Page 88 of The Sandbar saga

"Does Doc—Daddy live all by himself?"

"I think so." Her throat tightened, and she swallowed the raw emotions surfacing.

When they'd moved into her childhood home, she'd driven past his house numerous times looking for another car, another person, and any sign that he'd gotten married. She hadn't seen anything that would clue her in on his personal life.

"Maybe he can live with us. Mommies and daddies live together."

Her head pounded. Callie's innocent suggestion was like a hit over the head with a two-by-four. Turning into the driveway, she changed the subject.

"Don't undo your seatbelt until I turn off the car." She rolled to a stop and shut off the engine.

Hustling Callie out of the car, she held on to her hand, put the towel around her neck, and lugged the pack with her other hand. "Remember to say please and thank you."

"Please and thank you," parroted Callie.

"You, silly girl." She laughed, walking along the path at the side of the house that would lead to the cottage.

As she passed the back corner of the house, Race called her name. She stopped, searching for him, and found him coming from the patio area.

Callie tugged on her hand. She let go.

Race wore a pair of shorts without a shirt. The hair at the center of his chest grayer now than dark brown. His tan legs strode toward her. Dragging her gaze up to his face, her whole body shook. He still was the most handsome man she'd ever seen, and she failed to control her reaction to him.

"Let's go swimming." Callie rushed past him.

Race swung around and caught their daughter around the waist. "Hold up, Callie. Let me talk to your mom."

He met her gaze. "She remembered to ask you about going in the pool?"

"Not exactly." She shrugged. "She put on her suit herself. I told her you might not want—"

"I do." He glanced at Callie. "I bought a pair of those inflatable wings that go around kids' arms, but I thought you might like to stay and help me keep an eye on her in the water. I wouldn't let anything happen to her, but there's safety in numbers and all that."

He was nervous about having Callie near water. She understood that fear. Raising a child who had no hesitation about jumping in over her head, she realized early on that she wanted her daughter to be comfortable and smart around water.

"I...sure. I can stay." She held up the bag. "I also brought over some of her things. A few extra clothes in case she spills or has an accident. Some toys because you probably don't have any here for her. Oh, and there's a copy of her vaccinations, and she's allergic to Penicillin. Also, her doctor's phone number."

"Go ahead and put it in the house." Race turned and walked Callie to the pool, whispering to her.

She opened the sliding door and stared. A flood of memories came back. One of home, comfort, and love.

The Christmas tree in the corner. Her picture on the mantle. Lazy Sundays on the couch watching movies together. Most of all, knowing Race was a constant in her life. All she had to do was look up, and he'd be watching her from the kitchen or talking with her at the table, giving her all the attention her younger self needed.

In the years since she'd been gone, he'd changed nothing inside the house. He still had the wooden furniture with the plaid navy and red print cushions. The three wooden barstools at the island in the kitchen. Next to his chair, he had a stack of books. Psychology books, probably the same ones he always kept there.

She looked at the mantle. Her heart raced, and tears blurred her vision. He still had the picture and frame she'd made him when she was sixteen years old.

Turning away before she started bawling, she noticed a pair of glasses on the end table. She stepped over and picked them up. They were a pair of men's glasses. Those were new.

She inhaled deeply. Whether it was her imagination or reality, she could faintly smell the scent of the Drakkar cologne he always wore when he was going out.

Her stomach fluttered. The urge to go inspect the rest of the house, hoping he hadn't changed anything, was almost too strong to stop.

She set the bag down, putting pieces of her daughter's life in a place she'd called home, and stepped back out of the house.

Race had Callie sitting on the side of the pool. He blew on the inflatable armbands.

Callie kept trying to slip into the water, but Race kept one hand on her stomach to keep her out of the pool.