Sea Glass Inn (27 page)

Pam turned her sketch pad so it was horizontal and separated the large page into several panels with light strokes of her pencil. She drew an outline of the cove in each square. The pine-covered bluff, the distant lighthouse, the jagged basalt formations.

“I guess I shouldn’t have been so worried about him drowning,” Mel said.

Pam glanced at Mel. She sat low in her folding chair, one long leg draped over its canvas arm. An interior design magazine was propped open on her lap, and her mouth curved in a half smile. Pam reached out and rubbed her hand along Mel’s thigh. She loved the lack of interruption between desire and action. Loved being able to touch Mel, hold her hand, kiss her so freely, with no need to hide or suppress her desire. Loved the way Mel’s smile deepened at her caress.

With effort, Pam shifted her attention to the beach in front of them. Danny lay on his stomach on the hard-packed sand. He braced his arms and swung up to a crouched position on the surfboard and then stood with his knees bent.

“He’ll be in the water soon enough,” Pam said as Danny repeated the motion several times. She felt a pleasant rush of pride as she watched how fluid his movements were. “He’s a natural. See? There they go.”

Danny turned and waved before he picked up the surfboard and waded into the water with his instructor. Mel waved back and then took hold of Pam’s hand where it rested on her leg.

“Ouch,” Pam said. Mel appeared at ease, but she tightened her grip on Pam’s hand as they watched Danny visibly struggle against the incoming waves. “Honey, I can either hold your hand or draw Danny’s lesson. Not both.”

Mel hesitated. “Draw,” she said, releasing Pam. “But tell me again how safe this is.”

Pam shook her fingers to get the blood flowing again. “It’s very safe. Danny is an excellent swimmer, and Jeff is a great instructor.

I’ve known him for years, and I wouldn’t have recommended this if I didn’t believe Danny would be okay.” Pam wanted to reassure herself as much as Mel. She had grown so close to Danny over the past months, since she and Mel had told him they were together. Pam already felt like part of their family. No, she already
was
part of their family. She watched Danny paddle toward the shore with a wave.

“Besides, look how much fun he’s…oh, well, everyone falls a few times before they figure out how to balance.”

Mel gave a small gasp, but it turned into a relieved-sounding laugh as Danny’s head resurfaced behind the wave. “Be sure you draw a picture of him falling, but don’t you dare tell him I laughed.”

Pam looked at the paper in front of her. She still felt a brief hesitation before each new drawing or painting. A moment of worry, followed by a breath of relief and wonder as the picture in her mind poured onto the page or canvas. Maybe she’d always feel this way, with each new creation. She didn’t mind. Somehow it seemed right, seemed fitting to appreciate what it meant to paint because she knew what it meant when the painting stopped. Art had been effortless when she was younger, and she had hoped to find her way back to that place of ease and simplicity. But the moment of struggle only added dimension and depth to the process.

Today was meant to be fun, though. No deep artistic con templation necessary. Mel laughed as Danny flipped off his surfboard again. He popped back to the surface and waved at them with no sign of embarrassment or concern before he climbed on the board once more. Pam quickly filled in each panel with a picture of him, in the style of the graphic novels he loved. She drew him practicing on the beach, lying prone as he paddled through the waves, toppling off the board when he met his first wave. And, because he was his mother’s son and wouldn’t give up until he succeeded, a picture of him riding a wave all the way to shore.

Mel cheered as Danny returned to sea for another ride, a big grin on his face. “See?” Mel said, leaning over to give Pam a kiss. “I told you everything would be all right.”

THE END