Love on Beach Avenue (The Sunshine Sisters #1) - Jennifer Probst Page 0,65
like kids. They’re honest and pure with their intentions. I like the way they look at the world without blinders.”
She tilted her head. “I guess I figured you’d find them messy, emotional, and a bit inconvenient.”
His rich laugh made her belly drop. “Sometimes. But the good outweighs the bad. I love the way all three of you banded together to support Zoe after her dad died. I know his death will always affect her, but she’s a happy, vibrant little girl.”
Her heart softened. He seemed to always be surprising her. “I think we were all lucky to have one another. Just like Ally was lucky to have you.”
Surprise flickered over his face, but before he had a chance to respond, Zoe came rushing back up to the blanket, her little hands full of shells. “Look what I got! Mommy says when I bring home a unique shell, it can go in the garden, but we can’t have any of the sames,” she babbled. “Can you help me find the good ones?”
“Definitely. Here, let me take them so you can eat your peach first. Looks like you got sandy all over again, princess.” He transferred the shells to her pail of water, grabbed a clean towel, and dusted off her fingers. Zoe ignored her Sofia the First beach chair and plopped her tiny butt next to Carter.
Smiling, Avery handed her the peach and juice box, watching while they chatted away and Carter began sifting through the various shells. The warmth and genuine interest on his face told her there was no pretense. He wasn’t trying to show off to get Avery into bed. This was a man who knew how to relate to kids and owned who he was. What a beautiful surprise.
A stirring in her gut rose up and crashed over her like a wave. Her dream of a future husband and father had always been a misty fragment of perfection—a list of black-and-white traits on paper that added up to a man worthy of her. But right now, a longing clawed to the surface, and the only sharp image in her vision was Carter Ross.
Shaken, she buried her thoughts and focused on the moment. It was a beautiful day at the beach, and she rarely got time off. For today, she’d have fun and soak in every ray of sunshine. Gabe was on call for emergencies if Taylor needed him, her phone was switched to silent, and the hours stretched before her like a gift.
Carter seemed to sense her shift of energy. They picked out their shells, Zoe finished her peach, and he stood up. “Ready to jump some waves, ladies?” he asked, extending both of his hands.
Zoe bounded up and grabbed at his fingers. “Yes! But not too far, because the water tastes yucky.”
“I’ll keep you safe. Avery? Ready to jump?”
She froze. The words stirred in the hot air with a much deeper meaning. His gaze dared her to join them. Her hesitation was brief, but enough to show her next actions weren’t done on impulse.
She stood up and took his other hand.
Their gazes locked. His grip tightened with a searing warmth and security that made her soul sigh. His slow smile made her heart swell, and she smiled back, a lighthearted happiness flowing through her body.
“Let’s go,” she said.
They ran down, hand in hand, to the shore.
The next hours passed in a joyous blur. At first, the shock of the freezing water hitting her bare skin stole her breath and her nerve. Carter and Zoe called out encouraging words, and eventually her body adjusted to the frigid temperature, and she waded in to her waist. The classic game of jumping waves brought her back to her childhood days with her sisters, when every weekend was spent in the water until their skin pruned and they shivered with cold. Then they’d wrap themselves up in towels and sit together, watching the vast expanse of beach where ocean met sky.
Carter kept Zoe high in his arms, careful to watch every incoming wave for intensity so the little girl never got a mouthful of water or sand. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and she squealed in delight. Emotion hit Avery while she watched them together, wishing Bella could find a man for her and Zoe to love, and wondering if Carter had snuck up to snatch all the secret parts in her heart she didn’t realize she had.
Too soon, the hour grew late, and they began to pack up.