Page 65 of California Waves

“I still want casting approval.”

Jay laughed, and then his expression turned more serious. He said, “You know I’ve been trying to get hold of you, Mila. Leaving messages. I think you’ve been avoiding my calls.”

She felt kind of bad. Especially now that he’d tackled her in front of her whole family. “I thought you were calling to get me to talk Hersch into letting you do your movie.”

“No, I wouldn’t do that. I can talk to Herschel myself. Mila, I’ve spent years visiting all of you here, and every time I fall more in love with this place. I want you to find me a house here in Carmel-by-the-Sea.”

As Mila gave him a delighted smile and said, “I’d be happy to,” she heard the clink of Erin’s fork dropping to the tabletop.

As they left the house, everything felt different. Now that Mila had told Herschel she loved him and he’d admitted that he wanted to marry her, she felt that a whole new chapter was beginning for her. And for him. He seemed much happier too.

She said, “Are you sure about that biopic? Don’t let Jay bully you into anything. I’ve been defending you against the idea since the day we met.”

“No. I mean, of course it’s embarrassing to have the whole world see my private fears, but, Mila, maybe if I told my story honestly, it could help people. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I’ve spent a long time trying to help the world with Alzheimer’s research. Maybe now it’s time to offer a story that might help somebody else overcome their trauma.”

She loved him so much. She threw her arms around him and kissed him. “You are the best man I know.”

He kissed her back, then pulled away. “Come on. There’s something I want to show you.”

“What is it?”

He wouldn’t give her even a hint. Instead, they got into his car, and he drove her to his place. She quirked an eyebrow at him. “If you’re planning to show me your etchings, I’ve already seen them. And they are very nice.”

He chuckled. “Close.”

Now she really was curious. He unlocked the front door and made her wait in the hallway while he ran forward and fiddled with something. She was already smiling with anticipation when he said, “You can come in now.”

As she walked into the living room, she cried out with delight. Hanging on the big wall in the living room was Tessa’s painting of Mila in the curl of a wave, dancing with the ocean.

“It’s the picture that brought us together,” he said, his voice full of emotion.

She felt kind of choked up. “When I first met you at the plein air show, I got the feeling this picture terrified you.”

“It did. And then I got to know you, and now I feel different. You’re my sea witch, and this painting reminds me of how glorious you are. You changed my life, and being with you on land, and even on sea, makes me happier than I ever thought I could be.”

She was half blinded by tears as she ran forward and threw her arms around him. “I love you, Herschel Greenfield.” She laughed. “It was so hard to say the words the first time. Now I can’t stop.”

“Never stop,” he said, kissing her until she had no words at all.

Epilogue

Erin Davenport loved to surf. Oh, she’d never be the champion her sister was, but she had the technique and, like Mila, like all of them, had been surfing since she could walk. Her dad had put each of them on the end of his board and taken them out for little rides as soon as they were old enough. Mila had always been fearless. She rode those waves like she owned them. Erin was a little more respectful of the power of the ocean. She liked to think she didn’t so much ride the waves as ask their permission before getting on their backs.

It was early morning, and the Davenports were surfing together. It was a great day. Archer and Tessa were back from their honeymoon, looking completely relaxed and totally in love. Damien was goofing around happily between gigs. Even Nick, who was usually busy with app development, had left his work at home and was clowning around with the rest of them. Finn, the largest of them all, had swum farther out than anybody.

But Hersch was the one she was watching. Herschel Greenfield, who’d been so traumatized by his near-death experience that he’d been frightened of water, was learning how to surf. And he wasn’t half bad either. She’d watched Mila teach plenty of people to surf, mostly kids, and she was a good teacher. But Herschel was definitely her prize student. It probably didn’t hurt that when he did something spectacularly good, he got a big, smacking kiss. She suspected Mila’s other students had to make do with a word of praise or maybe a piece of candy if she had some on hand.

Erin had never seen Mila so happy and carefree. It did her heart good. She tried to believe that one day there might be somebody out there for her too, but she was only a reporter for a small-town weekly. She wasn’t a bright international star like Damien or Archer. She wasn’t a statuesque and successful Realtor and former surf champion like Mila. She was the girl next door. The quiet one. Maybe her destiny was to be an aunt to all the nieces and nephews she imagined were on the horizon. And she’d be fine with that. She thought of all the Victorian novels she’d read about women who were devoted aunts. Maybe that was her destiny.

And then a loud and unwelcome voice intruded on her thoughts.

“Hey, is there room for one more?”

She didn’t have to turn her head to recognize the voice. Jay Malone, Archer’s agent, the loudest, pushiest man she’d ever known. He came up and slung an arm around her. They’d known each other more than ten years, so he treated her more like a kid sister than a grown woman.

“Hey there, short stuff. Race you to the waves.” And then he pounded into the surf, got on his board, and started to swim out to join the others.

Short stuff? Was that how he saw her? Erin didn’t have much of a competitive streak, but in that moment, she decided to show Julius “Call Me Jay” Malone exactly what she was made of. She’d show him short stuff.

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