“It’s good to see my brother happy like this. It’s been a while.”
Chrissy had no idea what to say. Instead, when Gunner snatched one of her sandals off the blanket, Chrissy took advantage of the change in subject and helped Bonnie get it out of the boy’s grasp. “Wow, he’s got some seriously strong fingers,” she said with a chuckle.
“No kidding. I’m constantly having to keep him from putting everything in his mouth.” Bonnie pulled his lower lip down just enough to show two white buds on his gums. “He cut these last week, and I think he has two more coming in on top.”
Chrissy watched the two interact for several moments before Gunner started to fuss.
Bonnie handed over the umbrella and stood with the baby in her arms. “That’s my cue. Looks like it’s time to walk around for a while before I go put this guy down for a nap. It was good to visit with you, Chrissy. By the way, nice ink.”
Chrissy automatically put a hand on her tattoo. “Thank you.”
“I hope we see you again later.”
“Me, too.” Chrissy waved and watched them disappear behind some other people. She stretched her legs out in front of her and continued to watch the game.
A half hour later, the other team admitted defeat, and Wyatt’s was declared the winner. After some celebratory pats on the back, Wyatt got a drink out of a large cooler nearby and jogged back to the beach blanket. He collapsed with a groan. “Whew! That was harder than it was last year. I’m getting out of shape.” He took a long drink of his Gatorade then swiped at his forehead with his arm.
Chrissy kept her gaze on the crowd so she wasn’t caught staring at his bare chest. She seriously doubted the guy had ever been out of shape. Thankfully, he pulled his t-shirt back on. “Looks like you all had fun out there.”
“It was a blast. I’m glad you and Bonnie had time to chat. I think you two would get along well.”
“I think so, too. She’s great with Gunner.”
Wyatt nodded and downed the rest of his drink. “Being a nanny is her dream job. I missed having her on the team, though.” He glanced around before lowering his voice. “I’m sure our parents weren’t happy that she brought Gunner with her.”
“Oh? Why’s that?”
“Because they think being a nanny is beneath her.” There was no missing the sarcasm in his voice.
She hesitated, uncertain what to say. “I can’t imagine why. Their daughter is lucky enough to have her dream job, and she’s good at it. You’d think they’d be thrilled.”
“Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way in our family.” Wyatt frowned as he twisted the lid on and off the empty Gatorade bottle. His gaze shifted to Chrissy, and the troubled look on his face faded.
Chrissy searched for something to say that would change the subject. “I keep expecting to see your grandmother here somewhere.”
That brought a smile to his face. “It’s hard for her to get out to the beach, although she will come down for the bonfire tonight. She’s probably playing poker back at the resort.”
Poker? Chrissy realized she was staring in surprise when he chuckled.
“Gran not only likes to play poker, but she and several of my great-uncles and an aunt hold quite the tournament every year. Trust me, we’ll hear about who won later.”
She found the image of Gran playing—and winning—at a poker game amusing. “When I’m that age, I hope to be just like her.”
“We all do.” Wyatt squinted at the sun that was climbing higher in the sky. “What do you say we go back to the resort, find something cold to drink, and cool off a little before the scavenger hunt?”
A trickle of sweat ran down Chrissy’s back. Relaxing in the air conditioning sounded like a great idea. She nodded her agreement.
They gathered everything together and headed toward the resort.
Chrissy glanced at Wyatt, who kept his eyes on their destination. When he said it didn’t work that way in his family, was he only talking about Bonnie? Or was he also referring to something more personal? Did his parents disapprove of Wyatt, too?
It seemed like the more she spent time with Wyatt, the more questions she had about him and his life.
~*~
“Okay, Brody. Put the seashell in Miss Chrissy’s bag.”
Wyatt watched as his young nephew carefully placed the shell with the other items they’d found so far. They’d gathered everything from a bottle cap to a flower, from the shell to a popsicle stick. Actually, there were four popsicle sticks in the bag: one for each of his nieces and nephew. They’d swung by and gotten some to eat while running around outside.
