Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

A ndrea looked around her beach house the next morning, making sure everything was in order before Dean arrived. The sound of the waves crashing outside her window was a soothing background melody, and she couldn't wait to spend the day with him. She had packed simple food for their beach picnic, including a variety of sandwiches, fresh fruit, and some homemade cookies.

It was finally full summer, so the public beach area was already crowded. The beach behind her place, however, sat empty. She missed watching people come and go after the laws had changed and the public wasn't supposed to use the beach in front of her house. She had put up signs telling beachgoers that they could enjoy her beach if they wanted. Sometimes people did, and they often waved at her or left her gifts and tagged her place in photos.

Today, the weather was perfect and she was looking forward to some relaxation and fun with Dean.

It was just before noon when Dean knocked on her door. She'd changed outfits at least a dozen times and had finally settled on a black-and-white striped bikini with a flowing white coverup. She'd braided her hair in one long braid that lay over her left shoulder and had added her sunhat to her beach bag.

Dean was dressed pretty much like he always was at work during the day. Board shorts, flip-flops, and a camp T-shirt. His hair had grown a little longer and was flopping in his eyes when she opened the door.

"Looks like you need a haircut," she teased.

He chuckled. "Yeah, it was on my list to do today. I'd much rather be spending it on the beach. I need a day off."

She motioned for him to step inside. "We can head out the back. I've packed us a lunch."

"I brought the drinks." He held up a small cooler.

"Perfect." She grabbed her beach bag and the cooler that held their lunch and snacks.

"What can I carry?" he asked her as they stepped outside on the deck.

"This," she said as she handed him one of the bags she had packed. She grabbed her beach chairs and umbrella from the back deck as they made their way down the long staircase that led to the beach far below.

They walked down to the beach, the white sand warm beneath their feet. The teal waters glistened under the midday sun, inviting them in. They set up the umbrella and chairs at the edge of the wet sand, creating a small oasis for themselves.

She spread out the towels and pulled out the lunch she had packed then pulled off her coverup. Dean pulled off his camp shirt, and they settled into their chairs.

"I've missed just chillin' on the beach," he said. While she pulled out food, he added, "The food looks great." Dean shifted his feet in the sand.

"Thanks," Andrea replied, passing him a sandwich and a bag of chips.

While they ate, the conversation flowed easily between them. She felt so comfortable around him that she opened up about the recent pressure her mother and sister had been putting on her to find a different job.

"They just don't get it," she said, after finishing her sandwich. "I love what I do here. I love River Camps. But they think I should be doing something more ‘prestigious.' They even tried to talk me into opening my own place. Like I have that kind of money lying around." She rolled her eyes.

Dean frowned. "You're amazing at what you do. Don't let them make you feel like you're not. Don't let them dictate what makes you happy."

"Thanks. What about your mom? Does she pressure you to move on from the camp?" she asked, appreciating his support more than she could express. Still, it felt foreign, and she felt an urge to move on quickly.

Being around him made every part of her body heat. He'd always done that to her. Even more now that she knew what he tasted like.

"No." He chuckled. "If anything, she keeps worrying that I'll quit River Camps."

She frowned. "You're not thinking of quitting, are you?"

"No." He shook his head. "My mother just enjoys access to the grounds and doesn't want to lose it."

"Which reminds me, she has made it very clear to me that I am never to schedule you as her massage therapist." She grinned. "Something my sister and mother have no problem with, just as long as they get the family discount."

He chuckled. "I gave my mother one lousy backrub when I was ten, back when she pinched her shoulder." He rolled his eyes. "But yeah, I agree with her. You and Kara can handle my family."

They were both done with their lunches, so they tossed their garbage into the bag she'd brought along and decided to cool off in the water.

They walked over the hot sand and stepped into the cool shallow water. In less than a month, during the height of summer, the water would be warm enough that she wouldn't even shiver, but now she had to focus not to vibrate or turn around and head back to the sand. All of the tourists thought the temperature was perfect. Tourists, she thought with a grin, often wore swimsuits in December down here.

"The water is still chilly," he said, taking her hand. "Once we get in, we'll get used to it."

"Tourists think it's so warm." She shook her head.

"Tourists." He scoffed and had her laughing.

"Right?" she agreed. "I'm cold when it dips below seventy-eight."

"I can go as low as seventy-five, then I need a sweatshirt." He laughed.

He was right. A few moments after they'd both jumped all the way in, the water felt fine and they floated and played in the surf like they had done all of their lives.

They talked about the event the previous night. About her sister. About his sister. She'd never really dated someone who had been a friend before. They knew so much about one another, it was odd to think that they still had so many things to talk about.

They had just decided to get out of the water to grab some drinks when a panicked shout echoed down the beach. Andrea's head snapped up to see a woman frantically waving her arms, screaming for help.

Two small boys were struggling in the water a few yards directly out from the woman. The kids were obviously caught in a rip current and being pulled out to deeper waters quickly.

Beside her, Dean didn't even hesitate. He ran towards the kids before she could even react. She quickly followed him down the beach to where the mother stood, her heart pounding in her chest.

"Stay here, I'm the better swimmer," Dean called to her as he dove into the deeper waves, swimming powerfully towards the boys.

He was right. Even though she was an excellent swimmer in a swimming pool, she never really went out deep in the Gulf. The currents scared her too much. She always wore a life vest when she went paddleboarding. Always.

She knew that all during high school and for a few years after, Dean had been a part-time lifeguard at the beach just down the road.

Andrea stayed along the shore and watched anxiously with the mother as Dean reached the first boy. For a split second he struggled, but then he started swimming sideways down the beach to get out of the strong current.

When he got closer, she jumped in and met him in the shallow water and pulled the small boy to safety while Dean rushed back in for the second child. She ran, carrying the little boy's limp body from the water. He was wearing bright yellow SpongeBob SquarePants swim trunks. Her mind kept focusing on that instead of how pale and blue he looked.

She laid him on the dry sand and immediately checked if he was breathing and for a pulse before starting CPR.

"Come on, come on," she muttered. She started compressions, counting out loud with each deliberate motion, then breathed into his mouth when she reached thirty. "One, two," she thought with each breath she gave him. She stopped to listen as she felt for a pulse again. When she heard gurgling noises coming from the child's chest, she sat the boy up and pounded on his back several times.

Finally, the boy coughed, water spluttering from his mouth along with chunks of food as he threw up in the sand.

She breathed a sigh of relief as he started to cry for his mother. His mother had been kneeling beside the boy, watching Andrea as she'd worked, and took him into her arms as she cried and thanked her.

Remembering that Dean was still out in the water, she jumped up and glanced around. Dean was so far out in the water, he was only a dot. She could tell he was fighting the current to reach the second boy. She watched, her heart in her throat, as he struggled against the rip current.

Would he reach the second boy in time? She held her breath as she kept her eyes glued on both of them.

Finally, Dean reached the boy and once again started swimming sideways along the shoreline until they were out of the pull of the rip current. She met him in the deeper water when they finally got close.

"Is he?" she asked, helping Dean stand up in the waist-deep water.

"He's breathing. Shallow." Dean coughed up some water. "He was fighting like hell and thankfully a good swimmer, but passed out when I finally reached him," Dean said between heavy breaths. "Is the younger one okay?" he asked, motioning to the other child.

"Yeah, thank god for CPR training," she said as she helped him carry the larger boy's unconscious body to shore once they were in ankle-deep water.

By the time they had carried the boy to safety, into his waiting family's arms, help had arrived.

The coastguard and police took over with the children. They wanted to take both boys to the hospital to be checked out. The mother was in tears, thanking Andrea and Dean over and over.

"I just looked away for a moment," the mother had sobbed to them. "They were pulled away from me so quickly. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Andrea put a comforting arm around her. "It's okay. They're going to be okay," she assured her and then watched as the family was shuffled into the back of a truck and taken off the beach to a waiting ambulance.

After talking to the authorities and giving their statements, Andrea and Dean headed back up the beach towards her house. They were both exhausted, but there was a quiet satisfaction in knowing they had helped save those boys.

"How often does that happen here?" Dean said as they sat on the back deck sipping beers an hour later.

"Too often," she admitted. "I've lived here almost five years. I've witnessed it more than a dozen times just on this small patch of beach." She motioned to the view. "What gets me is the idiots who come down here to watch a hurricane and jump in the water."

"Or the ones that go in on a double-red-flag day," Dean added. "There are signs everywhere telling tourists what the different colored flags mean."

"Double red flag. Don't even put your toe in the water." She sighed.

"Still, when people come here, they think because they spent money on a rental place that Mother Nature will pause for them." He leaned back in his chair. "That family got really lucky today."

She nodded and watched the water for a moment before turning towards Dean. "You were amazing out there."

Dean shrugged, but she could see that there was a glint of pride in his eyes. "We did what we had to do."

Andrea reached out and took his hand. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me." He squeezed her hand gently. "You were pretty amazing too."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, watching the waves gently lap against the shore. The sun was beginning to set, casting a golden glow over the water. How had she lost track of time? It had been so easy to just hang out with him. All those hours they'd spent talking, not once had she felt awkward. Nor had their conversation dipped for a moment.

"Do you ever think about the future?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

Dean looked at her, his expression thoughtful. "Sometimes. I think about my sister a lot. About what life will be like for her after…everything."

Andrea nodded, understanding the unspoken words. "She's lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one," Dean said softly. "She's my rock, even when she's the one who needs me."

Andrea felt a lump form in her throat as she thought of her own sister. Amy and Sophia were like night and day.

What would she be like if she'd had a sister like Sophia instead? How would her life have been different?

"You're a good brother," she added as she sipped her beer.

"And you're a good friend," he replied, reaching over and squeezing her hand again. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

She felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "I'm glad we have each other."

They sat in silence again, the sound of the waves and the distant call of seagulls filling the air. The sky was now a brilliant canvas of oranges, pinks, and purples, and Andrea couldn't help but feel a sense of peace.

"I've always loved it here," she said quietly. "The beach, the water, the sunsets. It's like a little piece of paradise."

Dean nodded. "It is. And it's even better with you."

Andrea turned to look at him, her heart skipping a beat at the sincerity in his eyes. "Dean…"

He leaned in, closing the distance between them. "Andrea, I…"

Before he could finish, a loud cheer erupted from a group of people further down the beach, breaking the moment. They both laughed, the tension dissipating.

"Guess we're not the only ones enjoying the sunset," Andrea said, smiling.

Dean chuckled. "Guess not."

"How about we grill some bratwurst?" she said when she felt her stomach growl.

"I could eat." He sighed. "What can I do to help?"

For the next few moments, they gathered everything they needed from inside. Dean stood at her grill, turning the brats while she made a quick salad and cut some fruit for them to enjoy.

They ate out on the deck, chatting and laughing until the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in deeper shades of blue and purple. As the first stars began to appear, Andrea felt a sense of contentment she hadn't felt in a long time.

Standing up, she walked over to the railing and looked out at the vast dark sky filled with twinkling lights. The half-moon hung high overhead, letting off enough light that the white sandy beach almost glowed.

"Let's make a pact," she said suddenly, turning towards Dean. He'd moved to stand just behind her.

"A pact?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," she said. "If we continue"—she shook her head—"with whatever you want to call it…"

"Trist? Fling? Liaison? Affair?" he offered with a grin.

She smiled. "If we have a summer affair, no matter what happens between us, if this goes somewhere or not, we'll still be this to one another. We'll always have this…"

Dean smiled, his eyes filled with warmth. "Easiness between us?"

She nodded, feeling the lump in her throat.

"Agreed." He moved closer. "Shall we seal this…pact?" His eyes dipped to her lips.

She nodded and felt her heart skip in her chest as Dean's smile grew.

This kiss held more passion and meaning than any that had come before. His arms circled her, and he held onto the railing behind her. She trembled at the thought of him touching her.

She felt hopeful and excited for what was to come, though fear that being with him would somehow damage her kept her on her toes. She didn't want to think about the scar he'd leave her for the rest of her life if things turned bad. Like the many tattoos she had covering her body, being with Dean was going to leave a mark.

Time would tell if it was for the best or if she was going to regret the scars and need to cover them like she often did.

For now, for the first time in a long time, the future didn't seem so uncertain. With Dean, she felt like anything was possible.