace, admiring the efficient way Penny moved through the water. She didn’t bother when a wave swamped her, ruining her hairstyle. She didn’t fuss about her makeup or any of the other things his former fiancée had complained of whenever he’d persuaded her to go into the water. Instead Penny seemed to be in her natural element, enjoying the freedom of movement and buoyancy the water offered. When she reached her goal she turned and swam back toward him.
“What a perfect day,” she said as she lay on top of the water next to him.
“Yes, it is,” Rick agreed, content with his world as he hadn’t been for ages. “Here comes the boat. I guess it’s Katie’s turn now.” He felt a ping of regret for the end of the few special moments they’d shared together.
But what was he thinking? Penny wasn’t a date. She was a friend who helped him with the kids. It was getting harder to remember that.
Chapter Six
“It’s taking way longer to teach Katie to ski than it did Kyle,” Rick muttered to Penny when the little girl flopped into the water for what seemed the hundredth time.
“We can’t give up now,” Penny shot back and kept up a steady stream of encouragement until finally a very proud Katie managed to rise on her skis and remain upright for several minutes. That she’d matched Kyle was apparently achievement enough for Katie because she soon asked to get back in the boat.
“Rick, why don’t you and Penny ski while these two rest?” Eva suggested as she wrapped her granddaughter in a towel.
For Penny, skiing next to Rick on the calm lake was a real pleasure. When he matched her twist for turn as they crossed each other’s path and kept his rope free from hers, she knew for certain that he’d had years of experience at skiing. He was a partner in the best sense of the word and she savored every second of that glorious ride. For a few sparkling moments she forgot about being rejected by her fiancé, about her lack of a family and the child she longed for so desperately. For a tiny space in time she pretended the Grangers were her family.
“That was fantastic,” she said to Rick when they finally released the rope and glided side by side into the water. “You didn’t mention how skilled you are.”
“I haven’t skied for a while. It wasn’t something my former fiancée enjoyed.” He signaled his father that they were finished skiing then asked, “Do you have enough energy left to go tubing with the twins?”
“Of course.” She grinned, refusing to ask about the former fiancée. Best day in ages. Don’t spoil it. “Will you come, too?”
“Try and stop me. I love tubing.” Rick’s smile gleamed white in his tanned face. He was just so good-looking that she couldn’t stop her pulse from racing.
Penny concentrated on riding in the inflated tube the Grangers called Big Mable and quickly lost all sense of time as they skimmed across the glassy surface of the lake. Between them the twins shrieked with laughter as they bounced and jiggled over the waves. Penny joined in, sorry when their lovely time together ended far too soon.
“That was so fun,” Katie exclaimed.
“Yes, it was. I loved tubing with you guys.” Penny hugged the twins close as David reeled in the rope tied to the tube.
“What about with me?” Rick sat on the tube framed by the setting sun.
Quite a picture. She needed to get a grip and stop staring though he stared right back.
“You kept trying to turn us over.” To ease the electric moment Penny made a face at him as the twins climbed the ladder into the boat. Then she followed, too aware that Rick was right behind her.
“That’s what riding a tube is all about.” He sat on the back deck of the boat and crossed his arms over his tanned chest, grinning with smug satisfaction.
“For some people anyway.” Eva rolled her eyes at Penny then hugged a shivering Katie close. “Anyone hungry? We’ve been out here quite a while.”
“Starving.” David grinned at her then winked at the others. “What?” he said when Rick shook his head. “Driving a boat is hard work.”
“For an almost senior citizen, I guess it is,” Rick shot back, lips twitching.
The banter between father and son charmed Penny.
“Ha! This almost-senior can out-arm-wrestle you any day of the week, sonny boy,” David shot back. “And if you’re not nice to me on my birthday you’ll have to swim home.” He glanced at his wife. “It is time for more birthday cake, isn’t it, honey?”
“Later maybe,” Eva said. “First we need a fire to roast our hot dogs.”
“One fire coming up.” David revved the boat into high and zipped them across the water.
Back at the house Penny changed her clothes then found everyone else seated on the deck around a big fire pit, where a fire crackled and spit tiny sparks. The twins seemed happy with their skiing day as they held special forks for roasting their hot dogs.
Eva handed her one, too. “Supper’s pretty informal. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind? I love campfires.” And Penny did, though she’d seldom had one. It was more the idea of a campfire with its inherent intimacy and sharing that attracted her. Maybe that was why her first attempt at roasting her hot dog ended in complete disaster.
“You put it on wrong,” Kyle pointed out, his voice revealing his disgust with her lack of knowledge.
“Do it like this.” Katie demonstrated as she anchored the meat sideways.
“Okay. Thank you.” Penny blushed under Rick’s eloquent but wordless expression.
“Or I could retrieve the one you lost if you prefer your hot dog very well-done,” he offered in a droll voice as a teasing smile twitched the corners of his mouth.
“Thanks anyway.” Slightly embarrassed, Penny crouched near the flames but quickly backed away from the heat.
“Grampa says you hafta cook ’em over the coals, slowly.” Kyle glanced at David, who nodded. “Take your time.” He repeated words he’d obviously heard many times before. “There’s no rush when you’re cookin’ hot dogs.”
“You’ve got it, son.” David grinned at him then presented Eva with a perfectly roasted dog. “For you, milady.”
Penny noticed Rick watching his parents, saw a tender smile lift his lips. The twins watched, too, both wearing fond grins that showed this was a familiar picture to them. Everyone looked so happy to be together. The Grangers were such a loving family. Exactly the kind Penny had always dreamed she might one day be part of. If only...
“I’m very glad you came to share my birthday, Penny.” David’s warm voice chased away her gloomy thoughts.
“So am I. Very good idea, son.” Eva beamed at Rick then switched her gaze to Penny, her tone more serious. “It’s been a pleasure to get to know the woman our grandkids can’t stop talking about. Thank you for taking such good care of them.”
“They’re a joy.” A warm glow filled Penny and it grew even warmer when Rick added his tribute.
“I don’t know what we’d have done without you.” His dark eyes held Penny’s until she finally shifted to break contact.
“You would have
managed.” Like a magnet, her attention kept being drawn back to him.
“We would have, eventually,” he agreed. She caught her breath when his grin flashed. She felt warmth suffuse her. “But this is so much better than just managing, don’t you think?”
Yes, she did.
Because tomorrow was a workday, Rick suggested they leave after the wiener roast. When many hugs and kisses had been exchanged between children and grandparents, and Penny had promised to return soon, they left the lovely lake. Five minutes into the drive home the twins fell asleep. To Penny the silence in the cab of the truck felt too intimate without their chatter. Uncomfortable and overly aware of the handsome man seated next to her, she nervously searched for a generic topic of conversation.
“Your parents are fantastic. I was stunned when I realized who your mother is,” she offered in a chatty tone meant to end the strain she felt from being near him. “She is a beautiful woman.”
“She is,” he agreed. “I want a wife exactly like her.”
“I hope you find her.” Penny made a face, covering the rush of dismay that filled her at the thought of Rick married and not sure why it should bother her so. He was a nice man. Of course he would eventually marry. “I doubt there are many women who look like Eva McCallum.”
“Granger,” he corrected. “But I didn’t mean just in the looks department. It’s my mom’s heart I was referring to. Her capacity for love. I’d want my wife to be like Mom, perfect in every way. I’d hope that together my wife and I would raise our kids with the same unconditional love my parents showed Gill and me.”
“So you’re thinking of marriage?” she asked carefully while trying to pretend it was an innocent question and that her stomach didn’t suddenly feel like it held a rock.
“No.” Rick winced then pointed to his scarred face. “My former fiancée made it very clear that no woman would want to marry this.”
“Your former fiancée must have been an idiot,” Penny blurted then blushed when he stared at her in surprise. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I only meant that most intelligent women have a number of things on their list of husband qualities besides looks, which is usually not number one.”
