by Sami Lee
And then she could decide not to come back if she chose. Her skills were portable, she could practice them anywhere. Her business meant a lot to her, but mainly because it was a symbol of how she’d broken free of her past and made her own decisions, her own life.
Now it was time to make new decisions. A new life.
With Ty.
Summer looked at Jasmine. “You wouldn’t forget to water my plants?”
Jasmine made a motion across her chest with a finger. “Cross my heart.”
“And you’d be nice to Penny?”
“I’m always nice.”
Summer cocked a brow.
Jasmine merely grinned. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you?”
A smile broke out on Summer’s face as the world seemed to open up right before her. It could get addictive, this risk-taking behavior. It tasted very much like freedom. “You know what I just realized, Jas? My life is my own.” Mine and Ty’s. Please let him forgive me for being an idiot. “I can do whatever the hell I want with it.”
As he’d been doing for the past ten days, Ty focused on the surf and nothing but the surf. A wave crested beside him and every instinct went on alert. He lay down on the board, ready to paddle into the fray. At the last minute, he pulled out and let the wave go without him.
It hadn’t been the right one. Ty knew he didn’t have many chances left to catch his last ride of the day, his last ride of the entire competition, but he had to trust his instincts. They’d gotten him this far.
He’d made it through ten days of grueling heats in sometimes murderous conditions, and now he was in the final of the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach, one of the biggest and longest-running events on the tour schedule. The rain of yesterday had cleared to give him a perfect sunny day in the blue ocean off the south coast of Australia. Slater was out, so only Ty and another Aussie, Chris Olsen, remained. Olsen had scored well on his last ride. Ty had to make better than eight point five to beat him and take out the trophy.
Another wave came and teased him with a nice-looking crest, but Ty shook his head and let it pass by unridden. Wrong wrong wrong. Ty could almost feel the tension coming off the onlookers lined along the beach and up the steep hillsides. He only had a limited amount of time to catch a wave or the buzzer would sound and he’d be out of the comp without having taken his shot. But if he took a chance on a wave he couldn’t do anything with, he was sunk anyway. Ty was looking for the perfect curl. He was an all-or-nothing kind of guy.
All or nothing. He’d demanded the same kind of commitment from Summer, and it had backfired. Not everyone is like Ty Butler. He’d gone for broke, made demands she wasn’t willing to meet, and he’d blown the whole thing to smithereens. Why hadn’t he even tried to compromise? He knew the kind of life he led wasn’t very relationship-friendly, that at heart Summer was a traditional girl who wanted all the traditional things. He couldn’t give them to her right now, yet he’d expected her to put her life on hold until he was ready to change his enough to make a normal relationship feasible.
He’d gone all in and now he was bust. There was an emptiness inside that chilled him despite the sunrays beating down. But he couldn’t think about it. If he’d let himself think about it at all in the past week, he wouldn’t be here. He’d filled up the emptiness with surfing, with an almost obsessive focus on bagging barrels and performing wild aerials that had made him a fiercer competitor than ever before.
The blue ocean rose up behind him, a pristine right-hander presenting a curl that gave him goose bumps. That’s the one. Ty put his head down and paddled like a demon. He found the lip of the wave and dropped in, soaring down the face until he saw the break ahead forming a flawless tube. Ty crouched and entered what some called “the green room”, a beautiful, perfect pipe. Inside all that existed was the roar of the ocean and his thumping pulse. The walls of the tube were as exquisite as blown glass. Mother Nature’s art. Ty came out of the tube and performed a three-sixty off the lip, landing on the face of the wave and finding himself lined up with another barrel, this one bigger than the last.
Even before it was over Ty knew he was being taken on the ride of his life. By the time she was done, the wave had given him a rare three barrels. Three. In a final. It was like finding the holy grail of surfing. When Ty came off the end of the wave and dove into the water, he already knew he’d won.
He came up for air and sat astride his board. Over the loudspeaker, the judges’ score confirmed what he already knew. The Bells title was his.
Olsen paddled over to offer grudging congratulations, and a few awestruck comments about the wave. He paddled off again with a promise to bring Ty down at the next ASP event in Brazil, punctuating his threat with a muttered “lucky bastard”.
Ty knew it. He was the luckiest son-of-a-bitch on earth. That wave had been a freak of nature, a three-barrel ride that came along at precisely the right time and place. He lived what a lot of people saw as a charmed life, and in many ways it was. He got to travel to some of the most scenic places in the world doing what he loved and making a decent amount of coin in the process. He was living every surfer’s dream, the one they all chased after.
Endless summer.
Summer.
The one word encompassed everything he loved, and everything he’d lost as well.
Putting his head down, Ty started paddling into shore. He caught a small breaker the last distance and was lifted out of the water before he could hit sand. His trainer, his manager and a few others hoisted him up on their shoulders and carried him through the cheering crowd. Ty held his arms aloft, riding the high of winning. The commotion enabled him to ignore the little niggle of dread that left a cold spot somewhere in his chest. He was hitting a peak, and after a peak there was always a comedown. Since he’d left Leyton’s Headland, he’d put an almost maniacal focus on achieving his goal of winning at Bells, a focus that allowed him to put every other thought and feeling to the side.
Now he’d made it. He’d won. And in the inevitable downtime after the party was over, he knew he’d think about her. Ty’s gaze passed over the crowd, so thick it almost obscured the sand. So many people, all cheering him. He was damn lucky. So why didn’t he feel as fortunate as he should?
The crowd parted as Ty’s team carried him toward the podium. In the reshuffle a familiar face appeared. His heart stopped. It couldn’t be. But her face was imprinted on his memory, on his heart, which skipped another beat as the crowd shifted like a rolling wave and swallowed her up again. Like she’d never been there.
Perhaps the ride down to confronting what had happened with Summer had already started. Would he spend the rest of his life searching for her face—or at least one similar enough to fool him? Would he have to wait another ten years, until he was ready to retire and settle down, and hope she was still single and willing to give him another shot?
The next few moments passed in a blur of cameras and microphones being shoved at him. He made it to the podium only to have champagne sprayed on his head. A guy came at him with a microphone, asking him how he felt. They always asked that, as if you could possibly describe it. As usual, Ty gave the expected answers, the true ones.
It feels awesome. Bells is one of the events all the guys want to win.
Competition was tough, I was lucky to pull this one out.
I’m not thinking about the world ranking yet, I’m just stoked to be here.
Actually that one was half bullshit. Slater was unexpectedly eliminated in the third round of this event, which meant his ranking would slip while Ty’s shot up. As of ten minutes ago, Ty Butler had become world number one.
“Ty is there anything you want to say to your fans?”
Ty took the microphone off the media presenter. He thanked his sponsors and his trainer and the other members of his team. “I also want to thank my parents, who always believed in me before I made it, and who’ve constantly reminded me since I started winning that I’m just a regular guy from a small town who got lu
cky. I know they’re watching at home in Leyton’s, so hi Mum and Dad. And thanks.”
Would Summer be watching too? Ty shook off the thought with a muttered curse, which the microphone telegraphed to the entire crowd. Laughter filled the air as Ty offered a lopsided smile and an apology.
“Last I have to thank everyone for coming out here today, the people here at Bells Beach are always amazing. You guys rock!”
As expected a cheer roared through the assembled mob. People jumped up and down, some tried to throw stuff onto the stage. People shifted again, parting at one particular spot halfway from the front.
And this time Ty knew he saw her. Her, not a figment of his imagination. He’d know that long dark hair anywhere. He’d know that face, even behind dark glasses, and with the glare of afternoon sun in his eyes.
Summer was here.
The presenter had taken back the microphone and was going over his own spiel for the audience and for the cameras. He let out a high-pitched expletive when Ty snatched the microphone back off him.
Ty ignored the guy and spoke into the device, his mouth dry. “Summer? Summer Campbell. I know you’re here.”
A murmur moved through the throng. Then the noise that had previously been coming off the group in ripples died down to nothing as everyone wondered what was going on. In the ensuing silence, Ty could hear his own heart slamming into his sternum. He wondered absently if the mic was picking it up.
Hoping he wasn’t going to end up looking like a complete nob in the montage of the day’s highlights, Ty tried again. “I’m looking for a woman, about five two, dark hair and eyes, cuter than a basket full of kittens, answers to the name of Summer. She was right over there.”
Ty pointed to the spot where he’d last caught a glimpse of her. The horde parted, every person save one moving aside. She stood in the gap that was left, wearing a simple black-and-white striped sundress and an anxious expression. Everyone around her stared, which Ty knew would freak her out. With obvious trepidation, she lifted a hand and waved.
Ty’s heart galloped like an out-of-control stallion. “What are you doing here?”
Her reply wasn’t loud enough to be heard from where he stood. There was an exchange of words, a passing along of a message from one person in the assembled group to another. Someone at the front called up to the podium. “She said she came to watch you surf.”
A smattering of applause broke out, signaling the audience’s approval.
Is that it? Ty wanted to scream it into the microphone, but his throat clogged up. Was this nothing more than a sudden yen to see him in action? Had she hoped not to have to talk to him at all? What the fuck was happening?
The same person who’d passed on the last message called out something else. Ty cocked his ear to indicate he hadn’t heard. The blonde girl said with a sunny smile, “She said you were amazing.”
Ty frowned. He wasn’t interested in Summer’s critique of his performance. She could have sent him a fucking email.
Then a possibility occurred and it slammed into him. She’s pregnant. That last time when he’d lost his head, he’d put her at risk. Now she was here to tell him about the baby, because she’d promised she would. It was the only explanation that made sense given how adamant she’d been that she didn’t want a relationship with him.
Myriad emotions churned in Ty’s gut. A spark of panic for sure, but that swiftly morphed into a surge of elation. A baby, a little person that was Summer’s and his. It was what he wanted, what had pushed him to buy the house in Leyton’s—he’d yearned even then to make a family in it someday with Summer.
But his excitement nose-dived as quickly as it had risen. What if she didn’t mean to keep it? She’d had to get married once before because she was pregnant, he’d never make her do that again. He couldn’t force her into a relationship she didn’t want because of a baby she hadn’t planned.
Ty was so caught up in his racing thoughts that he hadn’t noticed the messenger in the front row was once again trying to get his attention. When he looked at the woman, she repeated her message with a beaming smile. “She said she came to ask for another chance. She said she was wrong and she loves you.”
The women in the audience emitted a collective sigh. Some of the men started a slow clap. Ty stared into the crowd at Summer. She’d popped her sunglasses on her head, and now he could make out the anxious hope showing on her face. Ty spoke into the microphone the TV presenter was still trying to get back off him. “You mean it?”
She nodded and called out, this time loud enough for him to hear. “Yes!”
“You really want to give this a go?” Ty glanced around at the crowd, the TV cameras, the hustle and bustle that was part of a pro event. “This?”
She nodded again—emphatically. Then she placed two hands over her heart, and whispered words he couldn’t hear but could read easily on her lips even from this distance. Please forgive me.
Aw geez. She owned his heart so completely that all it took to melt it was three little words. Ty’s hand shook, and he figured it was past time he gave up trying to do this through a microphone. His voice trembled with emotion he figured could be clearly heard all across Bells Beach. “Get up here, will ya?”
Summer began making her way through the mass of people, a difficult task until they started moving aside, forming a path down the center of the crowd. The slow clap that had started earlier gained momentum as more people joined in. Ty wanted to run to her, but he knew they’d both be engulfed by the throng if he went down there.
Before long she was there at the foot of the stage, and a couple of fit-looking guys were helping her up. Ty dropped the mic, grabbed her hands and hauled her over the railing. He pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the sweet-smelling curve of her neck and holding on tight.
The crowd roared their approval. Over the din, the TV presenter tried to speak, finally finding an angle he could work with. “There you have it, guys, your world champion and his lovely lady. You saw it all here on Wicked Surf TV…”
There was a loud pop, and a moment later more champagne sprayed over them both. Ty let out a muffled noise that he really hoped would sound like a laugh if anyone picked it up with their sound equipment. In actuality he was so close to crying it was embarrassing.
“Bloody hell, Summer,” he rasped. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Neither can I. But it feels right. Everything feels right when I’m with you.”
Her words echoed Ty’s feelings. It was great, beyond great, riding the perfect wave and winning the ultimate prize in his chosen career. But this, holding the woman he loved afterward? It was the best kind of reward. He did live a charmed life, and all he wanted to do was share it with Summer.
“I’m so sorry, Ty. I thought I wasn’t brave enough for all of this, but I am.” She let out a rueful laugh. “My goodness, I think I just made a spectacle of myself on television.”
“That was me, and it’ll be all over YouTube in five minutes.”
She laughed again and pressed herself hard against him, uncaring that his damp, sandy wetsuit was probably making a mess of her dress. “I hope Jasmine sees it.”
Ty leaned back and looked into her face. “Jasmine?”
“She thinks we were meant to be together. It was uncharacteristically romantic of her to admit it. She also thinks I should sell Summer’s Retreat and travel on the money.” She touched his face. “I haven’t decided about that yet. Would it be very unfeminist of me if I gave up everything I owned and followed you around the world for a little while?”
“Who gives a fuck if it is?” Ty stared at her. “You’d really do that?”
“I’m considering all my options,” she said with an ear-to-ear grin. “It only recently dawned on me how many of them I have. If I like traveling, maybe I could have a mobile naturopathy practice.” She laughed, giddier than Ty had ever seen her. “Or I could work in Leyton’s part of the year, and meet you on tour when I can. I just want to be w
ith you and I can do whatever works to make it happen.”
“You think so?” Stepping back a little, Ty glanced down at her stomach. “Even with a baby on the way?”
She appeared confused for a minute. Then her befuddled expression relaxed into a smile. “There’s no baby. That’s not why I came here.”
Ty studied her expression, the naked love in it. The last of his worry fell away. She hadn’t come to him because she had to. She’d come because she wanted to. She wanted him, even though his life wasn’t ordinary or comfortable or safe or any of the things Summer was used to. She was stepping out of her comfort zone. For him.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Ty cupped both sides of Summer’s face and drew her in for a resounding kiss. When he pulled back she was laughing. “I love you, babe.”
“I love you. I can’t believe I thought I could go on living without you. You make me so happy, so brave and so crazy. And I’m pretty sure I can get used to being unsure what’s going to happen next. It’s very exhilarating.”
Ty laughed too. “We can have such a life together, Sum.”
She smiled, a beatific curve of her lips. “I’m looking forward to it.”
He kissed her again and the crowd cheered. Not that Ty heard it. All that existed for him at that moment was Summer and his visions of their future, the one they would share. He didn’t kid himself it would be easy, but it would be perfect.
Because the woman he loved, his unforgettable Summer, had finally found her way back to him.
About the Author
Sami’s been a secretary, sales assistant, bartender, waitress, student, tutor, human resource manager and administration officer, but at heart she’s always been a writer. She enjoys creating emotional, sexy stories about the gorgeous, aggravating men who live in her head and the women who were made to steal them away from her.
Sami lives by the coast in Australia with her husband and two stupendous daughters. To learn more about Sami, please visit www.samilee.com, join her on Facebook or Twitter, or send an email to [email protected].
