Pieces Of Us

by Elks, Carrie

  “We will?” she asked, pulling the top over her head and re-fixing her hair. And no, he wasn’t looking at the way it lifted her chest high. Not him.

  He cleared his throat. “Yeah. I’m going to teach you how to stand on a board.”

  She caught his eye and started to laugh. “I’ve been standing since I was about six months old. I think I have it covered.”

  “Try it on the board in the water without practicing and you won’t be laughing,” he told her, raising an eyebrow. Put your board on the sand and lie stomach down on it.”

  “You’re very bossy,” she told him. “I kind of like it.”

  “It would be a lot easier if you didn’t answer back every time.” He grinned and shook his head.

  She gave a mock-pout. “That wouldn’t be much fun.” She pointed at a black cord, attached to a thick cuff. “Is that to put around my ankle?”

  “Yep. But you don’t need it on now. We’ll attach it when we get to the water. Now stop talking and get down on the board, woman.”

  She blew him a kiss. “As you command, sir.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  She did as he told her, putting the board down on the warm sand, then lying flat until her stomach and chest were pressed against the waxed surface.

  Griff knelt next to her, taking her feet in his hands and placing them at the end of the board. “You’ll start off paddling through the water like this,” he said, adjusting her toes until they were flexed against the board. “But you need to be ready to jump up when you see a wave.” He grabbed his own board and laid down next to her. “See where I have my hands?” he asked, placing his palms on the board and lifting his chest up from the surface. “You want to push up with your toes tucked at the end.” He flexed his biceps, centering himself as he lifted his entire body up from the board, balancing for a moment on his palms and toes. Then he tucked his leg beneath him, placing the sole of his foot firmly on the board, before bringing the other one further forward, in the space between his braced hands. “Make sure your feet are far enough apart to keep you stable.”

  “Like this?” She mimicked his movements, arching her back as she pushed herself up from the board and set her feet forward in a one-two movement. God, she looked good.

  “Yeah. Just like that. This time, let go and use your thighs to stand up. Keep your knees bent.”

  Ten minutes later they were in the water. Griff had left his own board on the sand, and was holding Autumn’s steady as she climbed on and sat down on it the way he showed her.

  “A lot of surfing is about sitting down and judging the waves,” he told her. “That’s something you’ll learn over time. You don’t want to hit it too early or too late, or take a wave somebody else is heading for. For now we’ll practice here in the shallows until you get used to balancing in the water.”

  “Okay. Can I try it now?” Her eyes glinted with excitement.

  “Sure.”

  The first three times, she ended up plunging underwater, coming back to the surface and spluttering as she coughed the water from her mouth. The fourth time, though, she managed to balance for five full seconds before going under.

  “I forgot to say you’ll get really wet. All the time. Even if you hit a wave right you can end up going under.” He grinned. “It’s a good thing you look sexy when you’re soaking.” He lifted her back up onto the board, his strong hands circling her waist. “Try to look ahead when you stand instead of at your feet. Trust your body to know what it’s doing.”

  “Like this?” She lifted her head, keeping her eyes set on the water ahead as she pressed her hands on the board and bent her legs, scooting them forward until she was balanced.

  He grinned. “Perfect. Now lets go a little deeper. See if you can get used to the waves.” She was a natural, and it made him want her more. She didn’t care about getting wet, or spending more time underwater than a dolphin. She was too determined for that. She was flexible, too, and lithe.

  Thank god the water was more than waist deep.

  “I think you’re ready to catch a wave,” he murmured, when she’d mastered paddling and turning on her stomach. “You’re looking to hit it just before it breaks. If you’re too early you won’t be able to ride it. Too late and the foam will take you under.”

  “How can I tell that it’s the right time?”

  “Look for a swell coming forward.” He grabbed hold of her board and turned it around until she was facing the horizon. “See that one?” he asked, whispering in her ear. “It looks like it might come good.”

  “So when the wave gets here I start to paddle with it?”

  “Yep, and when you feel your board connecting at the right speed, you stand and let the wave do the rest.”

  She nodded, her face serious. “Wish me luck.”

  He stood back, crossing his arms over his broad chest as Autumn checked over her shoulder to see how close the wave was. She began to slowly paddle, her long strokes increasing in speed when the swell was a few yards behind her, but she wasn’t fast enough for the wave, and it lifted her before crashing onward, leaving Autumn floating in the flat.

  “Don’t worry,” Griff called out to her. “I see another good one coming. You spot it?”

  She turned her head and nodded, looking back at him with determination. “Okay, I got it.”

  “Start paddling now,” he told her, keeping his eye on the approaching swell. “You’ve got about five seconds until it reaches you.”

  Autumn pushed her hands through the water in long, fast strokes, her board moving parallel to the shore.

  “It’s here,” he called out. “Stand and try to ride it.”

  She slid her feet forward, hands pressed against the flat of the board, then pushed herself to a wobbly stand. For a long moment she surfed along the crest, but then she lurched to the right as the wave began to peak, her body pushed under by the force. Griff swam toward the spot he’d last seen her, frowning when her board surfaced before she did.

  “Autumn?” He pulled at the board. It was too light to be attached to her still. Damn! He dove under the water, moving his head to seek her out. His heart began to beat again when he saw her breaking the surface.

  She was coughing and spluttering, shaking her head. He swam toward her, gathering her in his arms, smoothing the wet hair from her face.

  “You okay?” he asked, frowning as he scanned her for injuries.

  “I swallowed water,” she told him between coughs. “And snorted it, too.”

  Relief made him want to laugh, but he managed to bite down the urge.

  “Did you see that I caught it for a second?” she asked, tipping her head up to meet his gaze.

  He grinned. “More than a second. It was at least three.”

  She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “It felt good, right until my mouth filled up with salt water.”

  “You want to go back to the beach?” he asked her. “Try again another day?”

  “No. I want to try again now. I want to stand for at least five seconds.”

  He cupped her face, his hot gaze meeting hers. “You’re amazing, do you know that? You never let anything defeat you.”

  Her lips curled up. “I have a good teacher.”

  “Yeah, well this teacher wants to kiss you.” He watched as she glanced to the side. “It’s okay. I can wait until we’re away from prying eyes.”

  “When we’re away from prying eyes, I can guarantee we’ll be doing more than kissing.”

  “That’s why you’re my kind of girl.”

  15

  “Did you ask Dad to talk to Josh about something?” Lydia asked over the Bluetooth speaker as Autumn pulled her car into the parking lot of the Angel Sands Beach Club.

  “No. Why would I?” She parked in a space a few cars down from the entrance. “I don’t have anything to say to him.”

  “Oh.” It wasn’t like Lydia to stop at one word.

  “Why do you ask?” Autumn grabbed her purse and checked
her make-up in the mirror. “Has he said something to you?”

  “I saw Josh coming out of Dad’s office yesterday,” Lydia told her. “I thought it must be something to do with your divorce.”

  “The divorce is final. Everything is done. I never have to see him again.” And neither should her dad. Autumn frowned. Just the thought of him talking to her ex made her stomach contract, especially when she’d asked him not to. “What do you think they were talking about?”

  “I’ve no idea.”

  “Did they look friendly?”

  “I don’t know. I was turning the corner and saw Josh walk out of Dad’s office door and into the hallway. I hid so he couldn’t see me. And when I saw Dad, he didn’t mention anything about it. Should I have asked him?”

  Autumn sighed. “No. Don’t worry about it. It was probably nothing.” It had better be nothing. She gritted her teeth.

  “Maybe he was asking Dad for a loan.”

  “Ugh. I hope not. Listen, I gotta go. I’m about to head into a meeting.”

  “Ooh, what kind of meeting? Is it with a guy?”

  “There will be about fifty guys there. It’s a Chamber of Commerce meeting. I have to give a presentation about my plans for the charity day on the pier.”

  “The one next month?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Oh! I have the most fantastic idea. I’ll come out to see you. I can help you with whatever you need.” Lydia’s voice rose with excitement. “Hey, and maybe I’ll get to meet that guy you keep pretending you don’t like.”

  “I didn’t say I don’t like him.” Autumn shook her head with a smile. It was impossible not to be cheered by Lydia’s enthusiasm. “And it would be great to see you if you can make it. But I need to go before they drag me out of the car, okay?”

  Lydia laughed. “Okay. Send me all the details and I’ll book a flight. I can’t wait to see you. It’s been forever.”

  “It’s been a few weeks,” she pointed out.

  “I know. But it’s usually me who flies off into the sunset while you stay in New York. I don’t like it when we reverse roles.”

  Autumn shook her head. “Goodbye, Lydia.”

  What the hell was Josh doing with her father? She pressed her lips together and climbed out of her car, grabbing her laptop before she walked across the lot to the Beach Club where the Chamber of Commerce was due to meet. They shouldn’t need to talk to each other ever again. Yes, they had mutual acquaintances, since Josh was a commercial realtor and her dad was a real estate lawyer, but there were hundreds of those in Manhattan.

  The only conclusion was… her father was doing exactly what she’d asked him not to.

  She could hear the babble of conversation before she made it to the ballroom. Shaking her head clear of thoughts – her father and Josh could wait for another day – she pushed the door open and stepped inside, trying to ignore the way everybody turned to stare at her.

  * * *

  “I’ve managed to secure the decorations for free, and the fairground rides will be set up at a reduced price. The kind owners of Déjà Brew have kindly agreed to do the catering as their contribution to the charity.” Autumn’s gaze roamed across the attendees until she saw Ally grinning out at her. She grinned back. “All we need are volunteers to help set up and assist throughout the day, so if you think you can help, please either come and talk to me after tonight’s meeting, or send me an email – the address is on my card, and you should all have one.” She looked around again. “Does anybody have any questions.”

  A slender arm at the front shot up. “What about the restaurant?” Carla Delmonico asked. “I don’t think it’s fair that we have to compete with free refreshments. We’ll lose money.”

  “The refreshments are drinks, cakes, and ice cream,” Autumn told her. “I don’t anticipate any competition between those and the restaurant. If anything, the extra influx of people will give you more customers. It should be a win-win for all of us.”

  “Delmonico’s is exclusive,” Carla muttered. “Maybe we don’t want those kind of customers.”

  Autumn ignored her, painting a smile on her face. “Any other questions?”

  A woman on the far side of the room stood. “Is it true you’re going to host weddings on the pier in the future?”

  Autumn blinked. Word sure got around fast. She hadn’t even talked to the Delmonico’s about her wedding plans yet. “I’m looking into all options for increasing income from the pier. Running events is one of them.”

  “I heard you spoke to the permit department. I know someone who works there,” the woman added.

  “You’re going to do this sort of thing regularly?” Carla asked, her brows pinching together. “When were you going to tell us about it?”

  “I’ll be talking through all the options with the tenants on the pier as soon as I have a plan,” Autumn said, trying to keep her voice patient. “But right now the charity event is my main concern. And I can guarantee it won’t adversely affect your business.”

  Another hand shot up, this time at the back. She couldn’t see who it was. “Um, yes, the person at the back?”

  Griff stood, his lips curling into a smile as his eyes met hers. “As a tenant of the pier, I just wanted to say how refreshing it is to see the owner so involved in the community. Myself and my crew will be at your disposal to help with the event.” He leaned on the back wall. “We love a party.”

  Carla rolled her eyes.

  “Well that’s wonderful. It’s good to see some community spirit,” Frank Megassey said, walking across the stage to join Autumn. “And thank you very much for all your work on the charity event, Autumn. I for one am very much looking forward to it.” He gave a little laugh when he saw Carla’s scowl. “And of course I’ll be eating at Delmonico’s afterward. Now, let’s bring this meeting to an end. Please go help yourselves to coffee and baked goods in the corner, and if you have any questions about the pier, come and talk to Autumn or me.”

  There was a scraping of chairs as people stood, then a murmur of conversation that increased as friends greeted each other. Autumn felt a hand on her back, and turned to see Ally grinning at her. “Here, take this,” she said, passing her a plate of chocolate cake. “You look like you need it. I’d have brought wine, but Frank would have had a fit.”

  Autumn grinned at her. “I’ve had worse responses. Try telling a whole building of bankers that their executive bathrooms will be out of operation for a week. Until then, I’d never seen a man in an Armani suit cry.”

  From the corner of her eye, she could see Carla talking furiously to Griff. “I think I might have caused some problems there.”

  Ally followed her gaze. “Carla always has a problem with Griff.” Her voice dropped. “Has she said anything to you about him?”

  “She told me to steer clear and that he’s a womanizer.” Autumn shrugged.

  “I guess she hasn’t found out about you guys then?”

  Autumn blinked. “What about us?”

  Ally’s smile melted from her mouth. “Oh shit. I just assumed you two had a thing going on. I saw you at the beach the other day. You looked way too close to only be friends or workmates, or whatever you are.”

  “We are just friends,” Autumn told her.

  “It’s really not my business. I’m sorry for mentioning it.”

  “With a few fringe benefits.” Autumn winked and Ally laughed, relief washing over her face.

  “Still none of my business, but for what it’s worth, Griff is a good guy. Ignore what Carla has to say about him.”

  “He is. But it’s nothing serious. Carla can think what she likes.”

  “Does that mean you’ll come out with us for his birthday?” Ally asked, her shoulders relaxing.

  “When is it?” Autumn asked. Griff hadn’t mentioned it to her. They’d been way too busy to talk dates of birth.

  “On Saturday. Lucas and the guys are trying to persuade him to go to a club in White City. He was kind of reluctant. I
guess now I know why.”

  “But it’s his birthday!” Autumn said. “He has to celebrate. Let me make a plan.”

  Ally nodded happily. “Sure.”

  “What’s the name of the club in White City?” she asked. “I’ll call them. Make some arrangements.”

  “I guess that’s one of the fringe benefits you were talking about,” Ally said, still grinning. “Sex and birthday parties. Griff’s a lucky guy.”

  16

  “So what’s this all about?” Griff asked, as they climbed out of the black limo that had driven them to White City. It was almost nine at night, and a soft breeze tickled at Autumn’s bare shoulders and played with her hair, even though the air still held a hint of the daytime warmth.

  She looked up at him with a smile. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, unbuttoned at the neck, and charcoal pants that skimmed his hips and clung to his muscled thighs, making her mouth water.

  “You’ve been hiding things from me,” she told him, raising an eyebrow.

  “No I haven’t.” He grinned and shook his head. “I told you I’m an open book.”

  She tipped her head to the side, and raised an eyebrow. “So why didn’t you tell me it was your birthday?”

  Realization washed over his face. “I don’t celebrate my birthday.”

  “That’s what Ally and Ember told me. But tonight you do.” She slid her arm into his. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  The hostess led them to a booth in the VIP area, and Griff’s face lit up when he saw all his friends waiting for him. Ember and Lucas were talking with Ally and Nate, while Brooke and Caitie were laughing as Aiden and Breck talked about the Silver Sands Resort, where Autumn had stayed when she first arrived in town. Next to them, Harper and James were looking at her phone, grinning at a photograph of their little girl the babysitter had sent them.