Beach House Reunion (Beach House #5)(49)

She smiled, remembering. “Got it.”

“I think that’s it.” He looked out to scan the water. “Here comes one.”

She caught sight of a blue wall heading toward them and her muscles tightened.

“Push up!” he shouted.

Linnea gripped the sides of her board, feeling her stomach clench. As the blue wave hit, she sucked in her breath and pushed herself up on her arms. A rush of cool water flowed under her. She exhaled with a shout of joy, thrilled to her core. The ocean awakened her, leaving her feeling invigorated, confident, like she belonged here. She grinned and searched for John. He was close, smiling at her, giving her the thumbs-up. Then he pointed and she saw another wave coming. She followed his example and started paddling again, harder. She pushed through this one too, riding over it and laughing when the water rushed by.

“You’re doing great!” John called out.

At last they made it to the break where a line of other surfers waited. She tried to sit up on the board like the rest of the surfers, but her balance was off and the board wobbled in the water. She gripped it tightly. Balance, she thought. Keep centered.

“Linnea!” John called out, and pointed to the two surfers to his left. “Meet Richie and Trey. They’re my buddies who live over on Sullivan’s. And over there”—he waved to two men at her right, who had longer, graying hair and sat on their boards with the attitude of kings—“that’s Mickey and Danny. They taught the rest of us how to surf. We call them the Godfathers.”

Linnea returned their waves, careful not to upset her balance. “Who’s the girl?” she asked. Next to Mickey sat a smashing girl with long blond hair who had an enviable confidence and ease on the board.

John leaned over to look. “That’s Carson Muir. Wait—it’s Legare now. That’s her husband, Blake. Lucky guy.” He cupped his hands around his mouth. “Hey, Carson!”

The woman turned her head and, seeing John, returned a warm smile and a relaxed wave. It was clear she felt as at home on a surfboard as the guys. Linnea wanted to feel that confidence on the water someday.

“You all know each other?”

“A lot of us do, yeah,” he answered. “We’ve been surfing this same stretch of beach most of our lives. Bumping into each other, literally. Plus, there’s always an element of danger in the sea. The unexpected. We have each other’s backs.”

She looked around at the vast sea that seemed to stretch to the sky and realized her vulnerability out here. And her lack of knowledge.

“I can see why. It’s a little scary way out here.”

John quietly slipped off his board and swam to grab the edges of her surfboard, holding it steady in his strong hands. His face was solemn and she felt the intensity of his gaze.

“Don’t be scared, Linnea,” he said seriously. Droplets of water hung from his lashes and sparkled in the sun, making his eyes appear as green as the sea. “I have your back.”

She saw in his eyes that he was watching out for her. She felt safe with him. Their eyes lingered for a second, and she felt the heat warm her body.

“Remember why you came out here,” he continued. “Why we all come out here. You know that euphoria you felt riding over the wave?”

She nodded.

“We call that surfer’s stoke. It might look like we’re all just sitting out here waiting for a wave, but it’s a kind of meditation. We’re taking it all in. There’s this sense way out here that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. There’s this overwhelming sense of peace. Time seems to disappear and nothing matters but the sea and the sky and that we are alive.”

Linnea stared at him, appreciating his words and that he’d lowered his guard to bring her into his world. She didn’t know what to say. Didn’t feel the need to say anything.

A profound silence followed as he continued to hold on to her board and they rocked in the water. She heard the splashing of water, the cry of an osprey overhead. Her senses came alive, attuned to the moment.

John looked over her shoulder, and his expression suddenly focused. “Okay, Gidget. This might be a good wave. Listen to my cues and paddle as hard as you can till you catch the wave.”

Uncertainty reared its head. “How will I know?”

“Believe me, you’ll know. Just don’t rush it. One of the biggest mistakes is to stand too soon. Be patient. Wait those extra couple seconds, and then pop up.” He patted her board. “Big Blue is a steady steed. You just take all the time you need to stand up. He’ll take you in. Here’s your wave!”

Linnea gripped her board tightly as he turned Big Blue around to face the beach. Everyone else in line was getting into position. She spread her arms out, ready to paddle.

“When I say so, start paddling.”

She looked forward, holding her breath. Listening.

“Go!” he shouted. “Paddle, paddle, paddle!”

Linnea felt a giant push that she thought was the wave until she realized it was John pushing her. All five of her senses heightened, and her mind focused. She felt the board catch the wave, gliding, gaining speed. She raised herself to her knees, counted to two, then popped up to her feet. She was up! Euphoric! For a fleeting second, she was flying. Her whole existence was soaring on this single wave!

Almost as quickly as she got up, she fell off, tumbling into the white water as if she were stuck in a washing machine on permanent press. She felt a tug on her right ankle and surfaced, breaking free of the wave. Gasping for breath, she climbed back on the board.