Page 74 of Chasing Sunsets

“All right,” I say, setting my board down in the water, “lesson one: carry your board like you know what you’re doing.”

She rolls her eyes but follows my lead, dragging her board into the shallows. I step onto mine with ease, the motion as natural as breathing for me. She, on the other hand, hesitates.

“You can do it. Don’t think too hard. Just step on.”

She takes a deep breath, then steps onto the board. The second she shifts her weight forward, it wobbles violently beneath her, and she sits down. Straddling the board.

I hold back a laugh. “Balance, Tabby.”

“Easy for you to say,” she mutters, gripping the edges of the board like it might betray her at any second.

“You can do this. You balance on those inline skates of yours just fine. It’s the same principle,” I say.

She tries again, getting to her knees this time, her movements stiff and cautious. She’s cute as hell when she concentrates like this.

“Good,” I say. “Now, when you’re ready, stand up. One foot at a time. Keep your knees soft.”

She nods, her brows knitting together in focus. Slowly—so damn slowly—she pushes herself upright.

For a second, she’s steady.

And then … she’s not.

The board tilts, her arms flail, and she goes down with a splash.

I can’t help it; I burst out laughing.

She comes up sputtering, her hair dripping, and glares at me. “Glad you’re enjoying this.”

“Oh, this is the best thing I’ve seen all week.”

She flicks water at me, but I dodge it easily.

“All right, all right,” I say, still grinning. “Let’s try again.”

After a few more failed attempts—and a lot more of me laughing at her expense—she finally gets the hang of it. She’s wobbly at first, but once she relaxes, she starts to find her rhythm. We paddle side by side through the cove, weaving between patches of seagrass, the evening stretching warm and slow around us.

“See?” I say. “You’re a natural.”

She scoffs. “I don’t think falling in seven times qualifies as natural.”

“Eight,” I correct, smirking. “And trust me, I’ve seen worse.”

We move farther into the cove, letting the current carry us along the shoreline. It’s quiet out here, the kind of peaceful you don’t find on the main beaches.

Suddenly, something catches my eye. “Look.”

I nod toward the water’s edge, where a pair of baby foxes are playing in the grass.

Tabby gasps. “Oh my God.”

She looks at me, grinning, her eyes bright with excitement.

“Told you this was the best spot.”

Once she gains a bit more confidence, we paddle farther out of the cove along the Intracoastal Waterway, with homes featuring private piers and boat ramps lining both sides. The sun is now lower, glinting off the surface and turning everything to gold.

After a while, I glance over at her. “So, what’s the verdict?”

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