Page 42 of The Sailor

“Seven and nine,” Zach confirmed.

“I’m twelve. And taller than them.” Then he perked up. “But I’m not that much heavier than they were. That’s what Linc says.”

“That’s right. So forget about your age or weight. Concentrate on your foot placement and getting across. That’s all you need to do,” Zach assured him.

“What if I get tired?” Kash asked Linc.

Zach noticed for the first time that the boy looked at Linc as if he hung the moon. He drank in every word of encouragement that left Linc’s lips. It was obvious the boy had a bit of hero worship going on. Something that Zach had himself when it came to his brother. He was one of the most humble and brave men he’d ever had the pleasure of knowing.

“Then when you get to the platform, you ham it up. Play to the crowd. Make a stupid heart out of your hands. Smile and wave to the spectators. Lean over and pull up your socks. Stretch. Anything that will give you a moment to take a breath.”

Kash nodded solemnly, taking in every word Linc told him as if it was gospel. Then he turned to Marit. “Your turn!” he said excitedly.

“Oh joy,” she mumbled, but she smiled at the boy. “No laughing when I fall,” she told him.

Zach was doing his best not to stare at Marit. She had on a perfectly modest one-piece suit. Well, he thought it was one piece. It was possible it was a tank top with a bottom thing. He didn’t know what women called them. All he knew was that she was just as sexy with all her private bits covered as she’d been naked as the day she was born in his bed last night.

But his attraction to her was more than just because of her looks. It was the way she spoke to Kash. How she seemed to understand that he had low self-esteem and did her best to lift him up. How she didn’t talk down to him.

“All right, what tips do you have for me?” she asked the boy as she walked toward the shore.

As she and Kash talked strategy, Zach’s mom sidled up next to him.

“She’s pretty,” she said with a little grin.

Zach rolled his eyes. “Don’t start, Mom.”

“What? I’m just saying.”

“Just because Chad and Britt got engaged, and she’s pregnant, doesn’t mean I’m going to follow suit.”

“I know. But . . . son, I’ve never seen you look at a woman the way you’re looking at Marit right now.”

For a second Zach was appalled, thinking his mom could see the lust in his eyes. Then she went on.

“You like her. I mean, really like her. You aren’t just with her for sex.”

“Mom! Stop!” Zach pleaded. He couldn’t talk about sex with his mom. He learned all about the birds and the bees from his brothers. Although, there was that one time when his mom had come home with a box of condoms and handed it to him before dinner, as if she was giving him a can of shaving cream. It had been horrifying and mortifying.

All she’d said was, “Make sure you use those if you feel the need to have sexual relations.”

His dad had simply chuckled, enjoying his son’s discomfort.

“All right, all right. But . . . for the record . . . I like her.”

Zach simply shook his head. His mom. He loved her more than anything, but she was as transparent as a piece of glass. She wasn’t satisfied with Chad and Britt giving her a grandbaby. She wanted more.

“All right, I’m going for it!” Marit called out, looking back to where Zach was standing on the pebbled shore with his mom.

“You got this!” he encouraged. “Be careful though, it’s pretty shallow here near the shore.”

“Are you hinting that I’m going to fall after the first crate?” she asked a little grumpily, putting her hands on her hips.

Zach held up his hands in capitulation. “No, no, no. Just sayin’.”

“Whatever,” Marit muttered. She looked at Kash. “Ready?”

“Ready!” the boy said eagerly, with a huge smile on his face.