Page 27 of All Because of You

“I scoped out a place up that way last night, if it isn’t taken yet.” He pointed toward the southern set of bluffs.

They started off across the landscape, which at ten in the morning wasn’t terribly crowded yet. The weather was due to warm up later today, but for now, Madison burrowed down in her sweatshirt, grateful she’d thought to toss it on over her long-sleeved blouse before Evan had shown up. The ground softened into sand, and grains fell over the sides of her Keds.

Finally, they arrived at the bluff and climbed the rocks until they were about halfway up—high enough to see the horizon but not too far from the water.

“How is this?”

“It’s great.” But surely he knew that. “You’ve gone whale watching before, haven’t you?”

“Nope.” Evan spread the blanket onto the rocks, which were scattered with bits of sand and pebbles. “Most of my family outings were sports-related. All of our free time was spent attending my sister’s gymnastics meets or my baseball games.”

“How is Taylor these days?” Lowering herself onto the blanket, Madison hugged her legs against her chest.

Evan scooted the picnic basket next to the blanket then joined her in sitting. “She won Miss California about five years ago, lives in Los Angeles, and works as a social media influencer.” He slung his arms across his bent knees, right arm holding his left wrist.

“What a life.”

“Yeah. My parents are really proud of her.” A muscle flexed in Evan’s jaw.

“I’m sure they’re proud of you too.” Whatever his motivations, one thing was clear—he was no longer the lazy goof-off from high school.

Evan shrugged. “My mom has said so, but my dad’s another story. I’m not sure I’ll be able to please him no matter what I do. I don’t think I was ever what he wanted in a son, but after I lost my baseball scholarship, any confidence he had in me pretty much sank.” He reached inside the basket and pulled out two pairs of binoculars. “But enough about that depressing subject. Here you go.”

“Thanks. I like a man who’s prepared.”

He grinned and winked. “Then you’re going to love me by the end of today.”

Madison tried to suppress her smile—after all, she hadn’t forgiven him quite yet—and turned her gaze back to the ocean. In the distance, a few surfers wove in and out of the waves in a lyrical choreography they seemed to know intimately. The sight mesmerized her and, somehow, lit a longing deep inside.

She lifted the binoculars to her eyes, first scanning the white-tipped waves close to the shore then the calmer waters farther out. “My aunt and I came here at least once a week during whale-watching season, more often if she could get away from her shop.” It had been Chrissy’s way of helping Madison to make peace with what had happened to her parents. After all, the migration pattern of whales was a constant, something she could rely on. And her aunt had been right there with her, always providing that place to come home to.

She’d been exactly what Madison had needed, but Madison hadn’t returned the favor to Chrissy, had she? She should have occasionally come home. Should have checked in with her aunt more often.

“So you know what you’re looking for, then? Because I ran out of time to research it, and if you don’t know, we may just be staring at the waves all day.”

Madison chuckled. “Yes, I know.” She focused on a spot not too far away. “In fact, I think I’ve spotted our first whale group right now.”

“No way. Seriously?”

“Mm-hmm.” Yes, there was the familiar low plume of water. “There, see? It looks like a puff of smoke hovering just above the water. It’s probably a pod of gray whales.”

“I don’t see it.”

Madison glanced up at Evan, who was hunched forward squinting into his binoculars, a frown overtaking his lips. “Lift them a bit.”

He did but overcorrected. She moved closer and adjusted them down just a hair. “It may take a minute to see them again. You probably won’t see the actual whale. They don’t breach the surface that often.” Madison let her arm fall, but Evan caught her fingers in one hand while holding the binoculars steady with his other.

Her heart skipped at the contact.

Part of her itched to watch for the whales again, but a bigger part wanted to catch his reaction when he finally saw one for the first time. The frown remained on his face as he concentrated on watching, and the morning sunlight revealed blond scruff on his normally clean-shaven jaw. Madison breathed him in. He wasn’t wearing his cologne today, but she was enjoying the natural smell of his soap and shampoo—the casual him—even more than the professional Evan.

Finally, his lips broke into a smile. “I saw it! There!”

Madison raised her binoculars and caught sight of the source of his exclamations. Not just one puff but several. “Hello, lovelies.” Then one broke the surface, its gray-and-white-mottled body flitting out of the water for just a moment. “Did you see that?”

“And you said that didn’t happen.” He nudged her, a smile in his voice.

“I said it doesn’t happen often. But sometimes, we get lucky.” Aunt Chrissy used to say that whale watching was like life—completely unexpected. You never knew what you’d get, but you kept going, hoping to see something spectacular, to connect with nature, with God, in a new, profound way.

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