Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88220 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 441(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 294(@300wpm)
Beau
March 2024
“I can’t anymore,” I called. “I’m gettin' old and y’all are bigger. You tired me out.”
“No, you aren’t, Paw,” Fisher said, swimming like a bullet toward me, outpacing West and Hunter. The current trick I was performing—like a trained circus animal—was hurling each one sky-high with their professional-grade life jackets on. They added arm floaties for additional security. Each one landed in the ocean, barely breaking the surface, instantly popping out of the water.
I swear, it felt like I was juggling them for hours, not the twenty minutes max that we’d been out there. It had been a while since we’d visited the beach together. Now, I remembered why.
Fisher reached me, crawling up my body with monkey-like determination. “One more time, Paw. Throw me the highest!” The same words he’d said every time he made it into my arms. “Throw me so high I reach the birds so I can fly away too.” His palms came to my cheeks, turning my eyes to see him. “But I’ll come back and find you.”
“Good.” I held him by his torso, feeling the adrenaline pumping through his body. His grin was bigger than his mouth could support.
I launched him in the air like a human cannonball. With no fear, he sailed through the sky before making a splashdown into the water. Hunter got to me next.
“Last time,” I said and hurled him up. He weighed more than Fisher and didn’t go quite as high before falling into the water. West followed, the biggest of the three, he barely made it above my head this time.
Before any of them could catch me again, I waded to shore where the girls sat in the surf, hanging out together.
My cell phone issued its highest volume shrill ringtone, everyone in Sea Springs had to have heard it. Mia darted up, running toward the umbrella to answer.
“Paw! It’s Daddy,” she screamed into the receiver. She had to have blown his eardrums. Her face crinkled, probably being lightly scolded by Dash. “I’m sorry for yelling in your ear, Daddy. I got excited because we miss you, and Paw was racing for the phone,” she said, running the phone to me. “I told him I was sorry for yelling in his ear.” Again, Mia shouted directly into the microphone. “He says he misses everybody, and he’ll be home tomorrow…”
I took the phone from her.
“Hello, did she yell in your ear twice?” I asked.
“I learned my lesson and moved the phone away until you said hello.” Dash was always learning and adjusting.
Me, not so much. I made it to the umbrella, glancing back to make sure the boys had made it to the girls.
Maybe not the best plan. Ava knocked Fisher to the ground who was laughing uproariously. “Paw,” Ava called, “he kicked the castle Livie was making! It had a third floor.”
“I didn’t kick it,” Fisher said in a way that made me believe he might be telling the truth. The laughter said something else altogether.
“Hold your ears,” I said and gave Dash about a second to do so. Duke and Dixie, asleep close to my chair, lifted their ears in the spot they’d claimed on the beach once the fun day wore them out. “Give me a minute to talk to your dad, and leave the girls alone, Fisher.”
“What’re you doing?” Dash asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
“We came to the beach when everyone got through with their Saturday activities. The girls are workin’ on Girls Scout badges that they didn’t want me around for, and the guys are actively breakin’ their spirit, so nothin’s new here,” I answered, taking a seat in my beach chair. The instant shade cooled me down.
“You went to the beach without me? I’m coming home tomorrow,” Dash said, dejectedly.
Since my guy had become a weekly traveler, my life had turned into a chore. Not awful, but I now better understand why people were shocked about us having six children in six years. Exhaustion was a daily part of my life. I was ready for a nap.
“You promised to discuss bein’ gone for more than three days at a time,” I answered matter of fact, digging around in the side pocket of my chair for my sunglasses. “You’re slidin’ into a consistent four days gone. This is five. I haven’t had sex in six days, which means you’re busy all mornin’ and night tomorrow. What if the next time you decide not to come home for seven days? You need to store me up. Can you handle three times tomorrow?”
“Ha ha,” Dash said, instantly defensive of his sexual prowess. “You’re not funny.”
“Ha, ha. It’s funny because it’s true,” I tossed back.
“It’s not true. Far from funny, and we’ll see how long it takes you to sit comfortably when I’m done with you,” he boasted. “I’ll be home more after this trip. So are you picking me up in the morning?" Dash asked.