Swell (39 page)

Eventually my curiosity got the better of me.

‘What did you say to Cain in the water, Jason? What was happening out there?’

Jason pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans.

‘I said we don’t have to hate each other to compete against each other.’

‘And what was his reaction?’

‘He was so confused, Bailey and you know, for the first time ever, I felt sorry for the little punk.’ He laughed quietly. ‘I mean I’ve hated this guy and been wound up by him and beaten down and I suddenly thought, jeez, that’s exactly what a little brother’s meant to do.’

‘You were acting like siblings all along.’

He nodded and I glanced across to see his smile as white as the moon.

‘Weird huh? He’s done some bad stuff but then I admit he’s had it tough. At least I knew where I came from and didn’t feel unwanted. I had a family, even if we were dysfunctional. He realised he had been involved in sending his own brother to jail and I think it all became too much for him. He looked completely lost. So I said, come on, Bro’, let’s give these people what they came to see. Let’s surf our socks off and may the best guy win. Our dad’s watching. I think a draw was the fairest result.’

‘Wow, that’s big coming from a man who wins for a living.’

I too pushed my hands into the pockets of my dress.

‘I can share the glory just this once,’ he winked. ‘The crazy thing is, when Cain caught that last wave, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen him smile in the surf. He didn’t need aggression to surf like a world champion, he just needed passion.’ Jason paused to reflect. ‘I think we might see a different Cain Ohana from now on.’

We stopped beside a giant turtle that was fast asleep on the tide line.

‘Now that is something I won’t be seeing much of back home.’

Jason bent down and gently ran his hand over the turtle’s domed shell.

‘So what will you do now, Bailey?’

‘Me? I don’t know. Get this book on the shelves and start to think of the next one I guess.’

‘You know this is going to be a bestseller, don’t you?’

I pressed my lips together and nodded.

‘Yes,’ I heard myself say with a confidence that had previously eluded me in my career, ‘yes I do.’

‘So then before the world goes crazy for you, maybe we should take a holiday,’ Jason suggested shyly.

I crouched down beside him.

‘Have I not just been on a kind of permanent beach holiday for the past year?’

‘People might think so from the outside but it’s not all fun and games is it?’

I shrugged. My hair fell over my shoulder and tickled the bare skin of my arms.

‘No it’s not all fun and games but it’s wonderful. I will miss it.’ I now paused to reflect. ‘And how about you? What will you do?’

Jason sat back in the sand and rested on his arms. He tilted his head to look at the sky. His angular cheekbones sent shadows across his face.

‘I guess I will enjoy my retirement. Track down my son and try to be a father to him. After seeing what being fatherless has done to Cain, how can I not accept my responsibility?’

‘I think that’s a very admirable goal, Jason. I really hope it works out for you.’

‘Thanks’ - He cleared his throat - ‘and beyond that I want to settle down in a beach house somewhere, maybe Hawaii, with my perfect girl. I will surf for fun and maybe look for new challenges. Chase big waves, do some movies maybe.’

I rested back on my arms beside him.

‘Sounds dreamy.’

‘Yeah it does. I’m just hoping this dream turns out to be reality.’

‘It will, as long as you find the right girl.’

The stars twinkled above my head. The sky looked so expansive it seemed to be twice the size of the sky back home.

‘I’ve found the right girl,’ said Jason, ‘she’s my perfect ten. In fact, if I could score her a fifteen, I would.’

I turned my head towards him. His head was turned towards me. We stared at each other. His eyes shone brighter than any of the stars and took my breath away.

‘You told me when we got to the top of the hill we would look at the view and see where to go next. Well I’m looking and the only thing I can see is you.’

Jason rolled onto his side and gently reached out to touch my cheek.

‘I know I’m not perfect, Bailey but this year has been the most valuable of my life for so many reasons. I have learned so much and I’ve realised what I truly want. I want you.’

My breathing became more rapid when he brushed his hand through my hair and moved closer.

‘When we first met, you said we were polar opposites.’

‘Did I?’

I was surprised he remembered things I had said to him a year before. The thought he had dwelt on my words made me tingle.

‘You did and maybe we are but I agree with what Chuck said back then, that we are the perfect team. Look how much we’ve achieved since we met. Together, we could do anything we put our minds to. I’m sure of it.’

His face was so earnest, I was almost convinced.

‘But I promised myself I wouldn’t get involved with a professional surfer,’ I said.

‘I’m not a professional surfer,’ he smiled. ‘I’ve retired, remember?’

‘Don’t tell me you did that for me,’ I gasped.

‘Bailey, I would do anything for you. The thought of being without you is too much to bear and when I saw you had finished the book I panicked. If I had to trade my world title just to spend another year with you, I would. You mean everything to me.’ He took my hand and held it tight like he never wanted to let go. ‘I think deep down you feel the same way. Don’t go, Bailey. Don’t say this is the end.’

I opened my mouth to speak but no sound came out. My mind raced with all the reasons why we would not work and why I should not take the risk but my heart was
fighting my head all the way, desperately urging me to succumb to the magnetic attraction.

I looked into the eyes of the most beautiful man I had ever seen and finally allowed my heart to thaw. The tropical breeze blew over my skin as my body arched into Jason’s and our lips melted together. I felt gravity release me and I floated on air. The kiss was even more intense than our first and I was completely lost in the overwhelming emotion. Yet at the same time I was completely found. For the first time in my life I was exactly where I wanted to be.

When we came up for air, I tilted my head and looked into his stunning silver eyes.

‘I’m sorry, Jason, I have to write “The End” tonight,’ I said softly. ‘The book is finished.’

His face fell.

‘But you were right,’ I smiled, ‘there is another chapter. Chapter one of a whole new story.’

EPILOGUE

Three years had passed since the party with Jon in L.A. and now I was back in the city of angels to attend the glitzy première of the much-anticipated surf movie,
SWELL
. The red carpet had been altered for the occasion to a blue one inset with sparkling wave patterns. Flaming torches lit the way to the theatre that had been lavishly decorated with aquariums. Beautiful girls swam in the tanks dressed as shimmering mermaids. We all sat in the back of a luxury limousine sipping champagne and waiting for our cue.

‘I’m so glad you didn’t listen to me,’ Jon whispered while we waited anxiously to make our journey past the world’s Press. ‘Look at you. You’re gorgeous and radiant. You’re a successful writer and now you’ve got your very own book adapted into a Hollywood movie. Damn, why didn’t I grab you for myself when I had the chance?’

‘Because you’re gay,’ I suggested with a laugh.

‘A minor obstacle.’ Jon clinked his glass against mine. ‘To you, Bailey Brown. Thank you for keeping your promise of a glitzy invitation and thank you for not listening to a word I said about
Jason
.’ He mouthed the last word.

Jason grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

‘So what did you tell her about me, Jon?’

Jon blushed as red as the usual premiere carpet.

‘Nothing.’

‘Really?’ I raised an eyebrow. ‘As I remember it you said men like Jason are glamorous, dangerous, adrenalin-fuelled, mmm what else was there?’

Jason laughed and raised his glass.

‘If only I was that exciting. Well, thank you for bringing this woman to me, Jon, she changed my world.’

It was my turn to blush.

‘No I just came in and shook it up a bit.’

‘A bit? Bailey, you were like my own personal tsunami.’

The limousine pulled to a stop at the end of the carpet, music began to play and the audience that had gathered to meet America’s surfing sweetheart, Jason Cross screamed with excitement. The screams and cheers followed us wherever we went these days. I was thinking of investing in earplugs.

I touched Jason’s firm thigh that had powered him along millions of waves and most recently to his fourteenth world title. I had known retirement would not suit a man who simply loved competing so, after a year’s break during which he explored new waves and new opportunities, I encouraged him to return to the dream tour. Why retire when he was still the best? The title had been a close-fought battle against his brother, Cain, who had become an acquaintance if not a friend of Jason’s. Cain would be in the audience at the movie along with his fiancée, Portia. She could not, it seemed, resist the Cross genes and was much more suited to Cain than she ever had been to Jason. They fought like cat and dog most days and thrived on the excitement. Rumour had it that Portia, the queen of the tiger sharks, kept all the boys in line with her armoury of stilettos.

I leaned my head against Jason’s shoulder.

‘You go ahead, darling, they want to meet their hero.’

‘Come with me.’

I kissed him on his full lips that I would never tire of kissing.

‘I’ll follow at the end with Ruby. I just need a bit of time to settle myself.’

Jason, the love of my life who adored me as much as my father had and made me feel as if I could achieve anything I wanted, stepped out of the limo to the flashing of cameras. The noise that erupted from the gathered crowd was deafening.

‘Are you nervous, Auntie Bailey?’ asked my nephew Zac who had grown into a handsome, confident boy.

He was sitting across from me with Harrison who became more and more like Jason every day. Harrison preferred skating to surfing and I could already see he would grow up to be as determined and unstoppable as his father. Their relationship had developed steadily over the three years with Jason having to earn his young son’s trust. For a man who had won world title after world title, Jason found becoming a good father the most difficult and thrilling challenge of his life and he had grown as a person through the experience. I even enjoyed being the wicked stepmother (only without the wicked part).

‘When I’m nervous playing football, Auntie Bailey,’ Zac continued, ‘I just try to think what Ronaldo would do. He just grits his teeth, puts his head down and runs because he knows he has done all the preparation.’ He sniffed and looked at my stunning bejewelled heels. ‘Just maybe don’t do the running part.’

Joanna and I looked affectionately at Zac who bubbled with confidence due to the changes in his own life. My sister finally plucked up the courage to leave Gerry, despite feeling guilty about her only child joining the statistics of children from ‘broken homes’. Zac, however, had thrived, as had my sister. Zac was very likely to become the first professional footballer who also had a solid grasp of algebra.

‘Let’s go, dude,’ said Harrison, pulling Zac by the arm. ‘I wanna catch dad up and granddad Ricky is saving us a seat inside. He don’t like all the cameras and fuss and,’ he whispered loudly, ‘he sneaked off to meet one of the cute mermaids who asked for his number.’

I laughed. Ricky would never change, other than the fact that he now travelled to watch both his sons compete on the dream tour as often as he could leave the ranch. Ricky liked to think of himself as their coach and burst with pride every time one of them won. Which was often.

Joanna followed. She turned as she exited the car, her long hair falling loosely over her shoulders.

‘I’m so proud of you, Bailey. Dad would have loved this moment.’

I pressed my lips together in a smile and prayed my waterproof mascara would hold firm all night.

I would like to say my mother was sitting beside me thinking the very same as Joanna but of course she was not. She regularly asked me when I was going to get a ‘proper job’ and alcohol was still her best, in fact her only friend. My mother would very likely never change and I had accepted that. I visited her as often as I could but damn how I loved the feeling I had when I left her dismal home, breathed again and returned to Jason’s colourful world.

‘Come on, Jon, let’s leave these chicks to do their lipstick and all that chicky stuff,’ Chuck chirruped merrily.

He beamed at Ruby and I and bounced up and down trying to catch sight of himself in the reflective partition between the driver and us.

‘You look a picture,’ I said with a wink at Ruby.

‘For real? Cool beans, Bailey.’

‘A very colourful, slightly abstract picture,’ I laughed when the surfing world’s most successful manager bounced into the limelight in a bright turquoise suit with hair to match.

‘See you in there, B,’ he said over his shoulder. ‘Enjoy the moment. You deserve it.’

He blew me a kiss and lolloped away with Jon in tow who looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up in case people thought Technicolor Chuck was his date.

Ruby and I turned and looked at each other. She had blossomed into a stunning woman since becoming a mother to my godson, Rory Junior, who was an identical mini version of his father. Ruby was as petite and elfin as she ever was, but the strength she had displayed since Rory’s death was astounding. Jason and I visited Ruby and our godson as often as we could in their idyllic Hawaiian beach house. Ruby had tried to live in Australia but she said she felt close to Rory whenever she looked out of the window at the Pacific ocean. She could not bring herself to hate the waves that he had so adored.

‘It will be strange to see Zac Efron playing my Rory on the big screen,’ she said with a bemused smile.