Crashing Waves Page 19

  "We're going to drop down and do one set of twenty five sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, and then jumping jacks," Rory said.

  "Uh…okay." Austin dropped next to her in the sand.

  They took turns counting reps to stay on pace until they'd finished. Both women had beads of sweat running down their faces and were covered in sand.

  "Come on," Rory yelled as she took off running again.

  They repeated the same routine until they'd ran two miles and completed one-hundred reps of each exercise. Austin's muscles were slightly sore as they arrived back at their starting point. She kicked her shoes off, tore away her socks and peeled her t-shirt off.

  "I've never had this much sand in so many places," she grimaced.

  Rory laughed and stepped around her, removing her own socks, shoes and t-shirt. She walked onto the side of the deck, pulling a thin metal chain. A shower of cool water washed over her, rinsing away the sand.

  "Sweet!" Austin cheered, rushing over to her and squeezing under the spray.

  Rory chuckled, stepping aside as Austin stretched under the water like a lazy cat in the sun.

  "What's next almighty one?" Austin mocked Rory with a bow as they entered the house.

  "Keep that up, smartass, and I'll have you swimming miles of shoreline like I used to do."

  "You're kidding me?"

  "No I'm not. You have to be in better than perfect shape, Austin. I was…and it wasn't…it wasn't good enough." Rory looked away, finishing in a whisper.

  "Hey, I'll do whatever you say. I trust you," Austin said softly as she put her hand on Rory's cheek, turning her head until their eyes met. She wanted so badly to kiss the lips beckoning her. Your gorgeous eyes take my breath away. You have no idea what you to do me, Rory.

  "How do you feel?" Rory asked, stepping away from Austin.

  "Fine. Why?"

  "Think you're ready to ride a wave or two?"

  "Sure."

  "Go get your board and change. I'll get the camera and meet you out there."

  My board. My board that used to be her board. Could I possible ever give this stick a ride anywhere close to the ones she used to give it? Austin ran her hand over the wax on the light blue and green surfboard.

  ~ ~ ~

  Rory had told Austin to take it easy, and stand up if and when she felt comfortable. Now, she held her breath, waiting for the woman in the water to paddle in and fearlessly drop on her first North Shore wave; the same woman that was slowly showing her how to live again.

  Austin took a deep breath, paddling as hard as she could as the most beautiful break she'd ever seen picked the board up under her, rushing forward as she dropped on the face, popping up to her feet. She carved a little, but mostly just rode the face of the wave, reaching down and letting her left hand trail the water behind her. She was sure she'd held that deep breath until the ride was over. She felt an incredible sense of self pride. One of her lifelong dreams had just come true. Her heart pounded out of her chest and she fought back tears of joy as she paddled back out to do it all over again.

  Rory's nerves were frazzled watching Austin ride wave after wave. She wiped the couple of tears that slid down her face. There was nothing like your first time and this was Austin first time riding a tube style, competition wave. This was the same beach and those were the same waves that she'd used to hone her own skills, learning how to become a champion.

  After her fourth ride, Rory waved her arms and yelled for her to come back in. Austin came out of the water, jogging towards Rory. She tossed the board in the sand before jumping into Rory's arms. Rory had no time to react, much less brace herself, as she fell back into the sand with Austin on top of her. Their lips met as she wrapped her arms around Austin's waist, kissing her passionately. The weight of the slightly smaller woman on top of her was welcoming. The saltwater soaking her clothes was nothing compared to the flood between her legs. Rory felt the fire in her belly roar to life when she slid her hand under the thin material of the rash guard and over the silky smooth skin of Austin's back.

  Austin moaned into the kiss, rocking her hips into Rory and sliding her wet thigh between her legs.

  The sudden pressure on her center shocked Rory back to reality. She opened her eyes, rolling Austin off her in one fluid motion.

  "What's wrong?" Austin panted.

  "I can't. I'm sorry," Rory said as she stood up, walking away.

  "Damn it. I know you want me. You've shown me how much you want me. You're fighting demons larger than I could ever imagine. If you would just open up and let me in…I can help you. Rory, we can fight them together," she said to the empty beach as she kicked her foot in the sand.

  Chapter Fifteen

  A week later, Austin was ripping waves every morning and afternoon. She continued to follow Rory's strict regime of Tai Chi. Then, they would do their running workout, adding more reps to each exercise, daily. Her body was becoming tighter and stronger than she'd ever seen it, and she was more focused mentally, than she could've ever imagined. Rory worked closely with her, teaching her every aspect that she could without actually getting into the water and riding the waves next to her.

  They hadn't talked about their kiss in the sand. The one time Austin had tried to bring it up, Rory had changed the subject and gone to bed early. She was on the verge of giving up on ever getting Rory to open up to her. They still had one more week before the tournament and then they'd go back home and back to work, away from each other. She wondered if Rory would have anything to do with her once she joined the pro tour.

  Austin sat on the deck, watching the sun slowly sink into the ocean. Her dreams were coming true and her heart was breaking at the same time. She wiped the tears from her cheeks. The bittersweet feeling was sickening. She'd never felt more alone.

  Rory walked outside with a beach blanket rolled up under her arm.

  "Do you want to take a walk with me?" Rory asked, stopping next to Austin.

  "Sure." Austin stood, following her lead through the dunes. Rory headed off in the opposite direction from the one they ran in each day. "We never go this way," Austin said, matching her slow pace.

  "It's time," Rory replied, watching the sky as it began to darken.

  Time for what? Austin shook her head. She wasn't in the mood for one of Rory's philosophical riddles.

  They walked a mile down the beach in silence as the full moon rose high over in the night sky, illuminating the ocean. The hair on the back of Rory's neck stood up. Her skin was cold, despite the warm temperature of the evening. The roar of the waves crashing in the distance was deafening to her ears. Her chest constricted so tightly, she could barely breathe as she stopped walking and turned towards the water. She dropped the blanket in the sand, spreading it as she sat down.

  Austin hadn't paid much attention to her surroundings. She'd been running on autopilot over the past few days, fighting her feelings for Rory and knowing their time together was coming to an end. She watched Rory sit down, tucking her knees against her chest as she wrapped her arms tightly around them. She raised an eyebrow at Rory's odd behavior and turned her head towards the water.

  Austin stumbled, nearly falling on top of Rory as the largest wave she'd ever seen swelled in the distance, roaring loudly towards the shore, forming a perfect barrel. The face of the wave was close to ten feet tall and closing out quickly. She was stunned, literally speechless as she watched the next wave crest almost identically. She wasn't sure how long she'd been holding her breath from the shock of the incredible wave, but her heart raced with excitement.

  "Oh my God," Austin finally muttered.

  "Welcome to Bonzai Pipeline," Rory said softly. She pointed in the distance to the left. "Backdoor is right over there."

  "Wow! This…it's incredible," Austin whispered.

  "Underneath that majestic display of nature is a razor sharp reef with jagged rocks in very shallow water."

  Austin turned her head, noticing the tears on Rory's cheeks, glistening in the moonlig
ht. "Oh, Rory, I'm sorry," she said, wrapping her arms around the sobbing woman. She'd seen the video of Rory's accident and knew it had taken place right there on that very same wave.

  Rory cried uncontrollably, mourning the loss of her spirit and her passion, and essentially, the loss of herself. Everything she had ever known had died in those waves crashing to shore in front of her. She hated them for swallowing her whole, taking everything from her and spitting out a shell of the person she used to be. It had taken her years of spiritual meditation to get over the anger and now, the hatred only made her feel empty with sadness. She ran her hand along the four inch scar on the left side of the top of her head, which had been a daily reminder of her tragic dance with the devil.

  "We didn't need to come here," Austin murmured.

  "Yes…yes I did," Rory wept. "I needed to do this." She allowed Austin to hold her as she wiped her eyes. "It's the only way I can move on," she sighed, as the last of the tears fell. "I have to let go."

  She stared at the magnificent waves. They were just as beautiful as she'd remembered. "It's amazing how something so spectacular can literally rip your life right out from under you in less than a split second. A wave like that is unforgiving and it never looks back."

  "I can't even begin to imagine what that was like," Austin whispered.

  "I don't remember it," Rory sighed. "I actually don't remember the days leading up to the competition either. Martie and I were living in the beach house and traveling the world with the tour. We'd just returned from a pro event in Portugal. I was riding the high from that win and we were heading into Pipe Masters in a few weeks, which was the final event of the tour. I was leading the points up to that point and it was the first time that had happened in my career. I'd always done well at Pipe, winning all of my championships right here on these waves. Hell, how could I not? It was my own backyard." The corners of Rory's mouth tried to smile as she thought about the amazing times she'd had on that stretch of beach, winning multiple championships, but the smile never actually formed.

  "We'd always surfed the Pipeline Invitational which was held two weeks before Pipe Masters every year. It was like easy practice and we looked forward to the event and finally coming home after traveling so much all year." She paused.

  The last time I remember surfing wasn't even in this water. We had stopped in Brazil for a Boarder Classic at the last minute, which Martie won by the way, beating me by half a point. We joked about that all the way back to Hawaii. I teased her about letting her win one since I was pretty much about to wrap up my fourth title." Rory did smile then, thinking about the last time she and Martie had surfed together. "That's the last time I remember surfing."

  "Wow," Austin replied. "That's...that sounds really special. At least your last memory is a good one."

  "Yeah. So, I remember flying here and everything, but not really anything after that. Martie told me we surfed Pipe and Backdoor for the next three days straight. Then came the Invitational. I've seen all of the videos. I know the barrel had to be at least thirteen feet with the face of the wall topping out over fifteen. Pipe was going off that day. I think I read somewhere that those were record waves for the Invitational. Anyway, you've probably seen the video. I slid out in the mushy bottom and well, according to the reports, I hit my head on the reef and was held under the water for at least two minutes." Rory subconsciously rubbed the scar on her head.

  "I died out there in that water," she sighed. "I have no idea why I'm sitting here, alive today. I owe my life to the extraordinary medics that brought me back to life in this very same spot."

  Austin felt a chill run through her body.

  "My body was revived, but I stopped living that day. When I awoke from the coma, I no longer felt the power of the ocean pulling me in and the call of the waves fell on deaf ears. It took me a while, but I learned to live this new life." Rory looked at Austin, who was sitting with her arm around Rory's waist.

  "Then, I met you and my world turned upside down all over again."

  Austin raised an eyebrow and Rory continued. "Life is like a game of poker. You're dealt one hand and given chips to play with. It's all about how well you bluff and play the game. I don't know why or how, but I truly believe I was dealt a new hand after going all in and losing everything in the last one. People generally don't get a second hand and I've been holding this hand very close, barely playing any of my chips. You entered the game and began calling my bluff over and over, tempting me to go all in. Bloody hell, you scare me to death."

  Rory ran her hand over Austin's cheek.

  "You came into my life for a reason, Austin. You…" Rory paused. "I hear the waves and feel the ocean for the first time in years. I can't explain it, but somehow you made me feel alive again. You've awakened the soul inside me that I thought was dead and gone. You excite me, terrify me, and drive me wild all at the same time. I've fought this for so long and I'm done. You win," she whispered, leaning forward and pressing her lips to Austin's.

  The kiss was gentle and probing at first, but heated quickly as Rory pushed Austin onto her back, sliding her hand under her t-shirt and over the silky smooth skin of her taut stomach from the waistband of her shorts to the bottom curve of her breasts. The moonlight cast a soft glow around them and the massive waves in the distance crashed against the shore, drowning out the soft moans echoing between them.

  Austin rolled Rory onto her back, pushing her shirt up as she ran her tongue over the soft skin around her belly button. Rory hissed, watching the gray eyes looking at her, as Austin moved up her body, laying half on top of her. Rory reached down, running her hand down Austin's waist to her hip, then over her tight ass. Austin gasped, feeling herself growing wetter as she moved against the woman under her.

  Rory slipped her hand under the bottom of Austin's shorts, sliding it up her thigh as Austin pushed her hand under the waistband of Rory's shorts. Each woman found what she was searching for. Austin kissed Rory passionately as she slid her fingers inside of Rory for the first time. Rory pulled away from the kiss, groaning with pleasure. Austin felt so good inside of her. Rory slipped her fingers through Austin's wet folds, easing inside, matching her stroke for stroke.

  Their lips met frantically once again, tongues danced and teeth nibbled, fanning the flames of the fire burning between them. They thrust into each other roughly, grinding faster and harder until they were panting, gasping for breath and climbing the walls of desire.

  Rory came first, crying out into the night as her body convulsed. Austin groaned loudly, collapsing on top of her. Their hearts pounded together as they floated slowly back to reality.

  Rory rolled Austin to the side, sitting up slightly. "Did I hurt you?" she asked.

  "Really?" Austin shook her head, running her hand through her hair to push it out of her face. "If you don't stop asking me that, I'm going to hurt you."

  Rory smiled.

  "You have no idea what you do to me. I…I've never loved anything as much as surfing and I thought that love had died. I found it again when you came into my life. Austin, I found it in you. I love you so much that it hurts to breathe," she whispered.

  "I love you too," Austin said, closing the space between them and kissing her with a little more intensity than she'd meant to. Rory returned the kiss, pushing Austin onto her back before pulling away slightly.

  Staring down into deep gray eyes, she said, "We better get out of here before we get caught. There are houses on the other side of those dunes."

  Austin grinned, biting her lower lip between her teeth seductively.

  "I knew you were trouble the moment I laid eyes on you," Rory laughed, getting up and pulling Austin to her feet. They stood on wobbly legs for a second as the blood rushed back down.

  "Is that so?" Austin teased.

  "Yes. Now, come on." Rory folded up the blanket and walked down to the water. She stepped in, allowing the warm water to cascade around her calves as she reached around her neck, removing the pendant.

&n
bsp; Austin watched from a few feet away as Rory stretched her back, tossing something way out into the surf.

  "What was that?" Austin asked.

  "Letting go," Rory smiled.

  Austin shrugged and fell instep next to her as they walked back up the beach towards the house.

  ~ ~ ~

  Three days later, Rory watched from the shore as the final round began. Each of the four surfers in the water was wearing a different color rash guard. Austin was out in the line-up, sitting on her board in a hot pink one. She'd barely made it out of the first heat, catching only two waves and wiping out hard on the first one. Her second heat had been much better and she scored high enough to make the final round.

  You can do this. Concentrate, Austin. Find your center. Go...go damn it! She saw the perfect swell coming towards her and began paddling as hard as she could, dropping on the face of the wave. She carved quickly to her right, riding up the face of the wave into a snap, then a floater along the lip of the wave before tail sliding back inside. She carved up and down the face of the wave laying back on the board to drag her hand through the water before dumping off as the wave flattened out. She did a quick duck dive under another wave and paddled back out to the line.

  Two more surfers rode the next pair of waves and the forth surfer saw Austin prepare to paddle for the swell behind them and she took off paddling to cut in on her. Austin saw her and backed off the wave. The girl rode half of the wave before wiping out. Rory had seen the entire incident and cheered loudly when she saw Austin make the right choice. If she'd popped up, the other girl would've run right over her.

  The horn sounded a short blast, signaling one more minute in the heat. Austin watched the line-up closely, waiting as each wave rippled past her, until she saw the one she wanted. She paddled hard and dropped on the wave. Once again, performing a few smaller maneuvers along the face of the wave, then she cut back, using her speed to pop her up off the lip of the wave into an aerial. She held her hand on the edge of the board as it slid sideways in the air, then back down on the rail, slicing through the water. She rode back up the wave into a floating tail slide, before dumping off the back of the wave when the long blast of the horn indicated the heat had ended.