“I say that you are an incredibly sweet son,” Eliza said. “And if I hadn’t already talked to your father, I’d consider staying. But as soon as I mentioned coming home, he went into the helpless man mode and whined about how much he didn’t know what he was doing and that he needed me at home. So…”
“Honestly, men can be such babies,” Aunt Monica said, securing her luggage and placing it on the floor. “No offense, Christian.”
“None taken,” he said, smiling. He looked at the two of them—while he normally preferred his privacy, it had been nice having them here. “So what time is your flight? What time do we need to leave?”
They exchanged looks. “Um… We figured you’d be busy,” his mother explained, “and we called for a car service to pick us up.”
As if on cue, a horn beeped.
He looked at his mother in disbelief. “Seriously? You didn’t think to ask me to drive you to the airport? And for that matter, why didn’t you tell me any of this while we were all at the office? Was I supposed to come home and find a note saying you’d left?”
Basically, he had no idea what time his mother and aunt had come to the office or when they’d left—their schedule wasn’t something he was overly concerned about. But today he had forced himself to leave the office early so he could take them both to dinner. If he hadn’t come home when he did, they’d both be gone.
“Now who’s being dramatic?” Eliza asked.
“Well? Isn’t that what you were going to do?” he demanded.
With a murmured “excuse me,” his aunt carefully made her way out of the room to tell the driver they’d be right out.
“To tell you the truth, Christian, I figured you wouldn’t mind,” his mother stated firmly, her spine stiffening as she spoke. “I know you work long hours, and you haven’t particularly gone out of your way since we arrived here, so I thought it would be best if we simply left.” She crossed her arms over her middle and waited for his response.
He raked a hand through his hair. “Okay, fine. I know I wasn’t a good host, but still, Mom, you could have given me a heads up about leaving.”
She seemed to soften a little. “It all happened so fast. One minute we were making plans to go walking on the beach, and the next Monica got the call about Mac and Gina and she immediately started making plans to fly out. I thought it best if I left too.”
How could he argue with that? It was all logical and it made sense for them to go—especially if their work here was done.
“I hate that you’re taking a car to the airport. What kind of son does that make me?” he grumbled.
Immediately, his mother was hugging him and laughing softly. “A smart one. Now you won’t get stuck in traffic like we’re going to be.”
Christian thought of all he could be doing at the office, and as if she’d read his mind, his mother poked one long finger on his chest. “But since you’re not going to be stuck in traffic, take tonight and do something relaxing. Something fun! Something that doesn’t require you to be in a suit and tie behind a desk!”
And with that, she gave him a loud, smacking kiss on the cheek. “Now come on and help us get all this luggage out to the car. We don’t want to miss our flight.”
Fifteen minutes later, they were gone and Christian was out on his deck staring at the ocean—much like he had started his day. The only difference was that now he had taken off his tie, unbuttoned a couple of buttons on his shirt, and was taking a sip of his beer.
“This won’t do,” he murmured and set the bottle down, then walked into the house. Five minutes later, he’d changed into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Most people didn’t realize that he enjoyed relaxing at home and didn’t spend the bulk of his time wearing a shirt and tie. With a satisfied grin, he picked up his beer and scanned tonight’s crowd of surfers.
Leaning on the railing, Christian felt himself relaxing. It was still pretty hot out and for a minute, he contemplated changing into a pair of swim trunks and going in the water. Normally, at this time of day he was still at the office, but now that he was home, it was possible to indulge a bit.
“When in Rome,” he said. Straightening, he spotted a familiar red ponytail, and his desire to head down to the water had little to do with swimming and everything to do with getting a closer look at the woman who’d been intriguing him for weeks.
She was swimming out on her board and he watched in fascination as she went through the entire ritual of waiting for the perfect wave, getting up on her knees, and eventually standing. Christian held his breath as he watched her find her balance and silently cheered her on as she straightened. For a second, he could have sworn he heard her joyful laugh, but that simply wasn’t possible. Still, it kept him smiling.
To her left, another surfer was quickly approaching—a big, burly guy with long hair and tattoos—and even though he didn’t know much about the sport, something seemed a bit dodgy. He was fairly certain that you weren’t supposed to crowd each other like that. Helplessly, he stood rooted to the spot as the second surfer got closer and closer, until they collided. The redhead went flying one way, the burly guy in the opposite direction.
Burly guy surfaced, she didn’t.
Chapter 2
Before he knew it, Christian had leaped over the railing and was sprinting to the beach. From his perch on the deck, he’d felt like he was much closer, but no matter how fast he ran, he didn’t seem to be getting any nearer.
She surfaced and was swimming toward the shore, with the burly guy berating her the entire time. Rage filled him as he listened to the wanker hurl insults as if she had been the one to collide with him. Not sure of what he should do, Christian stood and waited. The two of them walked out of the water not ten feet away and his fists clenched as the dialogue became clearer.
“You don’t belong here!” Burly Guy yelled. “You could kill someone if you don’t pay attention to the surfers around you! Why don’t you go to one of the resorts and take lessons, or better yet, give up! You’ve been at this for weeks and you’re nothing but a nuisance!”
To her credit, his surfer girl didn’t yell—hell, she didn’t even argue. All she said was, “Thanks for the advice.” Then, with her head held high, she walked the rest of the way out of the water and started to make her way toward the parking lot, awkwardly carrying her board.
“Hey!” Burly Guy yelled again, storming after her. “You better listen to me! I’ll be sure to tell Randy that you’re a danger to everyone out here and he shouldn’t rent to you anymore!”
That had her stopping in her tracks. Slamming her board into the sand, she unfastened the band from around her ankle, straightened and turned, and Christian could almost feel the frustration vibrating off her. And then she completely unleashed on him.
“You know what?” she said firmly. “You are nothing but a bully! In case you hadn’t noticed, I was up and on my board first. And you know how I know? Because I was paying attention and I saw you come out after I already chose my wave and you were close. And considering you were behind me, you should have been the one to back off!”
“Now, you listen,” Burly Guy snarled, but she held up a hand and cut him off.
“No, you listen!” she stated, her voice growing a little louder. “I have every right to be here. There’s an entire ocean for all of us to use and you don’t get to tell me where I can and can’t surf. And if you so much as even think of talking to Randy about me, you will be sorry!”
Burly Guy stood there, slack-jawed, for a moment. Just when he looked like he was about to respond, someone yelled out, “Ollie! C’mon, man, let’s go!” And just like that, Burly Guy turned to walk away.
“Ollie?” the redhead repeated with amusement. “Seriously, your name is Ollie? Is that why you’re so mean—because you got stuck with a ridiculous name?”
The guy glared at her, and if Christian wasn’t mistaken, gr
owled. “Watch where you surf,” he snapped and then turned and stormed off.
“Right back at ya!” she called after him.
Laughing softly, Christian stood and watched to see what she would do next. He figured she’d grab her board and…then he wasn’t sure. Her options were to either return to the water or head to the surf shop. Much to his surprise, she let out a shaky breath and sank to the sand.
And even more to his surprise, he walked over and sat beside her.
She looked at him with wide emerald eyes and gave a soft gasp, but said nothing.
“You were pretty brave,” he said, resting his arms on his bent knees. “Bloody brilliant, actually. That guy was pretty intimidating.”
Beside him, she relaxed a little. “Yeah, well…he was completely in the wrong and it’s been a crappy couple of days and he was the perfect outlet for my frustration.”
Christian nodded, unsure of what to say.
“I’ve seen him around here almost every day and he’s a jerk to everyone,” she went on. “No one ever talks back to him, they simply stay out of his way after he’s done berating them.”
He looked at her and found he was seriously impressed.
She shrugged and looked out at the waves. “People like him are the worst. They bully, they belittle, and most of the time, they have no idea what they’re even talking about. If I had been in the wrong, I probably would have apologized profusely and followed the herd and simply gotten out of his way.” She paused. “But I knew I was right. I’m very aware of my surroundings and I knew he was coming in behind me even as I was heading out, but I thought he’d wait and let me catch my wave.” Then she muttered a curse.
And it was completely adorable. He couldn’t help but laugh softly.
She glared at him and he saw he’d seriously offended her.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I just… I guess I misjudged the situation.”
Tilting her head, she studied him for a moment. “Why would you say that?”
Great. How was he supposed to explain that he’d been watching her and came down here to try to rescue her without sounding like some sort of creep?
Swallowing hard, Christian looked away from her and figured he’d rather be honest than lie to her. “I saw the two of you collide and then he surfaced before you, but he didn’t look like he was too concerned about where you were. So…”
“So you came to help me?” she asked, her voice a little uncertain, wary.
Nodding, he looked at her. “I thought I was acting heroic, but then you rose from the water like a bit of a badass.” He laughed softly. “So clearly you did not need my assistance.”
With a small smile, her eyes scanned his face and then she looked away again. “Yeah, well…there’s a first time for everything.”
Now he was the one who was curious. “Why would you say that?”
She must have caught on to his using her own words on her, because she laughed. “Let’s just say that normally I’m a bit of a pushover. I don’t like confrontation and I’d much rather turn the other cheek. But like I said…”
“Crappy couple of days, huh?”
She smiled. “Big time. I was supposed to start a new job. I had my first meeting scheduled the other day,” she explained. “But I had a flat tire and by the time I got it fixed, I was a mess and had to change my clothes and was late heading to the appointment. There was an accident on the freeway and by the time I arrived, the people I was supposed to meet with had gone for the day.”
“Damn,” he said. “That is a crappy day.”
“I know, right?”
“They didn’t fire you before you even started, did they?”
She shook her head. “No, but it makes for a lousy first impression. I wouldn’t blame them if they did fire me. It’s my first job here and…” She sighed.
“Is this a job that you want or a job that you need?”
“Need,” she said wearily. “I moved here a little over a month ago and have been job hunting while living off my savings—which are now dwindling.” She muttered a curse again. “I know I’m perfect for the job.”
“Maybe you can reach out to them tomorrow,” he suggested. “Just because you missed your appointment doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t see you again or let you reschedule.”
“I know, I know. Like I said, it just makes for a lousy first impression,” she said miserably, resting her chin on her hands. “I think the universe hates me.”
“Yeah, I know that feeling well,” he murmured, and they fell into a companionable silence while the waves crashed on the shore in front of them. There was so much more he wanted to say to her, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing came out. In his mind, he’d imagined all the things he’d ask when he finally met her and now here they were sitting side by side in the sand and he couldn’t utter a word.
Brilliant, Christian. Bloody brilliant.
Finally, she stood. Christian had no idea how much time had passed, but he had no choice but to stand with her. Brushing sand from his shorts, he straightened and looked at her with a smile. She was almost a foot shorter than him and for the first time tonight, he took in her long-sleeved top and bikini bottoms.
Curvy, he thought.
Her green eyes looked sad and he wished there was something he could say to make that look go away.
“Thanks for wanting to rescue me,” she said, leaning against her board.
“Sorry you’re having a bad week.”
Nodding, she thanked him again. “So, um… I guess I should go. It’s getting late and I need to bring the board back to the shop.” Lifting it, she shifted it in her arms and took a step back. “Have a good night.”
“Wait!” he said, a little frantic. There was no way he could let her walk away without at least finding out her name. “I—I realized I never introduced myself. I’m Christian.” He held out a hand and almost sighed with relief when she accepted it, wrapping her much smaller hand in his.
“It’s nice to meet you, Christian,” she said, “I’m Sophie.”
Sophie. Studying her for a moment, Christian realized the name fit. “Do you mind if I walk with you?”
She shrugged. “No problem.”
Before she could object, he took the board from her. She hesitated for only a moment and then they walked together—slowly—toward the parking lot.
“So tell me about this job.”
Another shrug. “It’s a nursing job,” she said. “Corporate. Back home I worked in a small doctor’s office and it made me crazy. I love being a nurse, but I like the idea of not going to the same place every day.”
“And this job offered multiple locations?”
Shaking her head, she explained. “No, it didn’t. But the hours were flexible, so I could work for several companies and mix things up a bit. It’s through an agency and they’re going to be my first clients. You know, sort of like a test to see how well I do before my bosses will assign me to more companies.”
Wait. This all sounded mildly familiar, but what were the odds of this being the same thing his mother and aunt had come here to start?
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of a corporate nurse,” he said, fishing for more clarity. “Is it like having a nurse’s office in school?”
Beside him, she laughed, rich and husky and a little bit sexy. “I don’t think I would put it quite like that, but…yes. Essentially, I would have set days that I go in to a particular corporate office where I would do things like blood-pressure checks, administer flu shots, routine physicals, that sort of thing. It’s not particularly challenging, but I’m a people person and I think it’s hard for the average employee to take time to see a doctor about maintaining their health. This way, we’re bringing the doctor—or…me—to them.”
He nodded as they climbed the steps leading to the parking lot.
/> “Either way, it would have been a great way to get started and see if this is what I want to do.”
“You’re not sure?” he asked.
“I moved to San Diego in search of something new—new surroundings, new job. So far all I’ve accomplished is the surroundings. I can’t believe a job can be so elusive.” Then she gave him a lopsided grin. “At least, I think it’s elusive.”
He laughed softly. “You’re not sure?”
“I haven’t exactly been consistent with the job search.”
“I would think there’d be a big demand for nurses,” he said. “I mean, the sheer number of medical centers and doctor’s offices I see around here would lead me to believe that.”
“Oh, I’m sure there are plenty of jobs, but I’m a little…shall we say, picky about where I want to work.”
He admired her honesty. Maybe if he had held out for the job that he really wanted he’d be a little happier right now.
“Nothing wrong with that,” he finally said.
“Sure, it all sounds like a good thing until you’re facing the possibility of rolling your change to buy groceries.”
Christian stopped in his tracks and stared at her. “Sophie, then maybe you need to take something else on temporarily. It might not be ideal, but it’s better than going broke.”
Her laugh was a little more boisterous this time and when she studied him, her smile was warm and friendly. “I’m being a little dramatic. It’s not that bad yet. I promise. And besides, I think you’ve encouraged me.”
“I have?”
She nodded. “I think I’m not going to let this get me down. I’m going back to that office tomorrow and demanding to talk to someone in human resources and have that meeting. I know I am more than qualified for that job and I at least deserve the chance to be interviewed and to start with a clean slate!”
One More Moment Page 32
