Hurricane Beach, page 18
“Who’s at the door?” a moody male voice called out from the back of the house.
“Nobody important,” Grace yelled back.
“Then shut the door! You’re letting all the flies and hot air in.”
“Hold on a minute, Moose!”
A brown bottle flew toward them and shattered on the wall, nearly missing Grace’s head. “Close the door!” Moose hollered again.
Anna jumped back. To her surprise, her anger evaporated and was replaced with compassion for the woman standing in front of her. “Grace, this guy is dangerous. I see your bruises. Please don’t make the same mistake I did. I got away. You may not be so lucky.”
Grace’s facial expression softened for a moment, then turned to stone again. “What I do is none of your business. We’re done here,” she yelled and slammed the door in Anna’s face.
Anna beat on the door with her fists. “Please, Grace, trust me on this.”
“Go away!” she called out from behind the door.
Anna opened her fists and laid her hands against the door. With a calm voice she said, “Grace, you’ve got to believe me.”
There was nothing left to say, so she turned away and walked back to her car. She should’ve felt good about standing up to Grace, but instead, she felt pity. The last thing she wanted was Grace’s picture splattered across the front page of the Magnolia Hill Times. She paused and looked back at the house one more time before getting into her car. Grace was standing behind the thin curtain, watching her. With a sense of doom, Anna turned the key in the ignition. “Grace, I tried,” she whispered, then drove off.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jason paced in his kitchen. It was Saturday, the day of Grady and Ashleigh’s skateboarding competition. The town had been abuzz when he went for a quick run earlier that morning to shake off his nervous energy. It didn’t help, and there was only one person to blame for his unsettled state—Anna.
Every time Jason had built up the courage to see her over the last few days, it had left him just as fast. What was wrong with him? He never had problems talking to people. For crying out loud, he was a public figure broadcasting on TV almost every day and enjoyed making appearances at local events to support the community. Yet today, his nerves had the better of him. Anna would be at the skate park watching Ash and Grady compete.
“Hey, Dad,” Sarah said as she came down the stairs. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, I am. Let me just get my…” He patted his jeans pockets, then looked around the kitchen. “Have you seen my keys?”
Sarah laughed. “Dad, they are on top of the washer. Will you stop pacing already?” she asked. “You are acting like a senior waiting to ask a girl to prom.”
Was it that obvious? “I’m just a little scatterbrained this morning. I need more coffee.”
“Nope. I think it’s Anna,” she said, teasing him. “You know she’ll be there.”
The girls had been relentless in playing matchmaker all week long. “My Mom and Grandma watch you on TV every evening,” Ashleigh had said.
“And you seem much happier when we talk about Ashleigh’s mom,” Sarah had added.
“Go make more bracelets,” he’d kept telling them, but they’d only giggled in return. The last thing he needed was constant reminders of how miserable he was without her.
Jason poured another cup of coffee. His mind drifting off once again to the last time he’d seen Anna at the Chamber meeting on Wednesday. He’d never forget that longing look when they made eye contact. He’d known he had to talk to her. Her smile had made his insides turn into mush. Had he been crazy or had her eyes sparkled when she saw him walk in? His logical mind had taken a permanent leave of absence that very moment, and he hadn’t been the same since. Dang his national station manager for dropping in for a surprise visit.
“Dad!” Sarah yelled.
“What?” Jason looked down at his into his giant Best Dad Ever mug. Coffee had spilled all over the counter. He sat the coffee pot down. “Quick, give me something to clean up this mess!”
She handed him two dish towels. “Uh, your cup is empty.”
“Thanks, Sherlock,” he said and mopped up the hot brew.
“I think you need to see someone about this. I’m beginning to worry about you.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” Sarah said. “My friend’s mom is a paramedic, you know.”
He gave her a light jab into her shoulder. “Does she know much about the heart?”
Sarah nodded. “Loads!”
“All right then. Let’s go see her!” he said and grabbed the bouquet of flowers he had picked early that morning from his garden. It was held together with a post office rubber band— not the prettiest way to hold them together, but Sarah refused to give up one of her hair scrunchies, when she told him they didn’t have any ribbons in the house. The dingy rubber band would have to do.
They walked out to the driveway.
“Wait, Dad. I forgot something,” Sarah said.
“Be quick about it,” Jason said. “I’m on a mission…”
Sarah ran into the house and a few moments later emerged with a red Colorado ballcap on her head.
Jason tilted his head to his side. “You’re wearing a ballcap?”
“Uh, yes. Ashleigh gave it to me. She has a bunch more. It’ll be great to keep the sun out of my eyes at the skate park today.”
He smiled. “I know what it does, but you never liked to wear them before. You always said they mess up your hair, and they don’t go with nice clothes.”
“Well, I changed my mind,” she said. “This one fits me just right, and I like it. It keeps my bangs out of my face, too.”
He shook his head. He’d been trying to tell her all these years, but she took after her mom, who was not much into wearing hats. Instead, Caroline wore her hair up in classy updos and accented the look with a nice pair of sunglasses.
Still holding the flowers, he remembered that they were in a hurry. “Alright, then, let’s get going,” he said to get his daughter moving.
Jason almost smashed his fingers when he slammed the driver’s side door of his truck shut. A complication he couldn’t afford. Not now. He was on a mission to win back his love, and he couldn’t wait to get to her.
Everything seemed to go in favor of him trying again. He wasn’t much of a risk-taker when it came to love, but Anna was worth the risk of rejection. The worst thing she could say was no, and he’d have to accept that if she did. But if he really loved her, he had to try again, and by golly, he was ready. Putting the pedal to the metal, he hoped that he didn’t get pulled over on his way to the skate park. Nothing would come between them this time. Nothing!
“What do you think, Mom?” Anna pointed toward the old live oak tree close to the skate park. “That’s a perfect spot to set up our chairs.”
Maggie nodded. “Far away enough from the hubbub, but close enough to see the skateboarding,” she said.
Anna was surprised that most of the town showed for the event. A few vendors and food trucks lined the edge of the park. The delicious smell of funnel cakes filled the air. They were her favorite carnival food, followed by corn dogs. A loud rumble of her stomach urged her to hurry up and get in line already, but she wasn’t going to cave in that easy. Anna knew that once she bought a funnel cake, she’d be back for more goodies during the entire tournament. Bad enough that the humidity seemed to have shrunk her clothes, or was it the southern food she’d been indulging in? She wasn’t sure how long she could resist the siren call of the fair food, but for now, she’d gather all her willpower and walk away. Maybe closer to lunch she’d allow herself to buy one of the funnel cakes to share.
Ashleigh dropped her skateboard and helped Maggie with her folding chair that had a small footrest attached.
“Thanks, baby girl. This will do,” Maggie said and sat her insulated tumbler of sweet tea in the cupholder of her chair. “Oh, I forgot to mention, Anna.” Maggie rummaged in her purse and pulled out a letter. “This came in the mail for you,” she said. “I meant to give it to you at the shop, but gosh darn it, I must’ve forgotten about it. It does look official.”
“Thanks, Mom!” Anna accepted the envelope from her and bent it back and forth to see if it felt like a driver’s license. Nope. She glanced at the sender’s address. It was from DPH, the Georgia Department of Public Health. Hoping it wouldn’t be yet another notice from the licensing agency that they were still missing documents from the Colorado office, Anna opened the envelope. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the content. “Yes!”
Anna did a happy dance and held the envelope to her chest. Finally.
Maggie looked at her, expecting an answer. “I take it it’s good news?”
“Oh yes, it’s very good news! It’s my medic license. I can apply for jobs now.” She crossed getting her license transferred off her mental to-do list. One step closer to independence.
“I’m glad things are falling into place for you now,” Maggie said, getting up from her chair and drawing her into a hug. “You’ve been waiting for this, baby girl. I’m also forever grateful for your help with the shop.”
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere, Mom. Besides, I love that place. Like you, I want to see it flourish again. We might move out of the house eventually, but Ashleigh and I are here to support you.”
Anna knew she was ready to get back in the lifesaving business. With a steady paycheck, she could start looking at renting or buying her own home in town. Even though Maggie had told her more than once she didn’t mind them staying with her, she didn’t want to be a burden on her mom anymore. If she could only share a home with Jason someday, her world would be complete. But that remained to be seen, and she wasn’t counting on anything at this time.
“I don’t know what I would have done without you, Anna,” Maggie said and sat down in her chair again. “Oh, Ashleigh, baby, I forgot to grab my crafts. Do you mind handing me that fabric bag with the floral print by the cooler?”
Ashleigh handed the colorful bag to her grandma. “Whatcha making?” she asked, peeking into it.
Anna watched her mother pull out a dainty white piece that was almost lace-like.
“I’m working on a doily for the shop window,” Maggie said.
Anna reached over and let the folded project drape over her fingers. “It’s beautiful, Mom,” Anna said. “I love the little heart shapes going around the circle.”
“You need to teach me that sometime, Grandma. It’s really pretty,” Ashleigh said as she dropped her backpack on the ground. She dug out her helmet and pads. “Maybe instead of hearts, though, you can show me a less girly pattern? Skulls, maybe?”
“Attention all competitors,” a voice announced over the PA system. “If you haven’t already done so, please make your way to the check-in table and retrieve your competitor bibs.”
“Ashleigh!” a male voice called out from the parking lot.
Anna looked over and squinted her eyes into the sun and waved. Those darn shades didn’t do a very good job to keep the glare out. “We have company,” she said. “It’s Grady and Sean.”
“Do y’all mind if we sit with you?” Sean asked.
“Not at all, darling,” Maggie said.
Sean sat his red University of Georgia folding chair down next to her orange and blue Colorado Broncos one. Anna had to admit, Sean didn’t look too bad in civilian clothes. It almost seemed odd now, seeing him out of uniform for the first time since she’d been back. He had grown up since high school, and his sense of fashion had improved tenfold. No more red T-shirts with green corduroys; at least she hoped so.
The kids greeted each other with an awkward hello.
Sean leaned closer to Anna. “At least they try to show some restraint around us grown-ups,” he said, and nudged her shoulder with his. “I know someone who was their age when they were smooching around…”
“I did no such thing,” Anna protested, the sudden heat in her face betraying her.
Sean mock-punched her on the arm.
“Ouch!” Anna rubbed the spot, trying to look as if in pain, but instead, she burst out laughing.
“Nothing has changed. You’re still not a good faker,” Sean said, the corners of his mouth turning into a mischievous grin.
“Dad, Ms. Weaver, are you both coming with us to check-in and sign the waivers?”
“Come on,” Sean said to Anna. “Let’s make it official.”
“Make what official?”
“The kids. Official competitors. Why, what did you think?”
“Oh, nothing.”
He smiled at her. “I think I know.”
The kids walked ahead of them—too close to one another, Anna thought, but she couldn’t blame Ashleigh. Grady was a good kid, and she had to admit, he and Sarah had done a wonderful job helping her transition into her new life.
“You know, Jason said he was coming out this morning,” Sean said with a sly grin.
“He’s what?” Her heart jumped up to her throat, and her pulse began to race. She had been so preoccupied with the Grace incident and the news of her dad that she had put everything else on the back burner.
Anna looked down to check her clothes. With shaking hands, she smoothed out a few wrinkles on her T-shirt. Oh no, she wore her stained khaki shorts. Her flip-flops had also seen better days. She couldn’t let Jason see her like this. She was a mess. Maybe she could run back to the house for a minute to change once Ash and Grady got checked in for the competition. She smoothed her hair back and tightened her ponytail.
Sean laughed. “Anna, stop fussing with your hair. You look fine.”
“Ah, I don’t know, Sean. I just am…”
“… beautiful as always.”
She tucked a stubborn strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks. I needed that. Do you mean it, though?”
“Of course I do, Weaver. Knowing Jason, he wouldn’t even care if a skunk sprayed you. He’d probably want to help you get the smell off…”
“Sean!” she protested, and this time it was her turn to punch him on his arm.
He chuckled.
They were next in line. A volunteer handed Sean two waivers. “Are both your kids competing?”
He nodded. “Yes, but only one belongs to me. I’ll take the second waiver, though,” he said and handed it to Anna.
The moment they had signed the papers, the kids grabbed their bibs and took off toward a group of skateboarders hanging out by one of the ramps on the other side of a structure that looked like an empty pool.
“And off they go…” Sean said and walked Anna back to the chairs to join Maggie. She was talking to another woman who had set up her chair next to theirs.
“Anna, you remember my friend Dottie Wilson, Jenna’s mother, don’t you?”
“I do. Hello, Mrs. Wilson. It’s so good to see you again.”
“My grandson Lucas is skating in the competition for the first time,” Mrs. Wilson beamed.
“That’s exciting…” Anna said.
The conversation ended on a dime when Anna heard Jason’s voice behind her.
“I’ll hang out with Grady and Ash,” Anna heard Sarah call out.
“Hi, Anna.”
Almost light-headed, she turned and saw Jason holding a bouquet of flowers. “Hi,” she managed before her mind went blank.
He held the bouquet toward her. “Sorry these somewhat took a beating last weekend. For what it’s worth, they are genuine hurricane flowers I cut from my yard this morning,” he said, looking flushed and flustered.
She smiled. “Thank you,” she said and accepted them. Her gaze went from the flowers up to his lips, stopped for a moment, and then up to his eyes. Was that sweat dripping from his forehead? It wasn’t even that hot yet. Maybe it’s the humidity, she thought, the same reason why she was having those palpitations again. She made a mental note to drink more fluids.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said.
“Me, too. I mean, that you’re here. Ashleigh is skateboarding. Well, I guess you knew that already…” Her mind was on overdrive. She had known Jason most of her life, but today, it felt as if they just met.
“I came to see you,” he said, wiping his hands on his khaki shorts.
Anna’s chest was full of anxious butterflies fluttering about. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could handle.
“Next up, we have Ashleigh Weaver from Magnolia Hill competing,” the announcer’s voice bellowed from the speakers.
Sean interrupted. “I know you two got some catching up to do, but Anna, you can’t miss your daughter compete.”
“I’ll watch from here,” Maggie said. “My heart can’t take seeing that child doing these acrobatics on a rolling board.”
“No worries. I’ll record it with my phone for you,” Sean said. “We can watch it on TV later.”
Ashleigh stood at one end of the empty swimming pool structure.
Anna had faith in her daughter’s abilities. That didn’t mean that watching her drop into that large bowl and hanging in the air during jumps didn’t make her white-knuckle her Broncos insulated cup. “Go Ash!” she called out. “You got this!”
Jason put a hand on her closest shoulder. “She’s really good!”
“I know,” she said, almost tempted to lean into him like she had at the beach. “When she puts her mind to it, she can do some amazing things.”
“Like someone else I know,” he finished, giving her shoulder a light squeeze.
Suddenly Ashleigh landed off-center and lost her footing on her board.
Anna held her breath. Please don’t fall. A handful of bad scenarios of skate park accidents flashed through her mind. A trip to the ER would be disastrous for them right now. She couldn’t afford enormous doctor bills while she was between jobs.
Like a pro, Ash took a few long steps down to the bottom of the bowl, picked up her board, and exited the structure on the shallow end.
Anna exhaled.
“Nice try!” someone called as the crowd clapped in encouragement.
“I really blew this one,” Ash said as she and Sarah walked toward them. Her helmet strap hanging loose down the side of her face. “I almost had a perfect run, too.”
“Nobody important,” Grace yelled back.
“Then shut the door! You’re letting all the flies and hot air in.”
“Hold on a minute, Moose!”
A brown bottle flew toward them and shattered on the wall, nearly missing Grace’s head. “Close the door!” Moose hollered again.
Anna jumped back. To her surprise, her anger evaporated and was replaced with compassion for the woman standing in front of her. “Grace, this guy is dangerous. I see your bruises. Please don’t make the same mistake I did. I got away. You may not be so lucky.”
Grace’s facial expression softened for a moment, then turned to stone again. “What I do is none of your business. We’re done here,” she yelled and slammed the door in Anna’s face.
Anna beat on the door with her fists. “Please, Grace, trust me on this.”
“Go away!” she called out from behind the door.
Anna opened her fists and laid her hands against the door. With a calm voice she said, “Grace, you’ve got to believe me.”
There was nothing left to say, so she turned away and walked back to her car. She should’ve felt good about standing up to Grace, but instead, she felt pity. The last thing she wanted was Grace’s picture splattered across the front page of the Magnolia Hill Times. She paused and looked back at the house one more time before getting into her car. Grace was standing behind the thin curtain, watching her. With a sense of doom, Anna turned the key in the ignition. “Grace, I tried,” she whispered, then drove off.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jason paced in his kitchen. It was Saturday, the day of Grady and Ashleigh’s skateboarding competition. The town had been abuzz when he went for a quick run earlier that morning to shake off his nervous energy. It didn’t help, and there was only one person to blame for his unsettled state—Anna.
Every time Jason had built up the courage to see her over the last few days, it had left him just as fast. What was wrong with him? He never had problems talking to people. For crying out loud, he was a public figure broadcasting on TV almost every day and enjoyed making appearances at local events to support the community. Yet today, his nerves had the better of him. Anna would be at the skate park watching Ash and Grady compete.
“Hey, Dad,” Sarah said as she came down the stairs. “Are you ready?”
“Yes, I am. Let me just get my…” He patted his jeans pockets, then looked around the kitchen. “Have you seen my keys?”
Sarah laughed. “Dad, they are on top of the washer. Will you stop pacing already?” she asked. “You are acting like a senior waiting to ask a girl to prom.”
Was it that obvious? “I’m just a little scatterbrained this morning. I need more coffee.”
“Nope. I think it’s Anna,” she said, teasing him. “You know she’ll be there.”
The girls had been relentless in playing matchmaker all week long. “My Mom and Grandma watch you on TV every evening,” Ashleigh had said.
“And you seem much happier when we talk about Ashleigh’s mom,” Sarah had added.
“Go make more bracelets,” he’d kept telling them, but they’d only giggled in return. The last thing he needed was constant reminders of how miserable he was without her.
Jason poured another cup of coffee. His mind drifting off once again to the last time he’d seen Anna at the Chamber meeting on Wednesday. He’d never forget that longing look when they made eye contact. He’d known he had to talk to her. Her smile had made his insides turn into mush. Had he been crazy or had her eyes sparkled when she saw him walk in? His logical mind had taken a permanent leave of absence that very moment, and he hadn’t been the same since. Dang his national station manager for dropping in for a surprise visit.
“Dad!” Sarah yelled.
“What?” Jason looked down at his into his giant Best Dad Ever mug. Coffee had spilled all over the counter. He sat the coffee pot down. “Quick, give me something to clean up this mess!”
She handed him two dish towels. “Uh, your cup is empty.”
“Thanks, Sherlock,” he said and mopped up the hot brew.
“I think you need to see someone about this. I’m beginning to worry about you.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” Sarah said. “My friend’s mom is a paramedic, you know.”
He gave her a light jab into her shoulder. “Does she know much about the heart?”
Sarah nodded. “Loads!”
“All right then. Let’s go see her!” he said and grabbed the bouquet of flowers he had picked early that morning from his garden. It was held together with a post office rubber band— not the prettiest way to hold them together, but Sarah refused to give up one of her hair scrunchies, when she told him they didn’t have any ribbons in the house. The dingy rubber band would have to do.
They walked out to the driveway.
“Wait, Dad. I forgot something,” Sarah said.
“Be quick about it,” Jason said. “I’m on a mission…”
Sarah ran into the house and a few moments later emerged with a red Colorado ballcap on her head.
Jason tilted his head to his side. “You’re wearing a ballcap?”
“Uh, yes. Ashleigh gave it to me. She has a bunch more. It’ll be great to keep the sun out of my eyes at the skate park today.”
He smiled. “I know what it does, but you never liked to wear them before. You always said they mess up your hair, and they don’t go with nice clothes.”
“Well, I changed my mind,” she said. “This one fits me just right, and I like it. It keeps my bangs out of my face, too.”
He shook his head. He’d been trying to tell her all these years, but she took after her mom, who was not much into wearing hats. Instead, Caroline wore her hair up in classy updos and accented the look with a nice pair of sunglasses.
Still holding the flowers, he remembered that they were in a hurry. “Alright, then, let’s get going,” he said to get his daughter moving.
Jason almost smashed his fingers when he slammed the driver’s side door of his truck shut. A complication he couldn’t afford. Not now. He was on a mission to win back his love, and he couldn’t wait to get to her.
Everything seemed to go in favor of him trying again. He wasn’t much of a risk-taker when it came to love, but Anna was worth the risk of rejection. The worst thing she could say was no, and he’d have to accept that if she did. But if he really loved her, he had to try again, and by golly, he was ready. Putting the pedal to the metal, he hoped that he didn’t get pulled over on his way to the skate park. Nothing would come between them this time. Nothing!
“What do you think, Mom?” Anna pointed toward the old live oak tree close to the skate park. “That’s a perfect spot to set up our chairs.”
Maggie nodded. “Far away enough from the hubbub, but close enough to see the skateboarding,” she said.
Anna was surprised that most of the town showed for the event. A few vendors and food trucks lined the edge of the park. The delicious smell of funnel cakes filled the air. They were her favorite carnival food, followed by corn dogs. A loud rumble of her stomach urged her to hurry up and get in line already, but she wasn’t going to cave in that easy. Anna knew that once she bought a funnel cake, she’d be back for more goodies during the entire tournament. Bad enough that the humidity seemed to have shrunk her clothes, or was it the southern food she’d been indulging in? She wasn’t sure how long she could resist the siren call of the fair food, but for now, she’d gather all her willpower and walk away. Maybe closer to lunch she’d allow herself to buy one of the funnel cakes to share.
Ashleigh dropped her skateboard and helped Maggie with her folding chair that had a small footrest attached.
“Thanks, baby girl. This will do,” Maggie said and sat her insulated tumbler of sweet tea in the cupholder of her chair. “Oh, I forgot to mention, Anna.” Maggie rummaged in her purse and pulled out a letter. “This came in the mail for you,” she said. “I meant to give it to you at the shop, but gosh darn it, I must’ve forgotten about it. It does look official.”
“Thanks, Mom!” Anna accepted the envelope from her and bent it back and forth to see if it felt like a driver’s license. Nope. She glanced at the sender’s address. It was from DPH, the Georgia Department of Public Health. Hoping it wouldn’t be yet another notice from the licensing agency that they were still missing documents from the Colorado office, Anna opened the envelope. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the content. “Yes!”
Anna did a happy dance and held the envelope to her chest. Finally.
Maggie looked at her, expecting an answer. “I take it it’s good news?”
“Oh yes, it’s very good news! It’s my medic license. I can apply for jobs now.” She crossed getting her license transferred off her mental to-do list. One step closer to independence.
“I’m glad things are falling into place for you now,” Maggie said, getting up from her chair and drawing her into a hug. “You’ve been waiting for this, baby girl. I’m also forever grateful for your help with the shop.”
“Hey, I’m not going anywhere, Mom. Besides, I love that place. Like you, I want to see it flourish again. We might move out of the house eventually, but Ashleigh and I are here to support you.”
Anna knew she was ready to get back in the lifesaving business. With a steady paycheck, she could start looking at renting or buying her own home in town. Even though Maggie had told her more than once she didn’t mind them staying with her, she didn’t want to be a burden on her mom anymore. If she could only share a home with Jason someday, her world would be complete. But that remained to be seen, and she wasn’t counting on anything at this time.
“I don’t know what I would have done without you, Anna,” Maggie said and sat down in her chair again. “Oh, Ashleigh, baby, I forgot to grab my crafts. Do you mind handing me that fabric bag with the floral print by the cooler?”
Ashleigh handed the colorful bag to her grandma. “Whatcha making?” she asked, peeking into it.
Anna watched her mother pull out a dainty white piece that was almost lace-like.
“I’m working on a doily for the shop window,” Maggie said.
Anna reached over and let the folded project drape over her fingers. “It’s beautiful, Mom,” Anna said. “I love the little heart shapes going around the circle.”
“You need to teach me that sometime, Grandma. It’s really pretty,” Ashleigh said as she dropped her backpack on the ground. She dug out her helmet and pads. “Maybe instead of hearts, though, you can show me a less girly pattern? Skulls, maybe?”
“Attention all competitors,” a voice announced over the PA system. “If you haven’t already done so, please make your way to the check-in table and retrieve your competitor bibs.”
“Ashleigh!” a male voice called out from the parking lot.
Anna looked over and squinted her eyes into the sun and waved. Those darn shades didn’t do a very good job to keep the glare out. “We have company,” she said. “It’s Grady and Sean.”
“Do y’all mind if we sit with you?” Sean asked.
“Not at all, darling,” Maggie said.
Sean sat his red University of Georgia folding chair down next to her orange and blue Colorado Broncos one. Anna had to admit, Sean didn’t look too bad in civilian clothes. It almost seemed odd now, seeing him out of uniform for the first time since she’d been back. He had grown up since high school, and his sense of fashion had improved tenfold. No more red T-shirts with green corduroys; at least she hoped so.
The kids greeted each other with an awkward hello.
Sean leaned closer to Anna. “At least they try to show some restraint around us grown-ups,” he said, and nudged her shoulder with his. “I know someone who was their age when they were smooching around…”
“I did no such thing,” Anna protested, the sudden heat in her face betraying her.
Sean mock-punched her on the arm.
“Ouch!” Anna rubbed the spot, trying to look as if in pain, but instead, she burst out laughing.
“Nothing has changed. You’re still not a good faker,” Sean said, the corners of his mouth turning into a mischievous grin.
“Dad, Ms. Weaver, are you both coming with us to check-in and sign the waivers?”
“Come on,” Sean said to Anna. “Let’s make it official.”
“Make what official?”
“The kids. Official competitors. Why, what did you think?”
“Oh, nothing.”
He smiled at her. “I think I know.”
The kids walked ahead of them—too close to one another, Anna thought, but she couldn’t blame Ashleigh. Grady was a good kid, and she had to admit, he and Sarah had done a wonderful job helping her transition into her new life.
“You know, Jason said he was coming out this morning,” Sean said with a sly grin.
“He’s what?” Her heart jumped up to her throat, and her pulse began to race. She had been so preoccupied with the Grace incident and the news of her dad that she had put everything else on the back burner.
Anna looked down to check her clothes. With shaking hands, she smoothed out a few wrinkles on her T-shirt. Oh no, she wore her stained khaki shorts. Her flip-flops had also seen better days. She couldn’t let Jason see her like this. She was a mess. Maybe she could run back to the house for a minute to change once Ash and Grady got checked in for the competition. She smoothed her hair back and tightened her ponytail.
Sean laughed. “Anna, stop fussing with your hair. You look fine.”
“Ah, I don’t know, Sean. I just am…”
“… beautiful as always.”
She tucked a stubborn strand of hair behind her ear. “Thanks. I needed that. Do you mean it, though?”
“Of course I do, Weaver. Knowing Jason, he wouldn’t even care if a skunk sprayed you. He’d probably want to help you get the smell off…”
“Sean!” she protested, and this time it was her turn to punch him on his arm.
He chuckled.
They were next in line. A volunteer handed Sean two waivers. “Are both your kids competing?”
He nodded. “Yes, but only one belongs to me. I’ll take the second waiver, though,” he said and handed it to Anna.
The moment they had signed the papers, the kids grabbed their bibs and took off toward a group of skateboarders hanging out by one of the ramps on the other side of a structure that looked like an empty pool.
“And off they go…” Sean said and walked Anna back to the chairs to join Maggie. She was talking to another woman who had set up her chair next to theirs.
“Anna, you remember my friend Dottie Wilson, Jenna’s mother, don’t you?”
“I do. Hello, Mrs. Wilson. It’s so good to see you again.”
“My grandson Lucas is skating in the competition for the first time,” Mrs. Wilson beamed.
“That’s exciting…” Anna said.
The conversation ended on a dime when Anna heard Jason’s voice behind her.
“I’ll hang out with Grady and Ash,” Anna heard Sarah call out.
“Hi, Anna.”
Almost light-headed, she turned and saw Jason holding a bouquet of flowers. “Hi,” she managed before her mind went blank.
He held the bouquet toward her. “Sorry these somewhat took a beating last weekend. For what it’s worth, they are genuine hurricane flowers I cut from my yard this morning,” he said, looking flushed and flustered.
She smiled. “Thank you,” she said and accepted them. Her gaze went from the flowers up to his lips, stopped for a moment, and then up to his eyes. Was that sweat dripping from his forehead? It wasn’t even that hot yet. Maybe it’s the humidity, she thought, the same reason why she was having those palpitations again. She made a mental note to drink more fluids.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he said.
“Me, too. I mean, that you’re here. Ashleigh is skateboarding. Well, I guess you knew that already…” Her mind was on overdrive. She had known Jason most of her life, but today, it felt as if they just met.
“I came to see you,” he said, wiping his hands on his khaki shorts.
Anna’s chest was full of anxious butterflies fluttering about. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could handle.
“Next up, we have Ashleigh Weaver from Magnolia Hill competing,” the announcer’s voice bellowed from the speakers.
Sean interrupted. “I know you two got some catching up to do, but Anna, you can’t miss your daughter compete.”
“I’ll watch from here,” Maggie said. “My heart can’t take seeing that child doing these acrobatics on a rolling board.”
“No worries. I’ll record it with my phone for you,” Sean said. “We can watch it on TV later.”
Ashleigh stood at one end of the empty swimming pool structure.
Anna had faith in her daughter’s abilities. That didn’t mean that watching her drop into that large bowl and hanging in the air during jumps didn’t make her white-knuckle her Broncos insulated cup. “Go Ash!” she called out. “You got this!”
Jason put a hand on her closest shoulder. “She’s really good!”
“I know,” she said, almost tempted to lean into him like she had at the beach. “When she puts her mind to it, she can do some amazing things.”
“Like someone else I know,” he finished, giving her shoulder a light squeeze.
Suddenly Ashleigh landed off-center and lost her footing on her board.
Anna held her breath. Please don’t fall. A handful of bad scenarios of skate park accidents flashed through her mind. A trip to the ER would be disastrous for them right now. She couldn’t afford enormous doctor bills while she was between jobs.
Like a pro, Ash took a few long steps down to the bottom of the bowl, picked up her board, and exited the structure on the shallow end.
Anna exhaled.
“Nice try!” someone called as the crowd clapped in encouragement.
“I really blew this one,” Ash said as she and Sarah walked toward them. Her helmet strap hanging loose down the side of her face. “I almost had a perfect run, too.”
