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I glared at him, though the warmth spreading through me betrayed how grateful I was for his help and how pleased I was that my strength and use of my leg were returning under his care.
I celebrated my new flexibility by joining Deacon and Raff on a short trek down to the private cove below the property.
Deacon walked beside me, holding my elbow to keep me from slipping on the gravel path.
Raff sprinted ahead, dragging a foam surfboard towards the gentle breaks.
I settled onto a sandy mound and pulled my long-neglected camera from its bag.
I pressed the viewfinder to my eye, adjusted the focus ring, and took a series of photographs.
Through the glass lens, I captured the joy on our son’s face as Deacon pushed him into a small rolling wave, moving across the water with effortless confidence.
He showed Raff how to track the incoming swell, leaping on his own board with seamless grace before paddling back to steady Raff and guide him through the timing of his launch.
By early afternoon, the breakers dropped, leaving the shoreline calm.
Deacon walked over to my stone perch and extended a hand.
‘With me, beautiful. Let’s get your good foot wet.’
He guided me down the short incline to the damp sand, supporting me with a hand around my waist as the cool tide washed over my good leg.
I kept my waterproof cast raised beside Deacon’s waist while he held me steady.
‘That feels so good,’ I whispered, clutching his midsection with one hand and trailing the other through the water as I savored the sensation of the sea.
When a sudden backwash tugged at my ankle, his hands tightened around my hips.
My hand flew to his neck.
His chest rippled under my palm as his mouth brushed my temple.
‘You okay?’
‘I’ll live.’
His nearness sparked heat beneath my skin.
My breath caught as his eyes met mine.
‘I have you,’ he murmured, his voice reverberating through me, his grip unyielding. ‘You’re not falling.’
I turned to lean back against his torso, tamping down the desire to turn my head and press my lips to his.
When his mouth touched my ear, he whispered, ‘Want to go deeper?’
I shivered at the sensation and the double entendre.
What were we doing?
‘Hey, Mum, come see this giant starfish!’ Raff called, breaking us from our trance.
We turned to look at Raff’s prize, but I couldn’t meet Deacon’s scorching emerald-and-gold gaze.
We stayed on the beach as the sun set.
Deacon spread an expansive rug over the sand, then arranged pillows behind me and my elevation cushion under my leg until I was comfortable.
