Chapter 9
Leo
After pulling Chloe up from the sand, I don’t want to let go of her hand. Her petite fingers fit perfectly in my palm. Her smooth skin slips from my grasp though as she stands and wipes sand from her pants.
Yes, she is wearing dress pants to the beach. And now she’s picking up her shoes…which are high heels. Even though it’s only 8:30 in the morning, the temperature is almost eighty degrees.
I shake my head and chuckle.
“What?” she asks.
“High heels?”
“They’re all I have…I mean besides tennis shoes and UGG boots. I was going to wear my tennis shoes, but the idea of mixing sand and socks grossed me out. And I knew better than to wear boots.”
“I respect your reasoning, but we gotta get you some flip-flops.” I watch her gather up her towel and backpack, and then we start walking toward the wooden pathway leading to the parking lot.
“Flip-flops? I haven’t worn flip-flops since high school. They’re so flimsy and uncomfortable.”
“You haven’t tried Rainbows. They’re gonna change your life.”
She tilts her head. “That’s a bold statement.”
“I stand by it.”
Chloe eyes me skeptically.
The door chime jingles as we walk into the surf shop. Chloe follows me to the counter. Immediately, I spot Jason. He and his dad run the shop.
I’m man enough to admit Jason’s a handsome guy. He was one of the first surf friends I met. Although I grew up in Florida, I didn’t get into surfing until after Elena left. It was my escape, my therapy.
When I stumbled into the surf shop, Jason took me under his wing and taught me everything I know. He’s like a younger brother to me now.
I’ve gathered Chloe is about twenty-five. I just turned thirty last month. Jason and Chloe are probably closer in age. Maybe Chloe will be into him…
I glance at Chloe and she’s turning in a slow circle, transfixed by the shop. There’s swimsuits, boards, and clothing covering every wall. A big vintage, teal sign hangs behind the counter that says “Seaside Surf Established 1992” in orange letters. It reminds me of a giant license plate.
“What’s up?” I say to Jason while fist bumping him.
He gives me a head nod and looks at Chloe. His eyes brighten, and I can’t tell if he’s simply amused by Chloe or attracted to her. Jason has swagger for days. Thanks to tourists, he has a never-ending supply of adoring women to use it on. I don’t want Chloe to be one of them.
I interrupt his gazing as quickly as possible. “Jason, this is Val’s niece, Chloe. She just moved to Sunshine Shores.”
“Nice to meet you. Are you taking up surfing?”
I glance at Chloe, who fidgets with her left earring as she says, “I’m gonna try.”
“Leo’s a waxhead, so you’re in good hands…and biceps. Have you seen this guy flex?”
The blood drains from my face. I raise my eyebrows trying to get his attention. Apparently, he can sense my interest in Chloe and has taken on the role of wingman.
Chloe’s eyes dart around the store. She’s looking anywhere but at me.
I jump in. “Okay…so she needs to rent a board and a wetsuit.”
“No problem. This way.” Jason punches my shoulder as he lets me lead Chloe to the back store room. I look over at him with a “seriously” stare, and he gives me the okay sign while wiggling his eyebrows and nodding.
I rub out the tension in my forehead. Jason is as subtle as a herd of elephants.
Chloe turns to me and whispers, “What’s a waxhead?”
Thankfully, she seems to be ignoring Jason’s other comments. “It’s someone who is passionate about surfing.”
“Good to know,” she says, following me closely.
In the rental area, there are two bars with wet suits of varying sizes hanging from them.
I turn to Chloe. “When choosing a wetsuit size, you want it to fit snugly but not too tight, where it restricts your movement.”
Jason adds, “If you don’t have a swimsuit with you, you can grab two and try them on at home to see which one you like best.”
“Oh okay.” Chloe looks at the hangers where each size is labeled and grabs two wetsuits. “I guess I’ll try these.”
“Perfect. Let”s check out the boards next.” I put my hand on the small of her back without thinking, and my hand heats at our touch. I wonder if Chloe feels it too.
Inhaling, I force myself to refocus on a row of surfboards lined up in different lengths and sizes. “Florida surf has mushy walls and a dumpy shorebreak, so small wave shortboards work best.”
“I have no idea what that means.” Chloe bites her lip.
“Sorry, mushy walls just means that as the wave approaches the shore, the crest gradually spills forward.”
“Got it,” she says with a thumbs up.
“Based on your height, you can choose any of these boards. Which one do you like?” There’s an array of bright colors and designs. I’m curious which one Chloe will pick since I’ve only ever seen her in black, gray, white and navy.
As she walks by, she runs her hands along the board edges. “I like this one.” I take two steps to see the board she’s pointing at.
“The plain white one?”
She nods.
I shake my head with a smile.
“What?” she asks.
“You’re really locked into neutrals.”
She tucks her hair behind her ear and gives me a shy smile. “I’m boring, aren’t I?”
“Definitely not. I’m glad you know what you like. This one’s a winner, I can feel it.” What I actually feel is an ache in my chest as I look at Chloe. I can sense there is so much more beneath the surface. I hope I gain her trust enough so she lets me in.
As we head back to the retail area, I carry Chloe’s board while she drapes the wet suits over her right arm.
“You can put this stuff on my tab,” I tell Jason. He nods and pulls out a small file with notecards.
“Oh you don’t have to do that. I’ll pay for it.” Chloe grabs her purse and sets it on the counter.
“It’s my welcome to Sunshine Shores gift.” I wink at her after the last syllable leaves my lips. Yep, I winked. I am not smooth enough to pull that off. Why did I do that? Hopefully it didn’t look like an eye twitch.
Chloe scrunches her brows together. “You already bought me a cupcake, and you’re giving me surf lessons.”
I want to tell her that volunteering to give her surf lessons is really self-serving—a way to spend more time with her, but I don’t want to scare her off. Instead I say, “I love surfing, and getting to see others enjoy it is one of my favorite things to do. So, you’re really doing me a favor.” Everything I said is true, I just didn’t specify that teaching her makes me even more excited than normal.
She squints at me skeptically. “All right, but I’m gonna find a way to pay you back.”
Her presence is payment enough. I hope she knows that. For the first time since I can remember, I feel like I’m not just Benjamin’s dad…which is a great thing to be. I’ve been content with that role for the last five years. But, Chloe’s making me think I might want to be Leo again, with a personal life. The idea of actually being interested in someone awakens a longing in my chest…and plants a pit in my stomach.