Page 105 of Guys Can't Write Romance
“That’s because your book’s amazing,” she said. “And I’m not just saying that. When I read the ending, I seriously cried. It was perfect. Bittersweet, without being melodramatic.”
Something shifted in Chad’s eyes, a vulnerability he rarely showed.
“Thanks, Daisy,” he said simply. “That means a lot coming from you.”
It didn’t escape her that he’d used her first name. “You wanna know something funny?” she said.
“What?”
“I’m glad Mags paired us up.”
“Me too.”
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, gently rocking on their boards as small waves passed beneath them. Daisy once again found her thoughts drifting.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Chad said.
“You’ll need to make it at least a buck so I can buy another coffee.”
“A buck it is.”
She smiled faintly, but it was tinged with a touch of sadness. “I was just thinking about my dad. He would have loved this.”
The words slipped out before she could catch them. She rarely talked about her father, especially today of all days. The memories were too precious, too painful. But at that moment, she wanted to share that part of her with Chad.
Chad’s expression softened with understanding. “Was he a surfer?”
“No,” Daisy smiled slightly. “But he loved the ocean. Every time we moved to a coastal base, the first thing he’d do was take me to watch the sunrise or sunset over the water. He said it was the best way to make a new place feel like home.”
Chad nodded, not pushing for more, but clearly listening intently.
“He’s the one who got me into reading, actually,” Daisy continued, surprising herself with the desire to share this piece of her father. “He’d read to me every night, no matter how tired he was from training. Said books were the one constant we could always take with us.”
“He sounds like a good dad,” Chad said quietly.
“The best,” Daisy agreed, blinking back the sudden moisture in her eyes. “Sorry, I don’t usually talk about this. It’s just… he passed away three years ago today, so he’s been on my mind all week.”
Chad reached across the space between their boards and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Think how proud he must be of the amazing writer you’ve become.”
A deep warmth filled her eyes as she watched him. “Thank you,” she said softly.
He nodded. “Ready to paddle out a little deeper?” he said, giving her an easy out from the emotional moment. “The waves are perfect for beginners today.”
Daisy took a deep breath. “As ready as I’ll ever be.” She released his hand, but not before giving it an affectionate squeeze.
Chad led the way, showing her how to paddle efficiently, how to navigate through the breaking waves, and finally, how to turn and position herself in what he called ‘the lineup,’ the place where surfers waited for the right wave.
The water was considerably deeper out here, and though Daisy’s initial anxiety had returned, there was something peaceful about floating beyond the break, the shore now looking distant and small.
“This is...” Daisy searched for the right word.
“Freeing?” Chad suggested.
“Yes,” she agreed, surprised. “I thought I’d be terrified, but it’s actually beautiful.”
Chad smiled, clearly pleased. “This is my favorite part. Just sitting out here, feeling the ocean move beneath you. It’s like you’re part of something bigger.”
The poetry in his observation surprised her, though it shouldn’t have. For all his laid-back, beer-drinking, procrastinating ways, Chad had a depth that continually caught her off guard.
