Page 53 of Derecho

“Come on. You’re going in the water.” I swung my leg over the bench seat, standing as I tugged my shirt off over my head.

“No. No one else even got in.” She crossed her arms, still facing her sister.

“The kids swam.” I laughed. “Well, all except one.”

That got her attention. She turned to me, and I pointed down at her belly. “Can’t let the little guy not get in on the fun. And since you’re the vessel, it does require a little human submarine time on your part.”

“Human submarine?” Lainey looked at me like I’d completely lost my mind.

“You know,” I chuckled, “because the baby will be floating in your belly while you float in the water…”

For a second, I thought maybe the joke wouldn’t land how I’d meant for it to, but Lainey tipped her head back and laughed—so hard she had to hold on to the sides of her belly, which was shaking up and down each time she laughed.

“Alright, easy there, Mama.”

She swallowed, her lips parting softly at my words.

I held out my hand, helping her stand. “Come on. We’ll do it together.” I sighed, unbuckling my jeans.

“Whoa, what’s happening?” Beau asked, laughing.

“I’m not going into the spring wearing my jeans. I have my swim trunks on under here.”

“Careful, Lainey!” Violet called out, walking Connor around the trees. “We’re notorious in this family for the dissolving drawers prank!”

Her eyes went wide as they dropped to look over the neon orange shorts I had on. “These won’t dissolve. Ma got them for me for Christmas a few years ago. Vi’s just being a shit.”

“See you guys later!” Hawk called as he carried Beckett over his shoulder back to their car. “Don’t have too much fun out there.”

“We’re out, too,” Beau declared. “Juniper needs a nap.”

“Connor, too.” Violet waved as she grabbed her beach bag.

“We’ll clear up the food and head back to the house.” Ma smiled, tears in her eyes.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I stepped back from Lainey, my left leg burning as I put too much pressure on it without my cane. I quickly shifted the weight back to my right, hoping no one saw me wince. Should have known better, because Lainey was on the move, wrapping her arm around my back as she slipped the hard wood grip into my hand.

“I just…I’m happy for you.” She looked quickly at Lainey before her hands were back on the table, busy handing Dad the plate of watermelon we’d eaten down to the last three pieces. “Proud of you. It’s nothing. I’m just being a mom. Lainey, these emotions are coming for you. They never stop, either!” Ma laughed, clearing her throat. “You’ll be in your seventies one day with a son in his thirties, and you’ll be crying over seeing him in swim shorts, too. Motherhood is wild.”

“See you two later!” Dad called out as he and Mom disappeared behind the trees. Lainey and I made our way down to the edge of the spring, but she was nervously eyeing the water.

“Let’s go,” I encouraged.

“I…I’m not wearing a bathing suit.”

“You’re wearing…unmentionables…aren’t you?” I asked, my face heating as her lips curved up into a smile.

“Of course.”

“Well, that’s pretty much the same thing. Here. How about I swim out to the middle of the spring and I’ll face away from the edge, so you can get in and not lose your modesty.”

Her bottom lip went between her teeth before she nodded. “Okay. No peeking, though. I look like a hippo right now, and no one needs to be subjected to that.”

“No.”

“No?”

“You look beautiful, Trouble.”