“Huh. Who knew? Maybe I felt it somehow. Felt how similar we are and it got my wires crossed. Sent my antennae in his direction instead of yours.”
“That must be it.”
They finished lunch and walked hand in hand back to the competitor’s beach. The sun warmed her skin and Kai’s hand in hers thrilled up her arm to warm her heart. Brooke sighed happily.
“Hey, Holo wants a session with me later tonight so I’ll stay in my room at his place okay?”
“Oh. Okay.” Brooke’s little bubble deflated a fraction.
“I’d say I’ll come slip into your bed first thing in the morning but you’ll be out with your other lover.” He nodded at the ocean and the bubble reflated a bit. “And that’s how it should be. We have lives to live, stuff to do. I’d hate to be the one holding you back.”
“You wouldn’t,” she said automatically.
“I know. So, good to keep things real, right? Late breakfast tomorrow instead? Same place? I’ll let you eat my noodles.”
“Just your noodles?” she said, trying her best to be playful.
His threw back his head and the laugh reflated her bubble all the way back to its bright shimmering self. “Late breakfast then bed? How does that sound?”
“Perfect,” she said and when he reached down to kiss her she put all the promise of their next meeting into it. “Maybe I should tell Holo I’m busy,” he growled in her ear when they came up for air.
Happy that she still had his full attention, it was easier to be magnanimous. “No. You should go. I can’t keep your magical ways all to myself. Just don’t share them with any of my competitors.”
When they got back to the competitor’s beach in the early afternoon, Kai headed off to a treatment session and Brooke started back to her room. She got a few thumbs up from people who had seen her out that morning and her heart swelled with the thought that she was back. Really back.
“Brooke!” The shout came from behind her and Brooke turned. Her body froze and she wasn’t sure how to react. It was Summer, waving and heading towards her.
“Hey, I heard you were cutting it up this morning. There’s a photo of you going around already. Did Maya call you to gloat?”
Brooke smiled, but she could feel her lips were thin and tight.
Sumer faltered. “Hey. Did something happen. Did you get hurt out there?”
Brooke hissed a breath through her teeth. “I guess that is the first thing you’d think.”
“Woah. What?”
“I saw the interview.”
“What interview?” Then Brooke saw realization dawn on her friend’s face. “The TV spot? God those two guys were a real douche-fest. I don’t know why Maya let me do that piece. You know they asked me to do it in my bikini?”
“Lame.” Brooke said it without even thinking.
“I know. But why are you pissed about it? I said I was going to have to watch my back cause you were going to going to come back stronger than ever.” “No, you didn’t. You said this was an injury I couldn’t come back from.”
Summer’s face creased into a frown. “I said there was no quick fix, sure. The guy was totally pushing me to count you out, but I told him to back off. I said you’d be on form before he finished his next latte. That if anyone could work through an injury like that you could. He kept going on about Ash but I said that wasn’t fair. It was a different type of injury, and you were working through it.”
“Really?”
“Really.” Summer’s face cleared. “Did they edit that bit out? Man, I’m going to tell Maya.” She dug into her back pocket for her cell.
Brooke put a hand on her friend’s arm. “Sorry.”
Summer paused from texting their friend and shrugged. “You always did think everyone was out to get you. Know that that’s not me. Not ever, okay?”
Brooke nodded but inside she reeled.
Summer checked her face. “Hey. Don’t freak out. Thinking like that is what’s got you this far. You’re like some warrior on a mission. I guess most of us are half the time. We have to be to get up every morning and get back on the board. But I’m not the enemy. I’m not out to get you. I said you’d be back. So be back.”
Brooke let go of the knot that had formed after seeing the video. “Okay.” She pulled Summer in for a hug and felt the weight lift from her.
“Where were you headed?”
“Back to my room.”
“To see Kai?” Summer wiggled her eyebrows and Brooke punched her in the arm.
“No. He’s working. He’s been hired on the WSL medical team.”
“I heard. That’s awesome. You must be amped. Everything is slotting into place.”
Brooke nodded. “Feels too good to be true. Do you think it might work? Me and him?”
“Why not? Come on, let’s go find Maya and have a drink. I’m allowed one but then you have to pull the plug.”
#
“Wanna see your picture?” From behind where they sat at the bar, Maya’s voice rang out, swiftly followed by her sliding onto a bar stool.
“How do you do that?” Brooke asked.
“Find the best looking photos of you and spread them around the internet? It’s a special skill, like magic.” “No, appear out of thin air,” Summer said, apparently knowing exactly what Brooke had meant.
“That’s part of the magic,” Maya said with a grin. “I have to sneak up on media without them knowing so I can hoodwink them into doing exactly what I want.”
“Not exactly.” Summer filled Maya in about the edits in her interview and Brooke’s reaction.
“Oh babe. Don’t let a pair of douchebags like that get to you. Look at this.” She held up her phone. A photo of Brooke, mid-spin filled the screen. On her face, Brooke could see the determination, the focus, the clarity. It was a great shot, but more than that, it showed her what she’d been too scared to believe. “Do you really think I’m back?”
Maya grabbed the phone and swiped the screen down, then handed it back to Brooke. Above the image, the headline for the online magazine shouted in bold: IT’S TIME. BRING BACK BROOKE. “I’ve got a sponsor sniffing around you too.”
“Oh my god, really?”
Maya nodded. “It’s just a query at this stage and I’m not sure it’s going to keep you in more than pancakes, but it’s a good sign that people are definitely not counting you out. Not by a long shot.”
“Hell, no,” Summer said, leaning her head on Brooke’s good shoulder. “Sponsor. Lover. Injury fixed. Sounds like you’ve got everything heading in the right direction.” She sat up straight again and looked Brooke in the eye. “But if you could just let me get one win in before you take out the next contest, that would be great.”
Brooke grinned. “Are you doing the Freak of the Reef?” she asked her friend, suddenly clear about her next step. “Nope. Ash and I are going to have a couple of nights here instead. Get ready for the last contest.”
“Right,” said Brooke. “Be back soon. Gotta go sign up.”
“You’re going to do it?” said Maya. “Did Kainui say you’re back to normal?
“Yep. So they better not try and stop me. Time to bring back Brooke, baby.”
“Awesome. I’m coming with you. This is going to be a great comeback story.”
Chapter Fourteen
Laying on Kainui’s massage table, Holo signed in satisfaction and stretched his arms above his head. “Hey thanks man. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” Kai handed his brother a glass of water and sat back in the chair next to the table.
“No, I mean it. I know you must be putting in extra hours with Brooke at the moment.” Holo sipped his water, but made no move to get up. Through the window, the sunset was painting the waves red. The crash of the water on the sand was loud down here. Meditative but enlivening at the same time.
Kai smiled. “Is that your way of asking if we got together?”
Holo grinned. “Guilty.”
Kai checked his bro
ther and narrowed his eyes. “You already knew.”
“Guilty again.”
“Then why not just ask?”
“Oh, you know. You’re a private guy. And I know how you like to keep things chill. Didn’t want to come on in all hey man, congrats on finally letting go of your bachelor bullshit and sticking with someone for more than two minutes in case you hadn’t.”
Kai’s skin prickled. “What do you mean? What’s she said?”
Holo put up his hands. “Woah nelly. See, this is why I didn’t want to ask.” Then he did a double take. “Are you about to bail on her? I thought you just took the gig with the WSL?”
“I did.”
“So then why the big reaction?”
“What big reaction? I’m private, like you said,” Kai said.
“If you say so.”
Kai stared hard at his brother for a moment. “Was it a big reaction?”
Holo finally laughed. “Not really. It’s just that I know you. And I know Brooke. And I think the two of you together make sense. It’d be nice to have you around for a while so I was hoping it might be serious.”
Was it serious? “I think she wants it to be. Serious, I mean.” The words settled somewhere near his stomach and they didn’t fit right. Not yet. The idea of being with Brooke, with anyone, seriously, wasn’t something he’d ever let in before.
“And what about you?”
Taking a deep breath, Kai pushed the uncomfortable feeling down. “I don’t know. I guess this is new to me. I’m not very good at long term. You know that. I don’t know if I’ve got it in me.” He paused. “She is pretty amazing though.”
Holo exhaled through his teeth. “Check you out. The man whose middle name is gotta-be-free. You’re actually considering it. Whatever happens next, that’s a first, my man. Congratulations.”
“Says the man who hasn’t had a relationship in years.”
The shrug was nonchalant. “We aren’t talking about me. I’m a lost cause.” Holo grinned. “Have to admit though, I’m impressed that you got her into such good form so quick. Extra attention must count for something. I thought she’d be out for at least a few more weeks.”
This was easier ground. He was proud of how Brooke had focused on her recovery. How she’d taken what he’d offered to heart. “She’s healing really quickly. Credit where credit is due, she’s worked really hard.” “Totally. Even if she doesn’t place at the Freak of the Reef, just showing up says a lot. People will notice.”
The frown felt like it took over his whole body. Kai’s forehead creased, his shoulders hunched, he leaned forward. “What did you just say?”
“That it’s a ballsy move, but it’ll totally pay off no matter what. Unless she gets injured again, but that would be pretty shitty luck.”
“She’s not surfing at the Freak of the Reef. She’s not ready.”
“Oh, shit.” Holo got off the massage table and reached for his phone. “Think you guys better have a chat.” He swiped across the screen and handed it to Kai.
The blog post on the screen had a shot of Brooke cutting in on a great looking wave. The left- hand break at the end of the beach, Kai realized. Everything about her screamed focus, determination, skill. And when he looked closer he saw that all her muscles were working hard, he could see their definition in the image. It was good that she had integrated all their sessions so well, but to think she could push her body in a full contest, at one of the most challenging contests there was? It was madness.
“Did you read the article?”
Kai looked up from the photo at his brother then scanned the text. Holo was right. According to the post she was going to surf the Freak of the Reef in two days’ time. There was a bunch of stuff about her brother Ash and his road accident after he’d last competed there, but the tone of the piece was mostly admiring: everyone was amazed how quickly Brooke had got back on form. There were even a couple of sentences about Kai and the excitement about him joining the WSL medical team. He stood and started pacing. “This is bullshit,” he said when he’d finished.
“It’s not all bullshit. It was crappy luck that knocked Ash out the game. And you are amazing. Everyone is excited you’re sticking around now they’ve seen how well Brooke is recovering.”
“That’s just it, though. She is recovering. I don’t want to sound like a Christmas card, but injury recovery is a journey.”
“Well, sounds like she’s done with the journey and is stepping right out of the car.”
“Damn it. She can’t do this. It’s just stupid.”
Holo came to stand next to him and slung an arm over his shoulder. “Don’t sweat it. She’s a big girl. And it’s not like you can stop her.”
But Kai shrugged him off. “I thought I knew her.” He turned and stormed out of the house back towards Brooke’s tiny apartment.
There was no answer when he knocked on the door. He waited for a five minutes, then ten, but couldn’t settle with the idea of her out there on the waves. Unsure what to do he headed back out onto the streets and started walking down to the WSL hub on the beach.
Twenty minutes later and it was done. Kai kicked at the sand and wished he’d been able to talk to Brooke instead of her manager, but at least he’d had his say. The Freak of the Reef contest was a bad idea. Period. He started back towards Holo’s place, head down, his thoughts a tumultuous mess.
The night had been restless and he hadn’t got much sleep but it was a bright golden morning when he headed back to Brooke’s apartment the next day. She came in from an early morning swim just as he arrived.
“Morning handsome. Missed you last night. Wanna join me in the shower?”
He didn’t react and Brooke came closer. “Hey, are you okay? What happened?” she said. He nodded to the door and she let them both inside.
“I really thought I knew you. That we had an understanding.” He burst out with it before she’d even had a chance to dump her towel. He couldn’t help the worry that crept into his tone. He was a warm person. People told him that all the time. Warm smile, warm skin, but right now, his skin felt cold. “Do you have something to tell me?” He could have said it better. Been kinder, but he was worried. More worried than he could remember being in a long time. And if he allowed himself to dig a little deeper, he was angry. Angry that his trust had been broken. Angry at himself that he’d opened up so deeply with someone he barely knew. Angry that he’d even contemplated letting go of his freedom to follow another person’s journey. Brooke’s eyes widened in shock, unsure, clearly, of where this was heading. “I talked to Summer last night. Turns out they edited her interview and she wasn’t down on me at all. The opposite. I should have known. Is that what this is about? Those guys are a pack of douchebags.”
“Right.” He didn’t give her any more. Waited for her to say it. To say that she’d ignored everything he’d told her. That she’d entered the Freak of the Reef. Was willing to put herself at risk. “I’m glad Summer still has your back,” he said through gritted teeth. “Anything else you might want to share?”
She waited a moment. “Just that I’m in great form. All because of you.” Then she noticed the piece of paper clutched in his hands and nodded at it. “What’s that?”
His sigh was deep but he said nothing. Just handed it over.
“It’s a letter?”
He nodded.
She scanned it and her jaw dropped. “I’m not withdrawing on medical grounds.”
His jaw clenched. He wished he had a better way of doing this. Of telling her this timetable she’d set herself wasn’t viable. But he didn’t. His stomach churned with conflicting emotions; fear, concern, anxiety; so, he just stuck to the facts. “Yes, you are. You’re not ready.”
Brooke straightened. “What the actual fuck?”
Kai stood with his feet apart and suddenly the tiny studio apartment seemed very small. “You can’t do that contest. I talked to your manager and he wanted me to put it in writing. Then he pulled your entry. You c
an’t do it.” He pointed at the letter. “You’re not ready. I said this to Holo and I’ll say it again: recovering from an injury is a journey. I thought you understood that. I won’t let you hurt yourself. Not like this. In one reckless move.”
The look she gave him was so full of loathing he took a step back, nervous that she
might actually be able to burn him from the inside out. “I can’t believe you. All your talk of Kahuna and trust and focus and then, bam, you’re just like the rest of them. No way you’d do this to me if I was a guy.”
He felt his mouth drop open. “What? This has nothing to do with you being a
woman.”
“You sure about that? Because it sure looks that way to me. Wrapping me in cotton
wool in case I hurt myself again.”
“I would do the same to anyone who looked at the ocean like you do. Like it’s
something to be played with, conquered, beaten. I thought you had started to understand how to be with the water. How to let her take you up.”
“You’d go behind a guy’s back and talk to his manager? Make sure he was pulled out
of his comeback contest because you were worried he might hurt himself? Whatever.”
“I would.”
“Pffft.” She waved a hand at him and started pacing angrily. “I’m hardly disrespecting
the water. I’m learning from it. I’ve learnt more in the past couple of weeks about my body than I have most of my life. I’m working with my body and it feels great.”
“Then you understand why you can’t do this contest.”
“No. I understand that you think you know my body better than I do.”
He scrubbed his hands across his face. “If you don’t respect the water’s ability to
injure you again, even kill you, you won’t ever make it to the top. And of all the contests? Scar Reef pushes your mind just as much as it pushes your body. It’s way too soon to be going out there.”
Something in her demeaner changed and she seemed less angry, but no less upset. “That’s exactly why I have to do it. You of all people should understand that after
The Wrong Brother for Brooke (Hot Tide Book 3) Page 12
