Nelson and I were helping Jax make this huge goofy heart in the sand. The outline in the sand was surrounded by rocks and shells and sticks and junk. In the middle, he’d taken a stick and written, “Jax loves Rosalyn.” So totally gross.
And then my mom came down the steps to the beach, waving to us with a huge smile on her face.
“What’s this?” When she saw the heart, she smiled so big I thought her face was going to break. “Is this what you guys do when you’re supposed to be catching waves?”
Jax walked to Mom and held her hand. “We’ve got a little present for you. Come on over.”
“What’s this all about?” she said.
“Boys, we’re ready for the unveiling,” Jax said.
Nelson and I moved to the area above the heart where we’d hidden her present underneath a beach towel.
Mom said, “What’ve you guys been doing?”
Jax smiled that mushy smile at my mom, the smile he always had when he saw her and couldn’t take his eyes off her, as if he’d never even seen another girl. Ever.
Nelson said, “Get ready. One … two … three.” And the two of us slowly removed the towel.
My mom’s eyes were so wide I thought they were gonna bug right out of her head, and then I didn’t know if this was such a good idea because I didn’t like seeing my mom cry, and it looked like she might. Her hands flew up to her mouth.
“Oh my God, it’s the painting! The one we stole out of that house. Where did you get it?” She ran over to the painting and kneeled in the sand, her hand running over the canvas.
“I got it off your apartment wall. Where else? You like it?”
“Oh honey, I love it.”
“Now stand up because I have something to say.”
My mom stood up and brushed off her skirt. Jax got down on one knee, held both my mom’s hands, and looked up in her eyes. “Rosalyn, we’ve known each other a lot of years. You know how much I love you.” He had that lovey-dovey look in his eyes, and my mom’s lip quivered. “Rosalyn, love of my life … will you come surfing with us?”
She laughed then swatted him, and when he got up on his feet, she kissed him so long that I thought they were gonna get stuck that way.
When they pulled away from each other, she put her hands on her hips and said, “Well, I don’t know. I’m going to have to ask Eugene.”
I said, “Well, maybe. But take her in the baby waves to start, okay? That’s my mom.”
Six Months Later
Half Moon Bay, California
Jax
Standing on the beach at Mavericks, my eyes scanned the horizon for waves. Being a surfer, I couldn’t keep myself from checking out the surf. But it was a perfect day for the wedding, sunny, the air still.
Butch’s hands trembled as he attempted to affix the white rose boutonnière to my lapel. “Will you hold still? I’m going to stab you if you keep wiggling! Rosalyn, will you help us?” He held the rose at his side looking at the ocean, and then turned back to me. “And quit checking out the surf. Today’s a special day. Maybe you can surf tomorrow.”
Rosalyn took the boutonnière from Butch. “You are looking pretty handsome today, Mr. Priest.”
“There’s that smile I fell in love with,” I said, “But why are you crying?” I wiped a small tear from her cheek. “Come on, this is a happy day. Maybe I’ll make you cry later. Cry for more.”
Rosalyn gave me a playful shove. “Only if you get lucky.”
It seemed the entire surfing community had come to Half Moon Bay for the wedding. Seeing the surfers who usually wore wetsuits or faded jeans dressed up, or at the very least, clean shaven, was unusual. I smiled thinking of how many times I’d sat in the lineup with these guys in their smelly wetsuits, sunscreen caked on their faces.
We’d planned a beach wedding, and instead of the usual archway with flowers, Butch and I had spiked two big wave guns in the sand. The girls had scattered flower petals at the foot of the boards, and more flowers were lined up on the sand, creating a pathway for the bride to walk.
Eugene, in his rented tuxedo and bare feet, ran up to me, sand kicking up behind him. He tugged on my sleeve. “You have the rings?” His face that reminded me so much of Tyler’s was a mask of anxiety. I pulled the rings out of my pocket and placed them in his sweaty palm.
Nelson swaggered to my side and slapped me five. Instead of a flower girl, the bride and groom decided to use two ring bearers so both boys could participate in the fun. Eugene handed Nelson one ring. “Don’t lose it!”
Rosalyn’s best friend, Carissa sauntered to where we stood. Her flaming red hair contrasted with the lime green dress she wore. She had been visiting with us for the past week and Nelson had one heck of a silly schoolboy crush on her. Nelson got down on one knee and presented the ring to Carissa. “Carissa, will you marry me?”
She threw her head back in laughter. “Don’t tempt me.”
I turned to Butch who stood at my elbow. “Don’t look so nervous.”
“You kidding me? I’m calm as a cucumber.” He scratched his head. “Hey Jax, why did the cucumber go out with the prune?”
I sighed theatrically. “I really can’t wait to hear. Why?”
“Because he couldn’t find a date!”
“Are you sure Summer’s really in love with you?” I said. “Or is it just that she can’t afford a ticket to the Improv?”
Butch’s eyes narrowed. “Are you trying to steal my spot as king of bad jokes? Nice try.” He hooked his arm through mine. “Come on, buddy, it’s time.”
My throat felt tight as I took my place next to Rosalyn. Butch, Eugene, and Nelson lined up next to the big wave guns, and one of the surfers started the music. Over the din of the waves crashing on the shore, “You Are So Beautiful” blasted out of the speakers.
And then there she was.
Summer wore an ivory, form-fitting dress that was so short it was criminal. Delicate white flowers and tiny pearls were woven into her dark hair, which was artistically piled on top of her head. When he saw her, Butch’s face broke into a grin so big, his white teeth blinded the crowd. After a slow march up the flower-fashioned aisle in the sand, Summer stood next to Butch. They held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes. Everyone fell silent.
Summer and Butch had written their own vows. I had never seen my good-natured friend so serious. He held on to Summer’s hands for dear life and cleared his throat. He addressed the crowd. “I wanted to start out thanking all you guys for coming out here. I know the waves aren’t that great, but the view’s awful nice.” He gazed meaningfully at Summer. “When I met Summer, the first thing I thought was, I’m going to marry her.” Over the din of the waves, Butch spoke into a microphone and told the crowd about the day his life almost ended. “When I wiped out on that wave, I really didn’t think I was going to live. It was weird because, while I was on the life flight helicopter, I had some kind of bizarre near-death vision. My body floated up until I stood in front of the pearly gates of heaven.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “They were magnificent. The massive gates were intricately carved out of pure gold. I looked up and saw a sign that said, ‘The Gates of Heaven,’ and for a second I got excited.” Butch regarded the audience. “But then, below that, I noticed a small cardboard sign, which read, ‘Please use other entrance.’” The crowd murmured laughter. “I guess it wasn’t my time.” He gazed into Summer’s eyes. “When I woke up in the hospital, I saw this angel standing over my bed and thought Jesus, I really didn’t make it. Who’s going to take over my reign of corny joke telling?” Summer concealed a grin. “But now,” Butch said, “I really am in heaven.”
Rosalyn squeezed my hand. I squeezed back. “Weddings make me cry,” she whispered, smiling and wiping away a tear.
Then Summer spoke. “When I met Butch, the first thing I thought was boy are his jokes terrible.” Her smile was radiant. “Of all the patients I had that year, there was something about this one-legged surfer with the one-liners. I couldn’
t wait to see him every day. I guess you could say he got a few extra examinations that his insurance didn’t authorize. And he kept me laughing.” Summer smiled, a smile meant only for Butch. “You crazy man with the corny jokes, I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life playing doctor with you.”
Levi, one of the big wave surfers who officiated for the occasion, said, “Ring bearers, do you have the rings?” Eugene turned to Nelson with a frantic look, and Nelson produced a ring from his pocket, handing it to Butch. Butch gazed at Summer. “I promise to love and care for you, and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love. I will be honest with you, kind, patient, and forgiving. I promise to try to be on time. But most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you. I love you.” Several women sighed when they saw the shimmery diamond ring Butch slid on Summer’s delicate finger.
Eugene handed Summer the other ring. Summer could hardly speak through her tears of joy. “I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, your partner in parenthood, your ally in conflict, your greatest fan, your comrade in adventure, your student and your teacher, and your accomplice in mischief. This is my sacred vow to you. Just don’t ask me to paddle into a big wave.” She smiled. “Butch, I love you.” She slid the ring on to his finger.
After both rings were in place, Levi said, “By the power vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” Butch bent Summer in to a dramatic kiss. Eugene’s face turned crimson, but Nelson leaned in for a gander. Rosalyn clutched my hand so hard I thought it would break. At that moment, six white doves were released from cages and flew over the sky at Mavericks as the waves pounded the shore.
When they were done with their kiss, Butch yelled, “We did it!” and held Summer’s hand up in victory. Everyone clapped and cheered as the speakers belted out a rock and roll version of “Devil with a Blue Dress.”
I slapped Butch five then gave him a bear hug as Rosalyn embraced Summer. “Congratulations, man.”
“Yee haw!” Butch said. “We’re married.” His face flushed with excitement. “Hey buddy, see you over at the OPL. Our adoring photographers await.” He picked Summer up, spun her around, then kissed her again, and they ran hand in hand, the photographers going crazy on them.
I looked at Rosalyn. “Hey, we’ve got time before the party. You want to take a walk on the beach?” The waves were small, and the tide was out, the sand a never ending carpet that was soft under our feet.
“Sure, why not?” She glanced over her shoulder. “They’ll be a while with the zillions of pictures they’ve got to take.”
Eugene and Nelson ran to our sides, Carissa following at a leisurely pace. “Mom, can we go see what cool instruments the band’s setting up?” Eugene said.
She ruffled his hair. “Sure honey. The reception won’t start for at least another thirty minutes or so. We’ll meet you at OPL.”
Eugene tugged on my sleeve, his green eyes looking up at me. “We’ll see you over there. Hey, maybe the band’ll play some of Tyler’s songs.”
I smiled. “If they do, I’ll dance with both you and your mom.” He grinned wide, and just like every time I looked at Eugene, my heart brimmed over with love for my son.
Nelson held Carissa’s hand and twirled her around once. “Will you dance with me at the party?”
“Oh Nelson, if I was about thirty years younger …”
He grinned. “Doesn’t mean you can’t dance.”
We all laughed and the boys, full of teenage excitement, tore off through the crowd. Nelson yelled over his shoulder, “Come on Carissa. Last one’s a rotten egg.”
Carissa shrugged. “See you guys there.”
Rosalyn and I walked along the shore while holding hands, the majestic cliffs towering over us. The raw scent of the ocean filled my nostrils. A few seagulls swooped overhead. Finally, we found a level spot perfect for relaxing. “Let’s sit for a while,” I said. We sat down and dug our toes into the sand.
“It’s so beautiful here,” Rosalyn said. Her eyes misted over. “So many memories. First Eugene finding out you were his dad then that crazy day we all watched you surf.” She hugged herself. “Can’t say I enjoyed that much. I was so worried.”
My heartbeat sped up as I gazed out at the ocean. I held Rosalyn’s hand and peered into her wide brown eyes. “This place is special to me.” My throat constricted, and my palms grew sweaty. “That’s why I brought you here to ask you what I wanted to ask.”
Rosalyn sat up straight. “Oh no. Is everything okay? There’s not another big swell happening is there?” She gripped my hands. “Jax, promise me you’ll wear your floatation vest every single time—”
“Rosalyn, stop.” I smiled. “That’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
She sagged against me. “Wasn’t the wedding gorgeous? Summer looked so pretty.” She glanced at me nervously and when she spoke, her voice was a squeak. “What did you need to ask me?”
“It’s just that I want to know…”
Rosalyn stared at me, her eyes unblinking. “Is everything okay? Jax, you look nervous.”
I smiled. “I’m not very good at these things, seeing as I’ve never done it before. I …” My throat closed up so tight I thought I wouldn’t be able to talk. When I found my voice, I said, “Rosalyn, when I lost you all those years ago, I thought I’d never find the kind of love we shared.” I grasped her hand tightly. “Then we found each other again, and after I got over my tantrum, I realized that kind of love doesn’t come around often.” Rosalyn stared at me, her eyes wide. “Seeing you again after all those years, I couldn’t believe my luck. It was as though a lightning bolt struck, and I was in love with you all over again. Truth is, I never stopped loving you. I was right to think we were soul mates because I’ve never met anyone who came even close to that rush I feel every time I’m with you. Every time you walk into a room, it lights up.” I removed my hand from Rosalyn’s long enough to fumble around in my pocket for the ring. I slid it out of its hiding place, and with trembling hands, I held the ring in front of Rosalyn.
When she saw the perfect one-carat diamond in the tension-set, platinum band, her hand flew up to her mouth, her eyes opened wide. “Oh! Oh my God, Jax, I don’t know what to say.”
“How about yes? Rosalyn, will you marry me?”
“But I’ve been so wrong in the way I treated you. I don’t deserve—” And then Rosalyn began to cry, happy tears that streamed down her beautiful face. “I don’t know. Do you really want to be with me? For the rest of our lives? Is that what you really want? Are you sure?”
I looked at this woman who was my lover, the mother of my son, my partner in crime. She was just as radiant as the day we’d met in the ocean when I’d given her that first surf lesson. “I have never been so sure of anything. Rosalyn, I love you. Will you be my wife?”
She wiped the tears away from her face. “Jax Priest, I could never say no to you. Yes, I would love to be your wife.”
I slid the ring on to her finger, and we kissed. Her warm mouth was on mine, her soft tongue probing, my hands roaming her curves. We eased our bodies onto the sand, mine on top of hers, as our kiss grew deeper. Her body was vibrant, alive, filled with the passion born of years of pent up desire. Rosalyn had said yes! I leaned in to kiss her gorgeous mouth, my body on fire. I was the luckiest man alive.
The love we shared was more thrilling than a hundred foot wave.
I had found my soul mate again, and this time, I would never let her go.
THE END
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK …
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THANKS FROM JENNIFER
Thank you so much for reading Waves of Desire – Pleasure Point Series Book Three. I need to thank some of the folks who’ve made this book possible.
Big thanks to Pegleg Rik Bennett, the real “Peg-Leg” big wave surfer. When I started researching the Pleasure Point Series, I wanted to give Jax a best friend who had a unique attribute and lo and behold; I found this crazy Brit, who was born without an ankle, just like Butch Wolf. Rik has more legs than surfboards, more heart and soul and zest for life than the rest of us mere mortals. He also tells some pretty awful jokes. We’ve become great friends through the writing of this book.
Huge thanks to all the big wave surfers I met through this project. A big shout out to Grant “Twiggy” Baker, Greg Long and Rod Greenup. You endured my technical questions, and Twiggy saved Jax Priest from expiring on the first page of the manuscript. If it weren’t for Twiggy, Jax wouldn’t have survived the impossible four-wave hold-down I forced him to endure. Thank you to Shane Dorian, Rusty Long, Greg Long and Shawn Dollar. Your stories inspired my adaptations of the wipeouts that Jax and Butch survived. Thanks to John Long, Sam George and all the contributors to The Big Juice, Epic Tales Of Big Wave Surfing. These athletes are the true heroes of adventure sports. I am in awe of what you do. Please wear your flotation vests when you paddle out!
Jeff Clark, for your dedication to putting Mavericks on the map and his lovely wife, Cassandra Clark for technical details about an airlift out of Mavericks. Micah Pitts and Kevin Kroushinsky, my Dana Point neighbors who first inspired me to paddle out. If I got any of the surfing technicalities wrong, the errors are all mine.
Thank you to all who have contributed to the Near Death Experience Research Foundation. There were many nights that I stayed up until the wee hours reading your fascinating accounts. Anyone interested in exploring Near Death Experiences, check out nderf.org or Dying To Be Me by Anita Moorjani.
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