Page 64 of Catch a Wave

“Sit.” I lift my finger and Shaka sits.

It’s become obvious he learned some basic commands from someone at one point or another. Kai insisted we put a listing onIsland This-N-Thaton the web. No one claimed Shaka. Still, he was someone’s dog at one point. But now he’s ours. Mine. Mavs’. Hers, I guess.

“Stay.” I stand slowly, keeping my body language loose and confident.

Shaka stays on the board when I stand. I walk to the side and he looks up at me with expectant eyes. He’s waiting for my nextcommand. I let him sit there a little bit and then I call him off the board.

He runs over to Mavs and she loves all over him. “Good boy! You’re such a good boy.”

He’s doing so well, I decide to push things just a little further. I turn the board so the nose points into the surf.

“Come ’mere, Shaka. Come.” He trots over to me.

I sit on the board and then I call him. He comes willingly. When he’s on the board again, I pull him into my lap between my spread legs so he’s facing the ocean with his back toward me. Then I stick my leg off the board and use my foot to push us just the slightest so we’re bobbing and moving in the low water. Shaka leans into me, but he’s not freaking out. We bob like that for a minute and then I let go of my grip on his chest and he immediately dives off into the water, and makes a bounding run through the low waves to safety—aka Mavs.

She takes the towel off her shoulders and rubs it all over him, all the while telling him how brave he is. She ought to know. I’ve never met anyone braver than Kalaine.

“So, what am I supposed to dry off with now?” I tease as I lug my board onto the sand.

“You’ll figure it out.” Mavs smirks.

“I see how it is.”

She smiles at me and grabs up the towels and our bag while I lift my board. We walk toward the watersports shack in silence.

When we’re up on the dock, I stash my board, lower my wetsuit zipper and rinse off.

I’m about to head in to grab my clothes when Mavs says, “I’m not fully ready to make peace with the ocean, Bodhi.”

I stop and turn toward her. “I get it. You don’t make peace with something that broke you all at once. You did a big thing today. Huge. It might seem like nothing. We both know what ittook. I promise I won’t push you—much. You’ll get there. I’ll just wait til you’re ready.”

“What if I’m never ready?” Her voice is small again.

“You’ll do whatever you decide is right. In your time. Don’t ruin the joy of what you accomplished today with worries about what’s next. One person’s inch is another person’s marathon. Give yourself some credit. ‘K?”

“Yeah.” She smiles shyly over at me. “And thanks, Bodhi. I wouldn’t have done this without you.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” I smile and wink at her. “Certified watersports instructor at your service.”

I have to make light of things. If I don’t, I’ll mess it all up. And I already did that one too many times with her.

19

KALAINE

I don’t want to dream of you anymore.

I want you for real.

~ Unknown

“Okay. So, let me get this straight,” Leilani laughs so hard she has to take a break from talking. “At your beach house there’s a new day of the week?”

“What? What do you mean?” I’m confused, but I can’t help but smile at the way Leilani is cracking up.

She laughs some more. “Friday, Saturday, Sunday … and MOONday!”

Now she’s cackling.

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