Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 90098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90098 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“I’m tired, Dad,” I heard Alvin complain.
“I know, small fry, but I think you wanna see this. We’re at the ocean, and the sun is coming up.”
That caused a reaction. Alvin stiffened a little and cracked his eyes open as much as he could. His eyelids looked heavy.
“We’re here?”
I smiled.
“I can smell it!” The kid sat up straighter and blinked, as if trying to shake the cobwebs of sleep. “It smells so salty!” He accepted his glasses from Ben and put them on.
“Come see for yourself.” Ben eased out of the truck and extended a hand.
Alvin wasn’t interested in the hand. He scrambled out on his own, eyes growing larger and larger.
“Morning, bud.” I gestured at the path between two sandbanks. “Right this way.”
“Oh my God,” Alvin breathed. Then he took off in a sprint. “Is it deep?”
“No, it’s very shallow in this area,” I said, following.
Ben did the same, and we ran after.
Damn, the kid was fast. We only caught up because Alvin stopped to kick off his shoes before he was on the move again. Running, pulling up his sweats as he went, and tugging off his socks.
“Look at all those sandbanks and tide pools!” he called.
He slowed down as he reached the water’s edge, and with the first baby wave rolling in over his feet, he grew confident enough to stride out there. And it was the most precious fucking sight. Ben and I came to a stop, and we just watched him.
Alvin turned out to be the sweetest giggler. He bent down and touched the water, and he kicked at it a little.
“It’s so warm!”
Sure, compared to Lake Michigan.
I’d wait for the sun to heat up the depths before I joined him.
Ben threaded our fingers together, and I squeezed his hand, knowing I’d never been this happy before. I lost my fucking words, and a Kalecki never lost his words.
“I’m gonna explore every tide pool,” Alvin swore. “Dad, the sand is so soft.”
I grinned and glanced up at my man. “It’s gonna be hell to get him to leave every day.”
He chuckled wryly. “I was just thinking the same thing. Good thing we’re coming back.”
Yeah. At this rate, even I was going to be a Florida fan soon, and that was scary.
I inhaled deeply and looked out over the horizon as the sun climbed higher and higher, painting the sky in pinks, purples, and oranges.
“I’m in the ocean, I’m in the ocean,” Alvin snickered happily.
He was too damn sweet, literally trying to caress the water, his hand ghosting along the surface.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, so I pulled it out to see a response from Ma.
Okay, good! We will be there with breakfast at eight. Tell Ben we’ll bring Ziggy! Can’t wait to see you, sweetie. Kisses!
I smiled and showed Ben the screen.
He smiled too, and he pulled me close and kissed the side of my head.
It was gonna be an awesome vacation.