Page 16 of One Night in Hawaii

“I suppose not,” he said, sighing.

We finally reached the dock, and I could see my boat bobbing gently in the water.

“Is this your boat?” he asked, looking at it with interest.

I nodded. “Yep.

“It’s nice,” he said, walking closer to inspect it.

“Thank you,” I said, feeling a little proud. I was going to give him the two-cent tour when Ryder waved at us.

“Hey! Are you guys going to do it?”

“What is he talking about?” Archer asked. “Do you know him?”

“That’s Ryder, my best friend,” I said, smiling.

I didn’t miss the pursed lips and clenched jaw. He practically puffed up before my very eyes.

“Hey, man,” Ryder said with his usual goofy grin. “You must be Archer.”

“Archer, this is Ryder.”

“Are you going to surf with us?” Ryder asked enthusiastically.

Archer looked like he was going to turn around and walk right back to the house.

“Ryder is a surf instructor,” I told him. “So are those guys. If you’ve never surfed, these are the guys you want to learn from.”

“You surf?” he asked me.

“I do. Not well, but I can hold my own. If you don’t want to surf, we can do something else.”

It was like a red flag had been waved in front of a bull. I saw him respond to what he saw as a challenge. I really didn’t mean it as a challenge, but if it got him motivated, so be it.

Archer glanced at the surfboard and then back at me. “Alright then,” he said, his voice firm. “Let’s do it.”

I grinned at him, happy that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone. “We could start with a bodyboard.”

“No. I want to surf.”

“Do you want to put on a wetsuit?” I asked. “I’m sure—”

“Are you wearing a wetsuit?” he asked Ryder.

“Not today.” Ryder shook his head.

“Then I don’t need one.”

I could practically see Archer trying to measure his dick against Ryder’s. I wasn’t surprised by his response. He was a man used to getting what he wanted. People probably bent over backwards to please him. He was likely surrounded by yes men. Ryder would never be the guy that tried to get someone to like him. He was who he was and that was that. Most people liked Ryder because he was very chill. Nothing bothered him. He didn’t pay attention to all the masculine posturing that Archer was putting on.

“I’ll get you a board,” I said with a smile.

I knew he would be fine. He’d probably have a few face plants, but everyone did when they were first learning. It was a hard lesson to learn, but it taught respect for the ocean and all its power.

We walked out to the beach, boards in hand. The waves were small, which was perfect for Archer’s first time. Ryder gave him a quick lesson on how to stand up on the board, and then we headed out into the water.

7

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