Page 100 of Try Me

He stood for a moment in the darkness, breathing in the memories. He’d spent hours in the attached wood shop, waxing, polishing, shaping blank surfboards.

Elizabeth flipped on the lights, revealing the interior of the two-story garage. Teddy was a collector. The garage housed a dozen priceless cars that meant more to Teddy than his own children did. The overhead lights winked on no less than a million dollars of chrome and metal.

Declan felt his frustration mount. “Why did you bring me here? To show me another of Dad’s precious toys?”

“Come see,” Elizabeth said, tugging Declan’s hand so that he walked along the aisle that separated the rows of cars.

There was a 1930s model Bentley, a silver Austin Healey, and a bright blue Pontiac GTO. Declan’s pulse accelerated as he spotted a flash of red behind the Pontiac.

Heart pounding in his chest, he hurried forward. Declan glanced from the shiny red hood of the Stingray back to his mother, eyebrows raised in disbelief. She nodded, and Declan reached out to touch the sleek hood, half expecting the Stingray to disappear. He felt lightheaded as he touched the cold metal. Stepping around the car, he ran his hand over the hood, then dipped his thumb along the crease of the retractable headlamp. Tears filled his eyes as he looked up at his mother.

“Your father rebuilt this,” she said. “With his own hands.”

Declan’s eyebrows drew together in confusion, and he reached up to rub the back of his neck. “Why?” he asked.

Elizabeth walked down the center aisle and grabbed a set of keys off the pegboard, then hit the button for the garage door. She walked back to Declan and offered him the keys. “Because he hoped you would come back,” she said, placing the keys in his outstretched palm.

Declan zoomed downthe steep hill of Diamond Head Road in the Stingray. His mind spun with everything that had happened. He had a fortune folded in his pants pocket, and a V-8 engine humming beneath him. Tomorrow would be the test of a lifetime. He would either win or lose in front of millions of people. But all he really wanted was Pearl. He couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he showed her the check and told her his idea.

Nerves suddenly took hold of him. Would it be enough? Would she let him share her dreams?

He pressed the pedal harder, wanting desperately to see her. As he swerved around the corner at the bottom of the hill, he almost ran into the car pulled off to the side of the road. Visions of twisted metal and broken glass had his hands tightening on the wheel as he skidded to a stop next to the Rolls Royce. Declan recognized it as part of the fleet that had been hired to transport the surfers around the island.

“Hey, asshole!” Declan yelled out the window at the uniformed driver who leaned against the passenger door smoking a cigarette. “You’re gonna get hit, brah. What are you doing?”

“It’s not my fault,” the driver said. “I can’t leave until she comes back.”

Hands shaking, Declan slammed the car into park. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his gut. “Who?” he demanded.

“Some lady surfer,” the driver said. “She went down there.” He pointed to the small cove where Declan had first learned to surf. “On the beach.”

Declan’s heart leapt to his throat, and he pulled the car off to the side of the road behind the Rolls Royce. Jumping out, he ran down the slope of the dusty crater until he hit the sand. His mouth dried when he saw a pile of clothes on the beach, his jacket on top. Lifting his head, he scanned the water and saw a lone figure floating in the waves.

His palms broke out in a cold sweat as he ran across the sand. “Pearl!” he shouted, kicking off his shoes before he plunged into the water.

There was enough light from a nearby lighthouse shining its beam over the waves for Declan to see her body floating on the surface. He didn’t think he could take losing someone else he loved to the ocean. His heart would stop beating if Pearl was dead. Declan raced through the water, kicking and stroking in a frenzy.

He lifted his head for a breath and yelled her name, hoping with all his heart that it wasn’t too late. “Pearl!” he screamed, filling the night with the terrible sound of his anguish.

She lifted her head and stared at him, her eyes so dark they were nearly as black as the night. “Declan?”

Declan’s heart slammed in his chest, and he swam as fast as he could toward her. She began swimming toward him, and they met in a tangle of arms and legs. Declan yanked her against him and swam them closer to shore until he could touch the sand.

“Goddammit! What are you doing out here?” he demanded. “I thought you were…” He couldn’t say the word. Instead, he grabbed her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her hard. His tongue pushed past her lips. She opened her mouth and thrust her tongue against his, giving as much passion as she took. Declan slipped his hands down her back to cup her ass. Pearl wrapped her arms and legs around him and held on as he stood, carrying them to shore.

They collapsed on the sand, and Declan pulled back to look at her. Smoothing his hands over her face, he brushed back the wet hair that clung to both of them. His heart refused to slow until he was certain that she was whole. That she was alive. He covered her face in kisses until Pearl’s laugh filled the air.

“You’re crushing me,” she said.

Grabbing Pearl around the waist, Declan rolled until she was on top of him. He threaded his hands in her hair, holding her face close so he could look into her eyes.

“You scared the shit out of me,” he said, leaning up to take her mouth again.

They kissed as if they couldn’t get enough of each other. Mouths hard and bruising, tongues punishing, teeth biting. Even as a wave crashed over them, filling their mouths with saltwater, they didn’t stop.

“Hey!” called a voice from above.

Declan stopped kissing Pearl long enough to look up to the road where the driver stood flapping his arms in the air.

“Does this mean I can leave now?” the driver yelled.

Declan started to laugh as he got to his feet, pulling Pearl with him. “Go on.” He waved. “Get outta here.” He tucked Pearl against his chest, warming her bare skin with his palms. “You’re with me, right?”

For a moment, his heart stopped as he considered that she might say no. But when she looked up at him, eyes shining in the darkness, he knew the answer before she opened her mouth.

“I’m with you,” she said, winding her arms around his waist. She pressed her face against his wet shirt and leaned into him. Hard.

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