Keeping Mr. Right Now: A Kisses in the Sand Novel (Entangled Bliss) (22 page)

“Dude, you look like your brain’s about to explode,” Bryce said, coming in from the water with a surfboard tucked under his arm and sitting down. Most everyone had left for the day, the sun hanging by a few late afternoon threads.

“Just concentrating on the surf,” Zane lied. “Nice ride for an amateur.”

“You left it wide open for me.”

“I’m nice like that.”

“Yeah, not usually. What gives? You handed over the win today, dude. You’ve got me worried you’re thinking about going SHE full time.”

The announcement from SHE had gone live a week ago, and the congratulations and kudos continued to pour in. He had his new position on his mind, yes. To be chosen for this role was his greatest accomplishment, and for the first time, he felt worthy of his fans. But give up the tour? No way. After his dismal performance today, knocking him out of the competition and leaving it wide open for someone else, he was pissed off just enough to want the next one even more.

“And let one of the other guys have all the glory? I don’t think so.”

“That’s a relief. I know you’ve got more championships left in you.”

“Definitely.” He hoped.

They sat in silence for a while watching the waves roll in. The peacefulness didn’t help clear the thoughts plaguing Zane.

“So.” Bryce broke into the quiet. “If it’s not SHE that’s got you preoccupied, what is it?”

Zane shrugged.

“We haven’t talked about it, but I’ve noticed you keeping your distance from even the nice girls since the film festival. Is it because of Sophie?”

Plenty of opportunity had presented itself, but the only woman he wanted in his bed lived in the Treasure State. Zane wove his fingers through the sand. “If I said leave it alone, would you?”

“Nope. You’ve got to get whatever’s bugging you off your chest. And it just so happens I’m a good listener.”

“That minor in psychology is going to make the hair on your chest fall out.”

“Whatever, dude. Talk.”

“I said some terrible things to her and about her. Things I wish I could take back. Things that weren’t true, but at the time I had my reasons.”

“The ‘her’ is Sophie?”

“Yeah. And shame’s pretty much been my constant companion ever since.”

“She called you on it?” Bryce asked, his tone supportive, nonjudgmental.

“She did. And put me in my place. But I hurt her. I thought being in the water and getting back to the tour would help get me over it, but it hasn’t,” he admitted, his gaze on the inky water as sunlight faded.

“You met a girl.”

“Not just any girl.”

He and Bryce exchanged glances. Growing up, he, Bryce, and Danny had used that phrase whenever they’d fallen for a girl and wanted to spend time with her instead of with the other two surf amigos.

Zane let out the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “I met
the
girl.”

“So what are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing.”

Bryce turned to him. “No wonder you’re surfing like shit. Dude, you need to get your mind back in the game, and in order to do that, you’ve got to own up to your feelings. Otherwise they’ll keep dragging you down. Apologize, send her flowers, hell, send her a plane ticket to meet you in Portugal for the next event. Write her poetry. Do
something
.” He shook his head. “Jesus, I do sound like I forgot I have a penis.”

“I appreciate it,” Zane said, giving Bryce’s shoulder a quick squeeze.

“Good. Now pick up your damn phone, call her, and start the ball rolling.”

“It’s not that easy.”

“No?” Bryce grabbed his phone. “Watch.”

Zane snatched it back. “She deserves someone better than me.”

“Better than Zane Hollander? Or more accessible? Because, bro, there is no one better than you. Every guy on this tour admires you. And not just because of your skill in the water. They want to be you outside the waves, too. No one interacts better with his fans than you do. No one else is more likable.

“If it’s your schedule that’s keeping you from getting what you really want, then that’s just ridiculous.”

Zane flinched. He’d thought the smart thing to do was leave Sophie to meet someone else. “I don’t want to take her away from the things she loves to be with me.”

“How about letting her decide? This isn’t all about you. It’s about her, too, you know.”

“It’s always been about her.”

“Okay, so make it about you for a minute. If given the chance to make things right, would you want a second chance?”

Zane wondered if he’d let his fear of hearing Sophie say she couldn’t be with him rule his actions. He’d always gone after what he wanted. Always. Whether he deserved it or not. But then he’d always been fairly sure of the outcome. He had a strong feeling Sophie cared a lot about him. He’d seen that flash of love in her eyes, hadn’t he? But did she love him enough to forgive him?

If he didn’t tell her he loved her, he’d regret it the rest of his life. Sophie was a smart woman. She could make up her own mind. He didn’t need to make it for her.

“Thanks, man,” Zane said.

“I’ll send you my bill.”

“You do that.” And in the meantime, Zane had a trip to Montana to plan. What he wanted to say to Sophie had to be said in person.

…

Zane got out of the taxi, surfboard in hand. His feet hit the sidewalk and stuck there as he stared at the fine two-story house. Shrubbery and flowers decorated the front. A forest in every shade of green imaginable filled the space to the sides and behind. He breathed in the woodsy, fresh air, so different from the scent of the ocean.

Cars filled the long driveway. The muffled sound of voices, loud, happy, numerous, reached his ears. He’d crashed parties before, but not quite like this.

The knot in his stomach tightened. Fourteen-foot waves didn’t make him this nervous.

He’d given Sophie no warning of his arrival, deciding the next time he heard her voice he’d be standing in front of her.

His flight had felt like forever. He’d arrived in Montana this morning and, thanks to a little help from Honor, had gone straight to Sophie’s apartment only to find she wasn’t there.

Lucky for him, her neighbor heard his knocking and came out into the hall. The older woman told him Sophie had left to go to a party at her parents’ house. When Zane asked if she might have the address, she’d eyed the surfboard like it had fangs and no way in hell would she give him any info.

So he’d laid on the charm. A minute later, she was getting her address book to find the Birches’ address. She’d taught Sophie’s mom algebra back in high school and her daughter was close friends with Mrs. Birch, so that’s why she knew where they lived, she’d explained.

And now here he stood, ready to declare his love for Sophie in front of her entire family if necessary.

He walked up to the front door and rang the bell. A young girl, maybe ten or eleven, greeted him. “Hello?”

“Hi. Is Sophie here?” He felt like a kid himself all of a sudden, ringing the next-door neighbor’s bell to play with the girl he had a crush on.

“Who wants to know?” She put her hand on her hip.

Zane smiled. “Zane Hollander. I’m a friend of hers.”

“Why do you have a surfboard?”

“It’s for Sophie.”

“She doesn’t surf.”

“I think she does.”

“Becky, what are you— Oh, hello. Can I help you?” An older version of Becky came around the doorframe. The older version liked what she saw a lot more than younger Becky had, her eyes taking him in top to bottom before settling back on his face.

“I’m here to see Sophie. Is it okay if I come in?”

“Sophie Birch?” the woman asked in surprise.

“That’s the one.”

The woman frowned. “Really?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything. And I’m pretty anxious to see her, so if I could come in, that would be great.”

“Okay. Sure.” She opened the door wider, and Zane stepped through. “I think she’s in the back. Follow me.”

“Whose party is it?” Zane asked, smiling and nodding at the people he passed.

“It’s my aunt and uncle’s twenty-fifth wedding anniversary,” the woman tossed over her shoulder. “They’re leaving later today for a trip to Niagara Falls, so we’re celebrating with brunch this morning.”

Wow.
He liked his timing.

They entered the backyard, where colored balloons were tied to chairs and kids were running around.

Zane stopped and scanned the area. Someone bumped into him from behind and he turned to find that everyone who had been in the house had followed him out.

“Sophie,” Older Becky called out. “There’s someone here to see you.”

In the middle of a group of women standing on the grass, he found her. His heart tripped over itself, got up, and tripped again. She twisted around and their eyes met.

Her tan had vanished and she wore her glasses. She had on a powder-blue V-neck sweater, jeans, and flip-flops. Wavy red hair, a little shorter than the last time he’d seen her, fell around her shoulders. God, she was beautiful.

“Zane?” she said, shocked. But it didn’t overtake the sweet, soft sound of her voice, and for that he was grateful.

He strode right toward her, his gaze never leaving the turquoise-green depths he’d missed like crazy. “Hi.”

She blinked up at him like she wasn’t sure she could trust her vision. “Hi?”

“Think I could have a word with you?”

“Sophie, who is this young man?” a woman said, sidling up to Sophie and linking arms.

“This…this is Zane.” She kept staring at him like she couldn’t believe it.

“Zane Hollander.” He put out his hand. “I’m guessing you must be Sophie’s mom. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Sarah Birch.” She shook his hand, but her eyes were wary. “What do you want with Sophie?”

That was a loaded question. One he didn’t think Sophie would appreciate him answering honestly in front of a crowd. A crowd that had grown and circled them and no doubt wouldn’t let him escape with Sophie without some kind of explanation.

An older man at Sarah’s left cleared his throat. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Mr. Birch?” Zane asked, a splinter of worry digging under his skin. Her father’s approval meant a lot to him, but not more than Sophie’s forgiveness.

“I’m Sophie’s father, yes.”

“I came here to apologize to your daughter.” God, he wanted to touch Sophie so badly, but he held back. His grip on the surfboard tightened.

“With a surfboard?” Sarah asked.

“The board is a gift. I’m hoping she’ll get lots of use out of it.”

Sophie’s jaw fell open.

He couldn’t stop himself this time. He cupped her chin. “I’m hoping she’ll give me a chance to explain myself and believe me when I tell her I love her.”

Gasps and sighs sounded.

His heart pounded.

“Would you mind holding this?” he said, when Sophie still just stared at him. He handed the board to her mom, strategically blocking the view of her dad, then took Sophie’s face in his hands and kissed her.

Giggles erupted. A few “Oh my’s.” None of it fazed him. He deepened the kiss. That’s when she pressed a hand to his chest and…melted against him.

Her kiss pumped life back into him. Nothing was better than the feel of her lips and her body, the scent of cinnamon sugar and woman. He wanted to kiss her until the moon brightened the sky, but they had an audience.

She pulled back first, but the sparkle in her eyes promised they weren’t through. “Come with me.” Her hand took his and she tugged him through the gathering.

“That was so romantic,” a woman said as they passed.

“It was,” Sophie said on a whisper-sigh. She peeked at him under long eyelashes. “And,” she voiced louder, “we’d like some privacy, so nobody better follow us.”

She led him inside the house and up the stairs to a small room at the end of the hall. As soon as she shut the door, she leaned against it and let out a breath.

“Is this your bedroom?” His lips curved up. The walls were slate blue, the bed coverings were white with a navy trim, a dark wood desk with a corkboard and shelf held small trophies and containers lined up in a neat row with pencils and pens. A striped rug in blue, brown, and white covered the hardwood floor. Total brainiac room. He loved it.

“It
was
my bedroom.”

“Ever bring any boys up here?”

That beautiful pink hue that drove him crazy bloomed in her cheeks. “You know I didn’t.”

“So I’m the first.” He stepped toward her, ready to pin her against the door and kiss her senseless.

She held up her hand and, without her saying a word, he knew that was his cue, his chance to make things right.

He swallowed the sudden bundle of nerves in the back of his throat. “I’m sorry, Sophie. Sorry for saying the terrible things I said. I panicked. I was on the phone with Julia and she was telling me she’d gotten married. That her fiancé didn’t want to wait and surprised her with an intimate ceremony. It hurt that I wasn’t included and then she pressed me about you, and the void I’ve carried with me for as long as I can remember rose back to the surface and I didn’t want to think that you had filled the spaces.

“Because if I let you in, inevitably I’d let you down, and I hated to think about disappointing you. So I lied. I lied to my sister to get her off my back. To push away feelings I didn’t know how to handle.

“And I lied to you because I thought you’d be better off without me. I pushed you away thinking I wasn’t good enough.”

A tear slid out of the corner of her eye. “You let me believe the things you said.”

“Yes. At the time I thought it was for the best, but God, Sophie, none of it was true. I came here to tell you that I love you.” He reached out and took her hands in his. “That not a second has passed since we said good-bye that I haven’t missed you. You’re in my head. You’re in my heart. And I’m ready. I’m ready for the change you’ve made in me. I’m ready to love you with everything I have. I can’t promise I won’t make mistakes along the way, but I can promise to strive to be the kind of man you deserve.”