Chapter 8
Cameron and Nikki swam until around 4:00, and then they went for a walk down the beach.
"So," said Nikki as Cameron linked his fingers through hers, "what movie are we gonna rent tonight?"
"I was thinking maybe Mystic River," said Cameron. "It's supposed to be pretty good."
"Fine with me," said Nikki. "We should probably go get it now, because I have to be home kinda early."
Bradin left the surf shop to take a walk while organizing his thoughts. He walked along the beach
'It's easy for Jay to tell me to forget about her,' thought Bradin, 'but I don't think that I will ever be able to forget about her.'
Bradin stewed over his thoughts about Sarah as he kept walking.
"Do you know where I can find a surf shop?" asked a female voice.
Bradin looked up and into the eyes of the girl who had spoken to him. She was about 5'5 with long, curly golden hair, and blue eyes.
"Um, yeah," said Bradin. "Jay's is the best in Playa Linda."
'She is beautiful,' thought Bradin as he looked at her. All thoughts of Sarah slipped from his mind as he stood here talking to this girl.
"Jay's is down the beach about two miles," said Bradin. "I'm Bradin, by the way."
"I'm Ella," said the girl. "I just moved here."
"Cool, from where?" asked Bradin as he flashed a smile at her.
"Vermont," said Ella.
"Wow," said Bradin, "you must be in culture shock. I moved here from Kansas a while back in the summer."
"It's different," said Ella with a slight smile, "but I'm beginning to get used to it."
"So," said Bradin, "mind if I walk with you to the surf shop?"
"That would be great," said Ella as they turned to walk towards Jay's.
"My Aunt's roommate owns this shop," said Bradin, "and I work there."
"Oh cool," said Ella, "does your whole family live here?"
"No," said Bradin as he looked down at his feet (as they walked), "my parents were killed in an accident. I live here with my Aunt, my sister Nikki, my brother Derrick, and my Aunt's three roommates."
"I'm here with my brother Chris, his wife Breanna, and their little girl Kate," said Ella. "My parents are taking tour of Europe for their Anniversary."
"Oh cool," said Bradin, "so are you just staying with your brother?"
"No," said Ella, "Breanna is an interior decorator, so she is decorating our new house while they're gone and in the mean time they're here to take care of me."
They got to the surf shop and Bradin opened the door for Ella.
"What are you lookin' for?" asked Bradin as he and Ella walked into the shop.
"A board," said Ella, "and I guess one of those wet suit things."
"That is generally what people are looking for when they come in here," said Jay as he and Erika walked up to the pair.
"Ella, this is Jay and Erika," said Bradin.
"Nice to meet you," said Ella.
"Same here," said Jay.
"Well lets go find a suit for you while Bradin and Jay get you a board," said Erika as she steered Ella toward that section of the shop.
Before long Ella was decked out in a blue wet suit and a matching board.
"Do you guys give lessons?" asked Ella after she had paid for her stuff.
"We're full," said Jay, "at least Erika and I are, but I think that Bradin has a few slots open."
"Sure," said Bradin, "how about tomorrow at 10? We could meet here and then go to the beach."
"I'll be here," said Ella.
She smiled at Bradin and then took her stuff and left.
"Looks like you've found yourself a girl Kansas," said Erika in a mocking voice.
"Whatever," said Bradin as he walked behind the counter, his eyes still lingering on Ella's back.
"What are you guys gonna do today?" asked Johnny after he, Derrick, and Martha finished lunch.
"We're just gonna hang around on the deck," said Derrick.
"Yeah," said Martha, "I have to be home at 2, so we have to stay here."
Martha and Derrick walked out on the porch and Johnny flopped on the couch.
The phone rang and Johnny jumped up to answer it.
"Hello," he said.
"Hey Johnny," came Ava's voice from the other end.
"Hey," said Johnny as a huge smile spread across his face, "how's the line?"
"Great," said Ava. "How are the kids?"
"Fine," said Johnny, "Nikki and Cameron are at his house, Bradin is at Jay's, and Martha and Derrick are on the deck.
"Sounds like you guys have got everything under control," said Ava.
"Yeah," said Johnny.
"Anyway," said Ava, "I have to go meet Susannah, I was just making sure everything was ok. I'll call later tonight so that I can talk to the kids."
"All right, I'll talk to you later," said Johnny.
"Bye," said Ava.
Johnny hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen.
'That's it,' thought Johnny. 'I have to tell her how I feel when she gets back. I've got to come up with something that will let her know how I feel.'
Cameron and Nikki swam until around 4:00, and then they went for a walk down the beach.
"So," said Nikki as Cameron linked his fingers through hers, "what movie are we gonna rent tonight?"
"I was thinking maybe Mystic River," said Cameron. "It's supposed to be pretty good."
"Fine with me," said Nikki. "We should probably go get it now, because I have to be home kinda early."
Bradin left the surf shop to take a walk while organizing his thoughts. He walked along the beach
'It's easy for Jay to tell me to forget about her,' thought Bradin, 'but I don't think that I will ever be able to forget about her.'
Bradin stewed over his thoughts about Sarah as he kept walking.
"Do you know where I can find a surf shop?" asked a female voice.
Bradin looked up and into the eyes of the girl who had spoken to him. She was about 5'5 with long, curly golden hair, and blue eyes.
"Um, yeah," said Bradin. "Jay's is the best in Playa Linda."
'She is beautiful,' thought Bradin as he looked at her. All thoughts of Sarah slipped from his mind as he stood here talking to this girl.
"Jay's is down the beach about two miles," said Bradin. "I'm Bradin, by the way."
"I'm Ella," said the girl. "I just moved here."
"Cool, from where?" asked Bradin as he flashed a smile at her.
"Vermont," said Ella.
"Wow," said Bradin, "you must be in culture shock. I moved here from Kansas a while back in the summer."
"It's different," said Ella with a slight smile, "but I'm beginning to get used to it."
"So," said Bradin, "mind if I walk with you to the surf shop?"
"That would be great," said Ella as they turned to walk towards Jay's.
"My Aunt's roommate owns this shop," said Bradin, "and I work there."
"Oh cool," said Ella, "does your whole family live here?"
"No," said Bradin as he looked down at his feet (as they walked), "my parents were killed in an accident. I live here with my Aunt, my sister Nikki, my brother Derrick, and my Aunt's three roommates."
"I'm here with my brother Chris, his wife Breanna, and their little girl Kate," said Ella. "My parents are taking tour of Europe for their Anniversary."
"Oh cool," said Bradin, "so are you just staying with your brother?"
"No," said Ella, "Breanna is an interior decorator, so she is decorating our new house while they're gone and in the mean time they're here to take care of me."
They got to the surf shop and Bradin opened the door for Ella.
"What are you lookin' for?" asked Bradin as he and Ella walked into the shop.
"A board," said Ella, "and I guess one of those wet suit things."
"That is generally what people are looking for when they come in here," said Jay as he and Erika walked up to the pair.
"Ella, this is Jay and Erika," said Bradin.
"Nice to meet you," said Ella.
"Same here," said Jay.
"Well lets go find a suit for you while Bradin and Jay get you a board," said Erika as she steered Ella toward that section of the shop.
Before long Ella was decked out in a blue wet suit and a matching board.
"Do you guys give lessons?" asked Ella after she had paid for her stuff.
"We're full," said Jay, "at least Erika and I are, but I think that Bradin has a few slots open."
"Sure," said Bradin, "how about tomorrow at 10? We could meet here and then go to the beach."
"I'll be here," said Ella.
She smiled at Bradin and then took her stuff and left.
"Looks like you've found yourself a girl Kansas," said Erika in a mocking voice.
"Whatever," said Bradin as he walked behind the counter, his eyes still lingering on Ella's back.
"What are you guys gonna do today?" asked Johnny after he, Derrick, and Martha finished lunch.
"We're just gonna hang around on the deck," said Derrick.
"Yeah," said Martha, "I have to be home at 2, so we have to stay here."
Martha and Derrick walked out on the porch and Johnny flopped on the couch.
The phone rang and Johnny jumped up to answer it.
"Hello," he said.
"Hey Johnny," came Ava's voice from the other end.
"Hey," said Johnny as a huge smile spread across his face, "how's the line?"
"Great," said Ava. "How are the kids?"
"Fine," said Johnny, "Nikki and Cameron are at his house, Bradin is at Jay's, and Martha and Derrick are on the deck.
"Sounds like you guys have got everything under control," said Ava.
"Yeah," said Johnny.
"Anyway," said Ava, "I have to go meet Susannah, I was just making sure everything was ok. I'll call later tonight so that I can talk to the kids."
"All right, I'll talk to you later," said Johnny.
"Bye," said Ava.
Johnny hung up the phone and walked into the kitchen.
'That's it,' thought Johnny. 'I have to tell her how I feel when she gets back. I've got to come up with something that will let her know how I feel.'