“Yep!”
Rowan guided her out past the break, keeping close while Kelsey practiced popping up. And damn, the girl was improving. She was finding her stance and trusting her feet. Rowan loved watching the girl blossom in only a short week. It filled something in her that had been empty too long.
Everett stood on the shore. This time, he didn’t look at his phone. His claps and occasional cheers seemed to fill the girl with the simple joy of being watched over. She was clearly starved for his attention. The fact burned in Rowan’s chest, making her even more irritated with this man who kept ignoring his daughter to chase a career that kept them apart.
When they finally finished and dragged the boards to shore, Rowan set hers in the sand and wiped sweat from her brow. “You’re getting stronger,” she told Kelsey.
Kelsey preened and turned to her father. “Rowan says I might be ready for a shoulder-high wave if I keep practicing! We’re going out deeper next time.”
Everett stiffened. “How deep?”
Rowan turned slowly, already feeling the argument brewing. “That’s not exactly what I said.”
“It was close,” Kelsey chimed in helpfully.
“What exactly did you say?” Everett demanded.
Rowan kept her voice neutral. “I said she’ll be ready on a clear, calm day, in a controlled spot. She’s not there yet.”
Everett crossed his arms. “Why don’t you stick to teaching her basics instead of pushing her into things she isn’t ready for?”
Rowan blinked. “Pushing her? She’s the one hungry to learn.”
“That doesn’t mean you encourage something unsafe.”
“Oh, right,” she said, heat rising. “Because you know all about surfing after standing on sand exactly once.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Dad?” Kelsey’s voice cracked the moment. “I’m going to rinse off. Don’t yell at Rowan, okay?”
He dragged in a breath, still staring at Rowan. “Yeah. Sure. Go ahead.”
They glared at one another after Kelsey sprinted off. Rowan jumped right back into the conversation. “You were saying? That it doesn’t matter you know nothing about surfing?”
“Correct.” He flung the word out like it won the argument.
“No, the point is you underestimate her.” Rowan stepped closer. “She’s working her ass off. She’s gaining confidence. But sure—go ahead and squash that because it doesn’t fit your precious plan. Drag her into tennis, or some other sport you approve of, whether or not she likes it.”
His eyes darkened. “I’m trying to keep her safe.”
Rowan’s laugh was quiet, sharp. “No. You’re trying to control her.”
“And you’re trying to turn my daughter into a mini version of you—reckless, impulsive, driven by feelings instead of logic. Or maybe you want to prove something to yourself. Kelsey is your first official student since the accident, right?”
Her breath caught, fury and something dangerously like hurt sparking in her chest. “Like I said before. You don’t know a thing about me.”
“Ditto. Stop pretending you know a thing about me,” he shot back.
They stared at each other, too close, too hot, too much. For a heartbeat, her pulse stuttered with the memory of his gaze on her mouth four days ago. And from the way he looked at her now—like he was fighting himself—he remembered it, too.
Rowan turned to gather the boards. She needed to get away from him before she did something stupid again.
But Everett stepped beside her instead, picking up a board with unnecessary force. “You shouldn’t tell her she’s ready for things she’s not.”
Rowan gripped the board between them like a barrier. “And you shouldn’t disappear for four days, then act like you know what she’s capable of.”
“I’m her father.”
