It pitched back and forth, then dropped suddenly and fell to the sand. The yellow-and-blue lightweight material fluttered and danced at the end of the line, but didn’t rise. Parker coiled string as he walked toward it.

“I can design programs used by millions of people, but I can’t keep a kite in the air,” he muttered.

Christie looked at him and laughed. “Daddy, you’re so funny.”

She flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his legs. He dropped the string, crouched down and hugged her close. She smelled of salt and summer. When she stepped away, he looked at her face. Despite using a sun block, their time at the beach had left freckles on her small nose. Her arms and legs were sturdy and strong, faintly tanned from long hours of play.

When she smiled at him, he knew exactly where her dimples would appear in her cheeks. He knew the sound of her laughter and her moods. He knew which stories she liked at bedtime, her favorite foods and how much it hurt to see her cry. What he didn’t know was how sharp the pain would be when she was gone. It was already mid-August. She and Erin would leave by the first of September. Their perfect summer was nearly over.

He hadn’t noticed the passage of time until Kiki had mentioned it that morning at breakfast. The days had all blended together until he’d allowed himself to believe this would go on forever. But it wouldn’t. Erin and Christie had a life separate from his. When they left, he would no longer be a full-time father. He would also lose his time with Erin. They would become polite strangers greeting each other across the threshold, passing Christie back and forth like a package.

“Let’s do it again, Daddy,” Christie said. “Let’s make it go really, really high.”

“So high we can barely see it,” he said, grabbing the string and straightening. He released several feet, then started to run down the beach. His daughter raced behind him, trying to keep up.

The kite danced along, finding the occasional gust of wind, drifting upward, then falling toward the ground. At the end of their cove, he turned and started running toward the stairs. The sun heated him. Waves pounded against the shore. Parker wondered if he looked as stupid as he felt, jogging up and down the small beach with a kite bouncing along behind him.

The breeze flirted with the kite, taking it up a few feet. Once it nearly cleared the cliffs before plummeting to the shore. When he reached the stairs, he turned again. He met Christie halfway. She was panting.

“I can’t keep up,” she wheezed. “You run fast.”

He slowed to a walk. The kite hit the sand. “Maybe we should go up to the cliff and try it,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to get it flying from here. I’m sure it has something to do with the way the wind acts when it hits land.”

Christie flopped down on the sand. “Okay. Let’s do that next.”

He reeled in the kite and settled next to her. The breeze ruffled her bangs. He studied her face. He saw himself in the child’s features. And Erin. He grimaced. No, he saw Stacey. Erin wasn’t Christie’s biological mother, although she was one in every other sense of the word.

Christie tilted her head, just as Erin would, and smiled. “Why are you looking at me, Daddy?”

“I was just thinking what a pretty girl you are.”

She dimpled. “Mommy says that, too. She says it’s more important to be pretty on the inside, but pretty on the outside is nice, too.” She leaned forward. “Pretty on the inside is about your heart,” she said confidentially. “Not the blood and other stuff inside. It’s about being a nice person. Mommy’s a nice person.”

“She’s the best,” he said, wondering how many other women would have been so willing to share their child with him. Erin had given unselfishly.

He remembered her confession of jealousy and how she’d gotten over it. Those first few weeks must have been hard for her. He and Christie had developed a bond almost immediately. Erin had kept her feelings to herself. She was bright, funny, easy to talk to and just as pretty as her daughter. He wondered why some guy hadn’t already claimed her.

Maybe there was a man patiently waiting for her in Palmdale.

The thought made his stomach clench and his hands curl into fists. Talk about being ugly on the inside, Hamilton. You don’t want her for yourself, and you don’t want anyone else to have her, either. But that statement wasn’t completely true. It’s not that he didn’t want Erin, it’s that he didn’t-

He leaned back on his elbows and shook his head. Hell, he didn’t know what he wanted. One thing was for sure: He didn’t want her and Christie to leave in two weeks. He wanted this summer to go on forever. He wanted Erin back in his bed. He wanted to be the kind of man she could respect and care about. He wanted to let the ghosts go.

But were they willing to let him go? And even if they did, would anything change? Wasn’t he still a threat to everyone he cared about? Wasn’t it better for Erin, better for Christie, if they stuck to their plan?

Christie shifted so she lay on the warm sand and rested her head on his belly.

“There’s a birdie up there,” she said, pointing at the blue sky.

Parker squinted against the sun. “It’s just a speck. It must be very high.”

“Higher than our kite?”

“Yeah, but that’s not saying much.”

She giggled.

He laced his fingers behind his head and relaxed on the shore. Christie sighed as if she were drifting off to sleep. It was a lazy afternoon. She sighed again, then turned, and stretched out across his chest. Her eyes closed and her breathing became regular.

The trust inherent in her actions made his heart ache. How he loved this little girl. He would give his life for her. Emotions welled up inside him. They grew until the pressure was unbearable. He wanted to let them out, but he was afraid. Afraid of not being enough. Afraid of hurting her.

Erin’s words came back to him. She’d warned him he would have to give with his whole heart. He couldn’t hold back, not with Christie. The child would sense the truth. He wondered if that same rule applied to Erin. If he wanted her in his life, would he have to give with his whole heart? After all, she, too, would know if he held back.

But if he did as she asked, they were all at risk. Look at what had happened to Robin and to Stacey.

He had no answers to his questions. Maybe time was the solution. He would be a part of Christie’s world for the rest of her life.

But what about Erin?

That was less simple, he admitted. Once she left his house, he would lose his chance. They would return to their own schedules and the reality of getting through the day would gradually wear away at anything they might have had together. That would be best for both of them, but was it what he wanted? Was it what Erin wanted?

He stared up at the sky and realized he didn’t know what she wanted. He didn’t even know how she felt about him. She’d told him they couldn’t be lovers because eventually she might fall in love with him. How long would that take? A week? A month? A year?

Erin in love with him? The thought made his spirits soar. With her beside him, he could do anything. He could-He closed his eyes. He could destroy her.

So when the time was up, he would let her go.

Parker didn’t realize he’d drifted off to sleep until a sharp sound awakened him. Christie scrambled off him and jumped to her feet.

“Daddy, Daddy, it’s a dog!”

Sure enough a small dirty mutt came over the rocks at the end of the beach. The dog was about ten inches to the shoulder, all matted hair and big brown eyes. A long tail pumped back and forth as if finding people was the greatest joy in the animal’s life.

“He’s so cute,” Christie said, rushing toward the dog.

“Wait.” Parker grabbed her arm and held her in place. “Let’s make sure he’s friendly. Stay here.”

“But he wouldn’t hurt me.”

Parker stared at her. “Christie, this is a strange dog. It might be sick. If it bites you, then you’ll get sick, too. It’s better to be careful now. Please stay here.”

Her mouth drooped as she nodded her head. “Yes, Daddy.”

The little brown dog quivered as he approached. It rolled on its back and exposed a skinny belly. Parker let the animal sniff his hand and received a quick lick in return. He touched the dog’s stomach. The animal moaned in pleasure.

“He seems friendly enough,” Parker said, then frowned as he clearly felt ribs. Had the dog gotten lost or been abandoned? He sure hadn’t eaten in a while. He probably hadn’t had anything to drink, either. They hadn’t had rain in a couple of weeks.

Christie squatted next to him and held out her hand. When the dog licked it, she giggled. “He likes me.”

“Of course he does. Rub his belly like this.” He demonstrated the back-and-forth motion. The dog writhed and moaned, then jumped up and barked.

Christie clapped her hands together. “You want to play? Daddy, does the dog have a name?”

“Let me check.” He felt through the thick fur for a collar. There wasn’t one. “No tags. I wonder what happened to his owner.”

“Maybe he doesn’t have one. Maybe we can keep him. My very own puppy. Please say yes, Daddy, please?” The dog and the little girl stared at him with equally pleading expressions.

“We’ll see. For now, let’s give him some water.”

They’d brought a Thermos down with them. Parker poured water into a plastic cup and offered it to the dog. The animal drank greedily, then barked once and raced toward the steps. When Christie didn’t follow, he stopped and barked again.

“I think he wants to play,” Parker said.

“I’m coming,” she yelled, and ran after the dog.

The two of them played tag. Parker found a stick and threw it. The dog returned it and drank a bit more water. He was friendly and good-natured. Where were his owners?