Page 42 of The Other Plan

I looked over at her in her cute black bikini, and for the umpteenth time today, got tongue-tied just looking at her. Ten years may have passed, but she still looked exactly like she had when we’d been in Hawaii, and I’d taught her to surf. Those long, toned legs. Her curvy hips. Full breasts that her bikini did an excellent job accentuating.

Damn. Maybe my plan of going paddleboarding with her had been ill-conceived. Being this close to her and not pulling her into my arms and covering her with kisses was pure torture.

“Yep. Just keep your eyes up and bring your paddle a little closer to your board.”

Being a natural athlete, Jenna immediately took to my directions and started pushing her paddle through the water. The long board slid across the glassy surface and brought her closer to me.

“Nailed it!” She grinned as she paddled past.

“You’re crushing it.” I smiled back.

We’d been out here for a couple hours and had toured every nook and cranny of the beautiful lake. My muscles ached from the rowing, but the good kind of ache that came from a day spent doing the thing I loved. I’d mostly surfed before this, loving the rush of the speed and the danger, but I’d hopped on a paddleboard a handful of times. Now that I was a little older, I didn’t mind the slower, more relaxed pace of the paddleboard. Hell, after living life in New York, I would take slow and steady over fast and dirty any day of the week.

A small boat sped by with a water skier dragging behind them. The waves from the wake pushed toward us, and Jenna grimaced as she braced.

“Keep your legs relaxed and move with the board!” I called as I paddled toward her.

“Whoa. Whoa. Whoa!” Her voice drifted off as she wobbled on the moving board.

“Keep your hips loose and move with it!” The first waves reached me, and I moved my body along with the rocking, still pushing myself toward Jenna.

Her wide eyes darted to me just before her mouth opened, and she tumbled backward off her board. With a big splash, she disappeared.

“Jenna?” I called as I pulled up next to her board.

I didn’t see her.

Scrunching my brow together, I started searching the water. She shouldn’t be hurt. She’d only tumbled back a few feet, but panic started pounding in my chest when I didn’t see her head pop back up.

“Jenna?” I called again, spinning around to scan the water surrounding me. “Jenna!”

Suddenly my board shook and lifted, and I shouted as I plunged into the cold water. I came up splashing and spitting water, and the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Jenna’s face grinning at me.

“You should have kept your hips loose. Really moved as one with the board,” she teased.

I pushed my hand into the water and blasted her with a spray that had her choking while I laughed.

“You’re a dick!” She coughed, wiping the water from her eyes.

“Me? You’re the one who just knocked me off my board.” I laughed as I pulled it back to me.

“Well, if you’d just loosen your hips, you wouldn’t have fallen.”

I peered over at her, her wet hair pressed to her face as she treaded to keep her head above water. Those brown eyes goading me on as they sparkled with mirth.

Laughter poured out of me as I climbed back up onto my board, swinging my legs on either side to straddle it. Jenna swam over and pulled herself back up on hers, mimicking my position and sitting beside me. The last of the waves dissipated, and we sat side by side on our boards.

“Sun’s setting.” She pointed up at the sky. The colors had started to deepen to soft reds and oranges.

“You’re so lucky you live here.”

“What? You don’t love New York?”

Shrugging, I leaned back on my hands. “I’ve got everything I set out to have.”

“But you don’t surf anymore? You loved that more than anything.”

“Yeah. Funny thing. I actually did surf when I first moved there. There are a few spots around the city where you can. They are so packed with people it’s hard to catch a wave, and it’s exhausting trying to maneuver around everyone. Not exactly like the big open spaces we had in Hawaii. I still tried, though, because it kept me grounded after days in the city. But then I got my job, and it got harder and harder to get to the beach. Not to mention dragging a surfboard around on public transportation.” I sucked the air through my teeth. “Not fun.”