Page 5 of Finding Us

“Do you need anything else from us?” Garret asks.

“Sometimes couples give me a copy of their vows, so if you want to send me those, go ahead and do so whenever you have them written. Otherwise, I’ll be in touch a week before the wedding to go over any last minute details and then I’ll see you at the rehearsal.”

“Sounds good.” Garret looks at me. “Did you have any other questions?”

“No, I can’t think of any.”

Garret walks Andrew to the door. “Thanks again for making the trip up here. We’ll see you in a few weeks.”

Andrew leaves and Garret remains at the door, looking out at the ocean. “The waves are huge today. I gotta get out there.”

Garret’s become quite the surfer since we moved here. He’s really good for someone who’s only been doing this for a month. Of course he surfs every day, so he’s had lots of practice. But he’s way better than Sean which makes Sean want to spend even more time out there trying to get better. Guys. They’re way too competitive.

I walk up behind Garret, hooking my arms around him. “Why don’t you skip surfing today and hang out with me on the beach?”

He turns to face me, trying not to look disappointed. “Yeah, okay. I guess I could.”

“I’m kidding. Go do your surfing. I just said that to see if you’d actually skip out on those waves for me.”

“You know I would.” He leans down and kisses me, then pulls back and smiles. “But only for a couple hours. And then I’d be out there on my board.”

I shake my head, smiling, as he walks past me and up the stairs to change clothes. Just as I’m about to shut the door, Sean appears.

“Hey, Jade. You guys done with the wedding thing?”

“Yeah. Come on in. Garret will be right down.”

Sean always has a smile on his face showing off his dimples. He’s like the happiest guy I’ve ever met. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in a bad mood. Harper says he sometimes comes home in a bad mood after a rough day at work, but it doesn’t happen that often.

Sean’s already got his wetsuit on. His blond hair is sticking up everywhere like he just showered and let it dry like that. Or maybe Harper messed it up. She’s always playing with his hair. He has good hair. It’s thick and a little longer than Garret’s. And he has really bright blue eyes. If Sean and Harper ever get married, they’ll have super cute kids.

A few minutes later Garret runs down the stairs. “Sean, did you see those waves?”

“Yeah, we gotta get out there before they die down.”

Garret stops and kisses me quick. “See you later.”

“Hey.” I grab his arm and pull him back to me as Sean takes off out the door. “Don’t get hurt out there. I don’t want you showing up at our wedding with stitches and a broken leg.”

“Got it. I’ll be careful.” He turns to leave but I keep hold of him.

“And I need a better kiss than that.”

He takes my face in his hands and leans down to give me a real kiss.

“Garret, come on!” Sean yells from outside.

He pulls away. “Love you. Have fun today.”

“You, too.”

Harper walks in as Garret races out the door. “Those two are like little kids. They just can’t wait to get out there every day.”

“Yeah, I know. Garret’s not going to be happy when school starts again and he can’t surf every day.”

In the fall, Garret and I will be staying here in California and going to Camsburg College, a private college in a coastal town that’s midway between Santa Barbara and San Francisco. It’s about an hour north of where we are now. The college is small and very exclusive which is why we’re going there. After Garret’s rise and fall as a reality show celebrity, we need to hide away for a while. We wanted someplace quiet where people would leave us alone and not ask questions or gossip about us.

Harper’s dad, Kiefer, is the one who suggested the college. Some of his celebrity friends have sent their kids there because it’s secluded and has tight security which keeps out the paparazzi. Kiefer even made some calls on our behalf, which I’m sure is the reason we got accepted so quickly. I’ve learned that Kiefer has a lot of influence and not just in Hollywood. He seems to have a lot of friends in high places. Harper says that’s because rich, important people like to say they’re friends with a movie director. It sounds impressive at parties, so her dad gets connected with a lot of people in other industries outside the movie business.

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