Placing her hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, she demonstrated the correct way to hold it and move it. “The blade of the paddle can also be used as a rudder, for steering, if there’s somewhere in particular you’re trying to go or trying to avoid.”
Ten minutes later, Mark knew enough about the boat and the paddle that he was out in the lake with Seth as Emily watched from the shore. “Wow, Daddy! The next time I play castle with my blocks at Gam’s house, I’m gonna give my prince and princess a boat just like this.”
“You don’t think they’d prefer a sailboat or maybe a regular rowboat?” he teased. “Kayaks are kind of narrow and might not fit your princess’s dress too well.”
“The princess will be fine. She has short dresses, too, you know.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that.” Mark paddled about, glancing back at Emily more than he probably should.
“I like my new friend, Daddy. She’s really nice. And she likes castles, too!”
He forced his focus back on his son, noting how the late-afternoon sun was haloing his head. “Oh? You made a new friend at preschool? What’s her name?”
“Not at school. Here.” The motion of Seth’s body as he tried to turn and point toward the shore made the kayak rock. “Whoa! Did you feel that, Daddy?” he asked, wide-eyed.
“I did. And it’s because you’re moving around. Remember what Emily said about staying in the center?” Mark tilted his chin toward the shore, but knew it was futile, considering Seth was facing forward, his back to him. “So you were talking about Emily just now when you said you made a new friend?”
“She made a flag for my castle!”
Mark had to grin at the enthusiasm in his son’s voice. “Wow, you’re right. She is really nice, huh?”
Seth’s head bobbed up and down. “How did you know her name, Daddy?”
Because once she told me, I couldn’t get it out of my head….
Surprised by the thought, he willed himself to find a more appropriate answer, one that wouldn’t get the kayak rocking again. “Remember how I went and played that big-boy game in the woods today? Well, Emily was the teacher.”
What Seth said in response, Mark didn’t catch, as the mere mention of the beauty on the beach had him glancing over his shoulder once again. She was sitting on the sand, watching their progress. When she spotted him looking, she flashed a thumbs-up.
“Daddy, Daddy, look! Look at that fish!”
At the sudden jerking movement, Mark swung his head back around, but it was too late. Before he was able to reprimand the boy for leaning too far to one side, they were in the water.
Emily jumped up and dived into the lake with record speed. “Are—are you okay?” she called as she stroked toward them.
“Yeah, we’re good,” Mark assured her, gripping Seth with one hand and the overturned kayak with the other. A moment later he had his son settled safely on his back. “And, oh … remember that tip about staying in the center of the boat? That was a good one,” he sputtered through gulps of lake water. “M-maybe you could add a class on kayaking to your company’s lineup.”
Her laugh cut through the sound of his splashing and warmed him in ways he didn’t expect in the chilly water. “I offer kayaking classes all the time, Mark.”
Hooking a thumb over his shoulder, he gestured toward his son, who was pretending Mark was a white horse if the words making their way into his left ear were any indication. “We might want to put Seth in the front row of that particular class. So he’d be sure to catch all the helpful little tips you might decide to share.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she joked as she stopped momentarily to tread water and take a breath. “How are you holding up?”
“We’re fine. My ego, though, hasn’t fared quite as well.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” Nibbling back the full effect of a smile she couldn’t hide, Emily swam between Mark and the kayak, her bikini top clinging to her rounded breasts as she flipped the boat right side up. Then, with lithe grace, she hoisted herself into it before he could register much of anything besides how alluring her legs looked as they broke the surface of the water. “Now hand Seth up to me and we’ve got this.”
Chapter Three
Emily could feel the weight of Mark’s stare as she secured the kayak to the roof of her Jeep, his still-labored breath matching her own. She’d felt it as she’d paddled through the water with Seth safely seated between her legs. She’d felt it as Mark had pulled them onto the beach and plucked his son from the boat for a firm yet loving lecture. She’d felt it as they’d stood dripping on the sand, trying to catch their breath. And she’d felt it as she led the way to the car after he insisted on carrying the kayak.
In fact, the only time she wasn’t aware of him watching was when she was stealing glances in his direction. But she couldn’t help it. Mark Reynolds was easy on the eyes.
“Thanks for making that unexpected swim to help us out. It was above and beyond,” he finally said as she hooked the last clip into place. “One minute he was pointing at a fish and the next … well, you know what happened.”
She couldn’t help it; she laughed. It was either that or get caught enjoying his dripping, shirtless chest even more than she already was. “Kayaks tend to flip a little easier than canoes. It’s why people who are skittish around water tend to shy away from them in favor of a bit more stability.”
“Yeah, I get that now.” He bent to Seth’s level, buying her time to catch her breath. “How about you, little man? You doing okay?”
The boy jumped from foot to foot, the adventure of the past twenty plus minutes further fueling his natural energy. “I had my Floaties on, remember, Daddy?”
She felt Mark’s appreciative glance. “And we have Emily to thank for that, don’t we?” he continued, his attention trained once again on his son’s face. “Did you learn something from that adventure?”
“The lake isn’t as warm as the bathtub.”
“And …”
Seth’s brows furrowed in contemplation. “You should always wear your Floaties?”
“And …”
“Emily is a really good swimmer, just like you, Daddy!”
She tried to cover her ensuing laugh, but Mark’s exasperated eye roll made it next to impossible.
“Yes, Emily is a good swimmer. But didn’t you also learn that it’s better to look at fish from the beach?”
“But I got to get wet!” Seth exclaimed gleefully. “And so did you, Daddy.”
A playful smile stretched across Mark’s mouth. “Yeah, but so did Emily. And she’d still be dry if we hadn’t commandeered her boat.”
“Pizza
