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  “I did a little research and went to the store last night. I wanted to be prepared.”

  I handed him his board and I took mine. As we headed down the beach towards the water, I scanned the area for Keaton. The good thing was that it was a cooler than normal day and there really wasn’t anyone at the beach, so we pretty much had the water to ourselves.

  “You’re not afraid to be cold, are you?” I asked.

  “Not at all.”

  “Good. The water can be pretty cold this time of the year.”

  I gasped when he took off his navy blue t-shirt. The definition of his abs, Apollo belt, and his happy trail were arousing me. Ben Preston, the fireman, was way sexier than I thought. I snapped back into reality and tried to get my hormones under control before we hit the water.

  We put our boards in and I told him to paddle and follow me. As soon as we paddled far enough away from shore, I sat on my board and went over a few tips with him. I felt embarrassed because he was smiling at me the whole time I was talking.

  “A wave’s coming. Watch me first and then you can catch the next one.”

  “I would be more than happy to watch you.” He smiled.

  As soon as I felt the pull of the wave, I stood up. “Woo hoo,” I yelled. When the wave ended, I paddled back to where Ben was.

  “Wow. That was amazing.” He smiled.

  “Thank you. Are you ready?”

  “Yeah. I think so.”

  “Okay. Watch the wave line and when I say ‘go,’ start paddling towards it. Remember to keep your back arched as much as you can to avoid the nose of the board dipping down. You want to keep that up.”

  “Okay. I’ll remember.”

  “Let’s go.” I smiled as we both paddled out to the wave. As the wave was about to break, I yelled at Ben.

  “Pop up, now!”

  He did and then stood up and was able to ride the wave for a couple of seconds before falling over. I couldn’t help but laugh because I was having flashbacks of Keaton.

  “It takes a lot of practice,” I said as I paddled over to him.

  ****

  Ben

  The water was cold, but I didn’t care. Watching Paisley surf was exciting. And I mean in more ways than one. I never knew a girl that surfed before and it was quite a turn-on. As the wave crashed down on me and I lost my balance, I didn’t care because, for a few seconds, the adrenaline that shot through my body was incredible. It was a rush that I’d never felt before.

  “I want to keep going.” I smiled.

  She smiled back and we continued to catch waves for the next hour. I was learning, and Paisley said I was doing great for someone who’d never surfed before. We paddled back to shore and dried off with our towels. Paisley stripped out of her wetsuit and I couldn’t help but stare at her bikini-clad body. Damn, she was hot. She threw on a hoodie over her bikini top and put on a pair of yoga pants because the air was cool.

  “Thank you, Paisley, for asking me to go surfing today. I really enjoyed it.”

  “You’re welcome. Thanks for coming along.” She smiled.

  I pulled my phone from my bag and saw that it was ten thirty. “Are you hungry? We could go grab some breakfast.”

  “Actually, I’m starving. That sounds great.”

  We grabbed our bags and the surfboards and headed to our cars. As we were walking through the sand, I saw Finn and Olivia staring at me from a few feet away. “Great,” I said.

  “What?”

  “That’s my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law staring at us.”

  “Oh. Busted by your family now.” She smiled.

  “Ben?” Finn said as he looked at me strangely and then over at Paisley. “Did you go surfing?”

  “Hey, Finn. Hi, Olivia,” I said as I leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Yes, I did. This is Paisley and she was kind enough to teach me to surf today. Or at least attempt to teach me.”

  “He did great.” She laughed as she shook Finn’s and Olivia’s hands.

  “Well, we need to go. I’ll call you later,” I said as I began to walk away.

  “You better!” Finn pointed at me.

  I sighed and looked over at Paisley as she smirked at me.

  “I know what you’re thinking right now. It’s like we’re having some secret affair and we just got caught. But I get it,” she said as she nudged my shoulder with hers. “I will be the topic of your family’s conversation until you make up some lie to shut them down.”

  “True. Just like I’ll be the topic of your family’s conversation until you shut them down.”

  “You’re right. Would you like to come to dinner at my parents’ house tonight? If I’m going to shut them down, I can’t think of a better way to do it.”

  I couldn’t believe she asked me to dinner. It excited me; something I hadn’t felt in a very long time. “I would love to help you shut your family down, but only if you promise to help shut mine down next week.”

  “Deal.” She smiled as she held out her hand and we shook on it.

  The feel of her soft skin on mine sent a charge through my body like a bolt of lightning. Suddenly, I felt alive again and, in some way, it scared me. We walked a block to a café where we both ordered coffee and omelets. I told Paisley that I had plans for tonight, but I was going to cancel them because I’d much rather help her shut her family down. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent a text message to Brady.

  “Hey, bro. I’m sorry but I can’t make it for dinner tonight. Give Linda my apologies and tell her that I’ll make it up to her.”

  “Dude, you better have one hell of an excuse to back out of one of Linda’s dinners.”

  “I met a girl.”

  “That’s good enough. You can tell me all about her tomorrow at the station.”

  “Thanks, Brady.”

  “You didn’t have to cancel your plans,” Paisley said as she sipped her coffee.

  “It was just dinner at my friend Brady’s house. His wife is a really good cook and she feels sorry for me, so she invites me to dinner every once in a while.”

  “Your brother, Finn, seems really nice. Do you have any other siblings?”

  I looked at her, debating whether or not to tell her about Leah. “I have a half-sister named Leah.”

  “Oh. Does she live around here?”

  “No. She lives in Texas with her mom. Sixteen years ago, my dad went on a fishing trip with a bunch of guys from the station. He and my mom had just separated and he met Lindsey at one of the local bars and got her pregnant. It was a one-night stand and neither one of them wanted anything more. Before she called him and told him she was pregnant, he and my mom worked things out and got back together. Lindsey’s a nice woman and she’s a good mom. All she asked for was child support for Leah because she’s deaf and she has a lot of medical bills.”

  “She’s deaf?” Paisley asked.

  “Yeah. I used to go and visit her every couple of months for a weekend. The last time I saw her was when she and Lindsey flew here for Amy’s funeral. I haven’t been there since Amy died, but we skype a lot.”

  “What about your dad?”

  “They communicate through email and sometimes Skype. It’s hard for him because he can’t understand her. When I found out she was deaf, I took a sign language class in school and I really enjoyed it. I hired a tutor who taught me more and paid for it with the money from my part-time job and grass-cutting money from over the summers. Finn isn’t really interested in getting to know her well, but she’s my sister and she should know her family.”

  “It sounds like you’re pretty close to her.”

  “I am. She’s a great kid. I just feel bad that I haven’t gone out to see her since the funeral. It’s just—”

  “You don’t need to say anymore. I know what it is and I get it.” She smiled as she reached over and placed her hand on mine.

  I smiled back at this incredible woman that sat across from me. As soon as we finished eating, we walked back to our vehicles
and said our goodbyes.

  “Here’s my address. Be at my house around four-thirty and I’ll drive us to my parents’ house. We usually eat at five sharp on Sundays.”

  I took the paper from her hand and looked at her address. Her house was only about fifteen minutes from mine.

  “Bye, Paisley Logan.” I smiled as I gave a small wave and climbed into my truck.

  “Bye, Ben Preston.” She smiled back with a wave.

  Chapter 16

  Paisley

  I didn’t know what I was feeling as I headed straight to the garage and lit up a cigarette. Surfing and breakfast with Ben today was amazing. Not only did it feel great hitting the water and the waves, it was nice to share the experience with someone other than Keaton. Don’t get me wrong; I love my brother and I love surfing with him, but it was nice to share my passion with someone else. Especially someone like Ben Preston. I know I smiled every time I thought about him. Guilt was a feeling that was somewhere in the back of my mind. I felt like I was betraying my husband. Even though he was no longer here, it still felt wrong. I took one last puff, put my cigarette out, and went inside the house. Romeo was sitting on the counter by the door, waiting for me. As I picked him up and held him close, he started to purr. Shit. I hoped Ben liked cats.

  “I have a question. Do you like cats?”

  “Lol. Yes, I do like cats. Why?”

  “Just making sure because when you come over, you’ll be greeted at the door by Romeo.”

  “Ah. I can’t wait to meet him.”

  “See you soon, Ben.”

  “See you, Paisley.”

  After I showered and washed the salt water out of my hair, I pulled on a pair of black leggings and a gray sweater. I had just finished putting a few curls in my hair when I heard the doorbell ring. Romeo meowed and jumped off the bathroom counter to go see who it was.

  “Hi.” I smiled as Ben stood on my porch in a pair of dark blue jeans and a black cotton button-down shirt.

  “Hi.”

  “Come on in.”

  When he stepped inside, Romeo was sitting off to the side, staring at him. Ben bent down in front of him and stuck his hand out so Romeo could sniff him.

  “You must be Romeo? I’m Ben. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Meow.”

  Ben laughed as he petted his head and then stood up and looked at me.

  “He talks back. Sometimes we can carry on the oddest conversations,” I said.

  “He’s a pretty cat. Leah has a Siamese cat named Hulu.”

  “What a great name. Let me just grab my purse and keys and we can go shut down my family.” I smiled.

  “I can drive. I don’t mind at all.”

  “Are you sure? They don’t live too far from here.”

  “I’m positive. Come on. We’ll take my truck.”

  ****

  When we pulled up in the driveway to my parents’ house, I warned Ben about my family.

  “They can be loud, obnoxious, and you never know what’s going to fly out of their mouths. So, I apologize for them in advance.”

  He chuckled. “I’m sure they’re great. Especially if they’re anything like you.” He blushed.

  Wow. I think I just wet my panties.

  I opened the front door and the first one to come slithering into the foyer was Keaton.

  “Hey—oh,” he said as he stopped in the middle of the foyer.

  “Hey, Keaton. You remember Ben from the beach?”

  “Hey, man. It’s nice to see you again,” he said in confusion as he shook Ben’s hand.

  “Good to see you too, Keaton.”

  “So, what’s going on, sis?” he whispered as we walked to the kitchen.

  “Wouldn’t you love to know.”

  As soon as Ben and I walked in, everyone turned around and stared at us. The kitchen became dead silent.

  “Hello, everyone,” I said with a wave. “I would like you all to meet Ben. Ben, this is my sister Charlotte and her husband Ryan. You’ve already met Piper and Liam. This is my mom, Jane, and my dad, Bill.”

  “It’s very nice to meet all of you. Paisley has told me so much about you.”

  “I bet she has,” Keaton said with a cough.

  He was standing right next to me, so I gave him a light kick. “Ouch.”

  “You’re the fireman I saw in the ER last week,” Charlotte said as she pointed at him.

  Ben smiled. “I thought you looked familiar.”

  “Ben, come and sit down.” My mom smiled as she took his hand and led him to the table.

  I caught my dad standing up against the counter with his arms folded, smiling at me. As I smiled back, Piper and Charlotte walked up and stood on each side of me.

  “Why didn’t you say you were bringing him?” Piper asked in a whisper.

  “It was a last-minute decision. We went surfing this morning.”

  “WHAT?! You went surfing?” Keaton asked in a loud voice.

  “Yeah, I did. I asked Ben to go because he had never been. Now shush up.”

  We heard the doorbell ring and Keaton walked out of the kitchen. A few moments later, he walked in and introduced us to Brielle.

  “Everyone, this is Brielle.”

  She looked like a kid with large, perky breasts that were hanging out of her low-cut shirt. She walked over to me and held out her hand.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Paisley. I love your column.” She smiled as she snapped her gum.

  “Thank you, and how old are you?” I asked as I cocked my head.

  “I just turned eighteen.”

  I sighed as I looked over at Keaton, and he shrugged his shoulders. My mom called everyone to sit down at the table because dinner was ready. As I sat in my chair, Ben sat down next to me and my brother and sisters stared at him.

  “What?” I asked.

  I already knew what they were thinking. “Nothing,” they said as they placed their napkins on their laps and looked down.

  After we ate and listened to Brielle’s stories about her dysfunctional family, I grabbed my cigarettes and took Ben outside to the patio. As I put the cigarette in my mouth and lit it, he made a comment.

  “You do know how bad that is for you, right?”

  “Yeah, I know. But these babies get me through the day.”

  It felt wrong to smoke in front of him, so I put it out.

  “You didn’t smoke it.”

  “Nah, I decided that I didn’t want to.”

  “I hope it wasn’t because of what I said.”

  “It wasn’t.” I smiled.

  The rest of the family came outside and sat around the table. Keaton sat on the other side of me and gave me hell about going surfing.

  “I can’t believe you went surfing without me.”

  “You go every day without me.”

  “That’s because you refuse to go.”

  “Drop it, little brother. Oh, and eighteen? Really?” I whispered.

  “I can’t help how old she is,” he said with a cocky smile.

  My mom sat down next to Ben and placed her hand on his. “I’m so sorry about your wife.”

  “Mom!” I exclaimed.

  “It’s okay, Paisley,” Ben said. “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  As my mom interrogated him about his job and life, Charlotte pulled me inside the house. “Ben’s hot. I sure hope you’re going to get some of him.” She winked.

  “Charlotte! I’m not sleeping with him. We’re friends. Nothing more.”

  “He’s a good guy, Paisley. I’ve seen him in the ER with people and he’s rare.”

  “What’s up with that friend of Keaton’s? Are they dating?” Piper asked as she walked up and joined in on the conversation.

  “I think so. Keaton said she’s really great and he really likes her.”

  “She’s eighteen. She just graduated from high school this year and she’s not in college. What’s so great?” Piper whispered.

  “He’s thinking with his dick like usual,” Charl
otte said just as Ben and my mom walked in.

  “Charlotte Ann!” she squealed.

  I was embarrassed that Ben heard that. “Sorry. She’s talking about Keaton.”

  “Who’s talking about me?” he said.

  “Charlotte said you’re only thinking with your dick about Brielle,” Piper answered.

  “Well, I’m not gonna lie.” He smiled.

  I wanted to die of pure embarrassment. I grabbed Ben’s hand and led him to the living room where my dad was sitting on the couch.

  “I warned you about my family.”

  He chuckled. “They’re great, Paisley. Don’t worry about it.”

  “They’re crazy.” My dad smiled at him.

  Ben sat and talked with my dad for quite a while. I got up and asked him if he wanted another beer. As I walked in the kitchen, the rest of the family grew silent. They were all huddled and leaning across the island.

  “Oh, please. Don’t stop talking about me just because I’m here,” I said as I opened the refrigerator.

  “We weren’t talking about you, sweetheart,” my mom said.

  “I brought Ben here tonight to shut you all down. Ben and I are friends. We aren’t dating and we aren’t having sex. He’s a FRIEND. A friend who happens to understand what I’m going through because he’s going through the same thing. So shut the gossip mill down and move on to something else. I have an idea. How about you all talk about Brielle?”

  “Hey,” Keaton said.

  I put the beer back in the refrigerator and asked Ben to take me home. I kissed my dad goodbye and climbed into the truck.

  “Did something happen?” Ben asked.

  “Just my family not knowing when to stop. They always feel the need to make my life the topic of their conversations. Especially when I’m not in the room.”

  When we pulled up into my driveway, I didn’t know if I should ask Ben to come in or not. I didn’t want to give him the wrong impression, but I wasn’t ready for our night to end either.

  “Would you like to come in for some coffee or a beer?”

  “I’m good, but I do have to use the bathroom if that’s okay.”

  I smiled. “Of course it is. Come on.”

  I unlocked the door and told Ben the bathroom was down the hall and to the left. I threw my keys and purse on the kitchen counter and opened up a can of Fancy Feast for Romeo.