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didn’t seem to have time to enjoy it. Now she regarded it as just another feature of the job—one that was nice but didn’t really mean much to her.
    After an hour in the sun, Theresa realized she was hot and walked to the water. She waded in to her hips, then went under as a small wave approached. The cool water made her gasp when her head came up, and a man standing next to her chuckled.
    “Refreshing, isn’t it?” he said, and she agreed with a nod as she crossed her arms.
    He was tall with dark hair the same color as hers, and for a second she wondered if he was flirting with her. But the children nearby quickly ended that illusion with shouts of “Dad!” and after a few more minutes in the water, she got out and walked back to her chair. The beach was clearing out. She packed up her things as well and started back.
    At the house, Brian was watching golf on television and Deanna was reading a novel with a picture of a young, handsome lawyer on the cover. Deanna looked up from her book.
    “How was the beach?”
    “It was great. The sun felt wonderful, but the water kind of shocks you when you go under.”
    “It always does. I don’t see how people can stand to be in it for more than a few minutes.”
    Theresa hung the towel on a rack by the door. She spoke over her shoulder. “How’s the book?”
    Deanna turned the book over in her hands and glanced at the cover. “Wonderful. It reminds me of how Brian used to look a few years back.”
    Brian grunted without looking away from the television. “Huh?”
    “Nothing, sweetheart. Just reminiscing.” She turned her attention back to Theresa. Her eyes were shining. “Are you up for some gin rummy?”
    Deanna loved card games of any kind. She was in two bridge clubs, played hearts like a champion, and kept a record of every time she won a game of solitaire. But gin rummy had always been the game that she and Theresa played when they had time, because it was the only game that Theresa actually stood a chance of winning.
    “Sure.”
    Deanna folded the page with glee, put down her book, and rose from her seat. “I hoped you’d say that. The cards are on the table outside.”
    Theresa wrapped the towel around her suit and went outside to the table where they had eaten breakfast earlier. Deanna followed shortly with two cans of diet Coke and sat across from her as she picked up the deck. She shuffled the cards and dealt them. Deanna looked up from her hand.
    “It looks like you got a little color in your cheeks. The sun must have been pretty intense.”
    Theresa started organizing her cards. “I felt like I was baking.”
    “Did you meet anyone interesting?”
    “Not really. Just read and relaxed in the sun. Most everyone there was with their families.”
    “That’s too bad.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Well, I was kind of hoping you’d meet someone special this week.”
    “You’re special.”
    “You know what I mean. I was kind of hoping you’d find yourself a man this week. One that took your breath away.”
    Theresa looked up in surprise. “What brought that on?”
    “The sun, the ocean, the breezes. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the extra radiation soaking through my brain.”
    “I haven’t really been looking, Deanna.”
    “Never?”
    “Not much, anyway.”
    “Ah ha!”
    “Don’t make a big deal out of it. It hasn’t been that long since the divorce.”
    Theresa put down the six of diamonds, and Deanna picked it up before discarding the three of clubs. Deanna spoke in the same tone her mother did when they talked about the same thing.
    “It’s been almost three years. Don’t you have anyone on the back burner that you’ve been hiding from me?”
    “No.”
    “No one?”
    Deanna picked from the stack of cards and discarded a four of hearts.
    “Nope. But it’s not only me, you know. It’s hard to meet people these days. It’s not like I have time to go out and socialize.”
    “I know that, I really do. It’s just that