What Should Have Been

Part 20

After a distant few days Sam had insisted on the three of them spending a day out together. Connie was upstairs getting changed leaving Sam downstairs with Grace finishing her breakfast. They'd settled on going to the beach seeing as the weather was particularly nice.

Connie stood before the mirror with a loose fitting top and pair of shorts on while finishing her hair. After pulling it up on top of her head she grabbed her phone heading for the stairs. Just as she did Sam's voice could be heard from the bottom. "Are you done Beauchamp?" "Someone's impatient..."

Sam smirked as Connie stood in front of him. "What can I say, sand and sea is attractive to me." "Mmm I bet they are after spending several years in the states." She side stepped past him to see Grace already sitting with her shoes on ready. "What's this?" "Lunch..." She closed the bag again looking up to Sam who came past picking it up. "Ready?" "Guess so, come on you."

Grace jumped up taking Connie's hand as they left getting into the car. Connie drove them in the direction of the beach following Sam's instructions. Almost an hour later they arrived pulling up beside the seafront. Sam was gone from the car in the blink of an eye with Grace running behind him. Connie rolled her eyes getting out before following after them.

She slipped her shoes from her feet letting the sand wash between her toes. The sun had already warmed it up and provided a temperate climate. She stared out at the waves crashing up onto the beach taking a deep breath inhaling the salty air. Sam stood some distance from her looking up to see her. The sun bounced off her ringlets highlighting them enough to contrast against her sun-kissed skin.

Connie was bought out of her trance by Grace's laughter as Sam had her over his shoulder. She crossed the beach to them putting her things down on the picnic blanket Sam had already laid out. Grace continued to laugh as Sam spun around with her. "Please don't make my daughter throw up when we've just got here."

He stopped spinning with a laugh before placing her down on the sand. Grace grabbed her bucket and spade rushing across the sand to the waters edge. "She seems happy enough to be here, what about you?" Connie shrugged as she slipped out of her shorts discarding them to her bag. "I guess it'll do for one day." Sam raised his brow with a roll of his eyes before Connie pulled her top over her head.

Sam stood open mouthed looking at her before trying to turn away. She wore a black bikini which fit her in all the right ways. "You staring at me Strachan?" "Would I ever?" She smirked sitting down on the blanket placing her hands out behind her. "Good. Now you going to stand there and block my sunlight all day?" "I might..." He smirked back before glancing down to Grace.

"Is she alright by herself or do you want me to go down with her?" "Sam this beach is empty, I can see her from here and just stop worrying so much." He turned back to her falling down beside her. "Sorry-" "It's fine... She's never had someone look out for her like you do." Sam smiled bringing his eyes back to Connie as he rolled over onto his front. "Well, she does now."

Connie kept her eyes on him for a while before breaking the gaze watching Grace. The pair remained in a comfortable silence for some time before Sam bit the bullet. "So... What did happen to Grace's father?" A lump rose in Connie's throat as she tried to swallow past it. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked." He sensed the change in her demeanour immediately and felt awful for bringing it up.

She shook her head looking down at him as she pushed her sunglasses onto the top of her head. "He- I- We- You..." "Con don't. It's fine..." She wanted to tell him, she wanted to say it more than anything but there was so much stopping her. "Come on then, what did you do for four years without me? Must have been hard not having a registrar to bully-" "I did not bully you!"

Sam laughed nodding his head enthusiastically. "Alright, whatever you say... Bully-" "Sam!" Connie sounded shocked as she pushed his arm from beneath him. "And please, like you leaving was that much of a big thing for me..." It was. But not for those reasons. He smiled warmly sitting up beside her.

They spent the morning chatting back and forth before Sam ran down the beach to play with Grace. "Come on!" "No way. Not happening." Connie shook her head folding her arms against her chest as Sam and Grace stood beside the sea. "Pleeeeease Mummy-" "Yeah pleeeeeease Connieeeeee." Connie shook her head about to turn away from them as she felt a wave of freezing water thrown over her front.

"SAM!" Connie dropped her glasses to the blanket before running down the beach after him. Grace dashed into the water laughing as Sam avoided Connie. He managed to get behind her and reach his arms around her waist as they stood knee deep in the sea. "I hate you Sam Strachan-" "Mummy Sam won't be your friend if you're nasty to him." "Yeah Connie I won't be your friend."

She glared at him twisting in his arms so that she faced him properly. "It's okay Grace, Mummy doesn't needs friends like Sam in her life... They just cause problems and act like a child-" "You love it..." Sam's pitch became higher as he spoke causing Connie to push him backwards. He lost his footing falling down into the water.

Connie bought her hands up to her mouth in shock not having expected him to fall. Grace laughed beside them before Sam reached up grabbing Connie's hand pulling her down to the water. She fell forwards into him as his hands wrapped about her waist. "Karma." She rolled her eyes as his lips pressed to hers quickly. "A bitch isn't it-" "What karma or you?" Connie threw a handful of water over Sam before swimming away from him.

The three of them continued in that way for the rest of the day. Nothing mattered to them as they laughed and played with each other. Connie and Sam's minds were finally at rest as they swam about enjoying their time. By the end of the day Grace was exhausted.

Sam carried a sleepy Grace up to the car and placed her inside carefully while Connie ditched the bags into the boot. Once inside the car and driving home, Sam let a hand lie on Connie's thigh gently caressing it. "Thank you-" "What for?" Connie frowned glancing to him before returning her eyes to the road. "For this... Letting me spend time with you both like this."

Connie felt herself smiling involuntarily. "I really, really like spending time with you." She focused ahead before sighing. "Well I really, really like spending time with you too... Don't let that go to your head though it's big enough as it is." He laughed shaking his head before letting the car fall into silence again. Connie stealing the odd glance as they made their way home after an easy day.