Simon wrinkled his nose. “I don’t have that much, Mom.”
She smiled at him. “Just teasing.”
“Are you sure we can’t stay just a bit longer?” he asked, both hopeful and resigned. “I want to walk on the beach one more time. I never found a Scotch bonnet.”
“I’m sorry, Simon, but we have to go.” She touched his hand in sympathy, knowing how hard this was for him. “We walked the beach and swam in the pool before breakfast this morning, remember? You were up at dawn to make sure you could play. Now it’s time for vacation to be over.”
Adam dug into his pocket and held out a hand toward Simon. “I know you wanted to find one for yourself, but I picked this up on the beach last winter. Maybe it can hold a place in your collection until you find your own.”
“Oh, wow.” Very carefully, Simon accepted the cream-and-tan-spotted shell, which was almost the size of his fist. He ran a fingertip over the pointed end and into the folded-back opening, then traced the tight swirls on the side. Joanna could see that it was a near perfect specimen of the shell Simon had coveted.
He looked up at Adam. “This is great, Dad. Thank you.”
A muscle twitched in Adam’s jaw, and Joanna speculated that it surprised him to hear himself called “Dad.” She knew it jarred her whenever she heard Simon say it.
“You’re welcome, Skipper. You can add it to that overstuffed bag of souvenirs. Of course, now your mom will have to leave another pair of shoes behind.”
The quip had probably been an attempt to lighten the moment, and it worked. Simon gave a peal of laughter. “The shell’s not as big as a pair of shoes, Dad.”
“Ah. My mistake.”
He met Joanna’s gaze, then looked quickly away. Because of what he’d seen in her expression—or because he wanted to hide whatever she might find in his?
CHAPTER TWELVE
THEY WALKED BACK to the lodge together after breakfast, though Joanna and Maddie left most of their food on their plates. Wanting to give Adam and Simon plenty of time together, Joanna hung back on the path with Maddie, watching as her son skipped ahead, clutching the precious shell in one hand and Adam’s hand with the other. She couldn’t resist lifting her phone and snapping a photo, capturing them just as Adam looked down and Simon looked up to share identical smiles.
“Adam definitely has a hold on Simon, doesn’t he?” Maddie murmured.
Joanna nodded.
“On you both,” Maddie added meaningfully.
Joanna saw no need to respond to that obvious fact.
Maddie’s phone dinged with a text. She glanced at the screen, then slid it back into her pocket.
“Let me guess.” Joanna figured payback was only fair. “Walt?”
Maddie didn’t bother to deny it. “Yes. He told us to have a safe trip back to Atlanta.”
Turning her head to study her sister’s profile, Joanna asked, “Are you going to see him again?”
“Beats the hell out of me. Ball’s in his court now.” Maddie’s sudden laugh was rueful, but sounded genuinely amused. “We’re quite a screwed-up pair, aren’t we, sis?”
Pushing back her hair, Joanna couldn’t help but laugh. “We are that.”
Maddie had brought her bags to Joanna’s suite earlier that morning, so everything was ready to be packed in the car. Adam helped them carry things down, telling Joanna that his job at the resort sometimes included bellhop service as well as the jobs of lifeguard and unicorn-finder. Reminded of the conversations they’d had that week, she smiled, glad he didn’t seem to resent the prickly way they’d parted last night.
He looked around with one hand on the lid of her car’s trunk. “Is that everything?”
“Yes,” she said simply. “That’s it.”
/>
Simon would keep his bag of treasures in the backseat with him. A small cooler filled with fruit and bottles of water was stashed behind the driver’s seat. She could think of no other excuse to delay their departure.
She placed a tender hand on Simon’s shoulder. “We should go, sweetie. Say goodbye, then climb into your booster seat.”