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Dylan squeezes my hand. “It will be.”
The brothers nod, and I rest my head against Dylan’s. “Can we go to the beach next?”
“Not before we get you cotton candy,” Brady says.
My smile widens, and at this rate, I don’t know if it’ll ever fade.
“No.”
“Come on, Brady.” I grab his hand, trying to pull him toward the water. “Let’s dip our toes in.”
Dylan is already in the water, fighting waves, and Austin is standing knee-deep, probably the worst spot to be to try to keep your balance with the way the water is hitting today.
Brady resists me. “It’s dangerous.”
“Yeah, but you know how to swim?”
He nods.
“And do you plan on going over to the rip current?” I gesture down the beach, where a rip is creating the illusion of safe waters.
“No,” he says with a sigh. “Listen, I just can’t control?—”
“That’s the problem,” I interrupt. “You’ve lived near the ocean your whole life. How many times have you gone in it?”
He presses his lips together.
That’s what I thought. Brady isn’t so much scared of the water as he’s scared of letting go of control. But if he really doesn’t want to go, I won’t make him.
“Okay,” I say. “Maybe we can sit right there?” I point to the shallowest part of where the waves hit.
He grits his teeth and glances at Dylan as he whoops and jumps under a bigger wave. I want to reassure him Dylan will be okay, but I’m not sure he’ll ever believe that, when it comes to something as untamable as the sea.
Austin marches deeper into the water and dives under, swimming out to join his brother. I really want to go out with them, but I refuse to leave Brady behind.
“Fine, we can go in, but the second you struggle with the waves, we get out.”
I shake my head. “You can get out, if it comes to that. I’ve jumped waves a lot, and I’m a trained lifeguard,” I tell him, rubbing his arm. “Sometimes one hits you by surprise or two come at once, but as long as I feel safe and confident, I’m staying in.”
He eyes me, then sighs in defeat. “No one is ever going to listen to me again, are they?”
Smirking, I give him a quick kiss before saying, “Not when you’re trying to control them.”
With more confidence than I expected, he marches into the water with me and dives in once we’re waist-deep. We reach the guys right as a wave creeps toward us.
“Get ready to jump, Brady!” I shout, bracing myself to dive under the water. Some people try to keep their head above it, but I like the way it feels when the ocean beats over my head and every inch of my skin, so I suck in a deep breath.
“Quinn,” he warns.
I quickly glance at him. “It’s okay,” I say, imploring him to believe me, then turn back and time the approaching wave, diving in at just the right time to feel it roll over and try to own me. I hold my breath. Excitement and adrenaline tremor through me, and someone’s leg brushes over mine.
Maybe Dylan?
I don’t have goggles, so I keep my eyes closed and push to the surface once the worst of the wave has passed, coming up for air with a laugh and turning to smile at Dylan.
Only, Brady’s head pops up beside me. He sucks in a lungful of air and glares at me.
Dylan shrugs from beside him. “He dove in after you.”
