Page 83 of Summer Love

Harper catches me before I make it back to Maya.

“You okay?”

“I’m great.”

Her blue eyes settle on me without pushing. But I know she’s figured it out.

“Cool,” she says. “Because you told me earlier you know how to surf. And now you’ve got a board.”

“I said I hadn’t surfed in six years.”

“And I said your body doesn’t forget. Tomorrow morning, we go.”

It’s not a question.

“I’m not sure...”

“No worries. Here, seven a.m., with your new board.”

I hunt for a reason to say no. Nothing. Worse: I want to say yes.

“Can I come too?” Sierra says, appearing behind Harper.

She’s not looking at me. She’s looking at Harper.

“The more the merrier, mate,” Harper says with a smile.

Sierra smiles too—a softer smile.

Interesting.

“Okay,” I say. “Tomorrow. Seven a.m. I’ll be there.”

“Perfect,” Harper says.

And she heads back to the fire, sure of herself, barefoot in the sand. Sierra watches her go.

Noah’s snoring in the sand. Flip’s curled up against him, his snout smeared with grease.

And me—I just won the board where I first kissed Jace Walker.

Tomorrow, I’m going to surf.

Nice work, Summer. Another victory.

CHAPTER 28

Summer

MONDAY

It’s 6:45 a.m. Harper and Sierra aren’t here yet.

The gate creaks. I go get the wetsuit Maya lent me last night, folded over the deck railing. I take off my sandals, my shorts, my T-shirt, and pull the wetsuit on over my swimsuit. It’s a little tight in the shoulders, but it’ll do. The neoprene clings to my skin. I tug the zipper up, and the smell takes me back six years. Salt, rubber, summer. Jace.

I leave my things on the deck and cross the yard.

The yellow board is where I left it last night, against the fence. I lift it and turn it over.