The Boy Who Made Them Love Again

by Scarlet Wilson

  ‘Come on, Luke!’

  The voice was still there and wasn’t going to go away. Luke heaved himself up, pulling his shorts to adjust their position. He blinked in the bright sunlight and pulled his shades down from his forehead. Abby was sleeping peacefully on the beach towel next to him. She hadn’t even heard Reuben’s voice.

  Luke tried to crowd out the immediate thoughts in his head. The thoughts that tried to vanquish this little guy from sight. He stared at the little pair of eyes fixed on his. Nope. He definitely wasn’t going away.

  ‘What’s up, Reuben?’

  ‘I want to go in the water and I’m not allowed without an adult. Beach rules number one.’ The words rolled off his tongue in ease.

  Luke’s face broke into a smile. How could he fail to? He leaned forward. ‘So how many beach rules are there, Reuben?’

  ‘Seven.’ He didn’t hesitate for a second. ‘Wanna hear them all?’

  Luke nodded slowly as he glanced at Abby again. She looked tired and he’d kept her up half the night. She deserved some rest. He pulled the beach parasol closer to shade her from the sun and stood up. ‘Let’s go, little guy.’

  He hesitated, just for a second, before reaching out his hand to Reuben’s and walking down to the water’s edge with him. Around them he could see lots of families in the water, fathers throwing their kids over their shoulders and ducking them under the waves. How hard could this be?

  ‘I want to do that.’ Reuben’s voice had a determined edge to it, his finger pointing in the direction of the surfers.

  Luke’s brow furrowed. Right now, he’d like to do that too.

  ‘Have you done it before, short stuff?’

  ‘Mommy can’t surf. She said I’d need to wait for one of her friends to show me.’

  Luke nodded. Sounded reasonable enough. There was a shack on the beach where some guy was hiring out surfboards, boogie boards and life vests. He pulled Reuben over and fitted him with a bright orange life vest. His eyes ran over the boards on offer and settled on a purple one. He pointed towards it. ‘We’ll take that one.’

  ‘Really?’ Reuben’s eyes widened at the adult-sized board, full of enthusiasm and excitement.

  ‘Sure.’ Luke pulled some dollar bills from his pocket and handed them over before lifting the board under his arm and walking down towards the ocean. He bent to speak to Reuben before entering the ocean.

  ‘So, I’ve got some ocean rules for you.’

  Reuben nodded solemnly whilst his eyes swept over the ocean in front of him. He was practically jumping for joy.

  ‘First time out, we’re just going to paddle the board out a little, sitting on it together. Got it?’

  Reuben nodded. ‘I’m going to surf,’ he said proudly.

  Luke raised his finger. ‘We won’t be doing any of the standing-up stuff yet. And we won’t be going too far out either.’ He put his arms out, his body drifting from one side to the other. ‘We’re just going to get a feel for the waves, okay?’

  ‘Let’s go, Luke.’ Reuben was bouncing on the tips of his toes. He could hardly wait to start. A wide smile broke across Luke’s face. He knew another guy who used to be exactly the same.

  He set the board down and plopped Reuben astride on top of it, pushing it out into the waves until the water reached his waist. Then he pulled himself up next to Reuben, sitting close behind him, and leaned forward. ‘Let’s start paddling!’ he shouted.

  And then they started. Paddling their hands as fast as they could, pushing themselves out towards the wide ocean expanse. After a few minutes they stopped and turned the board round to face the shoreline. And sat there—feeling the waves.

  And Reuben chatted. Constantly. And asked questions. Constantly. For a four-year-old he seemed to have spent some considerable time watching National Geographic. He wanted to talk about tides and moons. And crabs and dolphins. And sharks. Mainly about sharks. Before he moved onto volcanoes then racing cars.

  And Luke listened. And listened. This four-year-old stuff wasn’t as hard as it seemed. He was just a mini-version of Ryan. He had the same boundless energy and enthusiasm—

  they must have paddled in and out around ten times by now and his brain never stopped.

  Reuben wanted to know everything. The kid was just like a giant sponge, trying to soak up every bit of information all around him. And if Luke could have transported himself through time and space to a time when Ryan had still been alive, he knew that they would still end up here, in this place. Because everything about this just felt so right. On these surfboards, at this beach, enjoying everything the day had to offer.

  They turned to face the shore again and Luke squinted. It looked as if Abby had woken up. ‘Look, short stuff, there’s your mom, looking for us.’ He pointed to her bikini-clad figure on the beach. A very small red bikini that made him wish he was much closer to shore.

  ‘Uh-oh.’

  ‘What do you mean—uh-oh?’

  ‘Mom’s gonna be mad.’

  ‘Why would she be mad?’

  Reuben gave a little chuckle. A tiny four-year-old-sized chuckle. ‘Cos I’m not allowed.’

  Luke felt his stomach sink. ‘Reuben Tyler, you’re not allowed to do what, exactly?’

  ‘Surf.’

  Luke caught sight of Abby as she walked swiftly toward the shoreline. She was not in a happy place. He leaned forward on the board. ‘Start paddling, little man, looks like we’re in trouble.’

  Abby had woken with a start. She never fell asleep on the beach. Not when she was there with Reuben. That was irresponsible. Anything could happen.

  Silence. All around her. Well, not completely. There were still plenty of other families on the beach, digging sandcastles, eating snacks. But there was a strange silence around her. One that she wasn’t used to.

  She sat up quickly, her hand reaching over to the towel next to her. It was cold. No warm body had just vacated it. Her head flicked from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of either pair of neon green turtle shorts on the beach. Nowhere. They were nowhere in sight.

  Her heart gave a little lurch. Stop it. Reuben wasn’t alone. He must be with Luke. But where were they?

  She saw the kids to her left that Reuben had made the mud pies with earlier. Pulling her hat firmly on her head, she walked towards them quickly. ‘Have you seen Reuben lately?’ she asked, trying to keep the strain from her voice.

  The kids barely looked upwards. Both were too immersed in burying something in the sand. ‘He’s surfing with his dad,’ came the reply.

  Her head shot upwards, eyes flickering over the horizon. She could see lots of surfboards on the ocean, most of them far away, like specks on the waves. He couldn’t have. He wouldn’t have.

  Then she saw it. A board nearer the shore with a hand, raised giving her a wave. Two bodies sitting one in front of the other astride the surfboard, paddling towards her. The two white-blond heads close together, laughing and paddling as fast as they could.

  She ran down towards the shoreline as the purple board bobbed towards her. Her eyes couldn’t even focus on Luke. She looked entirely at Reuben.

  ‘Reuben Tyler, what do you think you’re doing?’

  ‘Paddling,’ Reuben answered, and Luke almost guffawed. Lord, this kid was smart.

  ‘Get off that board right now. You know you’re not allowed to go surfing.’

  ‘Surfing’s the next lesson, Mommy. Today Luke and I were just feeling the waves.’ He held his arms out and rocked his body from side to side like Luke had done earlier.

  Abby felt her heart pounding in her chest. She waded into the water and yanked Reuben from the board, putting his feet down firmly on solid ground. Her face was pale. ‘He’s not allowed to do things like this, Luke. It’s too dangerous. I won’t let Reuben take risks.’

  Luke slid off the board and pulled it to shore. He placed his hand on Abby’s arm. ‘He was perfectly safe with me, Abby. I wouldn’t take risks with your son.’

  She met his eyes
and swallowed hard. What she really wanted to do was shout and scream at him for taking her son out onto the ocean. She could see the bright orange life preserver wrapped around him, but right now she didn’t care. Anything could have happened. They could have been swept away. The tide could have turned, a current could have caught them or a rip-tide. A visible shudder swept down her spine.

  A hand crept around her waist and a warm, wet body touched hers. Reuben was already bounding up the beach towards their parasol and towels.

  ‘He’s fine Abby.’ The breath from the words tickled the side of her neck. She watched the retreating figure. He was fine. He was safe.

  So why was she so wound up? Was it the other kids, calling Luke Reuben’s dad? Or was it the thought of Reuben getting to do something special, something he’d asked to do for a long time, with someone other than her? The thoughts spun around in her head. Was it possible she was jealous of the connection Reuben and Luke were making? A connection that didn’t include her?

  Abby pulled her white cardigan a little closer around her shoulders. It had taken longer than normal to get Reuben to sleep tonight. He’d been so excited by his day at the beach he’d been chattering for hours. She looked at the little sleeping figure in the bed in front of her. His hair lay on the blue pillow, his chest rising and falling lightly with every breath. Perfect. And hers.

  She sighed and closed the door quietly behind her. Luke had said he would sort out dinner. He’d been tiptoeing around her for the last few hours. Probably trying to placate her after her outburst on the beach. Had she been unreasonable? She’d never had to consult anyone else on her parenting of Reuben. She’d thought she was all that Reuben would ever need. But as her son was getting older was that still the case? Or did a little boy really need a father figure in his life?

  The smell of food was drifting along the corridor. She went down the stairs and into the kitchen but there was no sign of Luke. A light breeze caught her dress and made it dance around her legs, and she turned swiftly. The front door was open.

  Luke was sitting on a picnic rug on the grass in front of her house. He smiled as she came down the steps and handed her a glass of chilled wine. ‘Cheers,’ he said, clinking the glass with his bottle of beer as she sat down beside him.

  ‘I thought we shouldn’t let this beautiful evening go to waste.’

  A smile crept across her lips. Two plates of barbeque chicken and baked potatoes sat in front of her. Last time they’d eaten this meal, it had come from a take-out and they’d been sitting on top of a hill in Washington, watching the sunset. This time Luke had obviously spent some time mastering her outside barbeque. The smell was mouthwatering.

  ‘I wonder where you got this idea. This seems awfully familiar,’ she murmured as she saw the glint in his eye.

  ‘I wonder indeed,’ he replied as he gently ran a hand along her bare leg. ‘So what do you think?’

  She gave him a little smile as the nerve endings in her skin caused her hairs to stand on end. She looked down at the plates. ‘I think your cooking skills have obviously improved over the last few years. But I’m a bit scared to ask who taught you.’

  He leaned back onto one elbow and gave her a flirty smile. ‘I’m self-taught. You left me with one saucepan and a microwave. What’s a guy to do?’

  He moved a little closer, slipping an arm around her shoulders as he lifted one of the plates onto her lap. ‘And that wasn’t what I meant.’

  ‘What did you mean, then?’ Somehow she knew exactly how this night was going to turn out. She took a bite of the barbeque chicken and gave a deep sigh. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had cooked for her. Right now it didn’t matter what Luke had served—anything would have been delicious.

  He gestured towards the view in front of them. The sun was just beginning to set, sending deep oranges and red spilling across the ocean waves.

  ‘Washington or Pelican Cove, which has the best sunset?’

  She spluttered as she took a drink from her wine glass. ‘How can you even ask that question? When did we ever get views like this in Washington?’

  Luke took a drink from his beer bottle and leaned downwards, whispering in her ear. ‘I guess you’re right. The ocean view here is a clear winner.’ He took the plate from her hands and set it down on the grass next to them. Abby leaned back on her elbows, a smile across her face as Luke’s body crossed over hers, his hands on either side of her head, his body right above hers. ‘But there’s a view here that I’d much rather see.’ He bent forward and she tipped her head backwards, exposing the white skin at her throat again as he pushed her cardigan to one side and started to kiss the delicate skin.

  Her heart fluttered. He still knew exactly where to touch her. How to connect with her. How to send her pulse racing at the slightest touch. ‘And what view might that be, Dr Storm?’

  He gave a deep, throaty laugh at the use of his title. She’d reverted back to their game-playing from years ago, when they’d both just qualified and been eager to use their titles. His head bent lower, inching her coral-coloured sundress away from her breasts. His heavy-lidded eyes met hers and he growled, ‘What do you think, Dr Tyler?’

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his short hair and then down the wide planes of his back, settling her hands on his butt cheeks and pulling him closer to her. Her legs opened naturally, letting him settle into the space between them as he pressed closer. She could feel exactly what she wanted.

  Something about this was perfect. Five years ago, on a secluded Washington hill, they’d been in exactly this same position. His mouth tickled lower, pushing her bra aside and catching her nipple between his teeth. She let out a sharp gasp and thrust her hips against his.

  There had been something about this before. Being out in the open air, at sunset in a place where no one could find them. This time they were on her front lawn, but her house was at the end of a secluded path that no one came down. She heard the sound of a zipper being released and felt him nudge her panties to one side.

  There was wicked gleam in his eye. ‘So, Dr Tyler, since we’re re-creating a moment from our past, do you want to re-create the full evening or just part of the evening?’

  It was a loaded question. The night in question had been long and eventful. She nibbled at his earlobe. ‘I was with a younger model then,’ she murmured. ‘I’m a little concerned the older version won’t be able to keep up.’

  She felt a tickle at her throat as his evening stubble scraped her skin. His voice was heavy with desire. ‘Oh, no, this isn’t the older version, this is the new, improved version. With power settings.’

  ‘Is that right?’ She could feel his fingers, easing into her and taking her towards the place she wanted to be. ‘Let’s see these power settings, then.’

  Her hips tilted upwards, readying herself for him.

  ‘Mommy!’ Her body stiffened instinctively. ‘Mommy, where are you?’

  Luke groaned and rolled off her as she scrabbled to pull her clothing back into place. She leaned forward and dropped a kiss on his forehead. ‘Sorry, Luke, the joys of motherhood.’ She jumped up and ran up the steps inside the house. ‘I’m right here, honey.’

  He heard her trying to placate the little boy who’d obviously woken suddenly, and he heaved a sigh, straining to adjust his zipper back into place. It would be a long time before she was back. If she came back.

  Luke picked up his half-full beer bottle and took a long, hard swig. Pelican Cove was a gorgeous setting but it came with complications. Complications that he didn’t know if he could handle. Everything about Abby was perfect and the connection between them was still there. The chemistry. When they were together he felt complete. Something he hadn’t felt at any point in the last five years. Something he’d never managed to capture with anyone else.

  But could he live like this? With constant interruptions? No more long lie-ins, no more lazy days in bed, with just themselves to worry about.

&n
bsp; For a few hours that afternoon he’d thought he could. He felt something towards Reuben. The little boy had hung on his every word. Wanted to impress him. Wanted to spend time with him.

  But the question remained. Did he want to spend time with Reuben?

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  ABBY watched in wonder at the huge array of equipment being unloaded in the ambulance bay. All this for one baby?

  She caught sight of a familiar face at the back of one of the crates. ‘Linc!’ she shouted, as she pushed her way through the jumble of people.

  Lincoln Adams was the neonatologist she usually worked with at San Francisco Children’s Hospital. She gave him a quick hug and led him inside the emergency department.

  ‘Are you okay, Linc? You look really tired.’

  He shook his head, his hands on his hips. ‘Let’s just say a certain man …’ his eyes followed James Turner as he strode through the department ‘…appeared at my door at 3 a.m. yesterday morning and told me I had to come to Pelican Cove. I haven’t slept in two days.’ He ran his fingers through his short, spiky hair. ‘He wouldn’t take no for an answer.’

  Abby nodded. ‘I know exactly how you feel. I’m really sorry, Linc. He asked me for the best neonatologist that I knew. And you were the natural answer.’

  Lincoln leaned over and gave her a hug, obvious fatigue making him hold the position a little longer than necessary. ‘It’s not your fault, Abby.’

  ‘Want to introduce me?’ Luke’s voice made Abby jump.

  ‘Yes, sure.’ She noticed the amused expression on Linc’s face. ‘Lincoln Adams, this is Luke Storm, he’s the President’s cardiologist and unfortunately for him he’s the only doctor at the moment to have met the security protocols required to treat the President’s family.’ Lincoln held out his hand towards Luke and the two men shook hands briefly, each sizing the other up. ‘Luke, this is Lincoln Adams, the best neonatologist at San Francisco Children’s Hospital. He’ll be the man looking after our imminent arrival.’