Page 47 of Lowering His Guard

“What about afterwards?”

“What do you mean?”

“You haven’t solved the problem. Sandy’s still being bullied.”

Jace sighs. “What do I do?”

“You don’t have to fight the bullies. Just make sure Sandy never has to stand by herself. Sit with her. Talk with her. Pick her for your team. Bullies get bored and move on when they realize the person they’re bullying actually belongs.”

May is amazing. She’s giving my son advice but she’s not pretending to be his mom. She’s not mothering him. She speaks to him as an equal but from a place of experience.

“Dad says to ignore bullies.”

May glances behind her to find me listening to them. She nods to acknowledge me before returning her attention to Jace.

“He’s not wrong. Bullies get off on attention. If you ignore them, they go away.”

“Sandy ignores them but they still bother her.”

“Assholes. Are these kids in the surfing class? I can push them off their boards.”

Jace laughs. “I can’t shove them in the ocean, but you can?”

Her grin is downright evil. “If I – a small woman – does it, they’re humiliated. Humiliation stops bullies in my experience.”

I growl. “You’re not pushing anyone off a surfboard.”

May bats her eyelashes at me. “I’m not? I mean it was an accident. I don’t know what happened.”

“You’re not as innocent as you appear. And you’re not putting yourself in danger.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m not afraid of danger. Ask me sometime about the riptide off the coast of Spain. Saving those idiots who didn’t heed the weather warnings was brutal. How difficult is it to look at a flag? Notice it’s red? And change your plans?”

My heart batters against my chest. “You went into the water when there was a riptide?”

“Duh. It’s impossible to save people who are in the water when you’re on the shore.”

“You should leave the saving to the professionals.”

“Dude, who do you think I am? I am a professional. Part of being a surfer is knowing water rescue.”

The idea of her drowning. Of not being around. Of not being in my life. I can’t handle it. I want to wrap her in bubble wrap and hide her away where she’ll be safe.

But May isn’t a woman you can whisk away for safety. She’s the woman who fights bullies. Who saves idiots from drowning. Who helps my son when he doesn’t know what to do about a bully.

Damn. She’s perfect. Too bad I’m not in the market for the perfect woman. Or any woman for that matter.

“Let’s go.” I urge them toward my SUV. I beep the locks open and May sprints for the vehicle.

She opens the door before planting a foot on the tire, grabbing the roof rack, and swinging herself into the seat.

She grins at me. “Guess I didn’t need a grappling hook after all.”

I frown. “Don’t do that again. It looked dangerous.”

And I want the chance to lift her in my arms where she belongs. No, not where she belongs. No matter how good it feels to have her body tucked up against me.

She rolls her eyes. “Dude, did you not see the way I scaled the giant rock formation at Mermaid’s Climb?”