Trade Deadline - Avon Gale Page 0,37

chest and abs, and Micah gave a wolf whistle. Daniel swung the shirt around his finger and they both laughed.

God, he was so happy to have Daniel here. It was incredible to think how long it’d been since they’d seen each other.

Micah explained the basics of surfing, which he figured someone who was a professional athlete would pick up fairly easily. He showed Daniel how to attach the leg leash and carry the board down to the water, which was a lovely temperature, about as warm as the air. “Okay, now, just do the same thing we did with the boogie boards and swim out past the breakers,” Micah instructed, enjoying the slide of warm water against his skin. Sometimes he thought maybe he really was a dolphin in a former life, he loved being in the ocean so much. He liked pools fine and lakes were okay, but there was just nothing as awesome as the sea.

A shirtless Daniel in the sea, though. That was also pretty great.

Once they were in waist-deep water, Micah explained the rest. “Basically, you do the same as body surfing but then, when you catch the curve of the wave, you paddle real hard and stand up.”

“Micah,” Daniel said, pushing his water-soaked curls off his face. “Those are the worst instructions ever. How do you stand up?”

Micah moved easily with the water and tried to figure out how to explain it. “You put your hands under your shoulders like this, and then sort of spring up off your toes. You want to stay in a crouch until you know your feet are in the right position, which is one in front of the other, sort of perpendicular to the board. Got it?”

“I know what all those words mean,” Daniel said, and despite his suspicion he looked as at home in the water as he always had. “Not sure I can do all that without bonking my head, but I get the idea.”

“Well, just watch me first,” Micah said, and then blew him a kiss. “Kiss my waves, Bellamy! Your Stanley Cup won’t save you now!”

Daniel’s laughter followed him as he swam out with a wave, hoping that he didn’t bite it and swallow seawater. Micah wasn’t a showoff, but hey, he had his pride, here. Luckily, November was prime season in Miami for surfing and he felt himself propelled forward enough to start paddling. A few seconds later, he did his pop-up, and settled on the board as he rode the wave into the shore. Luck was on his side, it would seem.

He gathered his board, swept a bow when he saw Daniel out in the surf and clapping, and dove back into the water to rejoin him.

“That was cool, dude!” Daniel said, sounding for a moment like maybe he did in a hockey locker room. It was charming, and the appreciative smile went right to Micah’s head...and other places that made him glad he was holding a surfboard. Honestly, Daniel Bellamy was way too hot for words.

“Your turn,” Micah said, but Daniel asked him to show him the pop-up again and watched with all the intensity of—well, of a pro athlete.

Micah cheered him on as Daniel started swimming. Like most new surfers who knew how to body surf or use a boogie board, he was great at the first part—catching the wave—and wiped out the first few times when he went to do the pop-up and get on the board. But he was indomitable, and Micah watched fondly as he tried over and over, cheering encouragement and offering tips as he saw where maybe Daniel was faltering.

It reminded him of how Daniel used to shoot rubber balls at a net in his driveway, over and over again, on a pair of sleek rollerblades. Micah would usually be reading a book, at least until it would get dark. Sometimes Daniel would be out shooting those rubber street-hockey balls at the net until ten, in the summer. Not even ice cream would get him to come inside.

Daniel was still as stubborn as ever. He made Micah demonstrate popping up a few more times and swam along beside him to see.

“Lilo & Stitch made this look a lot easier,” Daniel groused, his eyes narrowed in concentration. “This is gonna be the time I get it, Micah.”

Just six more and then we can have ice cream, Micah, promise.

“I believe in you,” Micah said, bobbing along with the waves. “Show that wave who’s the boss, Danny!”

He knew Daniel