Page 22 of Whispers on the Water

When I emerge from beneath the water, I smooth my hair, feeling a clarity that wasn’t there before. The boys are already paddling out, but I catch sight of Greg looking over his shoulder at me.

For the first time in my life, I have a silent conversation with a man. ‘You good?’ his eyes ask.

I smile. ‘Never better’

He purses his lips. ‘liar.’ It seems to accuse, but his lips twist into a grin. Then he jerks his head out toward the ocean. ‘Come surf then.’

I laugh and jump on the board.

After getting my bearings, I paddle out behind Tommy and Greg. In the water, I keep close to Greg. Each of our exchanged glances seem filled with an unspoken yearning. But no matter how many longing looks I throw his way, Tommy is intent—no hell-bent—on keeping us separated.

Is Tommy my new dad? Is this a chaperoned date? Before I can ask the questions aloud or maybe just throw myself at Greg, Tommy grabs the front of my board. “Ope, big one, better grab it, Sam.” He pushes me into the peak, and he’s right. The wave is too perfect to pass up.

Glancing back as I gain speed on the wave face, I see the men already talking. Though it makes me cringe a little, I have to admit that perhaps it’s time for the two men to sort things out, in whatever shape that takes. I pop to my feet, surrendering to the wave’s embrace. As I speed right, my world narrows to the sheer thrill of the ride. The wind flows across my skin and through my hair, which streams out behind me like a banner. For a fleeting moment, I dare to close my eyes, basking in the sensation of soaring over the sea. But more importantly, I let myself forget about everything. No sick nephew, no confusing men, no overprotective friends. Just me, my beautiful Ruby surfboard, and the waves beneath me.

The ocean has always been my sanctuary, a place where all complexities fade into the background. The salt in the air, the soothing breeze, and even the seagulls’ relentless cries serve as a form of meditation. My smile widens as I navigated the wave, a reminder that no matter the turmoil on land, the ever-changing sea will always be my grounding force.

Chapter fourteen

Greg

As Sam rides the wave, I watch her master the ocean with an ease that leaves me in awe. It’s quiet, only the sound of seagulls and breaking waves surround us. I hate the tension. Yeah, I fucked up when I threatened Tommy, but honestly, this third wheel thing is a little much.

Tommy clears his throat. “So, erm, were you serious about all that divorce crap?” His gaze followed Sam, obviously appreciating her skill on the board.

“Yeah, do you wanna see the decree?” I’m only half-joking. Deep down, I know that he’s sizing me up, trying to figure out what my end game is with Sam. While it’s admirable, I don’t really like the idea of groveling with him.

Now, groveling with Sam would be easy and hopefully end with us both naked.

Tommy’s laughter cut through my thoughts. “No man. I’m just trying to protect her. You get it right? You got any siblings?”

Shaking my head, he continues chuckling. Waves wash under our boards, but neither of us goes for them. “Well, I got two brothers. Both assholes, but when shit gets rough, they always have my back. I like that and try to do that for my surrogate sisters.”

“You think of them like sisters?” The phrase catches me off guard, especially considering how close he and Tilly seemed the previous night. The way his hands went all over Tilly’s ass wasn’t very familiar. If he thinks of Tilly as his sister, then I’m the President of the United States.

“Oh yeah, Tilly and Sam. They’re my two best friends here, probably anywhere.” I’m literally scratching my head as Tommy’s face reddens. Yeah, that dude is thinking of his hands on Tilly’s ass too. I almost want to help the poor guy out. Maybe give him some advice about the ladies. But I know that Tommy and I aren’t friends, at least not yet.

“I’m just sayin’ like, I get it. We were drinking and you didn’t want me touching her. Okay, I won’t. But Tilly?” Tommy’s shiver hinted at complications I’m not privy to but can certainly guess at. “She might not be so easy to convince. Watch your back bud.”

“You’re not here to give me some speech about staying away?”

Tommy looks at his board, his feet kicking to keep his board steady. After a few seconds of silence, he shakes his head. “I could, but I don’t think it’ll do any good. The way you came into the shack, all kicked puppy dog and desperate…” He laughs, but I’m not embarrassed. “And then the way she looked at you, like all gooey eyed and shit. Like you control the tides or something. Yeah, I’m not getting in the way of that.”

Damn. The words hit me harder than I want to admit. Despite his use of less-than-poetic phrases. ‘Like I control the tides.’ I know what that means. It’s like she thinks I can bring glassy-wave perfection to her life.

For a moment, I’m struck speechless before something else occurs to me. “Tilly mentioned something about Sam’s ex?”

“Oh, shit yeah. I guess he used to beat her up pretty bad. She’s never said anything to me, but Tilly’s said it’s why she doesn’t date or mess around.” Tommy’s revelation hits me hard. There was nothing in the report about abuse. But as far as I know, Sam doesn’t have any other serious exes. She was practically a kid when she got married. It adds a new layer of depth to Sam, contrasting sharply with the vibrant woman I’d come to know. And it doesn’t match the profile of a murderer I’ve come to know, either.

The irony wasn’t lost on me as Tommy warned, “We’ve all got a past, dude. Just, don’t make me regret not hitting you when I had the chance.” His departure on a wave left me to ponder his words, admiration growing as I watched his adept maneuvering on the surf. The way he is able to cut through and back along the wave is more than impressive. Not only that, but the man gave so much wisdom so easily. And didn’t hold my outburst against me. Hell, he’s even encouraging me to be with Sam.

Is guy crush a real thing? Cause if so, I have one on Tommy.

As I watch, Sam comes paddling back through the break, her hair whipping as she clears it from her face, bringing a smile to my face. “Did he impress you yet?” she asked, her grin infectious.

“For sure. Impress and confuse,” I admit. She continues staring at me, her chest rising and falling quickly as she tries to catch her breath. “He said something about Tilly that confused me.”

“Wait, he said something about him and Tilly?”

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