Stages of Grace - By Carey Heywood Page 0,35

the tilapia from the first night. I’m going to have to try and learn what I can from Kate in the kitchen over the next few days. Over dinner, Ryan tells us all about the group he had taken fishing that day. With tourists, he mainly does catch and release. Only the truly serious sport fishermen want to preserve some of their catches. He even has a buddy he could refer them to should they want them mounted for display. I am curious about what he has planned for the next day. Ryan tells me to be ready by nine and to wear my suit. Flashbacks of his hands on my waist make me gulp, causing Kate to glance at me.

Ryan leaves not long after dinner. I clean up after Kate goes to bed and then head to bed myself. I lie there, thinking of my mother and what it must have been like having Kate as a mom and no dad. I wonder what happened to Kate after my mother left. They had lived in Pennsylvania at the time. How had Kate ended up in Florida?

~*~

I wake with a start the next morning, grabbing my phone to see how much time I have to get ready before Ryan arrives. I have two hours. Not thinking Kate is up yet, I take a shower and get dressed. Pulling on my same suit from the day before, I struggle over what to wear over it, settling on some running shorts that dry easily and a white V-neck t-shirt, hopeful the white will reflect the sun. I had packed plenty of sunscreen and wonder if it is too early to apply, deciding to hold off I set the bottle next to my purse before walking out to the kitchen. Kate is up and has just started a pot of coffee when I walk in.

I freeze when I see what she is putting into the oven. Cinnamon rolls, my mother's recipe. I guess the recipe is actually Kate's. I can’t help but feel pulled back to the last time I made them. How excited I had been to do something sweet for Jon and how he had thrown them against the wall. Kate is looking at me. I force a smile and make myself a cup of coffee. We eat by the pool and then Kate leaves to get ready for her knitting club. One of the members will be picking her up around eleven. I am happy that my visit will not make her miss her meeting. She seems to really enjoy her knitting. She had finished the shawl the night before, after dinner. I picked it up from the arm of the loveseat and unfold it. It’s a plum shade of purple and has a diamond-like pattern to it with ribbed edging. I gather it in my arms, saying my own little prayer for whoever will receive it before refolding it and setting it back down.

Ryan comes over not long after Kate's finished getting ready, opening the front door and shouting, “Hullo,” before walking in.

"We're out back," Kate calls out.

Ryan is wearing loose green swim shorts that hang low on his hips and a blue t-shirt. I try hard not to look at his waist.

He checks out what I’m wearing. "Wearing togs under that?"

"Huh?"

"Oh right. Sorry," he says, lifting his arm up to scratch the back of his neck, exposing a bit of his abs. "Your suit."

"Um." I’m trying not to drool. "Yes, I am wearing my suit," I say, lifting my shirt, wondering why his eyes just dilated.

"Ready?"

"Should I put on sunscreen? I have some on my face, but since it isn’t summer, I wasn’t sure about the rest of me."

"Sure, wouldn’t want you to burn."

I go to my room to get the sunscreen and take off my shirt. Once back in the kitchen I ask Ryan if he will help me get my back. He gives me a cheeky grin, motioning with his finger for me to turn around. Ryan starts with my shoulders, almost massaging them as he moves to the back of my neck. I have to control myself from dipping my head back onto him as his long fingers work the lotion in. Ryan squeezes more lotion into his hands before rubbing my arms. My eyes are closed as his hands are on me, but when I open them he is standing right in front of me, holding out the bottle.

I blush when he says, "You