Page 30 of A Master's Destiny
He gazes out of the window, smiling. “Youdorealize I ride horses with the sun beating down on me, and they don’t come with air conditioning, either.”
I laugh, thinking how different our lives are. I can’t imagine living like a cowboy, but a part of me envies Anderson. Out here in LA, life moves fast—sometimes too fast. If you can’t keep up, you’ll be left in the dust.
Anderson lets out an audible sigh when he finally sees the ocean. “Damn, I miss this.”
“I do, too,” I admit. “I never seem to make it to the beach unless I’m with you or Durov. How pathetic is that?”
“Pretty damn pathetic,” he agrees.
Getting out of the car, I vow, “I’m going to have a house on the beach someday. That way, no matter how busy I get, I can always come home to this…” I gesture to the beach, listening to the soothing sound of the ocean waves rolling in.
“Your own little piece of heaven.”
“Exactly.” I grab a cooler out of the trunk of my car and hand it to him before grabbing the rest of the beach paraphernalia I’ve packed. “Mark my words, Anderson. I’m going to make it happen.”
“Oh, I have no doubt, buddy. I know how tenacious you are.”
I stop for a moment, moved by his confidence in me. I’ve discovered that surrounding yourself with people who believe in you is life changing.
I had that when I was a kid. But, after a seemingly idyllic childhood, I was left unprepared for my father’s suicide and my mother’s subsequent abandonment.
Watching Papa die in my arms when I was fifteen completely shattered my world, but it was my mother’s betrayal that forever damaged me. Her malignant words are still buried in the darkest depths of my soul—like a cancer.
They lie there inside me. Waiting…
Having lived in survival mode ever since, I keep my eyes focused on the future, and have worked hard to drown out the past.
It’s why having friends like Anderson are vital to me. He reminds me thatIcontrol my destiny—not the desperate act of my father or the demons I inherited from my mother.
I stake out a place in the sand and lay out my beach towel before stripping off my clothes. Anderson is right there beside me as we race to the water.
Using powerful strokes, I widen the gap between us, wanting to swim past the breaking waves. Once there, I float on my back in the water while I look up at the blue sky.
I feel like I am the only soul on the ocean as I stare up at the vast sky while the ocean swells gently rock me. It is both humbling and empowering.
That is…until Anderson bursts out of the water like a flying fish. He purposely lands on top of me, sending me deep into the depths. A natural swimmer, I easily escape his clutches and break the surface of the water, laughing.
“I may not ride a horse, but I know how to ride a wave, big guy.”
I notice a large wave rising behind me and I start swimming toward the shore to catch it before Anderson can dunk me again. I swim even faster as the wave picks me up and carries me far away from him. I look back at Anderson and throw up my arm in victory.
Having too much fun, the two of us end up bodysurfing for hours. Finally exhausted, we head back to the beach, and I lie down on the warm sand. Letting out a satisfied sigh, I tell him, “I haven’t felt this relaxed in a long time.”
“The last time I felt this relaxed was after a session with a cowgirl who couldn’t get enough of my bullwhip.”
I chuckle. “Nice.”
Reaching for the cooler, I pull out two thermoses and hand one to him.
“What’s this?” He grins, screws off the top, and tilts the thermos back.
“You might want to—”
Anderson sputters and starts choking, quickly swiping his mouth. He holds up the thermos, staring at it with a look of admiration. “Is that what I think it is?”
I smile. “Yeah…it’s not made for chugging.”
“Damn it, man,” he says, licking the drips rolling down the thermos. “You should have warned me.”
