Page 25 of Taming Waves

“You know what I mean. All of a sudden, you’re not just a lurker. What’s the endgame?”

“Maybe I just want to be a presence in her life.”

“That’s rich, coming from the man who, once upon a time, couldn’t get far or fast enough away,” she snaps.

“Boy,” I correct.

“Excuse me?”

“I was a boy back then, not a man.”

“Yeah, well, she was a girl and didn’t have the luxury of running away.”

“I know.”

She considers me in silence for a minute.

“It’s going to take more than that pretty face and charming smile, you know. You’re going to have to put in the work and take a lot of shit.”

I nod.

“And even then, there’s no guarantee she’ll ever let you back in.”

“I know that too,” I say.

“Look, what went down between you two when you were younger was ugly, and she’s been carrying a grudge for a long time. Audrey is one of the strongest people I know. She’s as steady as a rock. Nothing throws her off, which is one of the traits that makes her good at running a crazy-ass bar. Nothing, that is, until you started working there. You get under her skin. So, I figure there must still be some pretty big feelings buried in there somewhere. And you, handsome, need to figure out how to uncover them. Gently. The clock is ticking. You have less than ninety days left.”

“Any advice?”

“Try getting to know her.”

“I already know her,” I say.

“You know the girl she was. Maybe try getting to know who she is now,” she suggests. “If she’ll let you.”

She clicks her bottle to mine and then rejoins Anson at the dining table.

I’m glad to know I have an ally. At least, I think I do.

“Oh no!”

I open one eye at the sound of the exclamation. Sunshine glaring through the living room window temporarily blinds me as I blink the sleep from my eyes.

Glancing over as I sit up, I see Anson stirring in the other recliner.

“What’s going on?” he mumbles.

“Not sure.”

Tossing the blanket aside, I bring the chair back to a sitting position and stand. Stretching, I turn to see Audrey looking out the kitchen window to the street. She’s still wearing my Hollister Charter shirt with my top sheet wrapped around her waist.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

She startles as I come up behind her and peer out above her. There looks to be about two to three feet of standing water.

“Shit. That’s not good.”

“What is it?” Anson asks.

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