Three

      “The outstanding question is why have you appointed yourself my fun coach?” Grace asked once they were in Troy’s Jeep and driving.

      “It’s not complicated at all,” he said. “I need someone to play with. I work a lot. I give a lot to the students. I have a second job at least ten days a month. Between school vacations and weekends, I manage some time off and Cooper is great about letting me put together days off from his place so I have time to pursue my interests. When I’m not working I look for fun things to do. Mostly skiing, diving or river trips, but since there’s decent skiing and diving right here, I only take about one big trip every year. There are lots of places I need to see—Costa Rica, Barcelona, Paris, Montreal, China, to name just a few. My real passion is kayaking or rafting and, honey, there are some rivers in the tristate area that can keep me busy through spring and summer. Who knows? Maybe you’ll try it sometime, maybe not. But this is a great place, Grace—there’s a ton of stuff to do and see and experience.”

      “You need someone to play with,” she repeated as if that was the only thing she got out of all that. But it wasn’t what she was thinking. I’ve been all over the world. I could almost work as a guide. Except, Grace had never toured the countries she’d visited, never really taken in the sights. She’d been all over the world to compete. Usually with an entourage. And now, Troy needed someone to play with?

      Her heart beat a little faster.

      “Well, that’s not the whole story,” Troy continued. “I’m not shy about doing things on my own. I meet people all the time, great people who have like interests. But, Grace, you’re kind of fun. Let’s see if there’s anything you like better than working all the damn time.”

      “You have a point,” she agreed. “The problem is I have my own business. And every day off—”

      “I know, every day off is a day without pay.”

      “You pay attention,” she said.

      “It’s admirable, having your own business. But I think your business is a ball and chain. It’s all about working out a schedule you can live with, Grace. People don’t need flowers twenty-four/seven. And I bet you’ll be a happier business owner if you get out a little more.”

      Of course he had no idea how much getting out she indulged in because she didn’t talk about it much—her yoga, working out, secret skating. “So that’s why you think you can kidnap me like this?”

      “Really, Grace? Kidnap?”

      “Hijack.”

      “Look at that coast,” he said as he drove north. “Damn, not a day to go fishing, I don’t think. Have you seen the coast up this far?”

      “Of course,” she lied. In fact, she’d driven down the coast from Portland one summer, barely took in the landscape, made a bid to buy the shop and went right back to Mamie and Ross, where she spent a week lost in a panic attack, terrified of being completely on her own. She was so nervous she nearly called her mother! In the end, she toughed it out and when her offer was accepted by Iris, she drove straight to Thunder Point, never really taking in the coastal beauty.

      They passed through the outskirts of North Bend and then Coos Bay. It appeared very little was open for business, it being a holiday. There were a few bars and a Chinese restaurant that seemed to have customers. A souvenir shop on the highway had an Open light shining in the door. Gas stations were operational and a firehouse had the big rig doors spread wide. But the traffic was sparse. Everyone was probably home taking in the football games and recovering from New Year’s Eve.

      “Have you ever seen it on a day like today?” he asked as they drove toward the ocean. He pulled into a small lookout that faced the water. The clouds were dark and the wind was blowing wicked and wet. There were patches of rain over the ocean and the waves were huge. The air was frigid and the fun coach was grinning. “Yeah, this is gonna be great,” he said.

      “What in God’s name have I let you get me into?” she asked. He laughed as if he found that extremely amusing.

      He put a knit stocking cap on his head and jumped out of the Jeep. When she joined him, he grabbed her hand and pulled her along a path that she knew led to the edge of the lookout because she could hear the deafening sound of crashing waves. When the path crested she stepped back with sudden anxiety. The waves looked like mountains as they crashed against the rocks.

      “God,” she said, but only God could have heard her above that noise.

      “Come on,” he said. “They’re about a hundred feet in some places, some of the biggest waves in the world. We can get closer. It’s safe.”

      She shook her head. “I can see just fine!”

      “What?”

      She put her hands around her mouth and shouted in his ear. “I can see fine!”

      He laughed. He put his mouth close to her ear. “It’s safe. Look, there’s a stone wall. Not like we’ll slide off. I can see from here that it’s dry. I want to get a couple of pictures with my phone.”

      It was a very low stone wall, about knee-high. She shook her head. A lot.

      “Is it scary, Grace?” he asked, shouting.

      She nodded.

      “I’ll go check,” he yelled. He let go of her hand and walked along the path closer to the edge. Waves rose above the level of the ground she stood on, but they crashed to the surf below. The path began to wind downward, which gave her no peace of mind and she hung back. She wasn’t sure of herself on high cliffs over rocky shores facing off with hundred-foot waves. Troy continued on, of course.

      The waves were magnificent, she had to admit. The power was stunning, no other word.

      Troy leaned against the wall, his back to the ocean, and waved at her. She waved back. He jumped over the wall and walked a bit farther toward the edge and she felt her stomach clench. There was a sign, for God’s sake! Don’t Go Past This Point! But over the wall he went. He turned toward her and shouted something that she didn’t have a prayer of hearing so she just shook her head. He spread his arms wide and high, as if in victory.

      Probably the award-winning wave of the day came up behind him and her eyes grew as round as plates. Her mouth hung open and she watched in awe as the crest of the enormous wave came down on Troy. She screamed in terror, afraid he’d been washed out to sea. As it receded, there he stood, looking for all the world like a drowned rat. With gunk hanging from one shoulder.

      Grace grabbed her heart in relief. He just stood there. Dripping. He plucked the gunk off his shoulder and began to climb back over the wall.

      After