Chapter 7Noah leaned back on the beach towel, resting on his elbows while he watched Lucas lead Lily to her first encounter with the ocean. The child looked terrified and fascinated in equal parts, her small hand wrapped around Luke’s finger tightly. When the warm water rushed to meet her toes, she jumped out of the way, shrieking with delight. Luke watched patiently as she did her dance with the sea, finally allowing him to take her ankle deep into the waves.
She reminded him so much of Luke, it made Noah’s chest hurt. Luke wore the exact same slightly goofy, slightly mad smile when he encountered something new and surprising, something that scared him a little. When they were kids, Lucas was never the first to try anything new, but he always tried it hardest. If they were swinging from
