A Child's Heart (Trent & Cassie's Story) A River City Novel Read Online Free Page B

sat.
“Want more iced tea?”
    “No thanks. I’ve had plenty. I - I probably should be
going. I've taken up too much of your time.”
    “Not at all." He grinned. "Would you care to take a
walk? I can’t offer much to you.”
    “A walk sounds nice.” She smiled back. “In fact, it
would be perfect.”
    They stepped out the kitchen door, and into the
backyard, landscaped with rosebushes. Trent offered her his hand.
“I’d like to take you someplace more exciting than on a walk around
our neighborhood.”
    “A walk is fine. I don’t need to be entertained. I
tend to live a quiet life. I work and I sleep. I’m so in need of a
vacation.”
    “I know what you mean. I’ve been trying to sneak a
few extra days in with Shawn. I can’t afford to do very much.”
    They walked around the house to the sidewalk in the
front. That's when a thought sprang into Cassie's mind. “Has Shawn
ever been to the beach?”
    Trent shook his head.
    “I have an idea. I hope you don’t think it’s too
forward of me. I keep telling myself I want to run away to a remote
island and sip pina coladas all day, but I’d be more than willing
to settle for a vacation at a nearby beach. Would you come with me
and bring Shawn? We could drive down on a Friday night and come
home late on Sunday. It would give him two days at the beach.”
    “I can’t afford it.”
    “I’m not asking you to pay for anything. It would be
my treat. I’ll get a hotel room with two beds. You can sleep with
your son. I’m certain it’s only a few dollars more, and I need the
break. Shawn can play on the beach, and I’ll get a much needed
vacation.” She looked at the small houses all lined up in rows. It
seemed as if each one was competing for best yard.
    “That’s very kind of you, but I can’t accept such an
offer.”
    “Why not?”
    “I can’t have you pay for us to stay at the beach
with you, and I can’t afford it.”
    “Trent, please. Allow me to do
this. It’s not much, but I think we’d all enjoy it. Shawn is
adorable, and I’d like to see him have a little fun, before he goes
to the hospital.” Say yes!
     
    ***
    He stopped and turned to her. How could he ever
explain his feelings, especially to someone like her? “Shawn is my
life. You’ve been very generous towards us, but I can’t--”
    “Swallow your pride, Trent, and allow me to do this.
You have a precocious little boy who needs to have some special
time with his daddy. I need a break, and if we do it together,
it’ll be fun. Do you really think I want to spend hours on the
beach with no one to talk to the entire time? We'll do it as
friends.”
    Friends? “It’s still an imposition.”
    “No, it’s not. Just say yes.”
    He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, but when her
lips touched his, he knew his answer was yes.
     
    ***
    “Tate, where’s the nearest nicest beach?” Cassie
asked.
    “Oh, that’s a tough question. There are several.
Why?”
    Cassie explained the situation.
    “I know exactly who to ask. Dallas Nixon’s in-laws
live at the beach. I’ll call them and I’ll call you back.”
    Cassie thanked her friend and returned to her problem
at hand, a dozen mummified remains. She had over a hundred
impressionistic paintings arriving as the dinosaurs left, and no
way to tie the two exhibits together. Lost in thought, the ring of
her phone made her jump.
    She steadied her momentarily frazzled nerves and took
a deep breath as she picked up the phone. “Dr. Jones speaking. How
may I help you?”
    “You ordered the ancient Egyptian mummy and artifact
collection?”
    “Actually, my predecessor did.”
    “I’d like to apologize. The other half of your
shipment went to California. We’ve tracked down where they are, and
you should have them by the middle of next week.”
    “Thanks. Ah, what exactly is still coming to me?” She
listened to the man and breathed a sigh of relief. “Can you fax
that to me?”
    “Certainly. It’s not King Tut, but it is still