I looked out at the ocean to try and hide my smile, as I remembered Carter was the first and only person I ever met who was good at math while also being sinfully sexy.
"How long have you been in San Diego?" Carter asked. His expression suggested that he was wondering if I'd been here the whole time.
I shook my head of that thought because even if I had been here, it wouldn't have mattered. I was his woman on that cruise ship, but having met the Strong family, I knew that they were out of my league.
“About a year,” I answered him.
The housekeeper brought out lunch, and for the most part I listened as Alex bragged about Carter while Carter blushed but didn’t interrupt his father. He was embarrassed by his father's accolades, and yet he knew it brought his father joy to brag on him, so he endured it. It wasn't a surprise to me, because I remember Carter being so sweet and attentive that week I was with him on the cruise.
At the same time, it hurt me because Tanner didn’t have this. I realized that I needed to tell Carter about his son, but of course I couldn't just blurt it out over lunch. I had to find the right time. And I had to make sure that Carter would be receptive to the idea of being a father. It was going to be a shock for sure. There was no doubt in my mind that he would do the right thing financially and he’d probably make himself available to be a father, but that didn't mean he'd want to. For all I knew he already had a wife and kids.
I glanced towards his left hand and didn't see a ring, but I also knew that didn't mean anything. Many men didn't wear a wedding ring. And while I knew it was wrong, there was another part of me that was afraid to tell him because clearly, Carter and his family could give Tanner so much more than I could. Not more love, of course, because I loved my son with all my heart. But they could give him opportunities that I wouldn't be able to.
When the housekeeper came and cleared our dishes, Alex rose from his chair. "I want to take the board down to the water and see how she floats."
I shook my head. "You're not ready to surf yet, Alex."
"I won’t surf. I just want to walk out into the water and see how she floats. Maybe even sit on her."
I looked out over the water to see how large the waves were. I had gone into the water with him a few times before because clearly, he loved it. But we’d only gone in when the waves were small and wouldn’t risk knocking him down.
"You know I can do it, Jess," he said with a slight bit of annoyance in his tone. Alex was one of the most jovial men I'd ever met, so when I heard that tone, I knew it was important to him.
I nodded. "Okay, but I should go with you."
He shook his head. "I can do it."
I realized we'd reached that part of therapy, when clients felt strong and capable and wanted to push themselves, but it was dangerous too because sometimes they weren’t physically ready, even though they were mentally ready.
"I'll go with him."
We all looked to the voice coming out onto the terrace.
"Noah, what are you doing here?" Carter asked.
"I came to talk to dad, and hit on Jess," Noah said with a wink to me. It was a game that he played with me. I and everyone in the family knew he didn't mean it, except perhaps for Carter, who sounded almost like he was growling.
"Get the board son and walk with me to the beach," Alex said to Noah.
Noah did as his father asked, and I watched as they made their way off the terrace and down to the beach. It was only as I saw them wade into the water that I realized I was on the terrace alone with Carter.
3
Carter
I had never been so happy to see my brother Noah as I was in that moment. With him taking dad down to the beach, I was now alone with Jess. I looked over the table at her as she watched my father and Noah make their way across the sand. I wondered if she was ignoring me, or if she really didn't remember me.
"It's a pleasant surprise to see you again, Jess," I said, letting her know that I remembered her.
She flinched slightly, but then turned her attention to me. "I thought you looked familiar."
I could see she's trying to make this situation light, but it felt awkward. At the same time, it was amazing how strong the urge was to reach over and touch her, as if to make sure she was real. At the same time, I knew that a lot could change in four years. Was she married? Did she have kids?
I chanced a glance at her left hand to see if she was wearing a ring. I was pleased to see that she wasn't. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't seeing somebody, but it didn't look like she was married or engaged.
"Thank you for taking such good care of my dad. He thinks the world of you, and my brothers speak very highly of you as well. I regret that I haven't been home more since his accident,” I said.
She shrugged and played with the condensation on her glass. "Your father is a joy to work with. I can see now where you got all your manners. He definitely loves to brag about you and your brothers. He's very proud of everything you've done."