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

right.”
    “Thanks. She is pretty great, despite my shortcomings,” Liv
shook her head.
    “Everyone has those, but I know your good qualities far
outweigh any shortcomings you think you have. You’ve always been hardest on
yourself.”
    “Yeah, maybe…”
    “So are you still a writer? I keep watching the bestseller
list for your name.” Cam changed the subject to something lighter.
    Liv laughed. “Yeah, that was the dream once. I did have a
couple of poems and short stories published in college, but it’s been a long
time since I had time to work on my novel or anything really. I do tell an
occasional story to Sara, but I haven’t written any of them down. I actually
teach writing these days. I’m an English and Composition instructor at a local
community college back in Ohio. It pays the bills.”
    “I’m sure you are an excellent teacher, but don’t give up on
your writing dreams, Livvy.”
    Liv smiled. Cam was the only one besides her grandmother
that called her Livvy anymore. “I haven’t. I won’t. I’ll get back to it
someday… And look at you? A doctor. That’s pretty amazing. You must get a lot
of satisfaction out of helping people.”
    “Yeah, it really is fulfilling, at least when I actually get
to help people.”
    “What do you mean? When you actually get to help people?
Isn’t that your job?”
    “With insurance companies, malpractice threats, big business
and office politics, I don’t get as much time to help people as I’d like to. It
gets frustrating at times.”
    “I never thought about that.”
    “Pre-authorizations, time-limits on patient visits,
over-booking patients, it all starts to take a lot of the satisfaction away.
That’s why I…”
    “Cam! Mom! Come look,” Sara called running toward the lounge
chairs. “Come check our sandcastle!” Sara pulled on Liv’s hand trying to pull
her up out of the chair.
    “Sara Annabel. You just interrupted Cam.”
    “It’s okay. I need to get going anyway. I should finish my
run before it gets too hot,” Cam stood and stretched his calf muscles.
    “Do you have to?” Sara asked.
    “I’m afraid so. I need to cut the grass today.”
    “Boring…Will you at least come see my sandcastle first?”
    “Sure thing, Squirt.”
    Liv and Cam followed Sara toward the sandcastle with Pup-Pup
bouncing by her side.
    “We need to find some adult-only time where we can catch up
uninterrupted.”
    “I’d like that.”
    “How about tonight?” Liv’s voice sounded a little anxious.
“Or later this week,” she added suddenly unsure of herself. “I’m sure my Grandma
would watch Sara for me.” Liv continued to ramble on nervously.
    “Tonight sounds good. I’ll pick you up around seven?”
    “Perfect.”
    “Oh no!” Sara cried as they reached the edge of the beach
where she and Pup-Pup had built their sandcastle. Pup-Pup stood on top of what
remained of her three-tiered castle. “It’s ruined!” Sara started to pout.
    “It’s okay, Sweetie. That’s what happens to sandcastles. You
build them and then the waves and cute little puppies knock them done. Here,
I’ll help you build a new one.” Liv consoled Sara and sat in the sand next to
her. She scooped some wet sand in her hands and started dribbling it on the
remnants of the previous castle.
    “Hey, that looks cool!” Sara scooped up some wet sand
herself and imitated Liv’s technique.
    “You girls are quite a team!” Cam smiled at them. “Have fun.
I’ll see you tonight Liv.”
    “Right. Seven o’clock. See you then,” Liv confirmed and
waved to him as he jogged backwards a few steps and then turned away from her.
He slowly picked up his pace and jogged down the beach toward the boardwalk.
    “What’s at seven, Mom?”
    “Oh, Cam and I are going out to dinner to catch up with each
other.”
    “Can I come too? Please, please, please!”
    “Not this time. Cam and I want to spend a little time alone
so we can talk.”
    “That’s not fair,” Sara