glanced up and tracked his every step. With the sandcastle forgotten, Ben closely watched as Bull opened his chair next to Janet and found a spot under the shade of the umbrella. He knew Ben well enough to know it was worry and not jealousy triggering his vigilant watch.
“She’s his mom,” Bull signed.
“Is she mad at me?”
He responded with a headshake. “She’s happy. Keep building.”
The smile on Ben’s face made Bull’s heart skip a beat. With renewed determination, Ben stood and filled the bucket with more water before returning to his spot on the sand to resume construction.
“You love him.”
Bull swallowed heavily as he stared at Ben, not responding to Janet’s observation. He was so far gone for the man he couldn’t hide it and didn’t bother trying.
“You’ve got the entire staff buzzing about him.”
“Why’s that?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. He knew better than to fuel staff gossip. They were a fiery bunch and needed little to spark their imagination.
Turning her head toward him, she pulled her sunglasses down. “Oh c’mon. You’re like this social magnet everyone’s drawn to when you enter a room, but you’ve never crossed that line with a single person here. Even though I’ve heard some interesting stories about guests and staff offering themselves up to you.”
“Is that right?” He bit back a smile.
Janet sighed as she stared out at her son and Ben in the sand. “Everyone’s curious about the person who finally cast a spell on you.”
You’re looking at him.
“He’s really sweet.”
Sweet and sexy as hell.
They quietly sat and watched the two build their castle in the sand. Each time Ben retrieved another bucket of water, he somehow steered Wyatt a few more steps away from the rising tide and closer to the drier beach where there was less risk of the tide destroying their sand creation. They now had a multi-tier structure with a few towers decorated with seashells and seaweed.
Wyatt stood and darted over to them like a rocket. “Mom! Mom, did you see?” He spoke quickly, his words rolling into each other as he recapped every detail of the process, all while Ben remained in his spot, carving out windows and the top edge of the castle’s tower.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Wyatt shrugged. “I don’t think he wants to be my friend.”
Bull cleared his throat, prying his eyes away from the flex in Ben’s forearms as he reached over the sand structure. “Hey, Little Man. I’m pretty sure he wants to be your friend.” He leaned forward in the chair, hoping to keep Wyatt’s attention.
“But he doesn’t talk to me.”
“Do you know his name?”
“Ben.”
“And how do you know that if he didn’t talk to you?”
“Because he wrote it in the sand.”
“That was his way of talking to you. Did you know he can’t hear you?”
Wyatt’s features twisted. “But he knows what I’m saying.”
Bull pulled down the front bill of Wyatt’s hat. “He reads lips.”
Wyatt’s eyes rounded. “Like the TV show where the spy was on a mission to save Earth?”
“Ben’s not trying to save the world. He’s trying to be your friend.”
Wyatt beamed.
“It’s important to look at him when you’re talking to him. That way, he can read your lips. Okay?”
“Okay!” He wasn’t sure how, but that missing-tooth smile got bigger.
“Hold on a second,” Bull said, stopping Wyatt before he ran off to rejoin Ben. Reaching into the small cooler, he pulled out a bottle of water. “Please give this to Ben.”
With another smile and yelled “okay” over his shoulder, Wyatt ran off with the water bottle in hand.
They watched as Wyatt handed Ben the water, said something, and then fist-bumped him before retaking his seat in the sand.
Ben glanced over at them. He tipped the bottle toward Bull before taking a sip.
“How do you sign thank you?” Janet asked, tearing her attention away from them in the sand. After showing her the sign, she looked back at Ben and relayed a thank-you to him.
Ben slowly pulled down his sunglasses. Even from a distance, Bull could see the emotion filling Ben’s expression as he shook his head and signed a thank-you in return. Wyatt tugged on Ben’s arm, stealing his attention back toward their growing castle.
“I think I got the sign wrong.”
“You didn’t. He was emphasizing the you, thanking you for letting him spend time with Wyatt.”
A laugh cut through the sound of crashing waves.
Janet slowly raised a hand to her chest, her exhale escaping her with a tremble at the sound of Wyatt’s laughter.
“Bull…”
“Yeah?”
“I might steal Ben from you.”
Not