Page 148 of He Loves Me Knot

“True. But you helped me believe in myself. Helped me be fearless, and I’m thankful to you for that.”

She reached up and kissed him, then rolled off the opposite side of the hammock. “Come, Callum. Let’s go to bed.”

She held out a hand for him.

Callum turned his head toward her, his eyes roving over her figure. He took her hand.

ChapterThirty-Five

Rainin the morning meant the surf would be rough, but Callum still slipped out before sunrise and headed to the beach.

As he nabbed the surfboard that he’d set on the side of the bungalow, he wished he could grab a cup of coffee before going out there.

Or wake Liddy just to kiss her.

But he’d been afraid of what else he might say to her. He’d been drunk last night, and he definitely wasn’t sure how to proceed with her.

He was in unchartered waters.

Callum tucked the surfboard under one arm, then carried it down to the beach. Predictably, the water was choppy, but the waves were good. If he hadn’t gotten on that surfboard earlier in the week when Granny had insisted on those lessons, he might not have remembered how easily this could come back to him, though.

It turned out that climbing back on a surfboard was a bit like getting back on a bicycle.

He was in the cold water in minutes, paddling out beyond where the waves were breaking. Surfing and football. His childhood.

Coming back here felt like a strange time travel.

And it was more than just that. He hadn’t lost an ounce of Spanish, even if he’d been out of practice with it. But he’d forgotten how much he loved the taste of tropical fruit and rice and beans. He’d forgotten the Tico people, with their kindness and easygoing charm—and their ability to set work to the side and enjoy life.

Simplicity.My God, I forgot that.

Friendship, too.

And worse—what it felt like to be in the arms of a woman who challenged him. Not only to do better but tobebetter.

The salt water stung his eyes as he tossed his board over a wave, then dove into it.

I once belonged to this ocean. To this land.

And now the only thing—the only person—I want to belong to . . . is Liddy.

He no longer felt as...alone. As if he had another person in his corner who cared for him even when he was an arse. He wasn’t wrong when he said he didn’t deserve her, but maybe, just maybe, he could work harder at that. At deserving her. Like a second chance.

He’d considered Liddy’s words, too.

“But sometimes facing the things that have made us feel like outsiders is the only way to move forward. You should face your fears and talk to her.”

It was time to move forward.

He had to let go of the anger that had consumed him.

As he burst through the surface, the breath he drew felt like freedom.

He rode a few waves, letting go of his troubles and clearing his mind. He lost track of time, and then, as the sky grew lighter, he headed toward the shore.

Finding his flip-flops off on the sand, he gathered them, sinking his toes into the cold, wet granules. Funny how things like this didn’t change—he still loved the beach at this time of day, no matter the weather, just like his mother did.

Speaking of his mother, he had one more thing he needed to do this morning before heading into the wedding preparations.

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