The Calling (5 page)

Mandy cringed. “That wouldn’t cover the freckle over my ass crack.”

Kirsten pursed her lips while she shimmied further into the room and shut the door behind her. “That’s the whole point. No one will notice your boob if they’re staring at your ass.”

Mandy shook her head, the room getting smaller and smaller. She backed up against the cool mirror. Why was Kirsten’s idea of personal space an inch? Well, an inch with women. With men, she had no concept of personal space, but most of them didn’t seem to mind.

Kirsten stepped closer and held the offending garment in Mandy’s face. “Come on. You’re so skinny, this is going to look awesome on you.”

“No!”

Kirsten scowled and flung her auburn hair over her shoulder. “Fine. Then I’m trying it on.”

Lori smirked. “You’ve got a closet dedicated to the strips of fabric you call swimsuits. I don’t think you need another one.”

Kirsten pointed at the white bikini top. “It has red targets over the nipples. That’s hot.” She turned, opened the door, and sauntered in her stilettos toward the nearest dressing room.

“What makes her dress like a two-cent hooker every day?” Lori asked.

Mandy was in no mood to delve into Kirsten’s past. “I’ll tell you later.”

“Just remind me why we’re friends with her, and I’ll be happy.”

Mandy didn’t have to think too hard to answer that question. Truthfully, she loved Kirsten like a sister because, when Mandy had been in her darkest hour after Ty had dumped her, Kirsten was the first one on her doorstep with a trashy movie and a bottle of red wine. While Lori was her shoulder to cry on, Kirsten’s naive optimism had been a ray of sunshine during her bleakest year. But she wasn’t in the mood to delve into her own past either, so she just smirked, and said, “No one throws a better keg party.”

“True. She does put together a great shindig.” Lori sighed and tilted her head toward the open door. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll find something that’s going to look great on you.”

“I’d rather cancel.”

Lori pointed a finger at Mandy. “You’re going on this date if I have to buy you a muumuu.”

Mandy crossed her arms over her chest, hiding the scar, as a customer walked through the dressing room area. “It’s not a date,” she whispered.

“Whatever.” Lori hurried out of the fitting room and strolled toward the racks of swimsuits. “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder.

Mandy shut the door and collapsed on the corner seat by the mirror. Did Justin know what a pain in the rump this outing was to her? She rolled her eyes. Of course he didn’t. He was a guy. All he had to do was throw on a pair of swimming trunks and show up. She, on the other hand, had to shave every inch of her body, find a swimsuit that didn’t reveal her mutilation, and put up with Kirsten shoving thongs in her face.

“Can I come in?” she heard Kirsten call.

She thought about locking the door and pretending she was naked, but Kirsten had the door open before she could act.

With a beaming smile, Kirsten held her hands high over her head and swayed her hips seductively. “What do you think?”

The red targets over her nipples reminded Mandy of two red eyes staring at her, heckling her for not having a rack as perfect as her friend’s. “It’s lovely,” she said, through a tight jaw. “Are you sure you’re not shopping in the toddler’s section? It seems to be missing some fabric.”

Kirsten stuck out her tongue. “Very funny. What about the back?” She whirled around, and suddenly Mandy was face-to-ass with Kirsten’s bare tan derriere.

Mandy closed her eyes and groaned. This outing had better be worth the trauma.

Chapter 3

Mandy pulled into the Mustang Island parking lot at exactly two o’clock. She turned off the engine, cracked her window to let in the salty breeze, and peered up at the wispy clouds feathered across the blue sky.
Perfect day for an outing
.

As her gaze traveled over the nearly empty parking lot, she inhaled deeply. The scent of the ocean made her thoughts spiral down a path she’d been trying to avoid for months. Images of Ty filled her mind, flashing across her consciousness like a movie.
Damn
. That was exactly why she’d avoided the beach. She clamped down on his memory, refusing to give Ty a second more of her life.

A light rapping on the top of her car made her flinch. She looked up to see Justin hovering over her driver side door. He smiled at her, the little creases around his eyes deepening. She grabbed her beach bag from the passenger seat, as Justin opened the car door and waited for her to step out.

“Good weather,” he said.

She nodded. “I haven’t been to the beach in a year.”

“Cancer and lazy days lounging in the sun probably don’t mix well.”

“Not so much.”

After he closed her door, she slung her bag over her shoulder and followed him to his SUV. He opened the hatch. Inside were two boogie boards, a surfboard, a tent, and a cooler the size of her compact car.

She cocked an eyebrow. “Are you planning on staying long?”

“All night.”

She pursed her lips. Since when had camping become part of the plan?

As if reading her mind, he said, “I don’t expect you to join me.” He threw her a twisted smile. “Unless you want to.”

Was he flirting with her or teasing? “I’m just here because I’m tired of being so pasty white.”

He grabbed the boogie boards and slammed the trunk shut. “You might change your mind.”

Definitely teasing
. She slugged his arm. “Don’t hold your breath.”

They headed down the trail through the fifteen-foot dunes. Tufts of sea oats poked out of the sandy mounds and swayed in the wind. The warm breeze ruffled her hair, and the rushing waves capped with frothy white tips filled her vision.

She glanced across the beach, wondering why more people weren’t milling about on the sand. Not that she minded, the fewer beachgoers who saw her in a swimsuit, the better. Though, thanks to Lori, she was wearing a cute tankini that even showed a little cleavage without revealing her scars. Tomorrow, she’d buy that girl flowers for her Herculean efforts.

He led her to a quiet, flat spot and laid out a beach towel big enough for four. “I figured we’d share.”

Mandy chuckled as she plopped her bag down on the blue terrycloth. Slipping off her sandals, she stared at Justin. Something about him seemed different. She’d noticed the change yesterday at the hospital, but hadn’t been able to put her finger on it until this moment. The three years she’d known him, he’d always looked sleep deprived, with bloodshot eyes ringed by dark circles. Now, his eyes were crystal clear and sparkling brown. “You seem well rested.”

Justin tilted his head. “You noticed?”

She nodded. “Sleeping pills?”

He sat down on the blanket and tucked his long legs beneath him. “Busy summer. I always rest better after a rescue.” He held out a bottle of sunscreen. “Do you mind?” As soon as she took it from him, he slipped off his shirt.

She’d seen him bare-chested more times than she could count, but she’d been so in love with Ty she’d never paid attention to his attributes. Turned out, he had plenty. His shoulder muscles curved in smooth ridges under his golden skin, and his chest tapered to a trim, flat stomach, cut with washboard abs. His swimming trunks hung low on his hips.

As she stared at his perfection, a tingly feeling traveled down her spine, then lodged in her stomach. Attraction? The prickling sensation turned into a brick that sat heavy in her gut. She hadn’t taken notice of a handsome man in so long, she’d forgotten how it made her feel.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. No tingles allowed.

She kneeled behind him, squirted a large dollop of sunscreen on her hand, and rubbed the lotion onto his smooth skin. Reminding herself that he was Justin, Ty’s best friend, she squashed her lustful thoughts. But the reminder didn’t stop her from noticing every hard muscle as her fingers glided across his back.

Trying to distract herself from the tingles that refused to go away, she allowed her palm to linger on the sea serpent tattoo wrapped around his bicep. In the black scales of the reptile, she spotted hidden profiles of sharks, corals, sea turtles, and even a barracuda. She’d never considered tattoos as artwork, but his was a masterpiece.

She traced the head of the snake, lingering on the slithering tongue. “Have I ever told you I love this?”

He turned his head and, suddenly, their faces were inches apart. “No. I would’ve remembered.”

She felt his dark eyes gazing straight into her, and her heart pounded uncontrollably. She rocked back on her knees to put some distance between them and picked up the pace, quickly covering every inch of his back with lotion. “There. Not even a gamma ray would burn you.”

“I’ve got a spray in my bag if you want me to douse you.”

“I already put on my sunscreen at home.” Thank goodness for her foresight. If he so much as touched her right now, she’d turn into a giggling puddle of female hormones. She cleared her throat. “You’re supposed to apply lotion thirty minutes before you go in the sun, you know. It’s more effective that way.”

“You’re the nurse,” he said.

She screwed the lid back on the sunscreen and handed it to him.
Time to get in the water
, she thought as she sat next to him. Reluctantly, she fidgeted with the hem of her white cover-up, twisting the cotton fabric between tense fingers.
The scars aren’t visible
, she reminded herself. She’d made sure by contorting her body like a Cirque du Soleil performer in front of the dressing room mirror. Even though she had no reason to be self-conscious, her nerves were firing up like bullets without a target, bouncing around in her stomach and wreaking havoc.

“Ready to get in?” he asked.

She nodded. Swallowing hard, she grabbed the bottom of her cover-up, lifted it over her head, and tucked it in her beach bag. As she adjusted the straps to make sure everything remained covered, she looked up to see Justin’s gaze resting on her chest. After a second of staring, his brow furrowed.

Mandy cringed, wanting to wrap her arms around her breasts. “Is there a problem?”

Justin’s widened eyes darted to her face, then to the crashing waves pounding the beach. “Wow. I’m being rude.” He blushed bright red. “I just… I didn’t…”

She knew exactly what he meant. After her surgery, she’d caught most of her friends staring at her missing breast, even though she wore a falsie. A woman without a boob, especially a young one, was a subject of fascination. Justin must have thought she’d still be deflated on one side. “You expected me to be lopsided?”

He nodded, his gaze locked on the surf.

“Reconstructive surgery.” Had he thought she’d be flat forever?

He blew out a noisy breath, grabbed both the boogie boards, and stood. The smile that spread across his face didn’t reach his eyes. “Still remember how to use these?”

Thankful for the change of subject, she jumped to her feet. “It’s been a while, but I think I can manage.” She took a board from Justin, surprised by its light weight given the size. Had it really been so long that she’d forgotten how a bodyboard felt in her arms? Good thing she was getting back in the saddle before she forgot how to swim altogether.

“The last time I surfed, I was with you,” she said.

“You were a fast learner.”

“I’ve probably forgotten everything you taught me.”

His smile came with the crinkles around his eyes that marked it as genuine. “Then, I’ll teach you again.”

Justin had been so patient with her back then, she had no doubt she’d be an expert by the time she left for home. After she fastened the Velcro bracelet to her wrist, she scanned the water. “I don’t think the waves are big enough.” They seemed no more than a foot or two, not exactly high enough for a riveting ride.

He winked. “They’ll get bigger.” With that, he dashed into the sea. Water sprayed around his legs and body as he plunged into the surf. Sure enough, the waves seemed to follow him, cresting higher and ebbing lower. Was a storm moving in, kicking up larger swells? She glanced at the sky. Fluffy white clouds floated lazily toward the east, and the blue surrounding them was endless. She shrugged, then hurried after him.

The sand and sea tickled her legs as she waded into the surf. The warm ocean tugged her deeper, inviting her to play. God, how she’d missed the sensations of the ocean. She dipped her hands into a cresting wave and, feeling the water swirling around her fingertips, vowed never to stay away again, even if she was on her deathbed.

With a smile stretching her lips taut, she waded deeper, the water splashing higher and higher on her body. When the waves reached her ribcage, she turned her back to the sea, pushed the board under her torso, and waited for a swell to pick her up and drive her forward. The roaring water behind her was a sure sign she was on her way. She braced for the ride.

The wave rushed below, collecting and pushing her toward the beach. Her heart pounded excitedly, anticipating the rush.