Page 94 of Broken Hearts

The board is covered by a tarp, and I realize I’ve never actually seen the finished product. I’ve seen the design Nate created for it and some of his other work, but never the finished product. He isn’t the kind of guy who brags about himself, let alone even talks about what he does.

“You wanna see it?” Nate asks, like I’m going to say no. He’s hesitant and a little nervous, and it’s so damn cute.

“Of course I do,” I say, stepping closer to him. I press a kiss to his cheek, encouraging him on.

He takes a deep breath, his hand now on the tarp. He pauses and then removes it. The gasp that falls from my mouth practically echoes in the garage. I hope everyone outside didn’t hear me, giving it away that we’re in here working on something.

“Nate,” I breathe out, shaking my head, my eyes wide. “It’s…oh my god…I don’t even know what to say. It’s incredible. It’s perfect. It’s just so…” I can’t come up with the words to describe what I see in front of me, but I know my dad would have loved it. And Alana will too.

His cheeks flush a soft shade of pink, a loose smile on his lips, and I pull him close, kissing him. With my lips barely touching his, I whisper, “Alana is going to love it. You are amazing.”

I pull back, taking in the board as it stands in front of us. At the top end is the logo for The Pipe Dream, something I learned Nate designed when my dad decided to do a little rebranding. It’s this great shade of yellow with a blue outline, and it matches the building that houses the shop perfectly.

But there, right in the middle of the board, is a surfer who is Alana. It’s the back of her, but it’s her, complete with the dark hair piled on top of her head, the bikini, the sunkissed skin, and the middle finger that is being held up.

Everything about it embodies Alana, and I hope she loves it.

“You ready?” I ask Nate and he nods, but I can tell he’s nervous. He wants Alana to be happy, he wants her to return to surfing and carry on the dream my dad had for her. Like Nate’s talent for art and design, Alana has it for surfing.

Tanner picks up the board, and Nate and I follow him out of the garage. My heart is racing, excited for how Alana will feel about the board, but more than that, I’m excited about Nate putting himself out there, designing something meaningful and special for her.

“Alana,” Nate calls out, and she turns toward him, a beer in her hand, a smile on her face. “Come here.”

We’re standing in front of Tanner, trying to block the fact that he’s holding this surfboard, but there’s no way it’s working.

“Nate, you better not be—” Alana starts, but stops, her head tilted to the side, taking in the three of us standing here.

“So,” I say, smiling, “I know my dad isn’t here to give this to you, but I’m honored to be able to do it in his place. Alana, Mitch worked with Nate and Tanner to design this board for you. He wanted you to have something special for Maui Pipe.”

I can see the tears shining in Alana’s eyes before she begins to shake her head. She’s overwhelmed, and she closes her eyes. That’s when Nate walks over to her, pulling her into his arms.

I don’t know what he says to her, but she cries into his T-shirt, holding him tightly. It’s sweet, and the comfort these two find in each other is unmatched. Their friendship is the kind that people dream about, and I’m so glad they have each other.

“Oh my god,” Alana croaks out, pulling away from Nate as Tanner props the board up for her to see. She wipes at her eyes, smiling a little now.

“Make him proud,” Nate says to her, an arm wrapped around her shoulders, as he kisses her temple. “Mitch believed in you, Alana. And now we’re all here to pick up where he left off.”

“Well, I can’t help much with the surfing part of it,” I joke. “But I will be your biggest cheerleader.” Joining Nate, I give Alana a big hug, and I hear her sniffle in my ear, letting out a ragged breath.

“Go check out your board,” Nate now prompts, and Tanner echoes Nate’s sentiment, calling her over to where he’s standing.

I’m so happy I’ve gotten to be a part of this and I just hope this reminds Alana that she kicks ass and Mitch would have wanted her to compete.

What an amazing group of people I’ve found myself in the company of, and it’s only going to get better.

Alana is openly cryingat the board Mitch commissioned for her, and as much as I’d like to give her shit about being all emotional and shit, I know this is a huge moment for her. This is Alana’s dream, and no one believed in her more than Mitch.

I get why she stopped training when he died, because with him gone, who did she have to believe in her anymore? I mean, we all did, of course, but it was different with Mitch. I understood that more than most.

“What do you think?” I ask, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

She’s standing beside me, hands clasped together and in front of her face, as the tears continue to stream down her cheeks. “Nate, it’s fucking awesome,” she whispers, looking up at me. “Thank you.”

I lift a shoulder, shrugging. “I only did the design. The board is all Tanner.”

“I know, but the graphic, it’s so cool, so me,” she says with a laugh, turning to give me another hug before stepping over to where Tanner stands and throwing her arms around him.

“He’d want you to continue, you know that, don’t you?” Tanner says his arms around her.

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