Over the Falls (Ryder Bay Book 1)

by Jordan Ford

  2. Axel and his crew are dominating out there.

  I can’t put Aidan into that mix. There’s no way they’ll tolerate a newbie. It’s not like we can hang out in the shallows in these conditions. We’d be forced into the mix with those guys, and that just won’t fly.

  I know they’ve spotted us down here before. They will have worked out that I’m teaching Aidan how to surf, and they’ll be okay with it, as long as he doesn’t hinder what they want to do.

  If he shows up, I’ll have to take Aidan someplace else.

  I know where’d I like to take him, but Axel would have my head. In thinking that, Axel is kind of busy right now, and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?

  A smile tugs at my lips, my anticipation building as I wait for Aidan to arrive.

  I was stoked to get his text this morning. I’m ashamed to say I was anxiously waiting for it. I even carried my phone around like one of those teenagers who can’t be more than an inch from their device at any one time.

  I’ve never been like that. I don’t really have enough friends to need to be like that.

  “Hey.”

  I hear Aidan’s voice before I see him, and have to try and curb my grin before looking over my shoulder. “How’s it?”

  “Yeah, good.” He stops beside me, tall as a redwood, and gazes out at the water.

  I should probably take this moment to apologize, but I kind of did that in my text and I don’t want to ruin the moment by getting all serious. “So, how was lunch?”

  He pats his stomach. “Lunch was good.” Looking down at me with a friendly smile, he then points to the water. “But those waves look pretty big.”

  “I know.” I scrunch up my face, then decide to just take the risk. “Did you bring your car?”

  He gives me a quizzical look and nods.

  “I know another place where the conditions might be better for you.”

  “Sure you don’t mind?” He points at the ocean again. “Those waves probably have your name on them.”

  Aw, that’s kind of sweet.

  I grin and bend down to grab his longboard. “Of course I don’t mind.” Passing him the board, I reach down and take mine before heading back up the beach. “All you need is practice and you’ll be surfing waves like this too.”

  “On maybe a smaller board?” he asks.

  “Yeah.” I ascend the stairs, talking over my shoulder as I go. “Have you looked online for any boards yet? You said you were gonna do some research.”

  “I was actually going to ask if you wanted to come shopping with me sometime. Help me pick something out.”

  My step falters, but I manage to catch myself before tripping. Hopefully he doesn’t notice.

  Surfboard shopping with Aidan. More “out of the water” time with him.

  Damn, that’s tempting.

  I want to say yes. Actually, I want to holler YES at the top of my lungs, but should I?

  Slowing to a stop by his car, I glance over the roof and give him a noncommittal nod-shrug. It could be read either way. If he wasn’t wearing shades, I’d maybe have a better idea what he was thinking, but all I notice is his dark eyebrows dipping for just a flash as he unlocks his car.

  “Or I can just look online,” he murmurs. “Maybe talk to that Griffin guy. He can probably let me look at some of the rental boards.”

  Great. Now I feel bad.

  Poor guy looks like I’ve just slapped him with a big rejection ticket.

  I bite the inside of my cheek as he lowers the roof, then gets busy arranging the boards. I really want this afternoon to go well, but I’m screwing it up already. As Aidan slips into the car, I close my eyes and remind myself that I want him to be my surf buddy.

  Do surf buddies shop for boards together?

  Maybe.

  I still can’t find the words to tell him I’m in, though. It just feels like dangerous ground. Like I’m opening the door to heartache and saying, “Come on in.”

  Aidan revs the engine and reverses out of his spot. I start directing him to Hatchet Cove and hope like hell that Axel and his crew stay in the water at Ryder Bay.

  I try to think of something to talk about. Anything to kill the awkward tension that’s slipped into the car with us.

  “So…” I clear my throat. “How was the party?”

  His right shoulder hitches. “Meh.”

  “Really? I thought it was your big moment to get back with your ex.” He’s mentioned her name before, but I can’t quite remember it.

  It starts with S, I think.

  He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “We left early. She wanted me to walk her home.”

  “Oh, okay.” I swallow the sharp rocks in my throat and remind myself that this is good. Him having a girlfriend is good, because then I’m free to just be his bud and there’s no weird tension.

  My fingers curl into fists in spite of my resolve. I force them flat on my knees and keep talking. “Well, that’s good, man. It’s what you wanted, right?” I glance at him. “She won’t mind you surfing with me, though, will she?”

  He glances my way briefly, then locks his eyes on the road. “I just walked her home. That’s it.”

  “So, you’re not back together?”

  Another heavy sigh, this time accompanied by his head hitting the back of the rest. “I don’t know… if…” I narrow my eyes at him, trying to figure out what he’s not saying. “We have all this history. We were together for nearly a year, but it’s been broken. She broke it, and I don’t know how to tape it back together again.”

  “How serious were you guys?” I capture a stray lock of hair that’s blowing in the wind. I try to tame it by tucking in behind my ear, then ask the burning question that I do but don’t want to know. “Did you guys sleep together, or…”

  He shakes his head. “Savannah wasn’t ready for that.”

  I blink, kind of surprised by his answer. I was expecting something else.

  “How about you?” He looks at me. “Any serious relationships?”

  “None worth mentioning,” I croak and look out my window so he can’t see my face.

  I’ve never spoken to anyone about “that guy” and how it all went down, not even to Jed. I mean, he knows about the senior who taught me how to surf, but not the rest of it. Not the ugly ending. At first, when I lost everyone, it hurt too much, and silence became my best friend. But now I just don’t want to unearth it. I’ve moved on, gotten over the heartache. Shielded myself from anything else like it.

  Until now.

  Why am I doing this to myself?

  So, I think shopping for a surfboard is too dangerous, but spending an afternoon at Hatchet Cove doing something I love with someone I could fall—

  I cut off the thought before it can fully form in my head.

  I am not falling for Aidan.

  I just really, really, really like him.

  Which is bad. Dangerous.

  Yet I can’t ask him to pull over, to let me out.

  Because I want to be in this car with him. I want to listen to his voice as we talk about…anything. I want to surf with him at Hatchet Cove.

  I steal a peek at Aidan. His eyes are back on the road again and a smile tugs at my lips.

  Screw danger. Screw thinking so damn hard about everything.

  Live a little, Harley.

  Just be in the moment…with him.

  27

  The Peaceful Blue

  AIDAN

  I’ll never forget this moment.

  As I drive over the unsealed road, my car rocking and swaying, I’m captured by the isolated beauty of this place. And then the narrow road opens to a beach. Barely a beach, just a small patch of sand leading out to an oasis of water.

  “This place is beautiful,” I whisper.

  “I know, right?” Harley grins at me and I’m struck by her beauty as well.

  When she lets it show, her smile is sunshine. She looks like a real Californian beauty with her blonde hair,
blue eyes and tanned skin. The kind of beauty I want to kiss.

  She gets out of my car before I’ve finished studying her, and it’s a good reminder that I shouldn’t really be thinking of her that way. She’s just a friend, my surf instructor. It’s not like she’d be interested in me that way.

  Or would she?

  The question sizzles through my brain, surprising and enticing me.

  So far everything has been about getting Savannah back, but after my hesitation last night, maybe Savannah’s not the girl I want.

  I jump out of my car and start helping Harley with the boards, hyperaware of the way her body moves, the flex of her muscles as she pulls the shortboard out of the back, the shape of her body as she whips off her T-shirt, then covers her sporty blue bikini with a rash guard.

  Stop staring, Aidan!

  I blink, ordering my ogling eyes back into line. Gripping the edge of the yellow longboard, I remind myself that Harley doesn’t even want to go surfboard shopping with me. My emotions need to get themselves in check.

  Maybe that’s why her noncommittal response to my invite disappointed me so much.

  Because I like her…and not just as a friend.

  Shit, that’s probably why I couldn’t kiss Savannah last night.

  Because—

  “So, we’ll have to paddle a little farther out than normal.” Harley grabs my attention and I follow her pointing finger, looking out to the distant break she’s talking about. “Those sets will be perfect for the longboard.” She pauses, staring at her board while I wrestle the longboard free from the back of the car.

  A slow smile is drawing her lips north.

  “What?” I ask.

  Her grin has now completely taken over her face, and all I can do is stare at those sparkling blue eyes of hers. “I’ve got an idea.” She laughs, taking off her shorts and dumping them on my back seat.

  Don’t notice how hot she is. Don’t notice!

  It’s impossible. I’ve already checked her out several times while we were surfing, appreciated her sculpted form and how strong she is.

  But damn, for some reason today feels different.

  She puts her shortboard back into my car.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Come on. This is gonna be fun.” She starts running for the water, dumping her towel in the sand just before she reaches the water’s edge.

  “What about your board?”

  “We won’t need it, just bring the longboard,” she calls over her shoulder, and I’m forced to follow her.

  She dives into the cool ocean, her skin glistening as she pops back up and waves me in.

  “What are we doing?” I push the board in and as the water gets too deep, I jump on and start paddling.

  She swims over to me and captures the side of the board.

  Even her eyelashes have water droplets on them. She blinks and starts kicking beside me.

  “These waves are perfect for doubling up. We can surf the same board.”

  I give her a worried frown. “Am I good enough to do that?”

  “Of course you are.” She splashes my face, then duck dives under the water before I can get her back.

  Playful Harley is like a dolphin, full of fun and flirt. I laugh as she swims around, then pops up to check where I’m at.

  After five minutes of messing around, she swims over and helps me turn the board around.

  “Okay, scooch forward. I’m jumping on the back.”

  I do as she says, and then she starts yelling at me to paddle. I put all my strength into it, feeling the energy surge beneath us and capture the board.

  “Woohoo!” She jumps up, manning the board and riding the wave for us. “Okay, your turn, dude.”

  I grin and slowly rise to my feet, at first a little shaky. The board feels so different with two people on it.

  “And lean forwards a little. Bend your knees,” she directs me. “That’s it!”

  Her laughter scuttles over me and I can’t help joining her. We ride the wave until our board starts to sink and we both flop off together, landing in the water with big splashes.

  The cold liquid envelops me, and I float in that weightless sensation. Man, I forgot how cool it is just to be in the water—relaxed and chilled. For my entire teenage life, swimming has been about precision, training, drills. We never just messed around in the water. No wonder I got tired of it. No wonder I started losing everything.

  I’m done with the rigors of swimming.

  I just want to fall in love with the water again.

  With a kick, I swim to the surface and rest my arms on the edge of the board.

  “Holy crap, I was about to come down looking for you.” Harley bulges her eyes at me. “You can hold your breath for a really long time.”

  I give her a modest smile. “Big lungs, I guess.”

  She laughs and shakes her head. “Well come on, big lungs. Let’s go catch some more waves.”

  No argument here.

  Pushing the board forward, I kick my “flipper feet,” as Mom always calls them, and follow Harley into the blue.

  “Man, I could stay here forever.” I squint against the bright sun and close my eyes, enjoying the heat coating my wet skin.

  The surf has died down for a while and I’m lying on the board, just floating in the water, while Harley balances on the end by my feet. Her legs are dangling in the water, gently kicking back and forth.

  There’s something very calm and peaceful about just being here like this.

  Harley hasn’t responded to my comment, so I open my eyes to check on her.

  Her eyes are closed, her face angled towards the sun. A sweet smile is on her lips.

  “Do you come here often?” I ask.

  “No.” She lets out a contented sigh.

  “Why not? It’s so beautiful.”

  She opens her eyes and turns to me, about to respond, when she spots something on the beach. “Oh shit,” she mutters, her skin paling, her body tensing.

  “What?” I turn to see what’s freaking her out, nearly overbalancing and throwing us both off the board. I stop moving, lying on my side and staring at a muscly black guy who’s standing on the beach and shouting at us.

  “Get the hell out of the water!”

  Three other guys step up behind him, their eyes locked on us like we’re the enemy.

  “Are they the guys from the beach? The ones you told me to avoid?”

  “Time’s up,” Harley murmurs. “Just stay quiet and let me get us out of this.”

  Before I can protest, she slips off the board and starts swimming for shore.

  Like hell I’m letting her face off with those guys alone. They look like a mean bunch of assholes. I start paddling, determined to reach the shore before she does.

  28

  Pocket Knife Painting

  HARLEY

  Aidan gets out of the water and I internally curse.

  I’ve already warned him about these guys. Is he stupid?

  I want him to hang back so I can deal with Axel on my own. Aidan has no idea what these guys can be like. I’ve only told him to steer clear, not given him all the details.

  Axel’s crew are territorial wolves, and they have no time for punks like Aidan De Beer.

  “Hey, Axel.” I grab my towel, going for casual as I dry off my face.

  I throw a glance at Aidan, who’s eyeing them cautiously.

  He’s about the same height as most of these guys, but he’s their junior, probably by about five years or more. I don’t care how protective and badass he’s trying to look, he’s got nothing on these bloodhounds.

  “We’re just leaving.” I brush past Axel, but he steps back, getting in my face.

  “You don’t bring strangers to the cove.” His deep voice is sharp with warning.

  “I’m sorry, okay.” I dare to look him in the eye, but those black orbs freak me out, so I glance down at the sand. “But he’s not a stranger to me.”

  “It’s no
t your cove to share.”

  “Well, technically it’s not your cove either.”

  Shit. Wrong thing to say.

  I can sense his nostrils flaring and look up to see his wide nose quiver before he snatches my arm and yanks me against his side.

  Fear spikes through me, hot and painful.

  “Hey, get your hands off her! Don’t touch her!” Aidan muscles up beside us, dropping the longboard at my feet. Axel immediately lets me go and turns to face Aidan head on.

  Double shit!

  Aidan has no idea what he’s doing.

  I throw myself between them with a grunt, grabbing Aidan’s vibrating forearms and begging him to look down at me.

  Right now, his gaze is locked with Axel’s and he’s going to get pummeled for it.

  “Just walk away,” I warn. “Let’s just go.”

  Aidan isn’t listening. He’s currently locked in a glare-off with the scariest guy I know. If he doesn’t break it soon, he’s going to end up with a bloody nose and who knows what other injuries.

  And then the sound of scraping metal comes to the rescue.

  Well, sort of.

  In a black kind of way.

  Aidan blinks and jerks to look over Axel’s shoulder.

  “Hey!” he yells, his face mottling with indignant rage.

  I spin to see what’s going on and notice Ripper smirking at us. His pocketknife is flipped open and he’s running it along the edge of Aidan’s shiny convertible.

  “You shithead!” Aidan shouts at him.

  This only goads Ripper on and he keeps scratching a thick line along the paint, laughing so hard that his friends join in too.

  Axel stares down at me. “Get your boy out of here. And don’t come back again.”

  “We’re going.” I tug Aidan’s arm. “Let’s go.”

  He gives me an incredulous look, but he can shove his righteous anger up his ass. I’m saving his freaking life right now.

  “Let’s go!” I snatch the longboard and march to the car, shoving Ripper out of the way so I can dump the board in the back.

  Ripper goes to grab me, but Shane stops him, snatching his arm before the guy can touch me.