Page 54 of Rebel Heart
“I can’t believeI’m doing this. Do you see me? I’m actually doing it!”
Even more impressive was the fact I was managing to continue it when the excitement was bubbling up inside me the way it was.
With excellent instruction from Beau, I was now officially riding a skateboard. And it didn’t take me long to get the hang of it.
“I see you,” Beau said. It didn’t matter that I was so caught up in what I was doing; I could hear the pride in his voice. “You’re doing amazing.”
Still rolling along, I asked, “How do I turn?”
“Use your back foot to steer yourself.”
Just like I’d done from the moment Beau had started teaching me, I listened to and followed his instructions. And the next thing I knew, I was steering myself around. Beau was keeping right up with me, arms out, ready to catch me. And though it wastempting to fall on purpose just so I could land in his arms, I was far too thrilled with the fact I’d accomplished this.
I rode around a bit longer on the board before I hopped off, stopped the board from rolling away, and launched myself at Beau. Without thinking about it, my emotions took over, and I just wanted to celebrate.
“Thank you so much for teaching me. That was so much fun.”
His arms came around me, holding me tight, and he spoke softly in my ear. “You’re welcome, Jules.” The tone of his voice led me to believe I’d find a smile on his face.
And that’s when it hit me that I’d just thrown myself at him. I quickly loosened my hold on Beau and stepped back, immediately feeling that loss. “Sorry about that.”
He seemed disappointed. “It’s okay. You were excited, and you have every reason to be. I’m so proud of you.”
I pushed past the awkwardness I felt and smiled at him. “I still can’t believe I picked it up that quickly.”
“Well, you did say that you’ve ridden a snowboard before, so I’m sure that helps a bit. But I also think you have a natural talent for it, because most people don’t pick it up that quickly. I didn’t.”
“Are you serious?”
He nodded. “I struggled a lot in the beginning. But I was so determined, and the hard work eventually paid off.”
I beamed at him. “Do you mind if I try again?”
Shaking his head, he answered, “Not at all. That’swhy we’re here. You can do it for as long as you like. I’ve got nowhere else to be.”
Warmth moved through me that had nothing to do with the sun that was shining down on us. It didn’t matter that I’d been going out regularly over the last couple of weeks just to have some fun and entertain myself. This was easily the most fun I’d had since the night Beau took me out for a ride on his motorcycle.
I positioned my foot on the skateboard precisely where Beau had indicated when we’d first arrived, and he’d started my lesson. Then, I used my opposite foot to push myself forward and work up some momentum. I brought that foot on top of the board, and I was doing it again.
It was nothing like what I knew Beau could do, but I felt such a sense of accomplishment. And I was surprised at how much it lifted my mood. Then again, it might have been more than just the success on the skateboard that was making me feel that way.
Unsurprisingly, ever since Beau had shown up at The Mixing Bowl with the proof of his failed baking attempts, I’d been struggling not to want to be around him all the time again. Every time we’d been together before things went south, Beau and I always had such a great time with one another. And since he was doing the thing Layla had told me mattered most—he was making the effort to stay in contact with me—I decided not to write him off completely.
It was proving to be the best decision, because I was having the greatest day ever with him. Even when I lostcontrol for a moment and allowed instincts to drive me into his arms, I couldn’t deny how great it felt to be back in his hold, to feel his embrace. I’d missed that.
I continued skating around, Beau right beside me with a big smile on his face, as these random thoughts shuffled through my mind. Maybe that was just more proof of how great of a job Beau had done in teaching me. Instead of being focused on precisely what I was doing, I was capable of thinking about something completely unrelated, like skating had become second nature to me. Perhaps that meant I really had picked up a new skill.
Everything was going great, far better than I expected, and then it happened. The board came to a very abrupt halt, and I went flying. My arms went out in front of me, and my feet scrambled to catch up with the momentum of my body, but it didn’t matter. I was going down to the ground whether I wanted to or not.
Or so I thought.
At the very last second, when I was just inches away from connecting with the ground, Beau’s strong arms wrapped around me, and I was suddenly staring up at the sky. My back collided with his chest, and we landed with a thud, Beau beneath me.
Beau had just taken the impact of the fall with his body to stop me from getting hurt. Only, I was the one wearing the pads, and he had nothing on.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
He was worried about me?
