Page 82 of The Voice We Find

She clasps her hands at her chest and does a little hop in her seat. “Please tell me surfing is the reason behind your wet suit and the boards strapped to the roof?”

I flash her a grin as I pull onto the deserted highway. “Figured it was time I took my girlfriend out for her first lesson.”

“Yes!” She pumps her fists in the air. “I was hoping that was your plan. I’m also hoping we can enjoy the drive while listening to a newly composed soundtrack. Hint hint.” She wiggles her eyebrows. “Let’s hear it. You promised me.”

“Unfortunately, my dad never installed a sound system, so I have nothing to play it on in here.”

She eyes me suspiciously. “Does that mean you have the file on your phone?”

I wait a beat before answering. “Affirmative.”

She immediately reaches for the bag at her feet and plucks out her earbuds. “I’ve come prepared.”

With some reluctance, I hand her my phone and give her the passcode, and then walk her through how to find the audio file. In seconds, Sophie’s earphones are connected.

She taps Play and almost immediately pulls one earbud out. “This.This is the song you were humming when I woke up after my...” She swallows. “After the power went out in the studio.”

Now it’s my turn to be surprised. “You remember that?”

She nods. “I do. I loved it then, and I love it even more now with all the instruments you’ve added. It’s a perfect culmination of the storyline, too. A little angsty, a little cutesy, a little Christmas-y, and definitely romantic. It’s perfect for the book.”

“Thank you,” I say, genuinely overcome by her affirming response. “I rewrote the entire melody line in my head that day while you slept in my arms.”

She plugs her earbuds in again and starts it over from the top. The song itself is only a minute and forty-two seconds, but Sophie plays it on repeat for the remainder of the drive to the beach. And I can’t help but fall all the harder for her because of it.

When I finally pull up to the curb of Doran Beach—a spectacular spot for a first surfing lesson located in Bodega Bay—Sophie leans over the console and plants a kiss on my cheek. “Did you know my super hot surfer boyfriend is a musical prodigy who also narrates and produces audiobooks?”

I’m smiling as I capture her brazen smile with a kiss of my own. Already, the early morning wake-up call feels worth it.

We unpack the Bronco as the sunrise begins to peek out from behind the mountains. Coming up with surfing gear for Sophie wasn’t an issue in the slightest. I used to joke that my parents’ garage could double as a small surf shop. That’s what happens when an entire family adopts the same hobby. There’s a pinch in my chest when I recall how easily Gabby agreed to loan Sophie her wet suit for today when I haven’t allowed her a day out on the water since the accident.

“Are you sure this thing is rated for a beginner?” Sophie asks, scrutinizing the board I’ve just leaned against the Bronco.

The board I brought for Sophie is an eight-foot soft top, ideal for her height, weight, and lack of experience.

“Positive.” I hold out Gabby’s wet suit to her and launch into best practices for getting into a wet suit for the first time. Surprisingly, she doesn’t seem fazed by my cautionary instructions.

Instead, she takes the garment from me and steps around to the back of the Bronco to disrobe from her sweats and hoodie. The instant I see the red flash of her bathing suit, I turn around. “If you even knew how many times I’ve had to change in and out of regency ballgowns while under the duress of a corset backstage, you wouldn’t question my ability to handle a bit of neoprene.”

After a couple minutes of fidgeting in the sand, Sophie tells me she’s done. And I’m not the least bit astonished by how good she looks in surfing gear.

I show her how to carry her board down to the water, as my arms and back are loaded. And much like with her wet suit, she handles it like a champ. The temperature of the water on her bare feet, however, she struggles with a bit more.

“How are you standing in this without flinching?” she asks as she dances in the tide on her tiptoes. “I forgot how cold the Pacific is.”

I belt out a laugh and secure the leash to her ankle. “It’s fifty-eight degrees. Give yourself a minute. You’ll adjust.”

“Pretty sure this will still feel frigid to me in an hour.”

“Look.” I point behind us at the sunrise yawing awake, reflecting off the open water. If anything, the coming light will warm her, which will help distract from her chilled extremities.

And just like I thought, she seems to forget all about her discomfort and focuses instead on the addictive beauty of the ocean at sunrise. There’s nothing like it in all the world.

Sophie’s mesmerized by the sherbet-colored sky, and in turn, I’m mesmerized by her. The only thing better than enjoying a sunrise on the beach alone is having someone I care for enjoy it with me.Not just someone, I think.Sophie.

“There’s nothing random.” Her words are so hushed they’re nearly lost to the rhythmic hum of the waves beyond.

“What?” I ask, coming up beside her in the surf, board tucked under one arm while I secure the other around her waist.

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