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She was magnificent and I wished I hadn’t left my phone in my bag or else I would have filmed her just to remember this day.

Lacey did a few more laps as I watched and then stopped, her head bobbing above the water as she looked around and paused when she saw me.

“Stalker,” she called to me.

“Hey, I could have stolen all your stuff and left you here. Be glad I’m not a thief,” I called, and she laughed as she tossed her hair back and started to walk out of the water.

Now that was another thing I wish I had filmed.

“Fuck, now the cold is setting in.” Her teeth started to chatter, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

“Let me get your towel, hold on,” I said, running back to our stuff. I also gathered my towel as well, since I didn’t need it.

I threw Lacey’s towel around her shoulders and she started chafing her arms to bring feeling back into them as I blotted her hair with the other towel.

“Thanks,” she said, her teeth still chattering as we walked back to our chairs and she sat down with a sigh. “I’ll warm up in a few. I’m fine.”

She wiped off her legs and plucked the sunglasses off my head, sliding them onto her face.

“How was your swim?” I asked.

“Good. My body still remembers what to do, even though it’s been years. I don’t know if I’ll make it a regular thing, but it would be nice to find a pool or something I could go to while I’m here. Swimming is one of the only things that makes my head go quiet, you know?”

I did know. Reading was like that for me. When I was completely immersed in a book, there could be a tornado going on next to me and I wasn’t aware of it.

“I get it,” I said. “Everyone should have something like that in their lives.”

“Agreed,” she said, wiping her ears with the end of the towel. A few drops of water still sparkled on her skin and drew my attention.

Lacey let out a long sigh. “Well, this day has been completely unexpected, but I don’t remember the last time I’ve had a day like this.”

She flexed and pointed her toes in the sand as she gazed out on the water.

“Anytime you want to have one, let me know. I’m always up for a beach day,” I said, and she gazed over at me.

“I just might do that.”

We sat in silence for a while and I knew it was time to get going. The rental shop was closing soon, so we’d have to return the chairs before they did.

“Do we have to leave?” Lacey asked, her tone wistful.

“If we don’t want to deal with the drunken teenagers that come here at night to get wasted and make bonfires, then yes,” I said, and she made a face.

“I didn’t like doing things like that even when I was a teenager,” she said.

Sterling had always dragged me to those kinds of things, but I guess I’d had as good a time as you can have when the alcohol is cheap and there’s always one kid who uses too much lighter fluid. They were great places to grow some courage and approach whomever you liked, which I had done.

The two of us packed up and Lacey dragged the chairs back to the rental shop before we hauled ourselves to the truck.

“Sorry about the sand,” I said, trying to get as much off my feet before swinging my legs into the truck.

“It’s fine. I’m not a hard ass about my truck. It’s meant to be used.”

Her damp hair curled in beachy waves around her head as she drove us back to her place. I was trying not to feel devastated that our little beach day was over. Tomorrow we had to get back to the house and Lacey was going to put up her walls again and pull back from me.

Lacey opened the door for me, and I got out with my stuff.

“I know I already said it, but thank you for today,” she said.