Page 6 of Kayak Girl

I’d managed to keep her off my mind for a whole five minutes after I finished my swim with Weston yesterday. But late last night, I gave up fighting and let her paddle around in my head freely. I even prayed about her, for crying out loud. I figured God had put her on my mind for a reason. Plus, if anyone could help me forget about her, it was God.

An unexpected jolt of surprise shot through me when I stood at the front of the church this morning and found her sitting right in front of me. She looked extra mysterious in a flowy blue dress. For a moment, I thought she was a figment of my imagination. I thought I’d conjured her up since she’d been on my mind all night. But then she whispered something to Brenda Jackson, and I realized she must be here because of some connection to Brenda. Seconds later, her eyes collided with mine, and it took my breath away.

While I led the praise and worship, I focused on my Maker. I loved God, and it was easy to give Him my full attention. But I can’t say the same for my dad’s sermon. From my seat in the auditorium, I could see the back of her head and I kept looking her way. How did she know Brenda? How long would she be in town? Before the service ended, I decided I would talk to her. It was the only way to make sense of the strange connection I felt toward her.

But right now, I was stuck packing up the music equipment while I watched her head out the door. I wouldn’t ditch my music team, so I hoped I’d still catch her once I finished here. I sighed.

My dad tapped me on the shoulder. “You look like you need to be somewhere else. Let me finish this up.”

“Thanks, Dad, I appreciate it.” A grin spread across my face as I dashed up the aisle toward the exit. I burst out the double doors and skidded to a halt as I looked at the faces of the people milling around. I couldn’t see her or the massive van. Maybe she had left already? I sprinted to the road, hoping to glimpse her van. I looked left. Nothing. My hopes were plummeting. I looked right. No sign of her van, but halfway down the road, a female in a blue dress was walking away from the church. Without another thought, I took off jogging in her direction.

“Hey, wait up!” I called.

She kept walking.

“Hey, Kayak Girl!” I called again.

This time, she turned to look over her shoulder and froze at the sight of me. Thank goodness! I closed the distance between us and took a few quick breaths while she turned to face me.

“Sorry to bother you. I never got to introduce myself properly yesterday. I’m Gray,” I said, extending my hand and trying to sound casual.

“Figures,” she said, her lips curling into a half-smile as she shook my hand.

Her hand felt small in mine. Touching her was a relief after feeling like I might not catch her in time. Pulling my attention back to our conversation, I replayed her odd response to my name. “Huh? What do you mean by that?” I asked.

“Oh, it figures that your parents called you Gray. I guess they took one look at those silver eyes and had no other choice.”

I laughed, more at ease. “Ha-ha, fun fact: they didn’t know my eye color when they decided on my name, but it worked out okay, I suppose. What’s your name?”

“I’m Elle,” she said, and glanced at her watch. “I’d better get going. Got a couple of errands to run. Nice to officially meet you, Gray.”

Just like that, she was slipping away. “Wait, what brings you to Hilton Head?” I blurted out.

She paused. I watched the caution in her eyes build and then fade as she contemplated her answer. “Traveling the coast for a year. Living the dream, you know?”

“Nice. How long are you here?”

“Well, I’m not sure. Hoping to solidify some plans today.”

I nodded, grasping for something more to say. “And how do you know Brenda?”

“I’m staying at her campgrounds.”

“Right, of course,” I replied, feeling a bit foolish.

She shifted her weight. “Anyway, I really should be off,” she said, motioning over her shoulder.

“Yeah, sure.”

Elle turned to walk away, and I stood there watching her. I was too stunned. Talking to her was supposed to help me forget her, not leave me with a head full of questions and an inexplicable urge to know more.

Chapter 7

ELLE

Act normal. Just keep moving and don’t turn around. I repeated this mantra like a broken record, yet the urge to look back was almost unbearable. There was something about Gray that left me in a tangle of emotions. He wasn’t overtly flirtatious, yet there was an undeniable warmth in his interactions. Was there an underlying interest, or was he merely being friendly? Regardless of my confusion, I had to hurry off; there were pressing matters at hand.

Fueled by an inner urge to make my stay meaningful, I had set my sights on engaging in community work. As soon as the church service concluded, I was on my feet, eager to explore the local conservation efforts. My homework the previous night had pinpointed three promising venues around the campgrounds, all conveniently within walking distance. The plan was to sign up for volunteer programs. I’d make an afternoon of it, sight see, and have some lunch along the way.

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