Part 4 (1/2)

James returned with a red cup full of champagne for me, and Ashley fell giggling on the other side of me. ”This is the best night! Except, do you know what? n.o.body knows how to say the name of this. She held up an empty champagne bottle, its yellow labell obscured by sand. I wiped it away with my thumb, and she pointed. ”See, it's French. You say it *vuvclee-ko.' And you sound very sophisticated that way.” We both laughed, tapped our cups, and drank. I knew champagne wasn't exactly supposed to be chugged, but I could tolerate the taste of it better than beer, and it did seem ”festive,” as Ashley had put it earlier, so I finished off the refill James had gotten me in a few gulps, and told myself that was it for the night.

Tyler had gotten up and was making his way around the bonfire, shaking hands and nodding with some guys, slapping others on the back. Fire crackled, and I leaned back on my hands, face to the sky, where I was surprised at how many stars I could see. It felt good to move out of reach of the heat. My cheeks still burned a bit, but I figured it was from the last few swigs of champagne. I tipped my head back to level and spun a little. Ashley put her head on my shoulder.

”Anna?”

”Yeah?”

”I think I'm drunk.”

”Me too.” She hiccupped, and we both laughed. I watched Tyler across the fire, talking with a blond kid who had to be a rookie. Tyler stood with one hand in his pocket, the other holding his red cup. Everything about him looked easy and relaxed. Confident. Like he knew I was on the other side of the fire watching his every move, and he didn't care in the least. He glanced over, right at me for a split second, and I looked away, gathering my courage.

CHAPTER 8.

James stood up and cleared his throat, over and over, until everyone realized they were supposed to look at him. I looked over at Tyler, who was grinning at this. James was wearing a straw cowboy hat and no s.h.i.+rt now. In the light of the fire he could pa.s.s for a twenty-year-old, but I figured he had to be at least thirty. He swept his arms out again, in a gesture meant to get everyone's attention.

”Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize for interrupting all of the pre-hook-up groundwork that's being laid right now, but we've come to a very important point in the evening, an honored crystal Cove lifeguard tradition.”

Four of the youngest-looking guards groaned and looked at each other.

James nodded. ”Yep, it's the CCAD. For you rooks, that's the crystal Cove Ab-as in *Ab Rock'-Dive.” He pointed to the cliff at the end of the cove, the one I had run to on my first morning.

”Aw, s.h.i.+t,” the youngest rookie muttered to the guy sitting next to him. The other guards, Tyler included, clapped their hands and hooted.

”Yep, guys. It's swim, dive, and be naked, for tomorrow you are rookies no more.” None of them moved. They just sat there, waiting for further instruction.

”But first,” James said, looking at me for a moment, ”I'm going to fill you in on a little history you may not know about, tell you all how this tradition started.” He took a step closer to the fire, and everyone leaned in, smiling and trying to figure out what was gonna come out of his mouth next. He had that effect on people. James put his hands together. ”Okay. It all started a long time ago-twenty years or something, I don't know. There was only one rookie that year, and he was a crazy-a.s.s kid. I mean, this kid kicked everyone's b.u.t.t swimming, towed a boat out of the surf line his second day in a tower, and pulled crazy tail.” Everyone laughed.

”Sounds like you, James!” a voice from the other side of the fire yelled.

”Nope. I wish I was as cool as this guy was. And Jesus, I'm not that old.”

”How old are you, anyway?” the same voice yelled.

”Old enough to know when to shut up. I'm trying to tell a story here.” He smiled and squatted down so the fire lit up his face under the hat. ”Anyway, the older guards decided this kid needed his ego knocked down a tad, so at the bonfire out here, they gave him all the beers he wanted, then threw down a challenge for him. See Ab Rock down there?” He pointed toward the rock at the end of the cove. ”They told him that every year, in order to graduate from being a rookie, you had to swim out to it, climb up to the first point, and jump off naked.” The rookies were quiet now, trying to shrink into the sand, and I was glad I wasn't one of them. James went on.

”So anyway, the kid agreed, dropped his shorts right there in front of the whole bonfire, and dolphin-dove out into the water. A few of the older guards swam out with him, to make sure he didn't chicken out. They all climbed the rock, but when they got to the jumping point, the crazy b.a.s.t.a.r.d kept climbing, all the way up to the top of the cliff, which is about fifty feet up. At high tide.” He paused and turned-and so did all of us-to the cliff that loomed above the water. In the dark I could just make out the outline of it, but my memory of it from that first morning was that it would have been a scary jump to make. A quiet resignation had settled over the rookies seated at James's feet, and the other guards, Tyler included, stood over them, smiling.

”Well, the G.o.dd.a.m.n kid got all the way to the top, stood there a minute in the moonlight, naked and proud, and then backed up, took a running head start, and launched himself off the top of good ol' Ab Rock.” He let the image sink in for a second before he continued. ”Now, everybody was waiting for him to come up, but he decided to have some fun of his own and come in hugging the edge of the cliff in the shadow, where they couldn't see him. They all got worried and started diving around for the kid. Guards on the beach jumped in. Girls were crying. And you know what he did? He came out of the water, still buck naked, grabbed one of the cottage girls, and laid a big ol' wet kiss on her.” James looked over at me. ”And legend has it that it was love at first kiss, because that girl became his wife later on.

”So, how *bout it, boys? Tonight's the night you become men and carry on the tradition started so many years ago by our very own Boss Ryan. So strip down. Nudity is required for rookies. Evans, you collect their boxers at the waterline. The rest of you have earned the right to your shorts, if you wish. I will be jumping naked, in support of these poor saps.” The veteran guards again cheered and raised their cups, and the rookies stood up, resigned to their fate.

I didn't move. People elbowed each other around me, laughing. Ashley was saying something, James and Tyler were walking over to us, and I didn't move. I sat spinning, marveling. I'd known they'd met at the cove, but that was it. Not that my dad had been this reckless and wild kid, not that my mom had been a-”cottage girl.” Had she stayed here? Lived here? Ashley's hand on my shoulder interrupted all of the questions that swirled around. She was still giggling.

”So that crazy kid was your dad? And the girl he grabbed was your mom? That's the cutest story! They must love to tell it!” I nodded, staring down into the fire. ”Yeah, it's an old family favorite.”

James bent down to me and Ashley. ”You ladies, of course, are exempt from this requirement of the party. Although you're more than welcome to join in.” Ashley pulled a blanket over her shoulders. ”I think I'll wait right here.” She looked over at the rookies, who were now down to their underwear. ”Are any of them cute enough for a kiss? Maybe one is my future husband.”

”Not likely,” replied James. ”If you'll excuse me, I need to go disrobe.” He tipped his straw hat, winked, and walked off down to the waterline, where everyone had gathered. I looked from the inky blackness of the water to the towering silhouette of Ab Rock, and then stood.

”Wait up! I'm in.” I got up and in one swift motion pulled my sundress over my head. I wasn't going to get naked, but I figured my bra and underwear were pretty much the same thing as a bathing suit. I needed to clear my head.

Ashley turned and looked up at me, giggles gone. ”Anna! You're gonna, like, die out there or something, and then it'll be this big tragedy, and then I'll miss you-”

”Come on, Ryan. We're waiting!” James yelled.

”Relax, Ash. I can handle myself.” My voice came out flat, and I flashed on James's story. ”I'm like a mermaid.” Everyone stood on the beach facing the water, and I was glad, because the only thing James was wearing was his straw cowboy hat and a whistle around his neck. He lifted the whistle to his lips and blew. The four rookies I had seen at the fire, plus two more who had probably been hiding, dropped their boxers, and everyone ran out into the water.

It was a sloppy mess at first, naked white b.u.t.ts and all. I was surprised at how uncoordinated I felt when I first dove in, and I hoped that being in the water would clear the champagne haze in my head. I dove under and opened my eyes to nothing but fuzzy black. I forced myself to concentrate on the coolness, which was enough to sober me up a bit but not to keep me from thinking of here. Here. A cottage girl. When I came up through the gla.s.sy surface, I was in the middle of the group of s.h.i.+ny heads. I treaded water for a second, trying to pick out Tyler.

”Hey.” He swam up from the side. ”You okay out here?” He was close enough for me to see the water droplets on his face.

”Yeah. I'm fine. I'm my father's daughter, remember.” I said it with such bite, Tyler seemed puzzled. I couldn't even begin to describe how I felt about my dad at the moment. Instead I pulled myself forward in the water, and Tyler went with me.

I turned to him and tried to brighten my tone. ”So, you had to do this last year?”

”Yep.” He nodded, went under, and then resurfaced a few feet in front of me. ”It's a long way down from up there. Longer if you get the landing wrong. You gonna jump?”

I turned over onto my back and kicked. ”Tradition is tradition, right?”

”All right, then. Let's go.”

At this we both settled into an easy freestyle stroke and pulled ahead of the group. As we neared the rock, it grew tall er, the face of it steeper. I concentrated on swimming and willed myself to have the guts to follow through on the jump. When we got to the base, Tyler and I treaded water and looked straight up. I had to tilt my head way back to see the top of the rock. The surge of a wave pushed us gently into it, and I kicked back off with the ball s of my feet.

Tyler turned to me. ”Okay. The next surge that comes through, ride it and use it to get up onto that little l edge.” He pointed to the faint outline a few feet above us. ”That's the best place to start.” I nodded, and just as I did, I felt the water pull away from the rock. ”Okay,” he said. ”Get ready.... Now.” The water surged back up to the face of the rock, and I went with it, surprised at how high it brought me. I reached for the l edge and grazed it with my fingers, but slipped back down with the water. Tyler grabbed on and pulled himself up, just as the rest of the guys caught up.

I wasn't gonna miss it a second time, in front of everybody. When the next wave rose under me, I gave one strong kick and propeled myself up to the l edge, then clamped down hard with my fingertips.

James hooted. ”Yeah! Looks like it runs in the family! Go, girl.” My arms shook as I pulled myself up, and I was happy that I didn't need the hand Tyler had extended down to help me. I popped up next to him on the l edge and brushed my hands off on the backs of my legs.

He nodded. ”Not bad.” I felt his eyes on me for a long moment, and I held them until he looked away, to the top of the rock. ”It's not too bad to get up there.

It's more of a slant than straight up and down, and there's plenty of spots to grab on the way up. Just don't look back once you've started. And let me know if you need any help. The first point is just up here. You can jump that one if you don't want to go all the way up.”

”No. I'm going from the top. And I'm gonna jump first.” I surprised myself with this, but I figured whatever I said I'd have to back up once I got up there.

”All right, then. Let's go.”

I followed his lead and pulled myself up the side of the rock. Beneath us, the other guards were timing the swell to get up to the first l edge. Hoots and hollers broke through the murmurs below as they made their way up the rock behind us, completely naked. I could only be happy that I was in front of them, not having to look up. Instead I got to look up at Tyler, who I had a feeling was slowing down so that I could keep up. As with everything else, he climbed effortlessly. I concentrated on trying to look as at ease as he did, but the higher we got, the harder it was to do. It was a lot farther up than I had imagined, but there was no backing out at this point. Now I was sober.

”Almost there,” Tyler said over his shoulder. ”You still sure you wanna do this? Hope so, cuz climbing down this thing would be a b.i.t.c.h.”

”I said I'm in.” I pulled myself up and found a foothold. I took a deep breath and tried to think calm thoughts. The water had looked deep in the daylight.