“I think I need to wear your clothes more often,” she said.
“Definitely.”
“So, what do you want to do today?” she asked. “I need something to distract me or else I’m going to want to work on the diner all day.”
“How about we go surfing?” I suggested. “I know you’re going to be busy getting the place up and running for a little while.”
She nodded while taking a bite of her waffle. “That’s true.”
“And I find I do my best thinking in the water. Maybe you could find some inspiration.”
She sighed. “I could use it. I feel like I’ve wasted all my brain power over the last two months.”
“It hasn’t all been bad,” I said.
“I never said it was bad. Let’s just say it was an overdue vacation. And I’m ready to get back to the grind.”
We finished up breakfast and changed into our bathing suits. I had a hard time keeping my hands off Sienna, so we left the house a little later than expected. I loved the fact that I could touch her whenever I wanted. This was how a relationship should be. I still regretted wasting all those years with girls who only liked me for my money. It was a danger that people had warned me about, but I never thought others could be so callous to someone they were dating. I supposed that’s why there were so many single people out there. Selfish people who were only in a relationship to gain something. It didn’t make sense to me, but it didn’t have to anymore. Sienna made the most sense in the world to me.
Now that we were in the summer months, the beach was packed with tourists. But our little spot further down from all the food trucks and restaurants on the strip gave us a little more privacy. There were several groups of locals that had the same idea we did and stayed far away from the vacation-surfers that tended to spend more time in the water than on the board. It was a dangerous situation for the more seasoned surfers, so we liked to steer clear.
We wasted no time getting into the water. The days were hotter and the sand even more so. The temperature of the water eased my scorched feet.
“This feels so nice,” she said, standing next to her board in the water.
“It really does.”
She sighed deeply.
“What are you thinking about?” Normally Sienna couldn’t wait to get out there and into the waves. I’d noticed lately that she had many moments of silence to herself. I guessed after losing the diner she had a lot to think about. But now that she had her life back, I hoped she’d feel better about herself and her life with me.
“Everything,” she said, still focused on the water. “And nothing. It’s all so surreal.” Then she looked over at me.
With the wind in her hair and her sexy as hell body, she looked like a model on the cover of a men’s magazine. If we weren’t in a public place, I might have taken her right then and there.
“What you did for me was so over-the-top and amazing.”
“And?”
“And that’s all. These past few months have given me a little more perspective. I’m just reflecting.”
“Good, I was a little worried there.”
“Were you?”
I smirked. “No. You’ve been an independent and strong woman your whole life; I wasn’t expecting that to change just because we got together. I’m obviously always concerned for you, but I knew once you had the diner back, you’d feel whole again.”
She sighed. “I really do. You never really know how much something means to you until it’s gone.”
Our eyes locked for a moment. I saw a flash of regret in her eyes. I knew she wasn’t just talking about the diner.
I let the moment linger for a few seconds before I looked back at the ocean. “Are you ready?”
She lay down on her board. “You betcha.”
We paddled out through the waves to get far enough away from shore for our first run.
When we were sure we had the perfect wave, we went for it. Sienna hopped up on her board in a crouched position and rode the wave. I was a little behind her, and my insides warmed seeing the grin on her face.