Page 28 of Free Wind (Lifeguards of Barking Beach #2)

As he sidestepped a rogue cricket ball in the park behind the beach, Blake waved to acknowledge the shouted apology from the batter. It was too crowded to play a proper match, but the kids of the family were clearly practicing their bowling under the sun’s glare.

The knot in Blake’s stomach tightened as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder and scanned the area again for any sign of Tasha and her family.

And my son, he thought. My son!

It still wasn’t quite real. He checked his phone again—no new messages or calls—then opened one of the photos of Cooper that Tash had sent.

Cooper looked like an average eight-year-old.

Light brown hair, freckles on tanned skin, wiry build.

He stood in shorts and a Sydney Roosters T-shirt in front of a golden Christmas tree.

His nose was red from the sun, and he looked like any kid in the middle of school holidays who’d been living outside.

Any kid who happened to be Blake’s son.

“Blake!” a woman called.

Heart in his throat, he spotted Tasha waving. Leggy and tall and wearing a flowy floral sundress, she carried a folded beach chair under her other arm and walked with a tall Black man and two children.

The little girl, Rosie, was curly haired and playing some sort of hopping game, holding the hand of her dad, Tony. He pulled a wagon loaded with beach supplies.

Cooper walked between his parents, carrying another chair. His face was…neutral? Not scowling or smiling. Wary, which was fair enough.

Blake made sure to smile widely despite suddenly feeling like he might spew. He jogged toward them, the grass springy under his bare feet. He’d made a list of things to say, including a plan with alternatives depending on how the interaction went.

Now that it was happening—and his son stood in front of him—all Blake could say was, “Hey.”

Tasha put down the chair and opened her arms for a hug. Blake gratefully embraced her, inhaling coconut sunscreen and hibiscus. “Good to see you,” he said. That hadn’t been on his list, but it would do.

Smiling, Tony extended his hand, and they shook. Blake said hi to Rosie, who twirled her polka dot sundress. Her arm around Cooper’s shoulders, Tasha said, “Coop, this is Blake.”

This was it. It was happening. And somehow in all his preparation, Blake hadn’t quite been able to imagine this moment. Hugging seemed too much. Handshake? Too formal. He gave an awkward little wave.

“Hey,” Cooper said.

Blake smiled, remembering one of the phrases he’d written down. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Yeah.” Cooper shrugged. “Cool.” He tugged at the collar of his T-shirt and looked down at his thongs.

“We all are!” Tasha exclaimed. “Sorry we’re late. Had to park blocks away.”

“No worries. Here, let me help.” Blake picked up her chair. “Let’s find a spot. How was the wedding?”

After weaving around clumps of people in the park and on the boardwalk, they picked their way across the crowded sand. Tasha told him about the wedding, the words tumbling out a little quickly. They all seemed nervous aside from Rosie, who squealed and hopped with abandon.

They found a spot just north of the flags, and Blake was relieved to see Damo and his friend Cody stationed nearby in one of the buggies. Damo stood on the back, the wind catching his hair as he scanned the water.

He looked fantastic in his blue shirt and black boardies with Lifeguard written across his tight arse. It was somehow comforting that he was close by.

“Anyway, it was a fun wedding despite that little hiccup.”

Blake realized he had no idea what Tasha’d been saying, but he nodded and said, “Glad to hear it.”

Then there was silence aside from Rosie singing to herself and the chatter and playful shrieks around them on the beach. “Uh…” Blake cursed himself. He’d made a list of conversation topics, but his mind was a whistling blank as he watched his son.

He’d examined the photo again and again, searching for himself in Cooper’s smiling face. He hadn’t been sure, but now in person, he could spot that Cooper definitely had his slightly wide nose.

This was his child.

Blake wanted to drop to his knees and yank him into a fierce hug. Instead, he blurted, “School good?”

Cooper shrugged.

“Tell Blake about your science project,” Tony said.

He rolled his eyes. “Dad.”

“What? We’re proud of you!” Tony unfolded a sun shelter, the little tent popping up and almost blowing away in a gust of wind. He quickly jammed a peg into the sand, and Blake circled around the other side to help, not sure how he felt about hearing his son call another man “dad.”

He’d known Tony was Cooper’s father in every way except biological, but… It still hurt, which surprised him. Blake tamped the feeling down. He had to stay rational. He’d have to build his own relationship with Cooper over time.

It’s been five minutes. Breathe.

“I’d love to hear about your project,” Blake said.

Cooper eyed him. Not hostilely, but cautiously. “It was cool, I guess. Did you know temperature affects the size of crystals? If you’re growing them.”

“I had no idea. How does it work?”

Blake sat on the blanket Tasha spread out and nodded as Cooper explained, his voice getting livelier as he went on. Blake ohhed and ahhed in all the right places, or so it seemed. His pulse raced for no reason—other than meeting his son for the first time, which he supposed was reason enough.

When he was finished, Cooper abruptly said, “I’m hungry.”

“You had a huge breakfast,” Tony said.

Cooper shrugged. “But I’m hungry.”

Tasha sighed. “Okay, you can have a snack—but you’ll have to wait a little bit before you swim.”

Blake said, “How about an ice cream?” He looked to Tasha and Tony. “Sorry, is it too early for sugar?”

“Never!” Cooper and Rosie responded in perfect unison.

They all laughed, and Blake added, “The cafe’s just there. Do you fancy anything?”

“Oh, a flat white would be beautiful,” Tasha said.

Tony nodded. “Make that two. And I have a sneaking suspicion Rosie-posie might want a mint choc chip. And the only reason both of you are getting ice cream this early is because we’re on holiday.”

She squealed and clapped. “Yes, yes, yes! Can I come?”

Blake looked to Tash and Tony, and they nodded. Tasha reached for her purse, but Blake shook his head. “My shout.”

Rosie kept up a nonstop patter of talk, which Blake didn’t mind one bit since it saved him and Cooper from having to think of things to say.

After they ordered at the counter, they got their ice cream cones and moved to the side of the building to wait for the coffee by a large open window. Inside, dishes clattered and voices murmured.

Licking her green ice cream, Rosie was momentarily distracted by a column of ants on the ground, and she crouched, watching them with incredible focus.

“Is it weird?” Cooper blurted.

Blake’s heart skipped. “Is what weird?”

“This.” He motioned between them before licking his hokey pokey ice cream.

“Is it weird for you?”

Cooper shrugged. “Yeah.”

Blake had to smile. “Yeah, it is a bit, hey? It’s also amazing. I’m really, really happy to meet you.”

Cooper seemed to be assessing the veracity of that statement. Finally, he nodded seriously. “Okay.”

“Thanks, Blake!” the girl behind the counter called, and he squeezed past a family for the tray of coffees as she picked up another bag and shouted, “Thanks, Siobhan!”

Rosie chattered again as they made their way back across the sand, only taking breaks to lick her ice cream cone. Cooper licked his own and Blake gulped his too-hot coffee. The caffeine wouldn’t help his nerves in the end, but short term, it was soothing.

Back at the blanket in the partial shade of the pop-up tent, the kids finished their ice creams and the adults discussed rising real estate prices until Cooper said, “So many people here. Dunno how the lifeguards can see people drowning.”

“They’re like superheroes,” Blake said. “Eyes in the back of their heads. We clubbies help out on weekends and holidays, but the pros are next level.”

“You don’t get paid, right?”

“Nope, we’re volunteers. Helping people is way more important than money.”

Cooper seemed to ponder this before nodding. “That’s cool.”

He was cool! Or being a clubbie was, which was close enough. And maybe he’d just helped give a life lesson about money not being everything? Had he just parented?

“Do you still rescue people?”

“Sometimes, especially if the lifeguards are flat out. I haven’t yet, but I’ve done all the training. I’ll be ready to jump right in.”

“Isn’t it kind of scary? Guess not since you surf too.” Cooper squinted out at the swells.

“Oh, it can definitely be scary sometimes. But if someone needs help, that’s the only thing that matters.”

“Cool,” Cooper repeated.

He was cool. Grinning, Blake said, “We can say hi to the lifeguards if you like.” He nodded toward the buggy. “That’s my friend, Damo, up there.”

Tash looked up from under the brim of a floppy beige hat she’d just put on.

“Oh, that’s him?” She grinned. “Let’s say hello.

Tones, you and Rosie want to hold down the fort?

Also, hats, hats, hats.” She pulled the sun hats from her bag and passed them.

Blake got his own cap from his backpack. He needed to be a good example.

As they approached the buggy, his nerves dialed up another few notches. A few weeks ago, he hadn’t even known Damo or Cooper, and now it was vitally important that they liked each other. Not to mention vitally important that Cooper liked Blake, but Damo was so wonderful that it was sure to help.

He cleared his throat and called out a hello—and Damo’s beautiful blue eyes lit up as he took off his red sunnies and hopped onto the sand from the back of the buggy while behind the wheel, Cody kept his eyes on the water.

“Hiya!” Damo’s gaze traveled to Tasha and Cooper, his smile bright as Blake made introductions.

“How long have you worked here?” Cooper asked.

“Since I was eighteen, so four years. But I grew up at Barkers, so this is like my backyard.”