Chapter Fifteen
The beach stretched for what looked like miles of golden sand with water lapping at the shoreline. Boats in the distance bobbed about in the channel between the mainland and the Isle of Wight.
Grace had picked the spot and laid out their towels, while Caz had banged in the sticks that would hold the windbreaker in place. Not that it was particularly windy, but it did offer an element of privacy.
She’d laughed when Grace had returned from the shop with a small open-faced tent, but now, with it all set up and their things safely stored inside and away from the sand that would inevitably get into every crevice, Caz had to admit it was a spark of genius.
“You can get changed in there, without everyone staring,” Grace had stated when Caz had finished putting it together. “And we won’t get sand in the sandwiches.” Caz chuckled at that.
When everything was arranged just how Grace wanted it, Caz pulled off her vest and dropped her shorts. She already had her bikini on underneath and had slathered herself in sun lotion before they’d left, preferring to give it time to soak in and not have to give her skin a vigorous rub with the sand sticking to her.
She dropped down to her towel and stretched out, adjusting her sunglasses to block out the glare of the afternoon sunshine.
“This is the life,” she said, looking up at Grace, who was still admiring the view out to sea.
Grace turned and peered down at her. “Isn’t it just. And really, it’s on our doorstep. We could come down here all the time and just spend the day lazing about.” She suddenly grinned and dropped down to sit on her own towel, facing Caz. “And when we have the baby, we can bring them down here too and make memories.”
Caz turned her head to look at her. “Yeah, that sounds nice.” Her eyes were drawn to Grace’s fingers slowly unbuttoning her blouse as she continued to talk.
“I used to love those days with Mum and Dad and Luke. We’d be so excited to get to the beach...” Her shirt opened as she squinted down at Caz again.
Her sunglasses were perched on top of her head, holding her hair up off of her face as she continued talking, “Not anything as nice as this one. We’d usually end up somewhere pebbly, and closer to home, like Shoreham, or Ferring, but still, we were kids. Didn’t care about any of that.”
Her shoulders appeared first, and then the material was fluttering downwards, and all Caz could focus on was the bellybutton ring. Because looking anywhere else would be problematic.
“And then we’d run straight into the water and…” Grace sighed. “It was just fun. I want that for our kids.” When Caz didn’t answer, she said, “Caz?”
“Uh, yes.” Caz averted her gaze towards the sea. “Absolutely, and you know, I think a quick dip might be nice right now, too.”
Grace nodded. “It is hot—might be good to get some salt water on us. I always get the best tan when I’ve been in the sea.”
Caz stood up. “You know they put salt on pork to make crackling.” She laughed, before ducking and running when Grace worked out what she’d just said and went to thump her.
“You had better not be comparing my delicate skin to a pig, Caz Madden.” She chased after her, laughing when Caz skipped into the water and jumped around as the heat of her skin was instantly frozen.
“It’s freezing,” Caz complained just as a wave hit, and she stumbled, falling into it.
“That’s called karma.” Grace laughed harder until Caz rose back up, and with both hands paddling water in her direction, Grace was soaked. “Oh, that’s so mean…”
“You said you wanted to get wet,” Caz chuckled, and continued to splash her.
“I didn’t want to get that wet, and not like that.” Grace faked a glare.
“Oh, and just how did you plan to get wet?”
The minute she’d said it, she froze. The implication of that statement had so many different variables, depending on how Grace had heard it.
And Grace’s silence in the moment was worrying. No quick-witted, retaliatory response meant Caz panicked a little more.
“I thought I’d slowly dip in and out,” Grace smiled, “but now, I’ve been overwhelmed and you’re going to have to pay.”
Unsure if there was any double meaning in that, Caz chose to ignore it. Overthinking right now would not do either of them any good. Snap out of it, she told herself, before turning and running deeper into the water.
“You’ll have to catch me first,” she shouted over her shoulder as Grace strode purposefully towards her.
“I already caught you. That’s why I’m wearing this ring.” Grace held up her hand, showing off her ring finger and then slowly folded it down and raised her middle one.
Caz laughed, normal service would resume.