Hiding in the Advice Column

24

After Rowan woke up from his nap, we took him out for a late lunch/early dinner. We walked to the pier and the food there was divine.

Ryder insisted on paying for it and wouldn't allow me to put a cent towards it.

After we finished, we walked to the ice cream parlour and only then Ryder allowed me to buy the food.

I walked out with Rowan, him licking at a chocolate ice cream cone and handed Ryder his.

Ryder arched me an eye brow as he accepted his ice cream.

"Mint Chocolate chip?"

I froze, worried. "Don't you like that flavour any more?"

"I do. I'm surprised you remembered. You reckon I haven't forgotten anything."

"Excuse me?" I smiled as we left the pier and headed for the sand.

"First the bread with my dinner, now the ice cream." I saw his huge smile. I bent over and took my shoes off, letting my toes get buried in the sand.

"So what?" I shrugged as I kept walking, watching Rowan.

"Nothing. How's your English Toffee?"

I was just about to lick some of it when I put my tongue back in my mouth and frowned. I did have English Toffee. I always get English Toffee. "Am I that predictable?"

"No." Ryder laughed. "Wait for us, Rowan." He called out before walking faster to him.

I stayed behind and watched them as Ryder took off Rowan's shoes and carried them.

Rowan jumped in the foam of the waves, laughing, getting his clothes wet, but I didn't mind. The sun was just starting to set and I saw the dark clouds roll in from behind us.

Hopefully we can make it back to the beach house before it starts raining. We finished our ice cream cones and continued walking. It was nearly a three kilometre walk, but I didn't mind.

I smiled as Rowan jumped again, making the water splash around him. I went up to him and took his hands, hitching my skirt up so the hem wouldn't get wet.

Rowan and I walked in the water and every now and then, a dry part of my legs got wet, making me give out small hissing sounds.

"This water is cold!" I mumbled. Ryder had Rowan's other hand and we swung him as we walked.

"Look, Momma!" Rowan said as his hands slipped out of ours, running a few steps ahead.

"That's a shell, baby." I told him as I kneeled down to him. Rowan picked it up and looked at it. "Some little crab might need that, for his home."

I saw Rowan frown and I saw Ryder in him then. I had to blink to see if I really saw it.

"Put it back in water?" Rowan asked me holding it out.

Ryder came up to us and kneeled down next to us. "Can I have a look?" He asked with his hand out. Rowan handed the shell to his father and Ryder inspected it.

It was a decent sized shell.

"It's a Titan's Trumpet." I told Ryder. He looked at me in wonder before giving it back to Rowan.

"It's empty. I don't think there would be any harm, to keep it, as a souvenir." Ryder grinned.

"A souvenir to what?" I went to ask as I stood up. But before Ryder could answer, a bit bigger and stronger wave came in and knocked him off the balls of his feet.

I jumped back, taking Rowan with me as I saw Ryder sitting on his bottom in ankle deep water.

I couldn't help it. I had to laugh. I was laughing so hard that I had tears rolling down my cheeks, my sides were hurting.