“Pam is really nice. I think you should give it a shot.”
“I appreciate it, but no.” She dragged her toe. Fiddled with her purse. “Well, I guess I’ll go. Just wanted to tell you thanks.”
“You can come by anytime,” Rowan repeated, trying to ignore the rising urgency to stop her from leaving. “Say hello to Bagel and me and Tino.”
“Cool.” She gave a half-hearted wave and turned to walk away.
And Rowan knew in that moment she’d never see Kelsey again.
Her father had done his job trying to protect her. Probably warned her to stay away from surfing, and the rickety shop, and strange people who lived their life by the rise and fall of the sun and the ocean. Maybe Everett was right. This was no place for a teen girl from the city who was only here for the summer. Better to let her go. Her father was a pain in the ass and Rowan didn’t need him in her life. Plus, she loved her usual routine. It was good enough. It was—
“Kelsey!”
The girl turned. “Yeah?”
“If I gave you surf lessons, would you want them?”
Her face lit up. “Really? I mean, yes! But you don’t give lessons, right? And I don’t want to make you feel guilty or feel bad for me or anything. I’ll be fine. Plus, I’ll probably suck and waste your time.”
“I only do things I want,” she said calmly. She propped her arms up on the counter and studied the girl. “If you’re really interested, I have some rules.”
Kelsey tilted her head with curiosity. “Sure. What are they?”
“First, you go home and change into proper gear.”
She winced, then laughed. “No problem.”
“Second, you tell your dad about the lesson. He needs to know you’re surfing.”
Rowan could tell the girl had already been scheming for a way not to tell Everett, but they needed to start with a clean slate. She wasn’t getting in between a teen and her father. “Okay. I promise to tell him about the surf lesson.”
“Good. Final rule. It’s the most important.” The girl nodded seriously. “No being crappy to yourself. I don’t want to hear that you’re clumsy, or can’t do it, or suck. Surfing begins with mindset. A strong, calm mind is needed to face waves. The competition starts with yourself, and the way to win is to not treat yourself like shit.”
Blue eyes widened. Rowan kept her stare steady and locked in. She meant every word.
Then Kelsey grinned. “Got it.”
“Good. You can come back at three and we’ll start on the sand with basics. Does that work for your schedule?”
“Yes! This is amazing—thank you, Rowan! See you later!”
With a little shriek, she ran out of the shop, stumbling a bit in her fancy, strappy Michael Kors sandals. Rowan gave a chuckle and shook her head. She remembered that age—flying over the beach with such raw emotion. Everything back then was high highs and low lows. Balance was almost impossible to achieve when hormones were pumping and the world was exploding around you in everyflavor. Oh, how she’d wanted to feel it all, unafraid of anything, as long as she had her safety net.
Dad. Lea. Tino. So many others showed up for her, but she’d shed them fast, too focused on her losses to care.
Yet here she was, doing what she swore she wouldn’t. Teaching a beginner to surf. Getting back on the water. Opening herself up.
Her stomach rolled and she rubbed sweaty palms over her shorts. Rowan reminded herself it was a temporary thing. Nothing long-term. Nothing that would upset her quiet little life.
Three p.m.
She better get prepped.
Rowan stared at the board and her insides began to shake. Pieces of memory hit her like shrapnel, making her vision blur. Once, the board was her second home. It was hard being out of the water, like a part of herself wasn’t really alive, but since the accident she hadn’t touched one.
Not unless Tino made her. Oh, she knew he pretended to need her help with sanding and shaping. He lied about his fingers getting arthritic, but God, the moment she smoothed her palm over the surface and traced the edges, Rowan almost recognized her old self.
Until she thought about paddling out and taking on that wave one more time. The fierce longing also reminded her of all the ways she’d gotten hurt, failed, and been betrayed.
