Page 76 of Knockin' Boats
“Fuck this,” I muttered and reached for the throttle.
Brooks stayed my hand, speaking quietly. “Just hold up. He wants to be with you, not her.”
Ash jogged back out of the boat cabin with a top-of-the-line skim-style board under one arm.
The board was smaller than the surf-style I had and more difficult to master, but it would let him do a lot more tricks.
Ash hopped down into the boat with an enviable ease and locked his board into place.
“Ready!” he said with a bright grin.
I glanced back at the houseboat, where I’d last seen Mel. She was climbing down a ladder and into a small boat.
“Just friends, remember?” Ash murmured into my ear. “No parts touching.”
I shot him an annoyed look, but he appeared serious despite the flippant response. He held my gaze. “I haven’t done this in a long time. I’d really like to do it with you.”
“Wakesurfing?” I asked, unsure if that was what he actually meant.
His lips quirked. “Yeah, that too.”
I hit the throttle and we headed out toward a spot where I knew there’d be less traffic or other obstacles to pose hazards to surfers.
Cash surfed first, because I wanted Shua and Skylar to see an example of a basic ride. Cash preferred wakeboarding for the thrill of the speed, but he wasn’t a sport enthusiast like me or Ash.
“How long has it really been since you’ve been wakesurfing?” I asked Ash.
He looked abashed. “A few years, at least. You?”
“A few months.”
He nodded. “You loved it too much to ever give it up.”
“You didn’t?” I challenged.
He shrugged. “I loved doing it with you. When I didn’t have that…it was just okay.”
My heart clenched. “But you did the sporting competitions, even after we fell out.”
“Yep.” He smiled wryly. “It was a good chance to run into you, talk some shit, try to get a reaction out of you.”
I kept an eye on Cash while we talked. Driving to create wake without a fancy tech system took a little more skill.
“Is that what you were after all those times you were an asshole?”
Ash laughed, his eyes bright. “You were an asshole too!”
I adjusted the direction of the boat slightly as Cash let go of the rope, now fully riding the wake. He let out a whoop, shifting his balance to ride it out as long as possible.
With a boat wake, the wave was never-ending, but that didn’t mean your balance or endurance was endless.
Cash got a little overly ambitious and wiped out while slashing the board, essentially weaving back and forth across the wake.
I slowed and Brooks tossed the flotation device overboard, then we came around to pick him up.
“Damn, man, I was doing so good too,” Cash said, just before shaking his hair like a dog and spraying everyone with droplets. “I need another go.”
Shua squealed. “No way! I want to try now!”
