“Wee! Dolphin ride,” she announced as he surfaced and stood. “Dunk!”
She threw her weight back into the pool, knocking him off balance. Together, they toppled backward into the water. She let go and swam away.
He came up sputtering this time, his dark hair falling in his face. He shook his head and grinned at her. She loved the way his dark eyes sparkled and danced as he looked at her. He motioned his head toward the shallow end, where Tyson was watching the two of them and laughing.
She nodded. It was time to get the little one.
“SHARK ATTACK!” Dylan yelled as they both rushed the shallow end. Tyson’s eyes went big, and he scrambled to get away, but the two adults had him cornered.
Bonnie got him first. “Om nom nom,” she growled, coming up and tickling his ribs with her fingers. Tyson shrieked with laughter, trying to wiggle away as Bonnie pretended to eat him up. He splashed and kicked until he freed himself, but Dylan was ready for him.
He picked up the boy and waded out into deeper water. Dylan put his hands under Tyson’s arms and threw him into the air. Tyson flew up, and Dylan caught him with a splash just as the boy was to hit the water. Dylan didn’t let the boy’s head go under, but let enough of his body enter the water to make a great big splash.
“Again! Again!” Tyson shouted, his face so full of smile it looked like he was going to split apart at the seams with joy.
Dylan tossed him into the air again, his strong arms flexing with the weight. Tyson screamed with delight as Bonnie moved out to join them in the deeper water.
“Catch Bonnie!” Dylan told her, throwing the boy over the water into her ready hands. She was ready to catch the small boy as he flew over the water to her.
Tyson laughed as a splash of water covered the two of them. “Tyson ball!” Bonnie yelled, using all her strength to toss him the two feet back to Dylan.
Dylan caught him with ease, and the three of them doubled over with laughter. Water, laughter, and smiles filled the air.
This is perfect, Bonnie thought, watching as Dylan made Tyson shriek with delight by throwing him up in the air and catching him as he hit the water. Her heart hurt she was so happy in this moment. She decided she could stay here forever. This was home now. They were home.
Chapter 23
Dylan
“Can I go eat with my friends tonight?” Tyson asked as they neared the cafeteria.
Dylan squeezed the boy’s shoulder. Tyson was helping him with a surprise for Bonnie. “I think that would be fine.”
“Um, sure,” Bonnie agreed. She frowned slightly but shrugged. “Whatever makes you happy.”
“Thanks.” Tyson grinned at the two of them and then attempted a wink to Dylan.
“Get out of here,” Dylan told him with a chuckle. He smiled as the boy ran to catch up with his two bunk-mates. He waved before disappearing inside the building.
“So are we doing something special then?” Bonnie asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows at him.
“What makes you think that?” he replied, feigning innocence.
“Because that was just way too obvious,” she told him. “Tyson can’t keep a secret to save his life. He already told me you have something planned.”
“That little traitor.” Dylan shook his head, but couldn’t help but smile. Tyson was such a good kid. Dylan hadn’t bonded with any of the kids here quite like he had with Tyson. He adored the little orphan, even if the kid couldn’t keep a secret.
“So? What are we doing?” Bonnie asked, nudging his arm with her hand. “I’m hungry.”
He turned and looked at her.
“You sure are beautiful, you know that?” he said.
She raised an eyebrow. “Dylan, my hair is a mess, and I’m not wearing any makeup at all. All of that, on top of the fact that I’m in a wet swimsuit and sweatpants. I hardly think I look beautiful right now.”
She obviously doesn’t know how I see her, he thought.
To Dylan, she looked incredible, despite the fact that she didn’t have makeup on and her hair was a little out of place. He thought she looked just as good without makeup and it wasn’t her hair that he was falling in love with. It was her. She could have been wearing ripped overalls and covered in tractor grease, and he would have felt the same way about her. It was something in her energy, something in her smile. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but whatever it was had him head over heels for her. It was unlike anything he’d experienced in his life.