Authors: Meredith Greene
Taking off his sandals the man grabbed a short shovel and began digging up the sand, making a large, high pile. As soon as he had enough dug up, the man set down the shovel; carefully, he began forming the sand with his hands. Several pedestrians and beach-combers walked by the half-formed sandcastle, smiling at the sight of a grown man in the sand, fashioning towers and ramparts.
Glancing up, Oscar Maclane saw a familiar blond-haired Englishman walking along the beach; a young woman with dark red-brown hair walked by his side, with a little baby in her arms. Dusting off his hands, Oscar stood, smiling broadly. He put up a hand in greeting; William returned it, walking his family closer. Michelle looked beautiful in the sunlight, her face alight with happiness; she held a squirming little bundle in her arms. The baby was trying valiantly to remove a tiny, canvas sun hat that had been tied on under the little chin.
“Uncle Oscar,” his niece said, giving the gray-eyed man a kiss on his cheek. “It is so good to see you.” Oscar smiled at her.
“Glad you could make it,” he said. He grinned at William, shaking the man’s hand. “You too, sport.” William chuckled.
“Thank you for the invitation,” he returned. “I must say, it is nice here in sunny California.”
“Damn straight,” Oscar said. “It hardly rains at all, and no snow.” His gray eyes rested on the little baby in Michelle’s arms. Ethan had stopped wiggling and was regarding Oscar with curious, greenish-gold eyes; a little wisp of blond hair showed from under his hat. “Well he’s your spittin’ image, William.”
“Indeed,” William said, grinning. “However, he did get his mother’s lovely eyes.”
Oscar bent down a bit, smiling at the little mite.
“Hey there Ethan,” he said, leaning closer. “I’m your Great Uncle Oscar.” The baby boy regarded Oscar a moment, then reached out a little hand and grabbed the man’s sunglasses from off the top of his head. William laughed; Michelle tried to get the glasses from her son’s tiny fist, while her uncle looked on.
“You have to watch him,” William warned. “He’ll have your watch or anything he fancies before you can say ‘Jack Robinson’.”
“He’s one sharp cookie,” Oscar said, still smiling. “Got some Gregory in him after all.” He accepted his glasses back, matching glares with the little baby. “Come on, I’ve got an umbrella, some cold drinks and chairs over here.”
“Sounds wonderful, thank you,” Michelle returned, with a smile. William stepped over to his wife and relieved her of the little kleptomaniac.
“Come here young man,” he said. “You need a talking to.” The baby looked up at his father and crowed out ‘Da!’ Michelle laughed softly, walking away towards the umbrella.
“No arguments, you,” William told his son; as if he knew he was in trouble, Ethan displayed an adorable smile, showing off his single, tiny tooth. “Little bugger.” William murmured, affectionately. He followed
after Michelle, noting the sandcastle construction to one side. “Quite an engineering project there, Oscar.” he remarked, handing the baby to his mother.
“Beaches and sandcastles are synonymous,” Oscar said, kneeling down in the sand once more. He tossed a small trowel at William’s feet.
“There’s room for one extra crew member,” he said. William grinned.
“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, getting down in the sand. Michelle smiled, watching the men build different sides of the sand structure, obviously enjoying themselves.
"I saw your picture in the magazine last month," Oscar said, suddenly. He looked up at Michelle. "You know, the one with the raindrops on the window." Michelle smiled.
"Thank you," she said. "I was inspired to draw it by your crew member there." William winked at her as she glanced over at him. "It's one of my favorites," she continued. "I didn't want to let the gallery have it, but well... it is nice to see it on the wall with my name underneath it."
Oscar smiled at her and looked back down at the sand.
"It was very good," he said. "Made me almost miss the rainstorms. Almost." Laughing, Michelle nodded.
"I can see why you love it here," she remarked. "It's beautiful."
The waves crashed on the sloping shore; birds cried in the sky as they flew over the sand. People walked by looking at the ocean, apparently enjoying the warm sand beneath their feet. Sighing, Michelle smiled down at her wiggling son, letting him down onto the blanket. Ethan immediately crawled over to the sand, grabbing a big handful. About to stop him, Michelle heard William chuckle.
“Let him, love,” her man told her. “He’ll find out soon enough.” He was right. Ethan took a mouthful then whined and shook his little head a few times. Trying not to laugh, Michelle helped her son get the sand out of his mouth.
Glancing at William, she smiled, watching him form a turret. Her husband sat on the sand with one knee up, the other leg extended out comfortably. Studying him, Michelle appreciated William’s relaxed posture, as well as the faint beginnings of a tan on his face, neck and arms. His fitted, white t-shirt and khaki cargoes made him look a little more 'fun' than his normal business attire. Letting Ethan back down onto the blanket she straightened her sun-dress and sat back in a low, fold-out chair.
The baby crawled back out to the edge of a blanket but did not eat the sand again. Instead the little marplot busied himself with trying to get the drink-cooler open, hitting it impatiently when he did not succeed. A seagull flew down, landing on the sand near the blanket. Ethan was transfixed by the bird and soon the two were locked in a strange kind of staring contest. Laughing under her breath, Michelle dug in her tote bag for her camera and snapped a few pictures.
While smoothing a large outer sand wall, William glanced up at his wife and son. He chuckled at the sight of his baby boy locked in a death-gaze with a seagull. His wife--on the other hand--was happily sitting in the shade taking pictures. She looked rather comely in the summery dress; its thin straps threatened to slip off her shoulders each time she moved. Williams admired her hair, pushed back from her face by the sunglasses perched on her head; it spilled over her shoulders in slight waves, the redness much more apparent in the strong light. The sun had also brought a little more color to her cheeks. William watched her, until he heard someone clear their throat nearby.
“You’re going to have a lot of kids, you keep looking at her like that,” Oscar commented, grinning to himself. William glanced at the man, amused.
“You’re not far off,” he informed the man. “Michelle’s about a month along with our second.”
Oscar stopped his work on a large interior building and matched William’s gaze. “She wants a large family--as well--so don’t worry,” William continued.
“You guys sure don’t waste any time,” Oscar said, returning to his ‘work’. “I’ll give you that.”
“I don’t think any man would blame me,” William said, his eyes straying back to his wife. “Michelle is quite a catch.” Oscar did not answer but smiled at the sand. He still remembered what it felt like to love a pretty woman.
Michelle felt William’s scrutiny almost at once. She shot him a bright smile. William grinned back at her. Michelle grabbed a cold water bottle from the cooler tossed it at her husband’s feet; her eyes held the slightest bit of a challenge. A few seconds later William flopped down on the blanket next to her chair.
“You look lonely over here, love,” he said, pushing up his sunglasses. “Want to go for a walk?”
“Yeah, go. I’ll watch my grand-nephew,” Oscar piped up from by the sand-castle. “You two go walk a bit.” Michelle was dubious.
“Are you sure?” she said, looking over at Ethan; the baby had lost interest in the bird and was back attacking the drink cooler. Oscar grinned and stood up; he walked deliberately over to the baby, lifted him up and placed him in the middle of the sand-castle. The sand buildings were about as tall as Ethan’s head as he sat in the sand. For a moment, the baby seemed puzzled, but he soon reached out and pushed a tower over. It toppled dramatically, scattering sand. Crowing with delight Ethan crawled forward, pushing over another sand building. Baby laughter bubbled up, its infectious qualities inducing Oscar to join in.
“You go,” he said, waving them off. “We’ll hold down the fort.”
William stood up and dusted off his pants. Holding out his hand to Michelle, he favored her with a charming smile. She let him pull her up to stand. They strolled away from the distracted Ethan and castle building Oscar at a leisurely pace.
“Who knew he was a natural babysitter?” Michelle asked, smiling. William looked down at his wife, liking the spark of life in her eyes.
“It boggles the mind,” he said, letting his eyes peruse Michelle’s face. “Did I mention you look unduly attractive in that dress? You’re positively glowing.” Michelle blushed.
“It’s the baby,” she said, her hand going automatically to her stomach. “Or, maybe it’s the fact that I’m walking next to the most handsome man on the beach... or both.” Grinning, William put her arm through his.
“Minx,” he said. “I’ve half a mind to carry you off.” Michelle laughed, softly.
“You already did,” she replied. “But, you can do it again. I’d let you.”
Smiling at her, William strolled with his lady along the shore, letting the cold water spill over their feet occasionally.
“Looks like our family is off to a good start,” he said, after a moment. Michelle giggled.
“Indeed,” she answered with a nod. “Though, I think Ethan will be a handful.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way,” William said. “According to my mother, I was as well.”
“Yes, she’s finally managed to tell me all the stories about you and show me all her photo albums,” Michelle said teasingly. William snorted.
“I’m glad you’re not that bad about it, love,” he said. “It was most embarrassing having the chaps over and her descending on them with baby pictures.” Giggling, Michelle reached up and touched his face with her fingertips.
“I promise not to embarrass him like that,” she said, looking up at her husband.
His eyes turned to hers. In them Michelle saw a reverberating emotion, as if his very heartbeat had become visible.
“No chance of that,” he said, quietly. “You’re a wonderful mother.”
Michelle smiled. She gave her husband a fond look.
“Thanks to you, I am,” she returned. “Now twice over. I could not have imagined a better life for myself, William. I couldn't even have drawn anything this good.”
Pausing his stride, William slipped his arms around Michelle's waist and looked down into her eyes. The golden-green color of them still arrested his attention, spreading warmth throughout his being. He could see into their very depths; nothing dark or hidden lay therein.
“I cannot imagine my life without you, Michelle,” he told her. The low tone of his voice carried great feeling. “My life is better having met you on that crowded corner, looking like a rose growing among rocks.” Michelle gazed back at William as he spoke. Nothing in the world did she love more than this man. The very last, tiny shards of a once-great well of loneliness left her.
William leaned down and kissed his lady, not caring who saw. After a few moments they walked back towards their little boy, stepping into a life drawn out for them long ago.
The End of Book One
Read more about Michelle & William’s continued life in London in the sequel, ‘Paint Me a Dream’.
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