Page 60 of Secrets at Seaside
Her green eyes took on the fierce determination that had surprised him years earlier.
“Oh, yeah. I’ve got this.”
He hoped so. “Okay. I’ll be right there with you, babe. Concentrate. You’ve got this.”
She nodded, and he swam away, giving her room and watching her like a hawk as the wave swelled, lifting her board. Amy grabbed the edge of the board.
“Come on, baby, pop up,” he urged through gritted teeth.
In one explosive motion she pushed her body up and tucked her feet beneath her. Tony held his breath. One foot slid forward as the wave rose, tipped her board, and knocked Amy into the sea. Tony swam as fast as he could, reaching her in seconds. She coughed and sputtered as he held her around her waist, keeping her head above the surface.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He was so proud of her for trying. He kicked his feet to keep them afloat and snagged her board with one hand while holding her against him. “You’re the bravest woman I know. That was awesome.”
She laughed and pushed from his chest. “That sucked, and I’m going to do better. And yeah, I’m brave. But then again, I have a boyfriend to keep up with.”
He pressed his lips to hers, trapping their laughter. “No panicky feelings?”
“None, and I’m as shocked as you are.” She was breathing hard, kicking to help them stay up. “No panic other than being afraid I won’t get up on the board today.”
“You’re amazing.”
They paddled out again, and Amy tried to catch the next few waves, each time tumbling into the water with Tony there seconds later to help her.
“I’m going to get this next one,” she assured him through trembling blue lips.
“Babe, I could do this all day long, but you might want to take a break and warm up.” He was paddling alongside her board, and when she narrowed her eyes and glared at him, he held his hands up in surrender.
The next wave swelled much larger than the last. “Amy?” he warned.
She shooed him away, jaw clenched, eyes trained on the water. Her board lifted with the swell, and her fingers wrapped tightly around the edges of the board. She pushed her body up and her feet tucked under, left foot leading as she popped up with a little scream of joy.
“Yeah!” Tony hollered.
Amy maintained her balance, her arms loose and extended, leaning slightly forward, lowering her center of gravity just as he’d taught her. Tony punched the air in excitement.HisAmy was back.Really back.
And this time he was never letting her go.
Chapter Twenty
THE NIGHT COULDN’T have been more perfect if Amy had dreamed it up. She and Tony were sitting on a blanket at the top of the dunes at Race Point, named for the fierce rip tides that came around the point of the Cape. Tony had picked up dinner from Mac’s Seafood. They’d shared oysters and mussels, a plate of seafood lasagna, and were working their way through a bottle of wine. Amy was thinking about how long she’d loved Tony and what he’d come to mean to her. He was her quiet strength, the one person who really knew and understood her. Her girlfriends knew and understood her in other ways, but only Tony knew just how to touch her when she was nervous or scared or when she needed to be held. Only Tony had felt the sheer power of their love that summer and the brutal intensity of their loss.
She realized that it was more than just love that kept her from connecting with other men all this time. Their loss bound them together in a way that she now realized left a hole that only Tony could fill. Their past would always be there—a part of them. She hadn’t become pregnant because she was a reckless teenager out having a one-night stand, and she didn’t need to pick it apart any more than they already had. It happened. They survived it, and maybe they were better people because of it. Maybe it had to happen in order for them to come together at the right time in their lives. In any case, now it was time to move on.
As if reading her mind, Tony covered her fingers with his. He smiled, then gazed out at the water, his features more relaxed than she’d seen all summer. In fact, he looked more relaxed than he had in many summers. His white linen pants were rolled up above his ankles. His loose short-sleeve, button-down shirt revealed a tanned swatch of his chest, and his eyes—oh, how she loved the way they told of all his emotions—were no longer shadowed with grief.
“Thank you for today.” She set her wineglass down and curled her fingers around his.
“You were amazing out there. I’d almost forgotten how determined you could be.”
She raised her brows and tucked her hair behind her ear, trying to give him a don’t-underestimate-me look but also feeling proud of herself. So very proud.
“Almost as determined as I can be.” His tone was gravelly as he leaned across the blanket and kissed her.
“I did learn from the best,” she teased.
They finished their wine, and Tony gathered their things in his backpack, then rose to his feet and reached for her hand.
“I have a surprise for you. I’m not sure if you’re going to like it or not, but it’s something I wanted to do, and it’s something I wanted to share with you.”
