Katie’s hand before turning toward Alex. “Hey, Daddy?” she asked. “Can we get the barbecue started? I’m really hungry.”
“Sure, sweetie.” He took a few steps down the beach, watching his son diving in and out of the waves. As Josh popped back up, Alex cupped his mouth. “Hey, Josh?” he shouted. “I’m going to start the coals, so why don’t you come in for a while.”
“Now?” Josh shouted back.
“Just for a little while.”
Even from a distance, he saw his son’s shoulders droop. Katie must have noticed it as well, because she was quick to speak up.
“I can stay down here if you want,” she assured him.
“You sure?”
“Kristen’s showing me her seashells,” she said.
He nodded and turned back to Josh. “Miss Katie’s going to watch you, okay? So don’t go out too far!”
“I won’t!” he said, grinning.
10
A little while later, Katie led a shivering Kristen and excited Josh back toward the blanket Alex had spread out earlier. The grill had been set up and the briquettes were already glowing white on the edges.
Alex unfolded the last of the beach chairs onto the blanket and watched them approach. “How was the water, guys?”
“Awesome!” Josh answered. His hair, partially dried, was pointing in every direction. “When’s lunch?”
Alex checked the coals. “Give me about twenty minutes.”
“Can me and Kristen go back to the water?”
“You just got out of the water. Why don’t you take a break for a few minutes?”
“We don’t want to swim. We want to build sand castles,” he said.
Alex noted Kristen’s chattering teeth. “Are you sure you want to do that? You’re purple.”
Kristen nodded vehemently. “I’m okay,” she said shivering. “And we’re supposed to build castles at the beach.”
“All right. But let’s throw shirts on you two. And stay right there where I can see you,” he said, pointing.
“I know, Dad.” Josh sighed. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Alex rummaged through a duffel bag and helped both Josh and Kristen put their shirts on. When he was finished, Josh grabbed a bag full of plastic toys and shovels and ran off, stopping a few feet from the water’s edge. Kristen trailed behind him.
“Do you want me to head down there?” Katie asked.
He shook his head. “No, they’ll be okay. This is the part they’re used to. When I’m cooking, I mean. They know to stay out of the water.”
Moving to the cooler, he squatted down and opened the lid. “Are you getting hungry, too?” he asked.
“A little,” she said before realizing that she hadn’t eaten anything since the cheese and wine she’d had the evening before. On cue, she heard her stomach growl and she crossed her arms over it.
“Good, because I’m starved.” As Alex began rummaging through the cooler, Katie noticed the sinewy muscles of his forearm. “I was thinking hot dogs for Josh, a cheeseburger for Kristen, and for you and me, steaks.” He pulled out the meat and set it aside, then leaned over the grill, blowing on the coals.
“Can I help with anything?”
“Would you mind putting the tablecloth on the table? It’s in the cooler.”
“Sure,” Katie said. She pulled one of the bags of ice out of the cooler and simply stared. “There’s enough food for half a dozen families in here,” she said.
“Yeah, well, with kids, my motto has always been bring too much rather than not enough, since I never know exactly what they’ll eat. You can’t imagine how many times we’ve come out here and I’ve forgotten something and have had to load the kids back up and run to the store. I wanted to avoid that today.”
She unfolded the plastic tablecloth and, at Alex’s direction, secured the corners with paperweights he had somehow thought to bring.
“What next? Do you want me to put everything else on the table?”
“We’ve got a few minutes. And I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a beer,” he said. Reaching into the cooler,
“Sure, sweetie.” He took a few steps down the beach, watching his son diving in and out of the waves. As Josh popped back up, Alex cupped his mouth. “Hey, Josh?” he shouted. “I’m going to start the coals, so why don’t you come in for a while.”
“Now?” Josh shouted back.
“Just for a little while.”
Even from a distance, he saw his son’s shoulders droop. Katie must have noticed it as well, because she was quick to speak up.
“I can stay down here if you want,” she assured him.
“You sure?”
“Kristen’s showing me her seashells,” she said.
He nodded and turned back to Josh. “Miss Katie’s going to watch you, okay? So don’t go out too far!”
“I won’t!” he said, grinning.
10
A little while later, Katie led a shivering Kristen and excited Josh back toward the blanket Alex had spread out earlier. The grill had been set up and the briquettes were already glowing white on the edges.
Alex unfolded the last of the beach chairs onto the blanket and watched them approach. “How was the water, guys?”
“Awesome!” Josh answered. His hair, partially dried, was pointing in every direction. “When’s lunch?”
Alex checked the coals. “Give me about twenty minutes.”
“Can me and Kristen go back to the water?”
“You just got out of the water. Why don’t you take a break for a few minutes?”
“We don’t want to swim. We want to build sand castles,” he said.
Alex noted Kristen’s chattering teeth. “Are you sure you want to do that? You’re purple.”
Kristen nodded vehemently. “I’m okay,” she said shivering. “And we’re supposed to build castles at the beach.”
“All right. But let’s throw shirts on you two. And stay right there where I can see you,” he said, pointing.
“I know, Dad.” Josh sighed. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”
Alex rummaged through a duffel bag and helped both Josh and Kristen put their shirts on. When he was finished, Josh grabbed a bag full of plastic toys and shovels and ran off, stopping a few feet from the water’s edge. Kristen trailed behind him.
“Do you want me to head down there?” Katie asked.
He shook his head. “No, they’ll be okay. This is the part they’re used to. When I’m cooking, I mean. They know to stay out of the water.”
Moving to the cooler, he squatted down and opened the lid. “Are you getting hungry, too?” he asked.
“A little,” she said before realizing that she hadn’t eaten anything since the cheese and wine she’d had the evening before. On cue, she heard her stomach growl and she crossed her arms over it.
“Good, because I’m starved.” As Alex began rummaging through the cooler, Katie noticed the sinewy muscles of his forearm. “I was thinking hot dogs for Josh, a cheeseburger for Kristen, and for you and me, steaks.” He pulled out the meat and set it aside, then leaned over the grill, blowing on the coals.
“Can I help with anything?”
“Would you mind putting the tablecloth on the table? It’s in the cooler.”
“Sure,” Katie said. She pulled one of the bags of ice out of the cooler and simply stared. “There’s enough food for half a dozen families in here,” she said.
“Yeah, well, with kids, my motto has always been bring too much rather than not enough, since I never know exactly what they’ll eat. You can’t imagine how many times we’ve come out here and I’ve forgotten something and have had to load the kids back up and run to the store. I wanted to avoid that today.”
She unfolded the plastic tablecloth and, at Alex’s direction, secured the corners with paperweights he had somehow thought to bring.
“What next? Do you want me to put everything else on the table?”
“We’ve got a few minutes. And I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a beer,” he said. Reaching into the cooler,
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