Beyond the Waves (Pacific Shores Book 1) (8 page)

Taysia scanned the parking lot for Kylen’s squad car as she followed him outside. But Kylen stopped next to a metallic red 1969 Mustang convertible. The top was down. Brice and Marie were already in the backseat.

Her breath caught. Only her favorite vehicle of all time. Taysia took in the lines of the beautiful car, mouth gaping like a Venus flytrap.

Kylen grinned and chucked her chin.

She snapped her mouth shut.

“She’s a beaut, huh? I restored her myself.”

Taysia ran a hand carefully over the top of the passenger door. “It’s gorgeous!”

Brice cringed. “Oh boy, here we go.”

“Ahhh! Shhhh!” Kylen clapped one hand over Taysia’s mouth, and she turned startled eyes in his direction. “
IT’S
?? You called my baby girl an
it
!” He let go of her mouth, gently patted the side of the car, and cooed, “Don’t listen to her, baby, she doesn’t know anything.”

Taysia couldn’t help the smirk as she folded her arms. “Does
she
have a name?”

Kylen dropped the act with a smile as he took her bag and opened the passenger door for her. “Nah. I sure had fun fixing this baby up, though. Great therapy.” He moved around to the back and dropped her bag into the trunk, then climbed behind the wheel.

“Therapy? You needed therapy?”

“Mmmm-hmm.” He backed smoothly from their space and eased to a stop at the church entrance, glancing both ways before he pulled out onto the road. “Trying to forget this gorgeous blonde I knew back in high school.” He said it with an air of nonchalance but cast her a sly glance and a wink.

“Sophia?” she asked innocently.

He snorted. “Not a chance.” His face suddenly turned very serious, and he reached over to clasp her hand. “Not a chance.”

Taysia’s heart lurched as the warmth of his hand settled around hers. She knew she should pull away. What reason did she have to trust him?

Marie leaned forward from the backseat and peered down at their hands. “Ooohh. Nice.” She cocked her head and looked up at Kylen. “Now that you are dating my boss, is there any chance you could do something about that ticket you gave me last week?”

Taysia gasped and scrambled to push Kylen’s hand away. “Marie, we are not dating!”

Kylen barked a laugh and shook his head at Marie. “No.”

Taysia folded her arms, tucking her hands out of sight. The nerve of the girl. Maybe a dock in pay was in order!

Marie sighed and sat back. “I had to give it a try,” she yelled over top of the wind.

Still amused over Marie’s temerity, Kylen turned into his driveway a few minutes later. Taysia sat stiffly by his side. He glanced at her as he turned off the key, wondering what troubled her. He caught Brice’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Brice, grab the little grill off Mom and Dad’s deck out back, would you? I’m just going to grab the cooler.” He looked back and forth between the girls.

Taysia, arms still folded, refused to meet his glance.

Marie, on the other hand, batted her eyelashes and stuck out her lower lip in a pleading pose, still begging for him to do something about her ticket.

He almost burst out laughing but shook his head at her instead. “I have stuff for kabobs. Does that sound good? Or should I grab hamburger too?”

Taysia glanced up. “Kabobs are fine. Sounds good.”

Marie sighed, apparently having gotten the message that he wasn’t going to give in to her cajoling. It was a lesson that could save her life one day. He hoped she would learn from it.

“Kabobs are fine.”

“Great, I’ll be right back.”

It was only a moment before they were on their way again, heading the couple blocks to the beach. Taking in the familiar route, he tapped the steering wheel. He and Taysia had walked this path often that first summer. Until his pride and selfishness ruined their friendship.

He sighed and pulled into a parking spot.

Brice and Marie scrambled out of the back, and Kylen popped the trunk. Taysia sat quietly, taking in the pulsing surf as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She had fallen into a melancholy mood. He shouldn’t have tried to hold her hand.

Brice and Marie grabbed the lunch supplies from the trunk and headed toward the beach.

Kylen tucked his hands under his legs lest he make things worse. He looked out over the ocean. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

She glanced at him. “You didn’t do anything to make me uncomfortable. It’s just me. I’m so…” She shrugged. “Up in the air right now. With my worries about Daddy and…when Marie said that, I just…”

He swallowed and dug his fingers into the leather of his seat, wishing he could reach for her hand without complicating matters. “Does that mean you are at least thinking about what I said at the gym the other day?” His heart thundered in his ears as he waited.

There was a short pause, and then she chuckled. “No. Not at all.”

He looked at her sharply.

She rolled her eyes and then scuttled out of the car, calling, “What do you think has made me so confused lately?”

A slow smile spread across his face as he followed her out of the car.
Thank You, God!

The kabobs were some of the best he’d ever tasted. Maybe because his heart was so light. He savored the last piece of meat on his stick as he watched Marie and Brice across the grill. They sat on a large driftwood log and only had eyes for each other. He glanced at Taysia. She was watching the young couple too, a worried look in her eye. As there should be. He sighed. Brice reminded him a lot of himself a few years earlier. He would have to have a talk with him.

Just then Brice looked up. “Want to play some volleyball? There’s always a net set up just down there.” He pointed down the beach. “And I brought a ball. It’s in Kylen’s trunk.”

Taysia’s face brightened, and she looked up at him.

Tossing his kabob stick into the garbage, he stood. “Sure. Sounds like fun.”

Brice and Marie formed one team; Kylen and Taysia the other.

Marie set the ball up nicely for Brice, and he sailed into the air and spiked it into the sand just behind Taysia. Marie and Brice high-fived.

Brice pumped his fist. “Oh yeah, baby. We’re gonna beat the ol’ fogeys.”

“That’s right!” Marie agreed.

Kylen shook his head in amusement, and beside him Taysia laughed.

A moment later the ball landed out of bounds, and the serve turned over to him and Taysia.

Marie grinned, widened her stance, and bent her knees, ready for the serve. “Don’t worry, Brice. They probably serve like pansies.”

“Oh, it’s on now!” Taysia rested the ball against one hip and pointed a finger at Marie. “You better watch it, girl. I know your boss.”

Marie laughed sassily and waved a hand. “She’s a pushover. In fact, I’m due for a raise any day now, so you should say something about that to her.”

While Marie talked, Taysia served the ball right past her head. The ball landed with a satisfying thud in the sand.

Kylen laughed at the look of astonishment on Marie’s face.

“Hey!” Her hands settled on her hips. “That’s cheating!”

Taysia grinned. “You should have been playing instead of flapping your jaw, girl.”

Marie made a face and tossed the ball back.

Taysia served again and Brice returned it. The ball sailed up high and Kylen ran for it. “Got it!” Taysia called. He tried to stop and back off, but she was watching the ball and crashed into him. Their legs got tangled.

Taysia squeaked, and he grabbed her to him in an attempt to maintain their balance. He failed. They both went down into the sand.

The ball landed in bounds, and Marie and Brice set to celebrating. But suddenly everything around Kylen seemed very far away. Everything except for Taysia. She lay on her back, only inches from his face, her hair fanned out across the sand, her eyes sparkling with amusement. She chuckled and punched him in the arm. “I called it, you goofball!”

Kylen leaned onto one elbow, in no hurry to get up. He stared at a shimmering strand of her hair, remembering a similar day years ago. They had walked to the beach, teasing and jostling. He had chased her. She had fallen, and he had teased that he was going to put sand in her hair. Kylen blinked and refocused on the present.

He took in her face. Smooth eyebrows. Large gray eyes, outlined with dark lashes, turning suddenly serious at his scrutiny. Flushed cheeks. Full, parted lips. He leaned forward. Her breathing stilled and she tensed, clearing her throat softly.
Don’t go there, Sumner
. He transitioned his forward momentum into reaching for a handful of sand, forcing his mind on to other avenues. Letting the grains trickle through his fingers, he gave her a wicked grin. Her eyes widened. He could see that same memory flooding her face.

Taysia swallowed thickly. That day on the beach so long ago had been wonderful, full of fun. It had been just before school started. Just before Kylen realized she wasn’t popular and that friendship with her would mean hard times for him at Marinville High. Just before she realized how painful love could be.

All Taysia could think was to get away from him. Once again, she was having fun with him. And too much desire coursed through her veins right now. “I really ought to go clean up the lunch things.” She struggled to sit up, but one of his legs was pinning her to the ground.

The moment stretched as his face turned serious again, and he watched the grains of sand in his hand cascade back to the beach. Why did he have to be so easy on the eyes? He returned his gaze to her face, and she licked her lips. “Please, Ky. Let’s just clean up the lunch stuff.” She didn’t think she would have the strength to resist if he was tempted to kiss her again.

Kylen hopped up and reached a hand down. “I’ll come help you.” As he dusted sand from himself, he called over to Brice and Marie, “We’re going to go clean up the lunch things. We’ll be ready to go in a bit.”

Taysia hurried toward the picnic site, adrenaline making her legs tremble. She wouldn’t kid herself. There was no way she was attractive enough to keep the handsome Kylen Sumner’s attention for any length of time. Sure, he was home and claiming interest in her, but beautiful girls like Sophia Clinesmith were really more his type. And it was best she remember that. She’d forgotten it one too many times already.

Quickly she scooped all the leftovers into the cooler and headed for the car. Kylen followed carrying the small grill and popped the trunk for her. She stuffed the cooler inside. As she pulled back, her hand got caught in one strap of her bag and her Bible fell out, spilling bulletins and notes everywhere.

“Oh, bother!” She began to gather the papers together, placing today’s bulletin on the top. Her hands stilled as notes from Pastor’s sermon arrested her attention. Pastor had quoted Samuel Taylor Coleridge. “And the devil did grin, for his darling sin is pride that apes humility.” This morning’s sermon had been all about pride, and she had brushed it aside because she knew she didn’t have a problem with thinking more highly of herself than she ought; in fact, she was quite the opposite. But was her “humility” actually pride in disguise? Was it actually pride refusing to allow Kylen back into her heart? Fear of humiliation if he decided, once again, that he’d be better off with someone else? Wanting to protect herself?

Kylen stood behind her waiting so he could put the grill into the trunk. “Layne, you okay?” he asked.

She quickly shuffled the papers together. “I’m fine.” She brushed past him as verses from Philippians 3 marched through her head.
But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus
.

She clenched her fists and sank down onto a driftwood log. She didn’t want to forget what he had done to her. She didn’t ever want herself to be vulnerable to him again. She had forgiven him and was pressing on; wasn’t that enough? She was serving God, doing her best to love and help others.
Isn’t that enough, God? I just don’t want to be hurt again
.

Kylen eased down on the log beside her. She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and cupping her chin in one hand. The waves pulsed a soothing rhythm, and she let her eyes fall closed.
Lord, I don’t know if I’m being prideful or not. I do have a hard time believing Kylen could really be attracted to me. And I know I don’t want to get hurt again. And I’m so attracted to him that it makes it really hard. What if we start dating and he dumps me again?
She sighed
. Just help me to find Your way through all of this. And if there is sin in my heart, show me, Lord. And help me to be willing to let go of it
.

Kylen reached over with one hand and began to massage the muscles along her back and at the base of her neck. He cleared his throat. “Layne, I need to ask you something.” He paused, and she reached for a shell in the sand between her feet. “Do you think there is any chance at all that you will ever care for me again? Trust me?”

She tensed and looked out across the ocean to the horizon, her pulse skittering like a colt in the cool morning.
Yes, that’s what I’m afraid of
. She swallowed and looked back down at the sand. “Kylen, I just don’t know if I can go there again.”