Chapter 8 #3
Thea turned to Ryan as everyone rejected the idea of surfing.
“I don’t think anyone wants to hit the waves,” she said, stuffing her hands into her jean shorts’ pockets. She pulled out her phone and looked down at a text. Did she have better things to do?
“Well, I want to go,” he said, hoping he’d be enough for her to stay.
She smiled. “Okay. Well, let’s go then.”
He didn’t move, wondering if he should just start off like his mother had suggested when she’d first talked to him about dating. Being honest had been her very first rule.
“I asked you to come over not just because I wanted to surf, but because I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he said cooly.
He casually looked over to see her reaction. The right side of her mouth quivered into a small smile.
“Really?” She appeared surprised by his confession. She lifted an eyebrow. She threw her hair behind one shoulder “Didn’t Miss Wisconsin just leave?”
He winced at the timing, but he couldn’t help that his heart fell for her so fast.
He stepped a bit closer to her. “I was hoping maybe I could have a friend here on the island.”
He cringed inside. He’d played it safe. A friend? He didn’t want a friend.
He inhaled more vanilla and definitely the scent of rose floating from her hair as she pulled it back into a ponytail.
“We’re already friends.” She opened her beach bag and pulled out another bag from inside and handed it over to him.
“What’s this?” he asked.
“Take a peek,” she said. Her smile brightened the whole beach as she watched him peek inside the bag.
He pulled out the wet suit. It was a perfect fit.
“It’s light blue,” he said, holding up the suit that had a design of waves on it.
“Don’t want you to look like a seal and get eaten by a shark,” she teased. “There’s one for Miss Wisconsin, too.”
“Wow.” He couldn’t think of the right words to thank her. The gift was more than just thoughtful, but pricey too. “I can’t accept such an expensive gift.” He folded it, placed it into the bag, and passed it back to her. “Thank you, but I can’t.”
She held up her palm like a traffic cop stopping a car for pedestrians.
“It’s an older suit,” she admitted, refusing to take it back. “You’re the first customer who’s bought anything at my shop for surfing. Take it.”
“Really?” This surprised him, looking at the wet suit again. It looked really nice.
“Most of the tourists who visit Isabel Island are retirees or families with young children,” she said. “Not many thrill seekers trying to learn how to surf.”
He chuckled thinking about his own family trying to learn. He wasn’t even sure if he should still be going out and learning. Was he too old at this point?
“I’m afraid I’m going to break something,” he said, exaggerating his embarrassment but hiding what he was really scared of, the things lurking in the dark waters of the ocean.
“Nothing to worry about,” she said. “We’ll take it nice and easy.”
They may have started off alone, but soon his cousins’ children came down to the water and learned the “pop up” method on the beach.
No one got into the water, but instead practiced popping up from a lying position to a standing position on the board.
By the end of her lesson, everyone, including Ryan, could pop up and balance on their boards.
“Cowabunga, dude!” he said when they all stood at the same time together.
She laughed so hard she held her stomach like her belly hurt. If he had guessed, he would’ve thought she was having a really good time. But when the afternoon came later and his family started talking about dinner, Thea and her niece gathered their things and began to leave.
“Stay for dinner,” he offered to the both of them.
Jordan stood behind him and repeated the sentiment. “Yeah, stay.” He looked straight at Arielle, who stared back at him.
“We should stay, Auntie,” Arielle said.
“Mandy’s shift ends soon and I have to close up the shop,” she said, but she didn’t leave the beach right away when the others headed back to the house.
She stayed behind with him, and they walked back together.
When they walked through the house, she said goodbye to his family, giving his mom a long hug before heading out the front door.
He walked her to her Jeep as Arielle lagged behind with Jordan.
“Come back tonight,” Ryan suggested.
She shook her head as she put her board in the back. She looked at her phone. “I have a lot to do before tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Do you need more help?”
She shook her head. “I think having an NFL player stocking inventory might cause more chaos than usual.”
He opened her door, and she put her hand on its open window, brushing his hand with hers. The touch sent an electric pulse through his body. “Will I get to see you tonight?”
“I keep the store open until the fireworks are over,” she said. “You should stop by if you head to town to see them.”
She got into the Jeep and closed the door. As she backed up, her touch lingered on his fingers. He promised himself that he most definitely would make it down to the village and stop by her store.