Read Take a Deep Breath (Lake of the Pines) for Free Online Page A

herself off and sprayed water
everywhere. Sara laughed and brushed the hair back from her face. Just as Sara
reached for the ball, Pup-Pup grabbed it in her mouth again and took off. Sara
ran after the dog. Her legs were long and tan like her mother’s. She looked so
graceful as she ran across the beach. Finally realizing she couldn’t catch
Pup-Pup, Sara stopped and ran in the opposite direction. As soon as Pup-Pup saw
that Sara wasn’t chasing her anymore, the puppy ran after Sara. Pup-Pup caught
up with Sara and passed her quickly. Sara sat down in the sand and Pup-Pup
jumped in her lap. Sara took the opportunity to grab the ball and throw it for
the little dog as they started the game over.
    “I think I’m going to have my hands full with those two. Do
you want to sit down for a minute? I have some bottled water in the cooler.”
Liv gestured to the small red cooler sitting in the shade under Sara’s beach
chair.
    “That would be great.” Cam sat on the chair next to hers and
took the bottle of water Liv offered him. The water felt cool going down his
throat. In his rush to leave that morning, he’d forgotten his own water bottle.
“That tastes really good. Thanks.” Liv didn’t reply. He turned toward her and
studied her face. She had her sunglasses down and her mouth was twisted. “Liv,
are you home?”
    “What? Oh. Sorry Cam. I was just thinking.”
    “Care to share your thoughts?” He finished off the water and
leaned back in the chair, stretching his long legs in front of him.
    “I was just thinking back to when we were kids. Sara is
about the same age I was when we first met.”
    “Hard to believe isn’t it?”
    “I know. It seems like yesterday the only worries I had
during the summer were which bathing suit to wear and if you and I would go
swimming, boating or hiking.”
    “Yeah, those were great days. To think we spent so much time
wanting to be adults and have more responsibilities. We didn’t know how lucky
we were back then.”
    “So true, we had our whole lives ahead of us. A clean slate
to be anything and do anything we wanted.” Liv sighed. “We both had so many
dreams, hopes…Life has a funny way of getting in the way though, doesn’t it?
Look at me now. Who would have thought I’d end up…”
    “Mom,” Sara called, “I’m thirsty!”
    “What? Come closer. I can’t hear you.”
    “I’m thirsty!”
    “Come over here and talk to me.”
    Sara rolled her eyes again and ran up to her mother with
Pup-Pup in tow, dripping water and sand on Liv’s sun-warmed legs.
    “Sara! Watch what you’re doing! You’re getting me all wet!
That’s cold!”
    “Oops. Sorry Mom.” Sara shrugged and gave her mom an
innocent smile.
    “Now what did you need?”
    “I’m thirsty. Can I have a drink?”
    “Can I have a drink, what?”
    “Can I have a drink, please?”
    “That’s better.” Liv popped open the little cooler again and
dug out an apple juice box.
    “Thanks, Mom!” Sara pulled off the little straw and stabbed
it into the box. She sucked it all down in a matter of seconds and handed the
empty box back to Liv.
    “See you later. Pup-Pup and I are going to finish making our
sandcastle!”
    “Okay. Just stay where I can see you,” Liv reminded Sara
again.
    “I know, Mom! You’ve reminded me ten times already!” Sara
yelled back as she ran toward the shore.
    Liv glanced over at Cam. He was smiling at her.
    “What?”
    “Nothing…”
    “I know. I sound just like my mother. After vowing all those
years ago never to be like her when I had kids, I find her words coming out of
my mouth all the time.” Liv laughed at herself. “Who would have thought me a
mother…”
    “From what I can see, it looks like you’re a damn good one
too.”
    “I try my best. Sometimes though, I wonder if my best is
good enough.”
    “I’m sure every parent thinks that at one time or another.
Sara looks like a happy, well-adjusted young girl to me. So you must be doing
something