to talk to?
“Hey, once again, I’m sorry if I came down too hard on you the other day.”
“Save the lecture,” she warned. “Can’t say I’ve earned the status of mother just yet, but from now on I’ll be more vigilant about watching the girls.”
“Swimming lessons probably wouldn’t hurt,” he suggested.
“I was thinking the same thing. Do you know any instructors?”
He searched his memory. “There’s a YMCA nearby. Better yet, a town directory with a list of services.”
“It can’t be just someone I find on a list. I have to trust whoever works with the girls.”
“You’ll find the right person.”
“I think I have.” She stepped toward him. “How about you?”
He froze. Teach her girls how to swim? Did she realize what she was asking? No way. Not after how he failed Jamie.
“I’m not a teacher.”
“But you clearly swim.”
“Well, yeah, but a teacher? I’m sorry, Jenna. I won’t do it.”
Despite his refusal, she tried to convince him. “The girls think you’re a prince.”
He nearly choked. “Prince?” Not if they knew the truth.
“They’re in a fairy tale princess phase right now, and after your derring-do at the beach, you fall into the knight in shining armor category.”
Please, anything but this.
“Living in this coastal town could be dangerous if they don’t know how to swim.” She worried her lip. “They tend to be a tad headstrong, but after the grand rescue the other day, I think they’ll listen to you.”
No. They couldn’t be trusted with him. “Jenna, I—”
“Wyatt, I don’t let just anyone into the girls’ lives. They like you. They’d never learn from anyone they didn’t feel safe with. You’ve proven you can keep them safe.”
He closed, then opened his eyes. Forced himself to say the words. “Jenna, you realize Jamie drowned, right?”
“I didn’t want to...Nealy said it was a boating accident...” She glanced at him with wide eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m making a mess of this.”
“Then you see why I can’t do this.”
“I disagree.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
She disagreed? “Why?”
“From what I understand, your son’s death was an accident.”
He bit back the bitterness threatening to claim him. Kept his tone even when he said, “You don’t know the details.” Not an accident. As far as he was concerned, Jamie’s death fell squarely on his shoulders.
“Maybe not, but if you were such a bad guy, you never would have dived into the water after Bridget. Maybe you need to help my girls in honor of Jamie.”
He ran a hand over his chin. “This is crazy.”
She shook her head. “This is healing.”
Had this petite woman standing before him just used her kids’ need for swimming lessons to help him feel better?
He shook his head, more adamant now. “I can’t do it.”
A shadow of hurt crossed her face, quickly replaced by a flash of determination. “Okay. I’ll take care of the girls’ lessons on my own.”
“Jenna, I—”
She jerked back, putting distance between them. “No need to explain. You don’t want to get involved. I get it.”
“I’m not saying...” He took a breath. “Jenna, you can’t keep bad things from happening.”
“But I can make sure I’m prepared.” She turned and strode away, leaving him to wonder if he’d just made another life-changing mistake.
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