AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s early. Not even seven.” He took his other hand and linked their pinkies. “Name how you want to spend the next few hours, and we’ll do it. Anything you want.”
“Hmm…” Her lashes fluttered against his side. “Will you take me surfing? I want to be in the water with you again.”
“I’d love to.”
“I’m really going to miss the ocean.” She laced the rest of their fingers together.
“It’s pretty awe-inspiring, isn’t it?”
“Yes. And I know they say the ocean makes you feel small, but when I’m in it and look at it, I don’t feel that way at all. I feel, I don’t know, honored and lucky and really, really happy. Likelaugh until my stomach hurtshappy.” She looked up at him, gave a crooked smile. “Except for that moment when I thought I might drown.”
Zane winced. “That won’t happen today. Not even close.”
“I know,” she said, her voice tender. “Has there ever been a moment when you almost drowned?”
“Yes. I was surfing Pipeline. I’d been sick, had like a hundred and two temperature and was bone-tired, but went out anyway. There were massive waves that day and I got disoriented. For the first time ever, I lost my balance and the water swallowed me. Holding my breath seemed impossible. Two of my buddies pulled me out.”
“Oh, Zane.” Her hold on his hand tightened. “Were you worried about going back in the water after that?”
“Not at all. Fear isn’t real. It’s something we create when we think about what could happen. Out in the water, I’m in the moment. Always.”
“You’ve trained your thalamus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex to work well together. I’m impressed.”
His mouth stretched into a huge grin before he let go of her hand. “I love when you use brain words. So you ready to do this?” He wanted another moment with her in the surf. Wanted to get her standing and riding her first wave.
She ran her fingernail down the middle of his chest. “I am. But before we go, do you think you could do that thing you did to me last night one more time?” Her voice had that kittenish quality that drove men to their knees.
“Which thing would that be?” He slid his arm down to cup her bottom.
Her breath hitched and she crawled on top of him. “Any of them. All of them.”
He put his finger gently on her chin to guide her mouth toward his. “Guess what?” he whispered. “There’s one I haven’t shared yet.”
When she raked her hands through his hair and murmured, “Show me,” he got such a rush he showed her twice.
They got back from surfing an hour later, showered, and he left her to finish up while he went downstairs to make coffee. His cell phone jingled the tune Julia had programmed so he’d know it was her calling.
“Hey, sis.”
“Guess what?” She sounded happy and excited and Zane pictured her bouncing up and down. “Mark and I got married last night!”
“What?” He pulled the mug from the one-cup coffeemaker and headed to the patio.
“Zane, it was so romantic and wonderful and—”
“Hang on. Start at the beginning. I thought the wedding was in January? Wasn’t I supposed to be a groomsman?”
“It was. You were. But Mark wanted to make it official before my surgery. We’re still on for a big reception in January, though, and you better be there.”
With the phone in his hand, he rubbed at his chest, disappointment settling there. He’d missed out on a lot of important events in his sister’s life and had been looking forward to being there when she tied the knot.
“You know I will be.” He sat in a cushioned chair on the private patio. Another cloudless day and the sound of water cascading down the large concrete fountain in the corner filled the space.
“So he showed up at the house yesterday with roses and a limousine and asked me to wear the pale pink sundress that he loves so much and said he wanted to make me his wife and would I please give him the honor of escorting him to the park where we had our first kiss. I cried and said of course and then I got changed and he had rose petals all over the limoandall over the grass at the park. Mom and a minister were waiting there. Mom had a bouquet for me and the minister said some really awesome stuff and then pronounced us husband and wife and we kissed and it was all so wonderful.” She sighed over the phone line.
Her words had come out in such a rush of excitement, Zane couldn’t help but smile. “Congratulations. Mark’s a good guy. And very lucky to have you.” The ache in his heart grew. He’d missed all that. Missed standing beside his mom and watching Julia have one of the best days of her life.
But he couldn’t fault her that. She had a life of her own, and just because he wasn’t around didn’t mean she should put it on hold. He swallowed the lump in his throat. His baby sister had always been there for him, but he hadn’t always been there for her.
