Page 58 of The Hook Up
The joy in the kids’ eyes was enough to melt Ty’s heart. “Where do we start?”
“Let’s find a table and put our stuff down,” Ellie said. “Maybe someplace close to the bathrooms.”
Ty nodded, amazed that she always seemed to think of everything. She wore a conservative red one-piece that tied behind her neck, showcasing those gorgeous collarbones and the swell at the tops of her breasts. It wasn’t flashy or revealing, but something about the modesty of the suit made it even more appealing. God, she was beautiful. Her blond hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, and she wore some kind of flowy skirt thing knotted at one hip.
She caught him staring at her and smiled. “What?”
“You’re amazing.” He cleared his throat, hoping that didn’t sound too sentimental. “I’m glad you agreed to let me film you.”
“Thanks for helping me with my camera shyness,” she said. “And I’m glad you brought us here. This looks fun.”
Itdid. If someone had told Ty six months ago that he’d be giddy about hanging out at a family-friendly water park, he would have laughed his ass off. But he’d looked forward to this getaway all week.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s grab a table.”
They made their way to the other side of the space, headed for an empty table between the two locker rooms. Ellie set down her beach bag, while Ty began unpacking his video equipment. He’d decided to keep things simple, skipping the lighting and just working with a small handheld camera. If they got the job, he’d bring out all the best stuff from his studio. He’d hire real models, too, though it was hard to imagine any mother/son duo more adorable than Ellie and Henry.
While the two of them chatted beside him, Ty glanced around, assessing the lighting and deciding what would look best on camera. Small kids laughed and shrieked with joy as their parents chased them through sprinklers. So this is what a happy childhood looked like.
“You hafta take your shirt off.”
Henry’s small voice startled Ty at first, and he looked down to see the six-year-old regarding him with a serious expression. “Boys don’t wear shirts at the pool,” Henry advised him. “Only girls do, because they hafta cover up their boobies.”
“Breasts,” Ellie said. “We use proper words for body parts, remember?”
“Breasts,” Henry repeated, nodding.“Come on, Mommy. Take off your skirt, and Ty takes off his shirt and then we can all go in the water.”
Ellie shot a nervous glance at Ty. Her gaze flicked to the spot over his heart, covered at the moment by his gray T-shirt. She mouthed a two-syllable word at him, and it took Ty a few beats to figure out what she was trying to say.
“Oh,” he said, realization dawning. She didn’t want Henry seeing his tattoo of Johnny Cash flipping the bird.
Lucky for all of them, he’d had caught on to Henry’s inquisitive nature. With a grin, Ty grabbed the hem of his shirt and tugged it over his head.
Henry frowned and pointed at the large waterproof bandage over the ink. “You have an owie?”
Ellie’s face flushed with relief, and she pointed at the towering water feature in the center of the space. “What do you say we check that out, sweetie?” she said to Henry, saving Ty from having to explain. “We can walk around for a few minutes so Ty has a chance to get his equipment ready.”
“Yeah!” Henry scampered forward, leaving his mother behind.
She smiled at Ty then leaned closer. “Thank you,” she whispered. “You’re such a good guy.”
The compliment made Ty’s throat tighten, and all he could do was nod. “I figured it was best to keep it covered,” he said.
“Smart thinking.”
Ty smiled as relief washed through him. Okay, so maybe he didn’t always know about things like car seats and child-friendly snacks and the importance of not saying things a kid might take literally and be disappointed.
But he’d had the foresight to cover his profane tattoo.
Maybe that was a sign of something.
Ellie scurried after Henry, her ponytail swishing as she moved. God, what a woman. She joined Henry at the base of the play structure, pointing up to where a bucket the size of a small car seemed to tip precariously to one side. Water poured from it in sheets, and a small herd of children squealed with delight as they scampered in the downpour.
Joy bubbled hot and raw in Ty’s chest as he watched Ellie and Henry dance through a row of small geysers jetting up from the skid-proof floor. He had to remind himself to focus on lighting and angles instead of how beautiful she was in her red swimsuit with her ponytail shimmering with water droplets.
Turning his attention back to his equipment, he took out his Nikon and made some adjustments. He glanced up to see Ellie and Henry swooping through the spray of a large geyser now, with Henry waving his hands and whooping with glee. That joy-tinged voice was as familiar now as his own heartbeat, and maybe as vital. Ellie skipped behind her son, the happiness on her face so pure, so lovely, that Ty flicked “record” on his camera and stole a few quick seconds of video.
His chest ached with something between longing and happiness, a feeling he’d never had in his whole life.
