Page 41 of Riding the Waves

A wave slammed into her upper body at the same moment something hard crashed against the side of her head.

Then she was underwater, her body tumbling while her throat flooded with salty water.

CHAPTER 19

The water wasn’t even that deep. That’s what Amy told herself as she thrashed and searched for the surface. Her lungs burned and she needed air, but she couldn’t even figure out which way was up. It felt like full minutes before her feet finally found the seabed. At the same moment, pressure squeezed her upper arm. Fingers wrapped around her bicep and pulled her up above the water.

Face to face with Damian, she saw the same stricken look he’d had right before she went under.

“Breathe,” he growled at her, and she turned her head to cough up a mouthful of water. Her throat and nose burned from the salt and she struggled to suck in enough air. She spluttered and coughed while her body demanded oxygen. Her legs turned to jelly, and she clutched at Damian’s arm, sure she was going to fall.

“I’ve got you,” he said, a strong arm reaching around her back to support her. “Are you okay?”

“Mmhmm.” The world came back into focus and a lanky teenage boy with a surfboard grimaced in front of her.

“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I didn’t see you until the last minute.”

“It’s okay.” She managed a pathetic attempt at a smile. “I’m fine.”

“Are you okay, Mum?” Marty tipped his head back to look up at her.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

Billy giggled beside his brother. “It was funny when you fell off.”

“Happy to entertain you,” she mumbled as he ran back up the beach with Marty trailing behind him.

“You might have a concussion,” Damian said, pushing her hair from her face to examine her head.

She coughed again to clear her windpipe of the remaining water and salt. “I’m fine. I just need a drink and a sit down.” She didn’t move though, and happily let Damian run his fingers over her hair.

“Does it hurt?” He moved his finger from her temple to the back of her head, and she winced. “You’ve got a bump already.”

“I just need to sit down while I catch my breath.” She tried to take a step but was hampered by the surfboard which was still connected to her leg by a rope. The fastening around her ankle crackled loudly when Damian bent to remove in. He dragged the board onto the beach then returned to Amy’s side, a hand at the small of her back as she walked up the beach on jelly-like legs.

She barely registered Damian peeling her wetsuit off and had just lowered herself down on her towel when Callie appeared in front of her with a bottle of water. “Thought you might need that,” she said. “I brought an ice pack too. It looked like a pretty decent whack to your head.”

“I think it’s fine.” Gratefully, she took the water and gulped at it.

“You need the ice pack,” Damian said, taking it from Callie and kneeling beside Amy to gently press it against her head.

“Need anything else?” Callie asked.

Damian smiled up at her. “Do me a massive favour and take the boys to get ice creams if you’re not too busy.”

“Sure. I’ll put a sign up saying back in five.”

He thanked her and she happily challenged the boys to a race up the beach.

“I could’ve gone with the boys for ice creams,” Amy said, attempting to nudge Damian’s hand and the ice pack away. “That’s freezing.”

“That’s the point. You need to keep it on for a bit. You’ve got a massive lump on your head.”

She pushed her fingers into her hair, feeling at her scalp. “It’s not so bad.”

“Do you feel all right?” Damian asked, ignoring her. “Are you dizzy or nauseous?”

“No.”

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