Page 15 of Lowering His Guard

Sandy feigns retching. “Sounds gross.”

“Not to worry, my little butterflies. Green waves merely means an unbroken wave. And the conditions are absolutely perfect for you to meet them.”

“Awesome!” Jace cheers.

“We’ll paddle into slightly larger whitewater. Grab your boards.”

The students clamor toward the racks.

“Miss May!” Dinah shouts. “These are the baby foamboards.”

“You are correct.”

“But we’re not babies.”

“Also correct.”

“When can we use real surfboards?”

“Soon, I promise. You don’t want to get ahead of yourself.”

“I’m fine with getting ahead of myself,” Danny says. “Our vacation ends next week. I want to ride a wave before then.”

I squeeze his shoulder. “And ride a wave, you shall. But not before you’re ready. What’s the first rule of surfing?”

“Don’t drink the water!”

“Don’t pee in your wetsuit!”

“Never trust a jellyfish!”

“Don’t eat the sand!”

“Wear sunscreen!”

“Don’t punch a shark!”

“Always look cool!”

“Never surf in your underwear!”

“Look awesome for Instagram!”

“Don’t let seagulls steal your lunch!”

I laugh. “Some of those are surprisingly good advice, although I’d avoid sharks altogether. Maybe don’t get close enough to punch one.”

“Always have fun!”

I wink at Dinah. “That's actually rule number two.”

Jace raises his hand. “Safety first!”

“Ding! Ding! Ding! Winner winner chicken dinner!”

He glances over his shoulder and gives his dad – who hasn’t gone far – a thumbs-up. Brock smiles at him and I nearly swoon. That man and a smile are dangerous.

I grab a board and lead everyone to the water before I get any bad ideas. Such as flashing him to witness his reaction.