Page 73 of Chasing Sunsets

Tomorrow, I’ll take the board out on the water.

Tomorrow, I’ll see if it still remembers how to float.

Anson

It was a slow day at work. One of the charters had to cancel due to a family emergency, so I asked Sebby if it would be okay for me to knock off early. I dropped a few boxes off at the new house and then texted to see if Tabby was free for lunch. When I didn’t receive a response, I called, but there was no answer, so I decided to drive out here to see if she was around.

I find her kneeling beside an old paddleboard on blocks when I arrive at the campground.

“Well, well,” I say, stepping closer. “What do you have there?”

She glances up, squinting at me. “What are you doing here?” she asks as I bend down next to her and plant a quick kiss on her lips.

“I got off early and wanted to take my girl to lunch, but she wasn’t answering her phone.”

She smiles. “Sorry, I don’t know where my phone is,” she says as she pats at the pockets of her shorts. “Maybe it’s on the charger inside.”

I chuckle. She’s the only girl I know who isn’t chained to her phone twenty-four/seven.

“What’s this?” I ask as I get a better look at the board.

“An old relic from Pete’s shed that I spent all day yesterday bringing back to life,” she says, standing up and brushing sawdust from her legs.

I drag my fingers over the wood, feeling the smooth grain beneath my palm. It’s solid beneath the layers of varnish she must have applied, the cracks filled in, the edges reinforced. It still looks old, but usable, full of character.

“She looks good,” I say, nodding in approval. “You planning to actually take her out on the water?”

“That’s the goal.” She lifts a paddle that was leaning against her RV—a damn nice one, too, hand-carved, like something you’d see in an art gallery.

I smirk, leaning back against her RV. “Fancy paddle for an old board.”

She shrugs. “I can be fancy.”

“Do you know how to use that thing?”

“I watched a bunch of videos teaching the basics, but I haven’t tried it out yet, obviously. I think I’d like paddleboarding though, and it’s a great workout, so I’m dying to get it out on the water,” she says.

“You know, if you want the best spot to practice, I happen to have insider knowledge.”

She arches a brow. “Do you now?”

“Oh, yeah,” I say. “The cove. Off the Intracoastal. Water’s calm, no boats flying by. Perfect place for a beginner.”

“Are you offering to take me?”

I grin. “I am. We can head there after lunch.”

She studies me for a second, like she’s trying to figure out if I’ve got an ulterior motive. Which, to be fair, I probably do.

Finally, she nods. “All right. Food, then adventure.”

She runs inside to change while I strap the board in the back of my truck and toss the paddle in the back seat. She returns, wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts over a white swimsuit, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. She climbs in, tossing her bag at her feet, and I pull out onto the road, heading toward town.

We stop at the Barnacle Café for burgers before swinging by Parker and Audrey’s house to grab my swim trunks, a waterproof backpack, and one of the paddleboards from the garage.

We arrive at Sebastian and Avie’s house. Behind their property, there is a small stretch of sand nestled among the trees, where a path leads to a quiet inlet. This spot is used by all of us to launch canoes or kayaks. The water is exactly as I promised—calm and glassy, barely rippling under the late afternoon sun. There are no boats, no noise. Just us.

I hop out and begin unstrapping the boards while Tabby grabs her paddle. I take the lightweight backpack and toss in a few essentials. Then, I usher her across Sebastian’s lawn down to the waterline, her bare feet sinking into the wet sand.

---