Page 6 of Between the Lines

She shrugged lightly. “Different circumstances, same feeling. Waking up one day and realizing your body, or your life, or your mind isn’t cooperating with what you think it should be doing. That’s hard.”

Brick nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

They walked in silence for a few beats, the surf whispering in and out, the gulls chasing the water.

“I’m trying not to hover,” Brick said. “But it’s hard. He’s my kid. And I wasn’t there when it happened.”

“You were there as quickly as you could be. And you’re with him now,” Blaise said. “That’s just as important.”

“I know.” Brick exhaled. “Just wish I could do more.”

Blaise reached out and squeezed his hand briefly. Brick’s fingers curled around hers automatically, like it was muscle memory already.

Beau came bounding back, damp and sandy, and shook himself violently, spraying them both.

“Hey,” Blaise protested, laughing as she brushed sand from her leg. “That was rude.”

Brick laughed, too, a real one, and shook his head at her. “That’s your fault. You encouraged him.”

“I did no such thing.”

“You told him he was handsome yesterday.”

“Well, he is,” Blaise said, crouching to rub Beau’s ears. “And clearly feeling full of himself.”

Beau leaned into her touch, obviously unrepentant.

They resumed walking, falling into the same rhythm.

“So,” Brick said with what sounded like deliberate casualness. “You’ve been busy.”

Blaise gave a weary nod. “That’s one way to put it.”

“What’s another?”

“Slightly freaked out,” she said. “Although also occasionally optimistic. And frequently annoyed with myself.”

Brick chuckled. “Sounds productive.”

She sighed. “I’m writing the book I’m trying to sell. My memoirs.”

“I figured.”

Blaise shot him a look. “You did?” She’d mentioned it to him, but she hadn’t said anything recently.

He shrugged. “You get this look. Like your mind is elsewhere. And you mutter.”

“I do not mutter.”

“You mutter.”

Blaise laughed despite herself. “Fine. Maybe a little.”

They walked on, Beau winding in front of them like he was mapping the beach for future trips.

“Well, you know I’ve been making inquiries,” she continued. “To various publishers. Cece’s been such a help.”

“She’s nice,” Brick said. A high compliment.