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like the center of attention. There was a tenderness in the way he
treated them, a depth of patience that she hadn’t quite expected.
As the afternoon wore on and the clouds began to drift in, she
found herself smiling at the thought that for the first time in many
years, she felt completely relaxed. And not only that, she knew she
was having as much fun as the kids.
11
After they got out of the water, Kristen declared that she was cold
and Alex led her to the bathroom to help her change into dry
clothes. Katie stayed with Josh on the blanket, admiring the way
the sunlight rippled on the water while Josh scooped sand into
little piles.
“Hey, do you want to help me fly my kite?” Josh suddenly asked.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever flown a kite before…”
“It’s easy,” he insisted, digging around in the pile of toys Alex had
brought and pulling out a small kite. “I can show you how.
C’mon.”
He took off running down the beach, and Katie jogged a few steps
before settling back into a brisk walk. By the time she reached
him, he was already beginning to unwind the string and he
handed her the kite. “Just hold this above your head, okay?”
She nodded as Josh started to back up slowly, continuing to
loosen the string with practiced ease.
“Are you ready?” he shouted as he finally came to a stop. “When I
take off running and yell, just let go!”
“I’m ready!” she shouted back.