Page 24 of A Whisper in the Bay

“Sure, go ahead,” Dane said, stepping aside so the sisters could go up the bleachers first.

As they walked up, Caitlin shot Alissa a look and a secretive smile. Alissa knew that look well from every other time that Caitlin suspected something was going on between her sister and a man. It was ridiculous, so Alissa ignored her.

They found a spot on the bleachers with a great view of the ocean, and minutes later, the first heat of the competition started. Alissa was on the edge of her seat, her notepad perched on her lap. The first few surfers, all wearing a different color wetsuit, ran into the water, waiting for waves. Then, they started catching them, some surfers hopping on their boards and gliding along the waves with ease while others struggled.

The look of elation on the surfers’ faces when they were successful was infectious. Alissa wondered how that felt, aligning with nature in that way. She wasn’t athletic, but she wasn’t as uncoordinated as people assumed. Surfing required a whole new level of strength and balance that she knew she didn’t have, but everyone had to start somewhere.

“This is convincing me to take surf lessons sometime,” Alissa said to Caitlin.

Caitlin laughed, blowing into her gloved hands to warm them up. “Maybe in the summer, I hope?”

“Oh, definitely. I’m not meant for all this cold weather.”

The next few heats passed by with a few surfers going on to the next round. Alissa had a whole page of notes and questions to ask by the time the next round started. What was it like, plunging into that cold water? How did they analyze the waves? How long had they been surfing? Those were just the tip of the iceberg.

Eventually Caitlin stepped away to go to the bathroom during the break between rounds, leaving her and Dane alone.

Dane had been quiet, observing the competition and chiming in from time to time. Now that there was a break, he peered over Alissa’s shoulder at her notes.

“Looks like you have a lot to write about,” he said.

“Yeah. I have so many questions.” Alissa ran her hand down the page, feeling the indentations of where she had pressed down with her pen. “Sorry in advance for all the length you’re going to have to cut. ”

Dane chuckled. “I’ll live. I’m sure that the article is going to be great. I’ll give you as many pages as possible.”

“Thank you.”

Dane tried to smooth his hair again, but the wind blew it around. His eyes were pensive in the way that Alissa was particularly fond of.

“What is it?” Alissa asked.

“Nothing. Just thinking about being here. Coming here.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“Your enthusiasm inspired me to come, if I’m being honest. I’m glad I did,” he said. “It’s nice to see where you’ll take your inspiration from.”

Alissa bit her bottom lip to stop herself from grinning. She savored every piece of himself that Dane gave her; she could see it wasn’t easy for him.

“I’m glad you came too,” she said. “There’s so much on this island that has me inspired. The people, the scenery.”

“I see.”

She hoped he did and would. He deserved to see the magic in the area. She tucked her pen into the spiral binding of her notepad so she wouldn’t click the end of it repeatedly. “It’s helping me write my novel. I’d love to be a novelist someday.”

“I know,” Dane said. “I read a little bit on your computer while you were out.”

Alissa gasped, her entire body going hot under her jacket. “You what?”

Suddenly, every positive thing she thought about her draft dried up and blew away. What did he think? What if it changed how he thought about her writing for the paper? Or worse, what if he thought romantic stories were silly? They weren’t silly to her at all—love was one of the most important experiences in life and stories about it mattered.

“I know, I’m sorry.” Dane held up his hand. “I meant to look at your screen for a second, but then I got sucked into it. I almost always read non-fiction but I thought it was great.”

“Oh.” Alissa relaxed. “Thank you. I’m glad you liked it. Even if you were snooping a little bit.”

Dane’s smile, such a rare sight, made Alissa want to smile too. The way he looked at her with warm curiosity was also rare. Usually when she caught him watching her at the office, his gaze wasn’t this soft.

“Would you consider going to The Crab with me for dinner sometime?” Dane asked. He paused for a fraction of a second and added, “Just to discuss writing, of course.”

---