Night Waves by Wendy Davy Read Free Book Online

way around dozens of tourists who appeared to be enjoying the sun and sand, and cautiously approached the next lifeguard, hoping to find a more experienced person guarding this area of the beach. When she walked to the stand, she found a red-headed young man, guessing him to be in his late teens or early twenties.
    “Afternoon, ma’am. May I help you?” he asked as he rubbed a handful of lotion on his freckled arms.
    “I hope so.”
    The young man sat forward with a smile. “I hope so, too.”
    His words sounded sincere, and Cali’s hopes raised a notch. “I’m Cali Stevens and I’m looking for my friend, Serena Taylor. She may have been out here a few times last week. Have you seen her?” She produced the picture.
    He stood and jumped from the stand, stretching as if he had been immobile for a few hours. “I’m Trey.” He nodded a greeting. “Let me take a look at her.”
    As he moved closer, Cali caught the scent of the sun block he was applying. It didn’t have the typical coconut aroma. Instead, it held the strong, fruity scent of limes.
    “What’s her name again?” he asked as he leaned over the picture and continued rubbing the lotion in.
    “Serena.”
    “I’m pretty good at remembering faces, but I don’t remember seeing her around here lately. Why are you looking for her?”
    “I haven’t been able to get in touch with her since last Friday.”
    Trey glanced toward the ocean, then cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Hey buddy! No swimming.”
    Cali turned in time to see a tall, lanky man starting to wade into the water. He stopped and turned, but did not come out. He appeared to be trying to decide if he would listen to Trey’s warning or not.
    Trey glanced at his watch. “I’ll give him thirty seconds.” He crossed his arms and continued to watch the would-be swimmer.
    “What happens if he doesn’t listen to you?”
    “I make him listen,” he said in a serious tone.
    Cali hesitated at the authority in Trey’s voice. Apparently, he took his job seriously. She waited a moment before asking, “Why are the no swimming flags posted anyway?”
    “There’s a tropical storm brewing off the coast, causing strong rip currents. The storm’s stagnant right now. But, they say it may turn into a hurricane and head this way,” Trey said as he continued to watch the stubborn man standing in the water. “You never know which direction the storms will end up going.”
    After several glances to the lifeguard, the man stepped out of the water, but remained standing close to the edge.
    “I thought so,” Trey mumbled as he visibly relaxed.
    “I didn’t know there was even a possibility of a hurricane coming.”
    “It’s still off a ways. Too early to tell.”
    Assuming Trey had no useful information about Serena, she started to step away. “Well, I don’t want to interrupt your job, so I’ll get going.”
    Before he could respond, the sound of a vehicle approaching caught their attention. Trey held up a hand in greeting and stepped toward an all terrain vehicle as it slowed to a stop. The driver of the ATV looked to be in his mid-twenties, and his red swim trunks and black whistle indicated his position as a lifeguard. His tangled, sun-bleached blonde hair contrasted with his deep, bronzed tan. His appearance reminded Cali of the cross between a beach bum and a surfer.
    “Hey Trey, are you using up all of my lotion? When are you going to start remembering to bring your own?” he asked when Trey rubbed on a little more lotion.
    “Probably never,” he said with a sheepish grin.
    “Hello.” The man got off the vehicle and approached Cali. “I’m Chad.” He held out a hand in greeting.
    “Cali.” She offered her hand. His grip was firm, but his skin felt softer than she anticipated on a man who obviously spent much time outside.
    He tilted his head to the side. “Are you distracting another one of my lifeguards?”
    She tensed.
    His smile showed a set of even white teeth.