OMG, A CUL8R Time Travel Mystery (8 page)

Scott sighed.  “And I guess all that will have to wait until I feed the monster.”

“Last chance,” Kelly offered, reluctant to leave him.

“
I’m sure.  I’m not the jock Austin is.  I’d just hold you back and besides this has me challenged.  I want to make it work.”  He smiled at her, a little wistfully, but also a little distracted.  “You’d better hurry.  Austin and his stallion will get impatient.”

“His s
tallion?”

“Austin’s ride is a black F
-150 crew cab.  We call it his stallion.”

“
Bet he’s never been on a horse,” Kelly declared.

“Probably not.  But that wouldn’t stop him from jumping on and giving it a shot.”

Austin’s truck horn blasted a reminder.  Kelly walked with Scott and Lilly back into the house, but when they stopped in the kitchen, she continued on toward the front door.  “We’ll be back in a few,” Kelly told him.

Scott gave her a wave and reached for the bread to make Lilly’s lunch.

Kelly hurried next door and stopped at Austin’s truck on the way.  “Nice ride.  Give me five minutes.”

CHAPTER FIVE

He nodded, and she hurried inside.  She changed into a swimsuit, covered it with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and grabbed a couple of towels from the bathroom.  She found the waterproof capsule she had used at the beach in Texas and hung it around her neck after putting some money and the house key inside.

She ran back outside, carefully locking the door behind her and walked around the bed of the truck so she could see the boards that Austin had tied down.  They were
very long and hung out over the tailgate, but he had attached a red flag to the end of one of them.  She opened the door and climbed inside the cab.

“S
weet boards.  I’m looking forward to this.”

“Good.  It would be nice to have a beach buddy.  Scott has a million excuses not to go.”

“How far to the beach anyway?”

“
I don’t launch from the public beach which is only a few blocks that way.”  He pointed toward the end of her street.

“I didn’t realize we were
that close.”

“Yeah, I usually just walk there if it’s just for a swim.”

“My aunt has a really nice pool.  You’re welcome to use it any time you want.”

“Hey, thanks.  I’ll take you up on that.  I need to stay in shape so the two-a-days won’t kill me when we start in August.”

Kelly watched, with interest, all the stores and fast food restaurants they passed.  If this was going to be her new home, she had better get familiar with everything.

“Maybe afterward we could swing past the high school I’ll be attending?”

“Sure thing,” Austin answered.  His radio was turned up so loud, blasting out a rock song that they had to shout to be heard.

They reac
hed the road that ran parallel to the beach and turned right.  They drove almost to the end and pulled into a parking lot at Bowditch Point Park. Austin rummaged through his truck cab to find money to feed the parking meter.  They disconnected the tie-downs and within minutes they were sitting on their boards.  The water was calm and ideal for boarding.

“This place is pretty deserted.  I
s it always like this?” she asked.

“
On weekends it’s a zoo.  See that lighthouse over there?  It’s on the eastern tip of Sanibel Island.  When we have more time and money, we can run over there.  A little rougher but it’s a lot of fun, too.”

“Sanibel?
  Is it expensive?”

“
It’s one of the most beautiful islands in Florida.  But it’s sort of exclusive.  They keep upping the prices to keep the riff raff out.  Besides, the water’s a lot rougher.  It makes what we’re doing today like wake boarding in your bathtub.  Okay, are you ready for your lesson?”

She nodded.  She left her shorts and towels in the car, but felt self-conscious around Austin and didn’t take her t-shirt off.

“First, we have to prone paddle out away from everyone else.”  He stretched out on his stomach and tucked his paddle underneath his chest with the handle sticking out front.  “Paddle out just like on a surfboard.”

Kelly had no problem following suit.
Her biggest challenge was concentrating on what he was saying and not getting distracted by his broad tanned shoulders that tapered down to a slim waist and long muscular legs.  He seemed genuinely glad that she had come along with him today.  But not as glad as she was.

When they were away from shore and all the boats and jet skis, he conti
nued, “You have to find the sweet spot on your board, then get up on your knees like this.”  He demonstrated and Kelly managed to get to her knees.  They paddled for a few minutes until she was used to that position.

“Okay, now we get to our feet like this, but not in a surfer position.  You have to keep your feet square.”  He gracefully stood and watched her expectantly.

Kelly wobbled a little, but managed to stand without falling.  Austin gave her an approving nod.  He showed her how to turn by back paddling and how to go straight by cross paddling.

“Be sure that your paddle blade curves forward.  You’d think it would be the other way around, but you have stronger strokes this way.”

Kelly practiced until she felt comfortable.  “So far, so good,” she said with a pleased smile.

“One more thing.  You need to know how to fall,” he told her.

Kelly snorted.  “What?  Don’t think I can do this?”

“Everyone falls.  It’s important that you fall away from the board.  Let the paddle go.  First you retrieve your board, then prone paddle to get to your paddle.”  He showed her by actually taking a fall, swimming to his board and then retrieving his paddle.  He shook his head, flinging water out of his hair like a wet dog, intentionally splashing Kelly
and flashing her that friendly crooked grin.  “Your turn.”

“I’m good.
  I’m sure I’ll be in the water soon enough.”  She nodded.  “But thanks for the lesson.”

He grinned, and she had to force her attention away from him so she could
keep paddling smoothly and not make a fool of herself.  She had a feeling that she wouldn’t be the first girl to fall at his feet.

They paddled in silence for several minutes as she got the feel for it.

“You up for a mile down and back today?”

“Sure.  Where to?”
  Kelly was beginning to regret that early morning swim, but she would rather have her arms fall off than to seem weak.

“We can go down to the Fish
ing Pier.  There are lots of places to get food and a drink.”

“
Okay.”

They ma
de their way along the west side of Fort Myers Beach and eventually arrived at the Fishing Pier as planned.  They sloshed out of the surf and planted their boards in the sand.

“H
ow much is a cab ride back,” Kelly asked, only half joking.

“
Ha ha!  What are you hungry for?”

“Pizza maybe?”

“Sweet, we’ll walk up to Citrola's.  They have great pizza.”

“Are we dressed okay?”  Kelly looked down at her bare feet and wet clothes.

“Look around.  We’re practically overdressed.”

She peered into the windows and saw that at least half the people inside were wearing swimsuits, so she felt better.

Austin and Kelly walked into Citrola’s and, as indicated by the sign in front, they seated themselves.  He handed her a menu and opened his.  Kelly was trying to decide between cheese or pepperoni when she looked up to see a tall, slender, long-legged girl with very long blond hair pop up behind him and put her hands over Austin’s eyes.

“Guess who
?” the girl chirped.

“Zoey,” Austin sa
id without excitement.

“
Well, you’re
no
fun.” Zoey reached over and grabbed a chair from the next table.  She pulled it around and sat down so that she was facing Austin.  Her maneuver had neatly placed her between them so that her back was toward Kelly.  “What have you been up to?  You haven’t called me, and we’ve been out of schools for
days
.”

“I’ve been boardin’ with my friend Kelly.”

“I’m sorry, who?”

“Kelly . . .
she’s right behind you.” Austin tilted his head so he could see Kelly and grinned.

Zoey
twisted around just enough to give Kelly a cool glance. “I don’t recall
seeing
you at school.”

“
I just moved here.  I start South Beach in the fall.”  Kelly had never heard anyone speak with such dramatic inflection.  Almost every one of Zoey’s sentences contained a word worthy of emphasis which made her pattern of speech erratic, but interesting.

“So
, what’s
your
name?”  Zoey’s eyebrows arched as her gaze swept over Kelly’s wet, sunburned body.  Zoey had large chocolate brown eyes and those perfect high cheekbones that Kelly had been wishing for just yesterday. Not to mention that she had a body to die for, most of which, because of the briefness of her bikini, was on display.

“Zoe
y, I told you her name is Kelly,” Austin reminded her.

“
Whatever
.” Zoey turned her focus back on Austin.  “So, what night are you taking
me
out this weekend?  I’ve kept Friday and Saturday open. Either one
or
both.”

“Ahh
, Jeez,” he shook his head and shrugged.  “I have to work both nights.”

Kelly couldn’t see his face, but from the tone of his voice, he
didn’t seem too upset.

“
Your
loss,” Zoey said and flipped her head so that her long hair tumbled over her shoulder. 

Kelly couldn’t take her eyes off of it.  It was exactly the kind of hair she
had always wanted.  Thick and shiny, it was the color of sunshine, highlighted with streaks of ash blond and honey gold, probably from a bottle, but beautiful none the less.

“
Well, I have to run,” Zoey said as she trailed her fingers up Austin’s bare, muscular arm.  “You
have
my number.  Give me a call, and
we
can hang out.  Later.”

Kelly realized her mouth was hanging open.  It had been like watching a poisonous snake, deadly dangerous, but so compelling, you dared not look away.

“Sorry,” Austin said.  “Zoey’s kind of a pain.  It’s just the way she is, especially with other girls.”

“Should I not
have been here with you or something?”

“Do you mean
is she my girlfriend?”

Kelly
felt her cheeks flush hotly, and she hoped that her sunburn would hide it.  “It’s not really my business.”

“
The answer is no.  She’s been after me since third grade.  I think it’s all about the challenge.  She collects boys like Scott’s sister collects dolls.”

Kelly smiled.  “
I think I’ve met my first real mean girl.”

Austin nodded.  “I’m sure she won’t be your last.  She sort of
runs with a pack . . . like she-wolves, shopping by night and ripping people apart as they roam the halls of South Beach High by day.”

“Wow, I thought that was all Hollywood make-believe.”

Austin studied Kelly for a moment.  “I think you’re up for the challenge.  Ready to order?”

“Want to split a pizza or should we each get our own?”

“I’m okay with splitting a large.  I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

Kelly agreed.  She was so hungry, she could probably have eaten a large by herself, but she knew that was neither good for her diet
nor for impressing Austin.  And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, his opinion of her was becoming very important.

Austin g
ot the server’s attention and soon the order for their large pepperoni and mushroom pizza was put in and their drinks delivered to their table.

“Just w
ater?” Austin asked, giving her glass of ice water a suspicious look.

“
Yeah, I hear that diet drinks may stop you from losing weight.  I need all the tricks I can get.”

“Lose weight?
Look what being skinny did to Zoey.” Austin laughed.  “I think the lack of food made her a hater.”

“She wasn’t always so rude?”

“Not really.  It got worse when she started middle school and became a cheerleader.  Scott can’t stand her.  He refuses to be in the same room with her if there’s any way he can escape.”

“Are you really working this weekend?”

“I stock shelves at Publix four nights a week from eight until we’re done.  I can usually take off weekends if I want, but in Zoey’s case, I don’t want.”