Page 78 of Resorting to Romance

“I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah.” He looks so serious, almost forlorn, until he says, “Wanna buy me a board, Uncle Kai? I love the orange on orange CI Mid. It’s only fourteen hundred.”

“He’s not dating your mom, dufus,” Ben smacks Jamison on the arm.

“Is that what this is about?” Bodhi asks me sincerely.

“No way,” I tell him. And I mean it.

This was all about Noah. If I pursue Mila it will be a straight shot, not some side-handed move to get to her through her son. I hope she doesn’t think that’s what this was.

No. I know she doesn’t. Our long phone call the night I gave Noah the board proves it. She knows I did this because I love Noah and I am taking my role as his first surf instructorseriously.

Besides, I’m not pursuing Mila. As much as I would love to see where something between us could lead, I can’t. She trusts me to honor her boundaries. And her number one boundary is no men.

“Mila’s gonna be showing you some serious gratitude,” Jamison says.

“I hope you’re not trash-talking about my girlfriend.”

Jamison holds his hands up in a show of innocence. “Nah, man. Never.”

“Good.”

My girlfriend. The words echo in my head, settling in a deep spot inside me like they belong there.

“You should see yourself,” Ben smiles. “So very very different than I ever imagined you’d be.”

“Yeah, man,” Jamison adds. “You’re whipped.”

They tease me. It’s fine. They don’t understand what’s happened to me. I’d do anything for Mila. And Noah. That board is nothing compared to what I’d do. I’m basically lying to everyone who matters in my life all because of her and how she’s come to mean infinitely more to me than any other person in the world.

TWENTY-TWO

Kai

Co-parenting is the bridge we construct with love,

enabling our children to move freely between us.

~ Unknown

Marbella islanders have a few significant events that mark the calendar year, kind of like Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving. Only, ours are Beach Bash, Shark Attack, and Last Days of Summer.

Beach Bash is sort of our last local hurrah before our island officially fills with the chaos that is Spring Break. From the week after Beach Bash through the beginning of September, Marbella changes from a sweet small town community, mainly inhabited by full-time residents, part-time property owners, and the low hum of winter vacationers to what I call a controlled madhouse.

For the duration of spring and summer, our island is overrun by tourists. They travel from all over the country and the world to descend on us in droves like seagulls to a dropped sandwich.

The heart of our island—the community behind the tourism—continues to beat in the background, but the outsiders run theshow and we exist to meet their every whim so they’ll keep coming back year after year to indulge themselves in our slice of paradise. This is our economy. They keep the lights on, so we lay out the annual welcome mat.

Beach Bash is a Marbella tradition. It’s hosted by locals for locals. And it’s the one party where you’ll see just about everyone you know out on the sand, in the water, around barbecues and later hanging at the bonfires. We’re saying goodbye to our season of keeping the island to ourselves and easing into the melee that is summer on Marbella.

We host the bash on the resort beach, in Descanso, just south of the watersports shack. I’m here, boards lined up on the sand for people to drag out, ride, and return on the honor system. Usually I’m watching that action, but this year, I’m scanning the horizon for Mila and Noah. They should be here any minute and I’m unable to focus on anything in front of me because I’m so preoccupied with the two people who feel like my world these days.

Bodhi sidles up next to me. “Waiting for your woman?”

He has no idea. Then again, he waited for my sister for years.

“Yeah.”

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