Between the Land and the Sea - By Derrolyn Anderson Page 0,40
how this would help out in the cold water...
I looked in the mirror as a slow grin spread across my face. Now I could go back to see Lorelei! I could find out for sure if what she said was true. Best of all, I might find out more about my mother. The thought was so exciting I nearly jumped for joy.
Instead I called Evie.
“Thank you so much!” I squealed, “I love it!”
“Honey it’s my pleasure,” she said, sounding happy.
“But why did you send two surfboards?” I asked.
“The nice young man at the surf shop wanted to know if you used a long board or a short board. I thought you might want to try both so I had him deliver the best one in each size.”
“Evie, you don’t know what this means to me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of letting you go on your date in an ugly old outfit,” she said.
“It’s magnificent,” I said, “And it’s not a date. It’s a swim lesson.”
“Whatever you say dear, just have fun and remember two words...”
“What?” I asked.
“Waterproof mascara.”
We both burst into laughter.
I went to bed that night with an optimistic heart. The next morning the sound of footsteps on gravel woke me. Peeking out my bedroom window, I could see Ethan out in the garden. He was busily working away, raking up fallen leaves and tidying up Abby’s garden before he went to work again teaching me to swim. Did he ever stop?
I got up and searched through my suitcases for the swimsuits that Evie had sent me here with. I knew I’d have to put my wetsuit on at the beach and I had to have something to wear under it. I pulled out the designer suits, each one skimpier than the next. They sure didn’t look like they were made for swimming in. Just holding them up made me feel nervous, imagining Ethan seeing me... Arghh!
I finally settled on the only one-piece suit in the bag. It was a black Versace with a halter neckline. I tried it on and was relieved to see that it fit. From the front it was fairly covered, although the legs were cut very high. The back plunged scandalously low, and the color made my skin look pale. Lorelei’s sparkling scales flashed across my mind. I threw a pair of jeans and a T-shirt over it and put my hair in a ponytail. Ready as you’ll ever be, I thought.
When I got out to the kitchen Ethan was sitting at the table, having coffee with Abby. They seemed to be pretty well acquainted, and I overheard her asking him about his college plans as I walked in. They stopped talking and looked up.
“Good morning honey bunny!” Abby said with a warm smile.
“Good morning,” I said to both of them. I went over to pour myself a cup of coffee.
“Where are you going to have your lessons?” Abby asked Ethan.
“I was thinking about going out to the dunes,” he said. “The surf is more predictable there, and there’s no rip.”
“That’s a great idea,” she smiled.
“Abby, did you know there are two awesome new boards in your backyard?” he asked.
“Oh yes,” she said with amusement, “Those are Marina’s”
Ethan looked up at me, puzzled, “I thought you weren’t a swimmer.”
“I’m not,” I sat down next to Abby. How do you Explain Evie? “I have this neighbor, or more like an aunt or a grandma, and I told her I thought surfing looked like fun, and she likes to shop for me, and...” I was babbling.
“She got a big surprise package yesterday,” Abby said helpfully. “Have you had breakfast?” she asked Ethan. Then she turned to me, “You need to eat a good breakfast today. I’ll make a tofu scramble...” She started to get up.
“No thanks!” Ethan and I said simultaneously. Our eyes met and we smiled at each other, trying not to let Abby see.
“Yeah, we should get going,” said Ethan.
“I’ll just grab some fruit,” I said with a cheerful smile. I got up and filled a brown bag with a few peaches and plums.
“Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes Abby,” I gave her a hug and turned towards Ethan, “Um, Evie sent me a wet suit too.
I’ll go get my stuff.”
We headed out to Ethan’s truck and Abby waved goodbye at the porch. “Be careful!” she called out after us. Ethan opened the door for me to climb in.
“It’s not much to look at, but it runs great,” he said. Ethan busied himself tying down his gardening