Chapter 6
Six
JADE
Fifteen years earlier
When I turn around to smile and thank Xander again, he has his jaw clenched and is looking out at the water. Is he mad at me? I freeze, heat turning my neck red as I realize he’s probably annoyed to be out here with nearly flat conditions when he could be somewhere else catching bigger waves.
“You don’t have to teach me if you’d rather be surfing somewhere else.” I force a lightness into my voice that I don’t feel. There’s nothing worse than realizing you aren’t wanted.
“What?” He shakes his head, clearing his eyes and settling them on me. “No way. I love that you want to learn.”
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
Relief washes through me at the sincerity in his voice. He’s not one to bullshit, and he would tell me if he didn’t want to do this. A cool breeze blows over my skin, pulling goosebumps to the surface. He notices and lifts a hand as if he’s going to rub my arm but drops it before making contact.
“We’ll start with the basics here on the sand.” He places our boards side by side. “You can’t surf until you know how to pop up.”
I watch and listen as he demonstrates how to jump to his feet on the board. After a few successful attempts of my own with him watching closely, we move into the water. Putting my arms into the sleeves of my wetsuit is just as irritating as pulling it up my legs.
The chill of the Pacific envelops me as we follow the sloping sandy bottom out to where the water is just past my knees. He holds the board steady while I get on and lay on my belly. The water rolls gently beneath me as he walks along beside my board.
He talks me through my first few attempts at catching a wave, telling me what I did wrong and giving me tips to improve the next ride.
He’s so patient. I didn’t expect him to be so good at teaching me all this.
Part of me wondered if he’d just give me a quick lecture and then go out on his own. I wouldn’t have blamed him.
Time after time I end up in the water. Even though I have good balance normally, the motion of the water beneath me throws me off just a bit. He’s always right there, ready to help me at a moment’s notice.
“You’re getting so much better,” he says as I come up from beneath the salty water. “You nearly had it that time.”
I give him an indignant snort as I wipe my hair back from my face. “Right.”
“No, seriously. You’re doing great.” He holds my board still while I get back on. “Look at the set coming in on the horizon. Those are the ones. I can feel it.”
“They look the same as all the others.”
“They’re not. My instincts are never wrong.”
I give him serious side eye, but he hits me with a full smile.
Right dimple popping and eyes crinkling.
His wet eyelashes make the golden hues of his irises pop even more.
My stomach flutters when his eyes slip from mine down to my lips and then back up.
But the spell is broken by a swell rolling beneath me.
He clears his throat and looks away from me. “Paddle out and get ready. These are your waves.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.” He holds his pinky out. “Pinky promise. The most serious of all promises.”
I smile and hook my finger around his. “Eternal damnation if you’re wrong.”
“I’m not.” He splashes me with water. “Now go.”
I keep all his words in mind as I line up on the wave. As soon as it starts to carry my board I pop up, knees bent and loosely braced. As I realize my balance is perfect, I stand a little straighter. Joy races through me as the water carries me toward shore.
I’m doing it.
I’m actually freaking doing it.
My eyes meet his, and my heart does a flip at the pride shining through his smile as I make it all the way in while standing. He flies through the water toward me and wraps me in a hug as we meet. My feet leave the sand as he lifts me up.
“I told you it was your wave.”
“You did.” I wrap my arms tight around his neck, soaking up the scent of sunscreen and salt on his skin.
He sets me down. “Let me grab my board, and we can go out a little further and try for bigger waves.”
I watch as he wades through the water and up onto the beach.
If he wasn’t my stepbrother, I’d totally be into him.
Ever since he saved me at prom, I’ve had to push any blossoming feelings aside.
I really like his dad, and I like him even more for my mom.
I don’t want to be the reason for their marriage crashing and burning.
So I can look, but that’s it.
Looking is okay.
Looking is fun.
Especially as he flips his wet hair out of his eyes and jogs down to join me in the water. The morning sun shines down on him, giving his golden hair a halo effect. His eyes crinkle with joy that I’ve only seen from him on the water.
It’s infectious.
“What?” he asks from beside me on his board.
“Nothing?”
“Nothing? Or nothing. I can’t tell if it’s a question.”
My lips quirk upward. “Nothing. Declarative statement.”
His large palm goes to his chest. “You did learn something at our fancy school.”
I roll my eyes and try not to smile. It’s too damn hard though. His joy translated into teasing is too hard to resist, so I splash him with water. His laughter feeds my soul as he splashes me right back.
“Okay, okay,” I hold my hands up in surrender. “You win.”
His smile softens as his eyes roam my face. “Alright, let’s go out a bit further, and I’ll explain surf etiquette to you.”
He takes the lead paddling out, showing me how to get past the waves. There’s even a demonstration of a turtle roll that I doubt I’ll be trying anytime soon. When we get out to the swells, we sit back up on our boards, feet dangling over the side as the water gently lifts and drops us.
He points out on the horizon and explains wave physics to me, along with how to count sets and what he looks for in a promising wave.
Then he goes over the rules that surfers live by.
I listen intently, if not for the information, then to stop myself from being distracted by the way his wet lashes clump together and set off his amber eyes.
Anxious anticipation fills me as he watches an approaching set.
“This is all you, Jade.” His gaze moves from the horizon back to me. “You ready?”
“I think so.” I lie down on my board and get myself into position.
“You’ve got this.”
The water begins to roll beneath me.
“Paddle! Paddle! Paddle!” he coaches me with enthusiasm.
I try to do everything he’s taught me. His voice loud in my mind with directions.
“Pop up!” he yells from behind me.
I manage to get to my feet, but just as I start to straighten, I lose my balance and fall to the side.
The shock of being fully submerged in the cold water freezes my mind for a second, but I kick my legs and breach the surface in seconds.
Pulling myself onto the board is easier than I worried it would be.
I paddle back over to where he waits for me with a huge smile on his face.
“How was it?”
“Cold and wet.”
“But fun, too, right?”
“It was.” Surprisingly, I’m not lying.
“You almost had it. You’re a freaking natural.”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
“Between us, who is the expert and who is the beginner?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not calling you an expert.”
“Well, I am calling you a beginner.”
“Fair enough.”
“That’s right. Now, here comes another set. Get ready to drop in on the second wave.”
I follow his instructions and get in place. This time I pop up faster and manage to almost straighten entirely before falling back into the water.
Over and over he coaches me, never losing his smile or getting irritated. It has to be boring for him, out on these small waves and just coaching me instead of being with his buddies and catching his own waves. Guilt starts to claw at my chest as I paddle back to him.
“The next one is it, I can feel it.”
“Am I crazy, or are the waves getting bigger?”
He nods. “They are but don’t be intimidated. You’re doing so good.”
“Should we stop?”
“We can if you want. Are you tired? It’s been a few hours.”
“I just don’t want to stop you from having fun.”
His face sobers. “This is more fun than I’ve had in a long time. Why do you think it isn’t?”
“I don’t know, I just feel like you’d rather be out with your friends.”
“I’m happy right where I am.”
“Are you sure?”
“Jade Marie Maxwell.”
Heat floods me at the use of my full name like that, but I remain silent.
“I’m exactly where I want to be.”
“Okay,” I whisper. I’m glad he can’t see my toes curl at his authoritative tone.
“Now get into position and make this wave your bitch. I know you’ve got this.”
God help me, his encouragement makes me feel like I can conquer the world.
I line up and drop onto the wave, popping up and planting my feet on the board.
Everything clicks into place as the water carries me toward shore.
Joy explodes within my chest, and I vaguely hear him yelling my name behind the sound of blood in my ears.
I did it.
I fucking did it!
As soon as the waves brings me to shore, I step off my board and look behind me.
He’s on the last wave of the set. His smile blindingly white as he comes up to me.
As soon as he is within reach, he wraps me in a tight hug and lifts me off my feet.
I lose myself in the moment and wrap around him like a koala.
“You fucking killed it,” he says into my ear as he twirls us in the surf. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you,” I squeeze him. Warmth races through me at the obvious pride in his voice.
I know I make my mom proud, but hearing it from someone other than her does something to me.
As I loosen my arms around his neck, I realize I’m still clinging to him and immediately drop my feet.
He doesn’t let me go until he knows I’m steady on the shifting sand under us. “That was so amazing.”
“Nothing beats the first ride.”