“Come on!”
She signaled me forward with the exaggerated wave of her hand as if I were a dog she’d wanted to come. My gaze shifted to the sprinkler, then to Breeze, then to Hercules’ reflection in the rearview mirror.
“Goddamn Herc, is she crazy or the girl of my dreams?”
The big dog didn’t answer. But that was okay because I’d already formed my own opinion of Breeze Cassidy and it was decidedly awesome.
Pushing open the door, I jogged up to her side then took Breeze’s hand and let her lead me to my first frolic through the sprinklers.
* * *
A couple of hours into our trip, Breeze directed me off the beaten path and onto a scenic coastal road. I welcomed the detour. With every mile we traveled, I felt the noose tighten around my neck. The longer it took to get to San Francisco, and the inevitable phone call to my father, the better.
When she pointed to an area just past Morro Bay, I dutifully parked the car, then turned to her with an exaggerated sigh. “Another surprise?”
The boredom I tried and failed to telegraph was just for show. There was nothing boring about the adventures Breeze had already brought to life. If this was what constituted a normal life, then sign me up.
A smile played on her lips. Coy. “It’s a good spot for the dogs to stretch their legs and I want to show you something.”
Spying the tourists, I took care to don my hoodie and keep my head down. Until constipated barking drew my attention to the waterfront. Hundreds, maybe thousands of seal-like creatures with large hanging noses basked in the sun, occupying every square inch of the prime beachfront real estate. I’d never seen such a sight.
“What the hell are those things?”
“Elephant seals. The males can weight upwards of 5,000 pounds.”
“I should say so.”
When I cut my gaze to hers, the smile went from coy to downright smug. “And that, Mr. Beckett, satisfies your seal requirement. I think someone now owes his father a phone call.” She finished her little display by pantomiming wiping her hands of me and my sea-lion inspired ultimatum.
“I don’t think so,” I said, resolute. “Those slabs of baloney are not what I call sea lions. Mine are cute and brown and clap their hands and waddle around like fat guys with swim flippers on.”
“No, you’re right. They’re not exactly the same. Sea lions and elephant seals are like second cousins because they belong to the same family of mammals called the pinnipeds. So what I’m saying is – since they’re similar enough to share family holidays, in my book that means Bodhi Beckett’s about to come back to life.”
As much as I wanted to argue the point, I couldn’t. It was time to concede defeat. It wouldn’t matter if I called now or once we got to San Francisco because I was already far enough away from the burn zone to evade detection from my meddling father.
I nodded, sullen. Because even though I was doing the right thing, that didn’t mean I was happy about it.
“Yes.” Breeze woot-wooted, her whole body coming to life at my surrender. There was a little dance, and even a fist pump. For her this was good news. For me… not so much.
“So, you’ll call your dad now?”
A tiny speck of doubt shone in her eyes as she waited for my confirmation.
I sighed. “After I get a better look at these big blobs of blubber. Why are they all here?”
“The elephant seals come every year. The winter months are when they have their babies. The females will get pregnant again before going back to sea and won’t give birth until they come back here next year. Wild, isn’t it? There’s a pup there. Do you see it?”
She pointed out the babies littering the beach. Even though they weren’t much to look at, the pups were undeniably fascinating. I particularly enjoyed the two males fighting for supremacy while the females egged them on with fart-inspired barking cheers.
My attention back on Breeze, I swept a lock of hair out of her face. “Do you think that’s considered a sexy sound in the pinniped world. Are the male seals like ‘ooh baby, give me more of the ‘rip ass’ bark.’”
She beamed, and it was sexy as all hell. “I’m sure. Check out that big stud over there. He’s more popular with the ladies than you are.” A giggle parted her lips. “He has his own harem of females and everything.”
“Yes, but does he have an action figure modeled after him? I don’t think so.”
After fifteen minutes of seal watching, Breeze somberly pressed her phone into my palm.
Tipping her chin to the car, she offered me a sympathetic smile. “I’ll wait here. I think you’re going to need the privacy.”
