“Oz can’t swim out to check on the jelly.” Just watching that wave come in around him had closed Blair’s throat. She’d known the water wouldn’t do more than crash around his legs, but in her mind she’d seen the water grabbing hold and dragging Oz out to sea, claiming him.
“Dr Oz can’t swim?” Addy looked disappointed, her lower lip pouty. “Didn’t his mommy put him in lessons, too?”
“I can swim, Pipsqueak.” Oz took his cell phone, keys and wallet back from Blair’s outstretched hands. “I just don’t have a suit.”
“Addy, the jelly is long gone by now.” At least, Blair hoped so. The kids would be upset if their rescuee washed ashore.
Shaking away loose water droplets, Oz grinned at the two expectant children staring up at him with their arms crossed. “Who wants to build a sand castle?”
“I have a sand castle,” Pete reminded them. Addy’s gaze had shifted to the water, searching for a sign of the jellyfish. Fortunately, the creature hadn’t washed back up on shore. Likely he would, though.
Building a sand castle sounded like the perfect distraction.
“I do,” Blair said, reaching for Addy’s hand. “We love sand castles, don’t we, Addy?”
With one last lingering look at the water, Addy turned to her new friend. “Do you want to make another castle with us? I’m a good sand castle maker.”
For the next hour they worked on building the world’s greatest sand castle.
“I wish I had my camera,” Blair mused, surveying their efforts. With the kids’ help Oz had dug a moat around the castle and connected it to the neighboring castle Pete’s parents had built that was also complete with an outlining moat.
“Yeah,” Oz agreed. “Today is one of those memories you want to lock away to pull out on a rainy day.”
That summed up her feelings perfectly.
Because Blair knew she’d cherish this day long into her future. That she’d savor the memory long after Oz had gone back to his real life.
Surprising her, Oz pulled out his fancy-looking cell phone and snapped a photo of where she sat next to Addy.
Blair’s hands went to her face. “I meant that I wanted a picture of all of you. Not me.”
“You should have said so. Too late now.” He looked totally unrepentant. His blue eyes met hers, glittered as brightly as the sea. “You
want to take my picture with Addy?”
Addy jumped up, sending a spray of sand in every direction. “I want to take a picture, Dr Oz.”
“You don’t want to be in the picture, Pipsqueak?”
She shook her head, reaching for his phone. “I want to take the picture. Mommy lets me take pictures, don’t you, Mommy?”
Before Blair could explain, Oz was showing Addy which button to push and how to focus his phone camera. “What do you want to take a picture of, Pipsqueak?”
“You and Mommy.”
Uh-oh. Blair’s gaze met Oz’s. He just shrugged, sat down in the sand next to her, wrapped his arm around her waist and grinned.
Right then and there Blair decided she’d been in the sun too long. Had to be. Why else would she be having a heatstroke? Her insides had definitely caught fire.
“Smile, Mommy.” Addy’s lips twisted with great concentration. “Say cheeseburger.”
Blair started to force a smile, but Oz’s fingers trailed across her ribs, tickling her and eliciting a real laugh at the exact moment Addy snapped the button.
“Oh, that’s a good one.” Addy stared at the photo she’d taken, then held the phone out for Oz and Blair to see.
Oz looked handsome as ever with a mischievous grin on his face. The photo had captured a lightness in Blair’s expression she didn’t recall having seen in a long time. The photo made her look young, carefree, really happy. Her gaze had cut to Oz and laughter spilt from her mouth while she squirmed away from him.
They looked like a couple.