Dad shrugs, putting his hands up in self-defense. “That’s exactly how I felt when JJ decided he liked being the one to block or run the touchdown in more than being the one throwing it. Owen hyped up the glory of a tight end so much there was no way I could change his mind. Thank goodness I still have a chance with Hunter.”
Mom jabs an elbow into his side. “Not all of our sons need to become professional football players, Sebastian. I think you’re trying to give me a heart attack. Mirabelle gave us enough scares when she was on the uneven bars.”
She’s not wrong. The uneven bars were my favorite part of gymnastics because I felt like I was flying. Dad used to call me his little monkey because I hated being on the ground instead of up in the air somewhere.
The back door opens, and all three of my brothers spill in, with Kaitlyn right behind them, asking a chorus of questions fitting for three starving teenage boys.
JJ plops down on the other side of me, even though he’s probably dying to ask Henry to throw the football with him. JJ idolizes Henry. Everyone in my family thinks Henry walks on water, including me.
“You look nice,” Henry comments, and I shrug, trying to play it off.
“I always look good.”
Chris hears me, snorting. “Jesus, how much time do you spend with your uncle? Next thing we know, you’ll be talking to yourself in the mirror.”
Oops. They don’t need to know I already do that.
“Definitely too much time with Owen, but it’s okay. We love her anyway.” Mom smiles warmly at me as I return it. Dad grabs her hand, subtly threading their fingers together, not skipping a beat in his side conversation with Henry at all.
I want that.
I want a love like my parents have.
My gaze slides over to Henry as Hunter asks him a question about this upcoming season. Henry’s hazel eyes are bright as he laughs, and the butterflies in my stomach go crazy at the sound. Almost as if he can feel me staring at him, his attention flits to me for a brief moment, and he offers me a slight smile before redirecting back to my brother.
JJ bumps my leg with his, breaking my concentration on Henry. I turn away from him completely to ask Kaitlyn if she’s excited for her senior year of high school, hoping no one noticed that I was staring at Henry in the first place.
CHAPTER TWO
Mirabelle
THE WAVES LAP at my legs from where I’m sitting on my surfboard, watching the sky turn pink from the rising of the sun. Surfing first thing in the morning is one of my favorite things to do. It’s helped fill the hole in my heart that retiring from gymnastics left.
I successfully didn’t wake Bailey up this morning, stepping lightly around all the known creaks in the floor. I spent the entire night tossing and turning as Kaitlyn crashed with me, and Henry slept in one guest bedroom while Chris and Penelope stayed in the other. It was probably the worst night of sleep I’ve had all summer, knowing he was just down the hall.
Dinner went better than I expected, but that was probably because Bailey and I were sitting on opposite ends of the table. I was pretty proud of myself for that accomplishment.
I rest my hands on top of the cool water as my board bobs upward with a gentle wave. I don’t always get the best waves at this time, but even just sitting out here on the water helps me start the day on the right foot. Some days, I need all the help I can get.
“Mind if I join you?”
I jump half out of my skin, nearly falling off my board. Henry laughs behind me at my reaction, and I press a hand to my chest, trying to calm my heart rate from the jump scare. “You scared the shit out of me.” I exhale as my heart starts returning to its normal rhythm—or as normal as it can get around him.
“I can see that. Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he says, flashing me a stupid smile that doesn’t slow my heartbeat at all.
“Well, you did. What are you even doing up this early?” I ask as he paddles to bring his board next to mine. His leg bumps mine as he sits up, looking out at the horizon.
“My brain didn’t get the memo there’s no early morning workouts today, but I remembered you saying last night you were going to be out here, so I thought I’d join you,” he explains, as if this uninterrupted moment with him hasn’t been the best thing to happen to me all summer. “Why are you out here so early? I thought the perks of living on the beach meant you could do this anytime you want.”
I can’t hide my smile as more of the sun begins to peak over the horizon, highlighting the sky with a pastel orange. “It’s my favorite part of the day. Everything is . . . quieter. My world is very loud all the time, and I love it, but for a little bit each day, it can be quiet,” I say slowly, looking over at Henry. He’s watching me curiously, and my cheeks flush. He’s a professional athlete, of course he understands how it all works. “Sorry, you probably understand better than anyone how loud it all can be.”
“That makes sense. I’m sorry for disturbing your peace.” He drags a hand through his hair, slicking back the dark strands. “I get my quiet from running,” he adds.
“You’re not disturbing my peace, but you are lucky JJ didn’t wake up, or he’d be asking you to run with him. He’s the same way.”
Henry chuckles under his breath. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I could use a few days off before everything picks up.”
“Aren’t you excited for this season?” I ask, eyeing him curiously. For once, I’m not checking him out, and I think that’s an achievement considering his wetsuit clings to every crevice of his muscular body.Yay me!
