“And I am. Are youready?”
Her head bobs up and down. “I’ll go getMommy.”
She races out the same way she raced in, her long ponytail swinging behindher.
When Claire comes in again, she’s dragging Aubrey withher.
“Claire tells me we’re going somewhere today.” Her eyes questionme.
“It’s a surprise,” Isay.
Aubrey’s lips turn down. She doesn’t likesurprises.
Forging ahead, I tell her she and Claire will both needswimsuits.
Her eyesnarrow.
I give her my best pleadingface.
She relents. I can tell by the heave of her chest. “Swimsuits, sunscreen, hats, snacks.” She ticks them off on herhands.
“Sure,” I agree without hesitation. I’ll carry the kitchen sink on my back if it means getting Aubrey to try somethingnew.
We spend the next twenty minutes getting ready, and I pack a bag of snacks and bottles ofwater.
“Ready?” I ask, when Aubrey comes into thekitchen.
“To go where?” She ask’s offhandedly, trying to trip meup.
“Nicetry.”
She huffs playfully. Tied around her neck are the white straps of her swimsuit. She’s in denim cut-offs and a tanktop.
We get Claire from her room and climb into my truck. Aubrey taps her feet to the music that’s softly playing, and when she realizes she’s doing it, shestops.
“Don’t say anything,” she warns me with a pointedfinger.
“Wasn’t going to,” I say through a satisfiedsmile.
It takes a little over an hour to get there. When we pull in, Aubrey raises hereyebrows.
“I don’t have a life vest forClaire.”
“They do. I double-checked.” Ignoring the suspicious look on her face, I hop out of the truck and open the back door for Claire to climb out. Aubrey doesn’t know who “they” are, but she’s aboutto.
The lake glitters in the sunlight, and Claire squeals. “It’s soshiny.”
“Have you been to the lake before?” Iask.
“Nope.”
“First time for everything,Claire.”
Aubrey rounds the back of my truck. “A lake day? I’ll be honest Cordova, I didn’t take you for a lakeguy.”
“I have all kinds of tricks up my sleeve.” Twenty feet away is the marina and our destination. “Come with me.” Aubrey and Claire follow me to the whitebuilding.
Ten minutes later Aubrey is shaking her head at me. “Thisis—”
