Like the Back of My Halo

by Hutchinson, Heidi

  “We can't let him win,” she declared with a shake of her head.

  “Who? Boden?” Steve asked. “Shit. He can't win. Brady's got this in the bag.”

  She gasped a laugh. “Gee! Thanks, partner!”

  Steve shrugged one shoulder. “Just being honest. I mean, it was pretty obvious he was super into you right away. I, personally, was disappointed with his lack of competitiveness.”

  Lo narrowed her eyes. “He was plenty competitive. He turned my alarm off one day so he could beat me out the door.”

  Steve was nonplussed. “Sweetheart, Brady Samson is a shark. He doesn't need to stoop to immature tactics to get ahead. He shut off your alarm because he likes you and wanted to get your attention.”

  His words stirred uneasily through her stomach. Had Brady been holding back? She suspected he was insecure in his ability and that was why it seemed like he was withholding. But what if it was because of her?

  “What do you mean he's a shark?”

  Steve shifted his body in the tiny seat. “This is going to be a long flight.” He craned his neck around to look down the aisle. “Do you think I can get up yet? I have to pee.” He faced her again. “I mean, Brady Samson is better than you know. He's fast, focused, and has killer instincts. Now that he's out there on his own, he's gonna make the rest of us look like pups. The real competition is which one of us is going to come in second.” He settled serious eyes on her. “I won't be distracted by your banging bod or your flirty smiles. I'm here to win this shiz.”

  Lo couldn't help the smile that grew sideways on her face. Steve unbuckled his seat belt and plunged into the aisle on unsteady feet. He might be rough and abrasive, but somehow those traits made him incredibly endearing. She heard him trying to flirt with the flight attendant as she scolded him to get back in his seat. Lo shook her head and stared out the window again.

  Apparently the competition was just starting.

  A new buzz raced across her skin and she grinned out the window.

  This was going to be fun.

  ***

  Brady

  Brady checked his phone, saw the time and lack of messages, and dropped it onto the table next to his bed. He took a deep breath and scanned the hotel room. It was fine as far as rooms go. Small. One bed.

  The equipment bag was smaller as well. Visible, measurable reminders of what his lack of self-control had gotten him.

  Lo and Steve wouldn't land in London for another eight hours. He was hoping she'd be able to call him or text or something. Let him know she'd made it that far safely. Before flying another twelve hours to Cape Town.

  It was like Shane made sure they were as far away from each other as possible. It sucked.

  But Steve was with her and that offered Brady peace of mind. At least, more than if she were going that far on her own. Which was ridiculous because he knew she could travel the world on her own and not have a problem. He just liked the added knowledge that someone was watching her back.

  He stretched his neck from side to side, stepping out onto the balcony that overlooked the ocean. Tourists gathered below on the beach, happily trapped in paradise. But all he saw was the white caps rolling in. The height, the speed, the color.

  Steve had given him a small lecture at the airport that morning when Lo had gone to get everyone coffee. He'd been scolded for his ability to be distracted by a pretty face and perfect tits. After Brady had made it clear than any remark about Lo's tits would be met with physical violence, he listened to his friend's concerns.

  Steve, for all of his flaws (which seemed to get more pronounced with age), wasn't a complete idiot.

  Lo had indeed been a distraction. But Brady hadn't cared. Winning became the furthest thing from his mind when he was with her. He had talked a good game in the beginning. But his effort was half-assed. He didn't mind losing to her. It wasn't even a conflict for him.

  Miller Boden on the other hand... No way in hell was Brady going to let that chump walk away with a three year contract at Soaring Bird. Brady was certain he could beat him. On a wave and in writing.

  He'd get the contract with Soaring Bird. He'd earn back Shane's respect. And he'd get the girl.

  Brady was going to walk away from this with everything.

  25

  Brady

  Brady licked his lips, tasting the salt mixed with his own perception of freedom.

  He hadn't been to Waimea Bay since he was fifteen. He and Bo had taken advantage of an extended winter break and their parents being busy with conferences and had blown all of their money on plane tickets to get to Oahu. They'd used their parents' account to get a room at Turtle Bay and spent the week surfing and trying to pick up chicks.

  It was the first time either one of them had gone big wave surfing. And in the winter, they were the biggest ever.

  What an awesome trip.

  That was when he and Bo had met Shane for the first time. The three of them bonded quickly over a love of the ocean and thrill of competition. But Brady was the only one of them with the guts to attempt a drop-in on Waimea.

  For a kid with absolutely no experience with big waves whatsoever, he knew he was being an idiot. But he couldn't help it. They had paddled out and sat in the line-up all damn day. Bo and Shane had decided against it after having watched more seasoned riders get pounded in the surf. Bo was only fourteen, so he had an excuse. But Brady was fifteen and on the edge of being a man.

  After that, he was addicted.

  But big waves were his guilty pleasure. He sought them out in secret. Riding them only when he wasn't with others. He didn't really know why. Maybe because he knew how dangerous it was and he didn't want to be accused of being a hypocrite. Or maybe it was because he didn't want to share.

  But here he was at Waimea Beach, looking at a sort of birth place. Maybe this was how Lo felt when they had been Ireland. A welcoming of the sea.

  He pushed thoughts of Lo out of his mind. She couldn't be a distraction anymore. He knew where she was and he knew she was right at the edge of his mind if he ever needed to find her. But for right now, he had one focus.

  The waves weren't nearly as big as they were in the winter. But for someone who hadn't been riding big in a while, this would be a nice reintroduction.

  Shane must've known too, because he sent along a narrow seven foot board. It was huge compared to what Brady had been riding on when he was with Lo. But for this? It was probably a good idea. The length would help him control his speed on those enormous waves.

  Speaking of, it was time to reacquaint himself with the first love of his life.

  ***

  Lo

  “Where did Miller get sent?” Lo asked, just realizing she had no idea. Probably because she didn't care. But what if he got to go to one of her Bucket List locations, eliminating her chance of getting to go there?

  “Thailand.”

  Steve's voice sounded further away than just the back bedroom. Lo frowned and wandered that direction.

  “Do you know if he got to pick, or...?” She stopped when she reached his doorway. “Steve?” The room appeared empty. His bag was on the bed, unopened.

  Suddenly his head popped out of the closet. Except not where she expected his head. She gasped, putting a hand to her chest. “What are you doing on the floor?”

  Steve's white smile was immediate. “Just wanted to freak you out. When do we get to eat?”

  She sighed, not as exasperated as she was pretending to be. “We can go eat right now. The guys in the hut next door invited us over.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You mean they invited you over.” He climbed out of the closet and planted his hands on his hips. “Lucky for you, I'm here to keep you safe.”

  “Safe from what?” she asked over her shoulder, walking back down the hallway.

  “Don't you worry your pretty little head, now,” Steve replied.

  “Why would I bother with such a foolish notion?” she muttered, her lips twisted in a half-smile. She missed Brady
. More than she thought possible. But at least she wouldn't be bored. Steve seemed to be on a mission to keep her on her toes.

  She sat down on her bed and pulled the laptop onto her crossed legs. Her inbox was empty as expected. She had promised to make first contact after all. She typed out a quick note of hello and an update on where they were staying. Then she stared at the inbox, knowing he wouldn't respond right now. He was probably out in the water. Like he should be. But she'd had unfettered access to Brady and his thoughts for weeks. Somehow this separation seemed even less fair when the time difference was calculated. She was twelve hours ahead of him. A half of a day.

  Would the waves be kind to him?

  “C'mon, Fred. Food awaits.”

  Lo closed the laptop and smiled at Steve. “Okay.

  ***

  Brady

  Brady tossed the two halves of his broken board down on the sand. He ran a hand through his wet hair and chuckled. It was only 9 AM on his second day. He couldn't wait to tell Shane he was going to need a replacement.

  “That was some impressive ridin' out there.”

  Two young women approached him from his right. His eyes skated over them as he nodded in greeting.

  The speaker had dark hair tied into a messy braid over one shoulder. Red undertones highlighted by the sun revealed her hair was more mahogany in color and only appeared dark because it was soaking wet. The wetsuit she wore was fashionable and expensive, the kind designed for long hours in the water and maneuverability. He couldn't see her eyes behind her dark sunglasses but he'd guess with her tan complexion and hair, they were dark brown.

  Her companion was dressed similarly, hair also braided, but with gold undertones instead of red. And she had more curves than girl number one. Still, she was rocking that wetsuit.

  “Thank you,” he said, grimacing at his board. “Though maybe it was too much for this early in the day.”

  “I haven't seen you out here before. Did you just get in?” the first girl asked.

  Brady was as friendly as the next guy, but he didn't know this girl. He planted his hands on his waist and widened his stance.

  “Are you the beach watchdog?”

  Her smile was blinding. Wide and white, gleaming in her tan face. She pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and held out a hand.

  “Sorry, sometimes I can be incredibly rude without realizing it. I'm Julia Bishop, I'm a freelance sports photographer.”

  Brady took her hand, shook it once, impressed by her firm grip. “Brady Samson.”

  “I knew it,” the second girl muttered. “Didn't I say?”

  “Yes, you did,” Julia confirmed, her eyes assessing Brady differently now that she had his name. “This is my assistant Nadia Kent,” she introduced the second girl. Brady shook her hand as well. “She's my social media whiz. She finds and follows anyone I might be interested in doing a photo piece on.”

  “And you've been on my list,” Nadia said. She also had pushed her sunglasses up.

  Brady's lips twitched and he nodded at Julia's camera hanging around her neck. “You come out to the beach to gawk at surfers?”

  She licked her lips and looked over his shoulder to the water. “I like capturing those impossible moments.” Her dark eyes returned to him. “I was able to get some pretty epic ones of you today. I just can't publish them without your consent.”

  Brady cocked his head. “Well, seeing as I'm out here for my employer, I'm not sure how much consent I can give.”

  Julia narrowed her eyes. Not in disbelief, more like she was preparing her case. Nadia had a cell phone out and touched Julia's elbow. “He's doing this whole world tour thing for Soaring Bird. Brady is one, Miller Boden is another. Uh, Lo Fredericks—she was on your radar about a year ago.” Julia nodded in recollection. “And an unknown. Steve... something.”

  “Who's taking your pictures for this?” Julia asked, all business.

  Brady shook his head. “We take our own for the most part.”

  “They post to Instagram and on their blogs. I get the impression the blog part is particularly important.” Nadia flashed a smile, her first one, at Brady, dark eyelashes fluttering. “I've been watching the Brady and Lo show for a few weeks now.”

  Brady's smile was all for Lo, even though she wasn't there to see it. “I'm glad.”

  “Mm-hm.” Julia nodded, clearly in her own thoughts. “Do you think Brookings would consider some professional shots to beef up those blogs and your social media?”

  Brady shrugged. “I don't know. You'd have to ask him.” He looked at his busted board again. “I have to call him and get a new one sent out anyway. I'll give him a heads up that you want to talk to him.” He bent over and gathered the two pieces. Maybe this wasn't so bad. He might be able to catch Lo on Skype before she went to bed.

  “Where are you staying?” Julia asked when he had walked a few feet in the opposite direction.

  He considered not telling her, but she seemed genuine enough. He told her the hotel and then left the beach.

  He bet Miller hadn't broken his board. Pansy.

  ***

  Lo

  Lo propped her chin in her fist and stared dreamily at Brady through the screen. He was even more handsome than she remembered. “We had dinner with some guys in the cabin next door.”

  “Did they hit on you?” Brady asked, not upset in the least.

  “They're just regular guys.” She rolled her eyes.

  “They hit on you,” he said knowingly, humor crinkling the skin around his eyes. “How's the water?”

  “Haven't been out there yet. Saw some low almond barrels this evening. Hope it's not like that all the time. How about you?”

  “I'm, uh,” Brady chuckled and looked away from her. Was that embarrassment? “I went for some big ones yesterday and today. Broke my board this morning.”

  “How big?”

  He shrugged, a guard shifting over his face. “Not huge. A couple ten footers maybe.”

  “Huh.”

  Brady grinned at her and leaned his arms on the table, bringing his face close to the screen. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you more.”

  “Not possible.” He shifted and glanced down at his phone as the screen lit up. “I have to cut this short, Shane wants me to call him back.”

  “That's okay. I need to get some sleep anyway.”

  They said goodnight/good morning and Lo closed the laptop.

  Skyping with Brady was weird. It didn't have the easy flow that Skyping with her friends had. She didn't feel any connection to him through the screen. Which was disappointing because this was all she was going to get for a long time.

  A soft ache opened in her chest and she tried to ignore it. Worrying for no reason was stupid. She couldn't count how many times she'd told Tessa that if she had to worry about one bad exchange, the relationship wasn't as sturdy as she thought it was.

  She had to have faith that this was one of those bumps. Just a moment of discomfort. Like choppy surf inside a perfectly round barrel. Sometimes you had to ride the rough parts out to shoot out the other end into the sunshine.

  ***

  Brady

  Brady was on his fourth beer. Normally he wouldn't indulge but he had to wait for a day before Shane would have a new board for him. Plus, he wasn't buying.

  He was being wooed. He'd never been wooed before. He kind of liked it.

  Julia threw her head back and laughed a deep, throaty, carefree laugh. Brady grinned, pleased that he'd been able to hit her funny bone. She was a different type of woman. Bold, intelligent, confident, independent. She was probably intimidating as hell to most people, but Brady happened to get along really well with people born to ambition and adventure. And Julia Bishop was made up entirely of both those qualities.

  And he'd been right about her earlier. Her hair was mahogany.

  But she was too bold. Like an arctic wind. Mostly, she made him miss Lo in a deep, soul aching way.

  Lo was warm as t
he Trade Winds and just as wild.

  Damn, he hoped she was safe.

  Maybe he would call in a favor owed to him to be certain of it.

  The last thing he wanted was to be worried about was whether or not she would make it back to him in one piece.

  26

  Lo

  Lo returned to the beach to be greeted by high-fives all around. She grabbed her towel and ran it over her face. Her stomach growled, letting her know how late in the day it was.

  Steve wouldn't be back for a little while longer. In the past five days they had fallen into an easy groove. He had his flow, she had hers. And for the most part, they didn't interfere with one another.

  But it was day five and she was more than looking forward to getting her new destination and writing her blog. Cape Town had been amazing, but it didn't have Brady.

  “Lo!”

  She turned towards the Australian who had been her riding partner that week. He jogged to catch up to her.

  He stopped when he was close and placed his hands on his hips. “Are you done for the day? Already?”

  “Yep. I'm going to shower and see if I can catch Brady before he heads out.” Her eye twitched slightly with her words even though she tried to pretend like it didn't.

  Cal studied her with placid gray eyes. “All right. Well, I know you're probably jetting outta here tomorrow and we're having a get together on Stu's boat at sunset.” He gentled his smile and blinked slowly. “Love to send you off right.”

  Lo nodded. “I'll see if I can make it.”

  He didn't push it. Just nodded and walked back the way he'd come. She took a deep breath as she stared at his back before gathering her things and heading to her cabin.