“It won’t wash away.”
“Not if we’re smart about it. We’ll use just enough water to make the sand hold together.”
“Like you and Momma hold hands?”
Though the observation startled him, he decided it was best to normalize it. “Pretty much.” Because if his biggest wishes came true, Cora would see him holding hands with Scarlett for the rest of his days.
“Okay.”
After a break to reapply sunscreen, Cooper and Cora spent the next hour on their knees, hands caked in wet sand and saltwater, engineering a tiered castle with a functional moat. He showed her how to pack the damp sand into towers and how to use a popsicle stick to carve out windows. As they worked, the silence between them changed. It wasn’t the shy, awkward quiet of a stranger; it was the focused, collaborative silence of two people who shared a vision.
“Look, Momma!” Cora shouted, gesturing toward their creation. “It’s the best one yet. Take a picture.”
Scarlett obliged, taking photos with her phone from several angles as she praised the design and peered into the windows. She had them pose together and all Cooper could think about was that Cora didn’t know her father helped with this.
He wasn’t sure when his patience had evaporated, but he had to find more. Being around for days was nothing compared to an entire life. Soon enough, they could add this to an album, with his true title of dad.
“It’s impressive.” Scarlett hugged Cora. “The fairies will love it.” To his shock, she looped an arm around his waist and took a selfie with all of them smiling in front of the castle. She showed them the result. “Look at us.”
Cooper laughed, in the photo he was grinning like a schoolboy. “We’ve got a natural engineer,” Cooper praised, scooping Cora into his arms. “Great job.”
“Thanks.” She patted his shoulder, leaving behind plenty of sand on his shirt. “We’re a good team.” She wriggled and he set her down.
As Cora dipped her hands in the water bucket to rinse them, Cooper found himself caught in a brief moment alone with Scarlett. The air between them was charged, vibrating with the sound of the gulls and the distant laughter of other tourists.
“She’s so fond of you,” Scarlett said, her voice barely audible over the waves. “I was worried she’d be overwhelmed, but she just adores you, Cooper. I think she’s overjoyed to have someone else who understands her as seamlessly as I do.”
“I’ve been waiting for her too,” Cooper murmured, leaning close. “Even when I didn’t know I was waiting.”
The wind teased her hair and he boldly tucked it behind her ear. With the salt air bolstering his courage, he said, “Willow told me she and Levi are free tonight. They offered to take Cora for a movie night at their place.”
Scarlett tilted her head and tugged her sunglasses down, peering at him. “And?”
He grinned. “Would you join me for dinner, just the two of us? Not in Brookwell,” he added quickly. “Let’s take the ferry to Charleston for a real date. Please?”
Scarlett shoved her sunglasses back in place, turning to watch Cora drawing in the sand near their castle. She was silent so long, Cooper was sure she’d reject the idea. Reject him. The odds really were not in his favor.
She was guarded and protective now. A different woman in many ways than when he’d fallen for her the first time. But he was more convinced than ever that loving her was what he was meant to do.
She swiveled back to face him, her mouth curling into that gorgeous smile he adored. “There’s a six-thirty ferry from Brookwell to Charleston,” she said. “I’ll meet you there.”
He would’ve preferred to pick her up, but he wasn’t about to argue the point. However they got to Charleston, they’d have a great time.
After a lunch and some wading as the tide changed, Cora was winding down and she fell asleep on the short drive home. He carefully unbuckled her from the booster seat and carried her inside for Scarlett.
Once Cora was tucked under a lightweight throw on the couch, Cooper forced himself back to the front door. It was so hard to leave, even knowing he’d see Scarlett again in just a few hours.
“See you later,” he called softly as he gently closed the screen door.
“Hey, wait a second.” Scarlett had followed him outside. “Thank you for a lovely beach day. She had a wonderful time.”
“Me too.” Standing on the steps while she remained on the porch put them almost eye to eye. Everything inside him was begging her to lean closer for a kiss. It had to be her idea. “We made an awesome little girl.”
Her lips twitched. “Yes. We did.” She toyed with the drawstrings on her cover up, drawing his gaze to the movement of the sheer fabric clinging to her curves. “We’ll tell her soon.”
His heart leapt, crashing against his ribs. “Your timing,” he heard himself say. But he was thinking more about her lips than life-altering declarations. “We can talk about it tonight. If you want.”
She nodded once and leaned forward to press a light kiss to his cheek. “See you soon.”
