Chapter 1 #3
“He can be a vicious little thing. Maybe try bribing him with something sweet. He loves fruity candy.” Josh winced. “Just don’t tell him that I revealed that secret.”
Patting Josh’s chest, Brad nodded. “I promise.” Even though he hadn’t managed to actually talk to Josh to get any real advice, Brad felt better. His secret was still safe, Josh was still his friend, and he’d found out something new about Luca. Maybe he could use that.
“Now,” Josh drawled, “let’s get to work.”
“Does it really get as crazy as the stories I’ve heard?” Brad asked as he sat to begin pulling on his wet suit.
“Crazy doesn’t begin to describe how next weekend will be.
Memorial weekend starts everything. It begins with a huge surfing tournament.
Surfers, advertisers, and fans come from all over the world.
Every hotel, rental, and campsite’s been booked for months.
There’ll be booze and water. Never a good combination,” Josh explained.
“That doesn’t sound good at all.” Alcohol and water? It would be dangerous. No wonder the Surf City Fire and Rescue Department had every crew member on the schedule from Thursday to Tuesday. No requests off. Every man and woman on duty. In addition to calling in help from neighboring departments.
“Last year we made over fifty water rescues, answered sixteen calls for fires on the beach unattended, thirty-five vehicle accidents, and numerous arrests for public intoxication, minor in possession, or driving while under the influence. This year will be even bigger.”
“Is there a reason for that?” Brad questioned.
Josh smiled. “Luca.”
“Luca?”
“Luca’s the best surfer that we have. He’s going for a three-peat. This competition is big in the surfing world. The winner usually gets all kinds of offers from advertisers.”
“And Luca didn’t?” Why not? A three-peat meant that Luca had already won the last two years.
“Oh, he got the offers. Luca just turns them down,” Josh said.
“But why?” Brad questioned.
Josh shrugged. “I can’t tell you that.”
“Can’t or won’t?” Brad pushed. This seemed…important. And did not make sense to Brad at all. He’d heard about the amount of money the surfing competition brought in.
“I can’t tell you what I don’t know,” Josh answered.
“Hmm.” Okay. It wasn’t really any of his business, yet Brad wanted to know more about Luca. Even when he knew he shouldn’t. If he was smart, Brad would avoid Luca at all costs. He wasn’t that smart.
“Just know that this weekend will be busy. It’ll calm down until the Fourth of July. We just have to get through three days of chaos,” Josh said.
“Got it.” Brad finished pulling on his wet suit and zipped it up.
“We’ll mostly be on the boat. The lifeguards have doubled their own shifts although we’ll do a few hours of beach patrol to fill in for them when needed.”
Standing on the edge of the boat, Brad stared out at the blue ocean in front of him.
The gorgeous dark blue water shimmered under the early morning sun.
It was almost magical. Had he ever just stared out at the water before?
Brad kept himself busy on purpose. Not only was he determined to keep on track, he also didn’t want to give himself too much time to get lost in his past. That was over and done with.
He’d moved to this small coastal town for a reason.
Staring at the water, regret started to creep in.
Was Brad doing what was really right for himself or was his brother Ben correct when he accused Brad of running away? It didn’t feel like running away when Brad pushed himself so hard. Times like this…when he had a moment to think. Yeah, maybe he had run. Who could blame him?
“Hey.” Josh’s hand landed on Brad’s shoulder and squeezed.
Brad shook his thoughts away. He was there to do a job. To accomplish the next task in his professional career. Thinking about Luca or ever having a boy of his own was merely a waste of time. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for. I should have been a better friend. I didn’t realize this was bothering you so much. I know Luca can be mean but—”
“Nah,” Brad said. “It’s not that. I got lost in my thoughts. Let’s get this swim done. I have a shift this evening.”
“You sure are putting in the hours.” Josh patted his shoulder then removed his hand. “Don’t forget to take a few days before the craziness begins. You don’t want to get burned out before the weekend.”
No, Brad didn’t want to have too much time on his hands. “Does that mean you have big plans tonight?” he asked instead. Having the schedule memorized, Brad knew Josh wasn’t on shift at the firehouse that night with him.
Josh looked away before rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh, I, yeah, I’m hanging out with James and Luca.”
Brad tried not to let the fact he hadn’t been invited, even though he had work, bother him.
“It’s just—” Josh sighed. “We’re hanging out with James’s boyfriend. Not a big deal.”
The professor. Brad had started working with James around the same time that James had started to date Jacob Lambert.
Everyone in town knew who Jacob Lambert was.
Not only was Jacob a professor at Surf City University, but he was also rich.
Like really rich. And Jacob’s new relationship with James had the gossip at the firehouse buzzing.
Normally Brad didn’t care to listen to gossip or rumors, as bored firefighters often filled the long hours between calls by making shit up about one another.
Yet there was something about the way that James was guarded when he spoke about his partner that had all Brad’s Daddy instincts on high alert.
There were times that James slipped from the cocky firefighter into a shy and sweet boy.
A boy.
Brad learned James was a boy and Josh a Daddy after hearing several conversations that should have been private.
Not his business, although he understood since the dynamic was new for James.
James was excited to begin exploring. Since Josh seemed more experienced, James often peppered him with question after question.
He’d had to bite his lip to keep from offering his own advice. Brad wanted to help James as well, yet he didn’t, couldn’t, allow himself to be pulled back into that world. Even if Brad missed it.
Back to work.
Brad needed to stay focused on what was really important. The plan.
“Are you ready?” Brad asked Josh. It was time to get on with his training for the day. Not think about what Josh, James, Luca, or anyone else did in their private time. Work. Brad just needed work.
“Let’s do this,” Josh said, pulling out a stopwatch. “Whenever you’re ready.”
Standing at the edge of the boat, Brad calmed himself before diving into the clear water.
Even in his wet suit the shock of the cold nearly stole Brad’s breath away. He broke the surface before starting his swim.
He’d be timed.
Brad set out at a steady pace to the first bright floating cone. At least this would keep him from getting lost in his thoughts. And maybe by the time that Brad was on shift that night he would figure out what he needed to do about the sassy little barista that Brad couldn’t get his mind off of.