Read Online Pulled Under (Sixteenth Summer) by Michelle Dalton - Free Book Online Page B

Parks and Recreation,” he says. “I will be working there later this summer.”
    “Surf City has won both trophies,” I say. “That one’s for the top team and that one’s for the grand champion. Bailey Kossoff has won the grand champion trophy two years in a row.”
    “Is he a local guy?”
    I shake my head. “No. They sponsor guys from around the state. That’s how they make sure to win.”
    “Does Surf Sisters have a team?” he asks.
    I shake my head. “There’s no money for it. These guys are like the New York Yankees. They can sign anyone who’s really good.”
    “I bet they can’t sign you.”
    “Well, no, they couldn’t, but since I don’t surf in contests, it doesn’t make much of a difference.”
    “Why don’t you?”
    “It’s just not my thing,” I say. “I like to keep my surfing between me and the ocean. No spectators, no judges.”
    He raises a skeptical eyebrow but lets the topic slide.
    So far the day seems to be going great. I still don’t have any idea if he’s into me or if he’s just looking for a friend, but I feel more comfortable with Ben than I’ve ever felt with a guy. He laughs at my jokes, and when I try to explain why I think tourists are like waves and Surf City is evil, he doesn’t look at me like I’m a lunatic or something. But now it’s time for the big test.
    Now we’re going to Surf Sisters.
    S urf City is owned by an evil, faceless corporation,” he says as we walk along Ocean Ave. “But you said there’s actually a pair of sisters who owns Surf Sisters, right?”
    “Mickey and Mo. They’re the best.”
    “Mickey and Mo sound more like surf brothers than sisters.”
    “That’s because the guys they used to beat in all the surf contests thirty years ago were too embarrassed to say they were getting waxed by Michelle and Maureen.”
    “So, unlike you, they were willing to compete in contests?”
    I give him a look, and he holds up his hands in surrender.
    “Anyway,” I say, changing the subject back, “their dad was a legendary lifeguard and surfer.”
    “Steady Eddie,” he says.
    “That’s right, Steady Eddie. Lifeguarding doesn’t pay much, so he started up Steady Eddie’s Surf School to give lessons to people staying at the hotels along the boardwalk. Mickey and Mo’s mother wasn’t in the picture, so they were always part of the deal. They were the first girls in this area to make names for themselves as surfers, and they were determined to make sure it was easier for the next generation.”
    “Which is why they opened the shop, right?”
    “It just seemed like the logical next step. They turned their house into a shop, and when Steady Eddie passed away, they kept the surf school going to honor his memory. It’s part business, part civic duty, part family memorial.”
    “So the shop was actually the house where they grew up,” he says. “Okay, I see why that beats some corporate megastore.”
    “I was hoping you would.”
    Sophie and Nicole are both working today, but they’ve sworn to be on their best behavior when we arrive. Sophie’s on register while Nicole’s walking around making sure all the customers are finding what they’re looking for. Both seem to be keeping an eye on the door as we enter.
    Even though they saw Ben when he first came to the shop and again when he was with the campers, they’ve never officially met him, so I take care of the introductions.
    “Ben, meet Sophie and Nicole,” I say. “Guys, this is Ben.”
    They exchange hellos, and when I see Sophie about to talk, I panic for a millisecond that she might revert to her normal self and say something outlandish just to see how he reacts. But she keeps her promise to behave.
    “What brings you to the shop today, Ben?” she asks.
    “I want to get some new shoes and socks to wear on the beach,” he says. “Maybe knee-high socks and something in a boot. Is there such a thing as a beach boot?”
    The girls both laugh, and suddenly any potential