I cradled Nick close to my body as I jogged after Kelsey. We were both laughing as I struggled to carry his weight. He was a lot heavier than he used to be.
“We’re still in our pajamas, Aunt Kelsey!” Sara yelled.
“Too bad!” Kelsey jumped into the pool with Sara.
I followed right after them with Nick, deciding at the last moment to cross my legs under me for a bigger splash. When I surfaced, a wave of water smacked me in the face as Wild Card cannonballed. Bridget and both dogs were next to jump into the pool. By then, a water war had ensued, including so much dunking that I had to swim underwater to escape everyone for a reprieve. I stood in the shallow end, watching the kids and Kelsey play. It was her. The old her. The one who morphed from cop into super-fun-mom without warning. For the first time in a long time, I knew Kelsey was going to be okay.
Turning toward the ladder, I spotted Grady standing on the veranda, watching everyone. Grady’s expression was sad as he walked inside. I didn’t have to look to know what he saw. I could hear it. Laughter. And Wild Card was part of that equation.
“Oh, man,” Anne said, handing me a towel when I climbed out. “You really did get your ass kicked.” She was studying the bruises on my face.
“Damn. I didn’t think about the chlorinated water washing off the makeup. I need to shower and get ready for work, anyway.”
“Aren’t you going to bed?” Anne asked. “You’ve been up all night.”
“I took a nap at the club last night. I’m good for a few hours. I’m more of a catnap person when I’m working a case.”
“You’re leaving?” Nicholas pouted from the edge of the pool.
“Sorry, champ,” I said, walking over to squat. “I’ll do what I can to wrap this case up, though. Promise.”
Kelsey swam over and pulled herself out of the pool, but stayed sitting on the edge with her legs in the water. “How about we make a deal?” she asked Nick, but glanced over at me. “I’ll stay and hang out with you this morning, if you don’t give me crap about working this afternoon. Then Charlie will do the same tomorrow. Deal?”
Nick glanced at her, then at me, waiting to hear my answer first.
“Agreed,” I said holding out my hand between us with my palm facing down.
Kelsey laid her hand on mine.
Nicholas looked at our hands and slapped his on top. “Deal.”
“Now that that’s settled,” Kelsey said. “You and Sara better go get ready.”
“Ready for what?” Nicholas asked.
“Well, the beach, of course,” Kelsey said. “You didn’t think we’d come to Florida and not spend at least one morning at the beach, did you?”
“Really?” Nicholas asked.
“Really.” She reached over and tousled his hair. “Jackson and Tyler found a secure beach for us. And there’s enough bodyguards tagging along that I can focus on beating you in a sandcastle building contest.”
Nicholas scrambled up the side of the pool and started yelling for Sara. “Hurry, Sara. Before Mom changes her mind! We’re going to the beach!”
After the kids ran toward the house, followed by two sopping wet dogs, I looked at Kelsey. “What’s come over you? Two days ago, you were terrified of bringing Nick to Florida. But now you’re taking him to the beach?”
“I can’t stay frozen anymore, waiting for the moment my world will shatter again. It’s not fair to Nick. And it’s not what I want my future to look like. I need to live. Really live.”
I nodded, rubbing her shoulder. “So… A trip to the beach, then?”
“A trip to the beach,” Kelsey said, nodding.
“Sounds about perfect,” Wild Card said, pulling himself out of the pool. “Only one problem.”
Kelsey looked over at him, smirking. “What’s that?”
“I’m going to kick your ass at making sandcastles,” he said before shoving her off the concrete and back into the water. Wild Card jumped up and ran toward the house, laughing.
~*~*~
On my way out the door, I woke Chambers and Gibson. Gibson so he could follow me to the precinct. Chambers so he could head out to the prison to visit Terrance Haines. Bones had already loaded the boxes of files into Wild Card’s rental for me while I dried off Beast. Between Hattie and Aunt Suzanne, I wasn’t sure which one was madder that the dogs and the kids had left puddles of water throughout the house.
As I walked toward the SUV with Beast at my side, Bones opened the driver’s door for me. “You sure you don’t want me to ride along? Mr. Tricky is still out there somewhere.”
“I’m sure. Beast will be with me. Besides, I’ll be surrounded by cops most of the day.”
“What about Spence?” Bones asked as he opened the back door for Beast to do his leap into the seat.
“He’s following me to the station. Then he’s off to do his PI thing.”
“All right. But call me if you leave the station. We should only be at the beach until around noon. Then both Wild Card and I will be free.”
“I’ll call if I need you,” I said as I climbed into the SUV.
Beast leaned forward with one paw on the center console, panting next to my ear. I raised a hand and shoved him gently backward by the snout. He whined, but then hopped over to the open window, sticking his head out. I pulled out of the driveway, turning left onto the street. Spence pulled out behind me.
Arriving at the precinct, I took the last parking spot on the street side. Spence stopped in the middle of traffic, ignoring the blasting of car horns as he waited for me to jog to the precinct doors. I waved a
