she belonged on a magazine cover offer to teach him to surf was tantamount to being asked by Robert Ballard if he wanted to join him on a sub to check out the Titanic.
“Yeah, as a matter of fact I do,” he said before he took the time to reason it out. “You know someone who gives lessons?” He didn’t want to take anything for granted and wind up looking like an idiot if she hadn’t been offering to teach him herself. She smiled, and his knees felt like someone had hit them from behind.
“Me?” When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Unless you’d rather go through one of the shops. I used to do freelance work for a couple of them and know which ones are the best.”
“You’re fine. I mean, sure, I’d like you to teach me.”
“Great.” She ran her fingers through her wind-blown hair, trying to control the strands that covered her face.
“Now what?”
“First we’ll have to get you fitted for a rental board and wet suit, and then we hit the beach.”
“Just so I know up front, how much do you charge?” He choked on a groan when he realized how stupid he sounded. “Not that it matters. I just need to—”
“It’s okay. I pay attention to things like that too. Tell you what. Why don’t we trade. You can teach me how to ride a horse, and I’ll teach you how to ride a wave. To keep things from getting complicated, you can arrange the horse stuff, and I’ll take care of the board and wet suit.”
“How did you know I’m into horses?” He shook his head. “Never mind. I can guess.”
She laughed. “Your grandmother is really proud of you. I think it’s great.”
There were a hundred things he could say, but he settled on the one that counted. “You free tomorrow?”
“After one o’clock. I work at the nursery until then.” He must have looked confused, because she added, “My dad grows orchids.”
“Oh, that kind of nursery. I pictured you with a bunch of little kids.” He loved that she was so easy to talk to. “Should I pick you up here? Or do you want to meet someplace?”
“How about Carpos? It’s in Soquel. They make the world’s best French fries and milk shakes. The hamburgers aren’t bad either. My treat.”
“Why?”
“Because I asked you. When you ask me, you can pay.”
He nodded. If she was an example of what California girls were like, they were a whole lot different than the girls he knew in New York. “One o’clock. Harpos—”
“ Car pos,” she corrected him.
“Carpos,” he repeated. “In Soquel.”
“If you forget, call me. All my information is in the binder I gave your grandmother.”
He wasn’t even going to ask. “I guess it would be good to know who I’m going to give riding lessons to.”
“Grace.”
“Nice name.”
“Thanks.” She took a step backward. “Gotta go. I told my dad I’d fix dinner, and he’s going to be home soon.”
“See you tomorrow.” He turned his bike toward the garage. It wasn’t until he was sure there was no way he would be seen that he allowed the grin that had been building from the moment he’d seen Grace to transform his face.
Christopher found some rags in the garage and wiped down the bike before putting it away. The second he opened the door into the house and smelled his grandmother’s spaghetti sauce, he realized how long it had been since he’d eaten. He headed for the kitchen.
“It smells awesome in here,” he said in lieu of a greeting.
“I figured you would be hungry for more than a sandwich when you got back.” Alison gave the pot a final stir and taste and put the wooden spoon on a plate. “How was your ride?”
“Great.”
She leaned her hip into the counter. “Where did you go?”
“South—along the shore.” Spotting a loaf of crusty bread, he broke off a piece and offered to share it with her.
Alison shook her head. “I’ll wait for the garlic butter.” She reached for her glass and took a sip of the red wine that had been left over from making the
“Yeah, as a matter of fact I do,” he said before he took the time to reason it out. “You know someone who gives lessons?” He didn’t want to take anything for granted and wind up looking like an idiot if she hadn’t been offering to teach him herself. She smiled, and his knees felt like someone had hit them from behind.
“Me?” When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Unless you’d rather go through one of the shops. I used to do freelance work for a couple of them and know which ones are the best.”
“You’re fine. I mean, sure, I’d like you to teach me.”
“Great.” She ran her fingers through her wind-blown hair, trying to control the strands that covered her face.
“Now what?”
“First we’ll have to get you fitted for a rental board and wet suit, and then we hit the beach.”
“Just so I know up front, how much do you charge?” He choked on a groan when he realized how stupid he sounded. “Not that it matters. I just need to—”
“It’s okay. I pay attention to things like that too. Tell you what. Why don’t we trade. You can teach me how to ride a horse, and I’ll teach you how to ride a wave. To keep things from getting complicated, you can arrange the horse stuff, and I’ll take care of the board and wet suit.”
“How did you know I’m into horses?” He shook his head. “Never mind. I can guess.”
She laughed. “Your grandmother is really proud of you. I think it’s great.”
There were a hundred things he could say, but he settled on the one that counted. “You free tomorrow?”
“After one o’clock. I work at the nursery until then.” He must have looked confused, because she added, “My dad grows orchids.”
“Oh, that kind of nursery. I pictured you with a bunch of little kids.” He loved that she was so easy to talk to. “Should I pick you up here? Or do you want to meet someplace?”
“How about Carpos? It’s in Soquel. They make the world’s best French fries and milk shakes. The hamburgers aren’t bad either. My treat.”
“Why?”
“Because I asked you. When you ask me, you can pay.”
He nodded. If she was an example of what California girls were like, they were a whole lot different than the girls he knew in New York. “One o’clock. Harpos—”
“ Car pos,” she corrected him.
“Carpos,” he repeated. “In Soquel.”
“If you forget, call me. All my information is in the binder I gave your grandmother.”
He wasn’t even going to ask. “I guess it would be good to know who I’m going to give riding lessons to.”
“Grace.”
“Nice name.”
“Thanks.” She took a step backward. “Gotta go. I told my dad I’d fix dinner, and he’s going to be home soon.”
“See you tomorrow.” He turned his bike toward the garage. It wasn’t until he was sure there was no way he would be seen that he allowed the grin that had been building from the moment he’d seen Grace to transform his face.
Christopher found some rags in the garage and wiped down the bike before putting it away. The second he opened the door into the house and smelled his grandmother’s spaghetti sauce, he realized how long it had been since he’d eaten. He headed for the kitchen.
“It smells awesome in here,” he said in lieu of a greeting.
“I figured you would be hungry for more than a sandwich when you got back.” Alison gave the pot a final stir and taste and put the wooden spoon on a plate. “How was your ride?”
“Great.”
She leaned her hip into the counter. “Where did you go?”
“South—along the shore.” Spotting a loaf of crusty bread, he broke off a piece and offered to share it with her.
Alison shook her head. “I’ll wait for the garlic butter.” She reached for her glass and took a sip of the red wine that had been left over from making the
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