I was right.
Andrew adores the beach.
His little face is positively glowing as he dog paddles a few feet to Danny, who's smile is so wide, I'm surprises it doesn't spilt his face.
"I did it!" Andrew crows when he reaches his father. "I fwam!"
"You certainly did, " Danny says as he gathers Andrew up in his arms, plastic "swimmies" and all.
Andrew giggles and slaps his hands on the water. "I fwam!" he says again.
He turns, squinting against the sun and spies me on the beach. "Mama, I fwam!" he shouts.
I laugh and make my way down to the water's edge, wading in to my knees. Andrew and Danny are out a little bit further, probably up to Danny's waist. "I was watching, baby. You're a regular fish!"
Andrew laughs delightedly at that and wiggles out of Danny's arms to swim in little erratic circles around him. "I a fish!"
Danny and I both laugh then and again, I'm struck by how normal I feel. It's so easy to believe that Danny and Andrew and I are just any other family, spending a day at the beach.
Danny notices the look on my face and smiles at me. "Why don't you join us?"
I look skeptically at the green, rolling water. "I'm not much of a swimmer."
Danny gives me a look of mock incredulity. "How can that be when your the mother of the best swimmer in the world?"
Andrew stops his circles to look up at me and say matter-of-factly, "That's me."
I smile, but step back a little. "I know, I know, but really, I...I don't swim."
Danny gives me an "are-you-kidding?" look. "You mean you've never swam?"
"Of course I have," I say defensively. "I just don't like it."
Danny and Andrew exchange grins and I know something bad is coming.
"Well, maybe that's because you've never swam with us," Danny says devilishly and then, before I can blink, he surges up out of the ocean, grabs me around the waist, and pulls me into the briny water.
Andrew shrieks with glee as I come up sputtering, Danny's arm still wrapped around me.
"You-you..."
Danny laughs and pushes my wet hair back from my forehead. "See, now this isn't so bad."
No, it's not.
In fact, being half-naked and pressed up against Danny isn't bad at all.
I feel a blush start to stain my whole body, but I don't attempt to swim away.
It's so tempting to slip into this feeling. To ignore all that's passed between Danny and myself.
Danny must be able to read my thoughts because, suddenly, and without warning, he kisses me.
His lips are salty from the water and his skin slick as I slide my hands over his shoulders.
The last kiss we shared was desperate and raw and almost angry.
This one is slow and sure, a gentle merging of lips and tongues.
His hand cups my face as the other presses into my back, left bare by my two-piece suit.
Andrew's cry of "Way!" ends the kiss as we both pull away, looking slightly guilty.
Ray, in simple black trunks, strides into the water, accompanied by Kathleen who is staring reverently at his well built form.
There's definite trouble brewing there.
"What are you two up to, hmmm?" Ray asks, winking at Danny.
"They was kissin'!" Andrew shouts jubilantly.
"Were kissing," Danny and I say in unison, absentmindedly correcting our son.
Ray hoists Andrew out of the ocean in a spray of water, causing Andrew to giggle, "Higher, Way, higher!"
Ray obliges and glances at Danny and I who are looking anywhere but at each other.
"If you guys want me to watch him for awhile-"
"No!" Danny and I say, too quickly, and again, in unison.
Ray gives us a strange look and a glance passes between he and Kathleen.
"Really, Michelle," Kathleen says as she straightens the strap of her purple bikini. "You two go on. Be newlyweds. Ray and I will watch Andrew."
I look at Danny then and he gives a small nod of resignation.
"OK," I say hesitantly. "We'll be back in an hour."
"C'mon," Ray says teasingly. "Gives at least two with the munchkin."
Danny's eyes flicker back to mine before he says, "Sure, meet us back at the hotel in two hours."
Ray gives a mock salute with one large brown hand and places the other on Andrew's shoulder. "Aye aye, captain."
Danny smiles and ruffles Andrew'a hair. "Have fun with Ray, buddy. Mama and Daddy will be back soon."
Andrew waves to us, but he's too busy engaging Kathleen and Ray in a game of "Marco Polo" to watch as we head off down the beach.
"So...where to now?" I ask with false cheerfulness.
Danny shrugs and looks at me, his eyes dark. "Where do you want to go?"
My mouth goes dry and I think I know exactly where I want to go.
"Wherever."
"Well, then why don't we just go back to the hotel?"
"The, um, the hotel?" I say in a voice just above a squeak.
Danny shrugs again. "Sure. I could use a little R and R in the air conditioning."
I give him a sidelong glance and smile. "Is our little boy wearing you out, Danny?"
He laughs. "More than I ever thought anyone could."
We're still talking about Andrew as we enter our hotel room. On this vacation, we have to share a room. A suite, actually.
It couldn't be any more different from that awful motel we first made love in, but it brings back memories anyway.
It hasn't been too hard so far though, seeing as how Andrew sleeps in the room with us.
It's hard to feel a lot of sexual tension when there's a four year old snoring between you.
"Well," Danny says as he throws his towel across a nearby chair, "I'm gonna go rinse this sand off."
I nod and grab a book. "OK. I'm going to sit out on the terrace for awhile."
Danny heads off to the bathroom as I step out onto the sun-warmed patio, taking an an apple from the fruit basket on the kitchen table and I knife.
It truly is beautiful here.
We've only been here for one night so far, but already, I can feel the atmosphere of the place getting to me.
That has to be it.
That has to explain the kiss.
I sigh as I pick up the apple and knife and start to peel.
I'm not paying attention to what I'm doing, though, and I haven't even peeled half of the fruit before I cut my thumb.
It's not a bad cut, but it's still starts to bleed all over the place.
So Neosporin and a Band-Aid oughta do the trick.
And, of course, they're both in the bathroom.
Dammit.